Clemente

"Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth."

Such was the philosophy of the great #21 of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente. To say he lived that would be an understatement. Only one of two ball players in history to have had the five-year waiting period waived for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame, (Lou Gehrig was the other) he died in a plane crash December 31, 1972 while attempting to fly relief supplies to Nicaragua following a devastating earthquake.

I just finished reading David Maraniss' stunning biography of Clemente which is subtitled "The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero". (Note: The book is listed in Publishers' Weekly Top 100 Books of the Year.) Truly Clemente was a man of both grace and passion. He was among the first Latino players and was always trying to better his people, their image, and baseball. He hated racism and stood up to it. But he did it with a beauty and a grace that, when finally recognized as one of the greatest ballplayers of all time, the world saw and was amazed.

He lived and died fulfilling his own dream- and mission- to make the world a beter place. His was not a wasted life.