The last time Roberto Clemente stepped up to home plate was on a field on Puerto Rico’s west coast where he was teaching boys to play baseball. Locals had coaxed him into taking a swing, and he obliged, hitting the ball out of the park. It’s not surprising that one of the world’s greatest athletes could hit a home run, whether against local amateurs or professional baseball players. As Clemente once said of himself: “To me, I am the best.” His honored life attests to Clemente’s self-esteem.
