Looking for famous quotes by baseball player Roberto Clemente? We have rounded up the best collection of Roberto Clemente quotes, sayings, captions, one-liners (with images, pictures, posters) to motivate you.
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
His motto was, “If you have a chance to help others and fail to do so you’re wasting your time on this earth”. Let’s read some of his most popular quotes to inspire you.
Roberto Clemente Facts
Born: August 18, 1934, Carolina
Date of death: December 31, 1972
Nationality: Puerto Rico
Sports: Baseball
Height/Weight: 5 ft 11 inches, 175 lb
Runs Batted In: 1,305
Home Runs: 240
Runs: 1,416
We have divided the post in the following sections;
Roberto Clemente Quotes
Famous Roberto Clemente Quotes About His Success From Baseball
Quotes About Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Quotes
“I was born to play baseball.”
Roberto Clemente Quotes
“I would like to get 3,000 hits.”
“It’s not a bad ball if I can hit it.”
“If I could sleep. I could hit .400.”
“I always try to lead the clean life.”
“I love the game too much to quit.”
“A country without idols is nothing.”
“Baseball has been very good to me.”
“A nation without heroes is nothing.”
“Look at my skin – I am not of the white people.”
“To the people here, we are outsiders. Foreigners.”
“I get sick when I see somebody play, and I can’t play.”
“If you pitch me inside, I’ll hit the ball to McKeesport.”
“Brooklyn was a famous team. I wanted to play for the Dodgers.”
“But some people act like they think I live in the jungle someplace.”
“Bobby, it don’t matter how you stand; it matter where you end up!”
Famous Roberto Clemente Quotes
“When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth.”
“I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give.”
Roberto Clemente Quotes Images
“Baseball was my whole life. I would forget to eat because of baseball.”
“You try to hit home run every time but you no can do. No man can do.”
“I am more valuable to my team hitting .330 then swinging for home runs.”
“I gonna rest. If the pain is still there, I won’t come back to spring training.”
“Why does everyone talk about the past? All that counts is tomorrow’s game.”
Roberto Clemente Baseball Quotes
“I tell you, (Steve) Blass, you pitch me inside, they never, never find that ball.”
“Pitch me outside, I will hit .400. Pitch me inside, and you will not find the ball.”
“I couldn’t ask for better teammates, and the Pirate fans are the greatest in baseball.”
“Nobody does anything better than me in baseball. (Said Before the 1971 World Series)”
“I am convinced that God wanted me to be a baseball player. I was born to play baseball.”
“If you pitch me inside, I will hit forty-three home runs a year, thirty-seven of them off you!”
“There are many good players in this game. If they weren’t good, they wouldn’t be in the majors.”
“I will hit .450 if you give me Ralph Garr’s legs, Johnny Bench’s age, and cut the travel schedule.”
“I think all human beings are equal, but one has to unceasingly fight hard to maintain that equality.”
Roberto Clemente Quotes Poster
“I would be lost without baseball. I don’t think I could stand being away from it as long as I was alive.”
“If I would be happy, I would be a bad ballplayer. With me, when I get mad, it puts energy in my body.”
“They’ve been knocking me down all season in the National League and I’ve still gotten my share of base hits.”
“Many people tell me I wanna play like Weelie. I no play like Mays. From little boy up, I always play like these.”
“I’m a big supporter of our military and police, and the protesters have no right to be obstructing people like they are.”
“If I had not won the MVP, I would not have been mad, because Sandy Koufax was a great pitcher and he deserved it.”
“But I thought the MVP was something the ball club could be proud of because it gave our whole team recognition.”
“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.”
“There’s no difference between me and you (Manny Sanguillen). You need something, a glove, a place to live, you let me know.”
“When I was a boy, I realized what lovely people my mother and father were. I was treated real good. I learned the right way to live.”
“The first day that I get to Fort Myers, there was a newspaper down there. The newspaper said, ‘Puerto Rican hot dog arrives in town.’”
“I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to play many hours every day.”
“I used to watch Monte Irvin play when I was a kid. I idolized him. I used to wait in front of the ballpark just for him to pass by so I could see him.”
“I felt kind of bashful when the fans went crazy. I’m a very quiet, shy person, although you writers might not believe because I shout sometimes.”
“I run, I throw, I move. it hurts. It goes away and it comes back. Someday, it hurt, someday, no. If it does not cure, I quit baseball. No fool around.”
“I think he had the best eye, best stance and sharpest cut of all the big leaguers playing in Puerto Rico. He also field real good and throw like a bullet.”
“My father used to say, ‘I want you to be a good man; I want you to learn how to work. And I want you to be a serious person.’ I grew up with that in my mind.”
“The Dodgers told me a big bonus was no good, and they said other players would resent it. Better for me to take a small amount of money and work my way.”
“I had offers from Dodgers, Giants, and Braves. Braves offer same amount as Dodgers but I have many friends on Brooklyn team. I feel more at home there and I sign.”
“When Martin Luther King died, they come and ask the [black] players if we should play. I say if you have to ask [black] players, then we do not have a great country.”
“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.”
“My mother has the same kind of an arm, even today at 74. She could throw a ball from second base to home plate with something on it. I got my arm from my mother.”
“When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a baseball player. This is something I think about. The more I think about it, I’m convinced that God wanted me to play baseball.”
“If a Latin player is sick, they said it is all in their head. I’m sick of these people who make these statements. They call me ‘Jake.’ It is Roberto… Roberto Walker Clemente.”
“I think the fans in Pittsburgh are the best in baseball. They’ve always been on my side, even when I’m going bad. I’ve made plenty of friends and I would not trade these people for anybody, anywhere.”
“No one knows what eet is. They can’t find anything. I run, I throw, I move eet hurts. Eet goes away and come back. Someday eet hurt . . . someday no. If eet doesn’t cure, I quit baseball … No fool around.”
“The farther away you writers stay, the better I like it. You know why? Because you’re trying to create a bad image of me… you do it because I’m black and Puerto Rican, but I’m proud to be Puerto Rican.”
“They said you’d really have to be something to be like Babe Ruth. But Babe Ruth was an American player. What we needed was a Puerto Rican player they could say that about, someone to look up to and try to equal.”
“I dedicated the hit (his 3,000th) to the Pittsburgh fans and to the people in Puerto Rico and to one man (Roberto Marin) in particular. The one man who carried me around for weeks looking for a scout to sign me.”
“I am from the poor people; I represent the poor people. I like workers. I like people that suffer because these people have a different approach to life from the people that have everything and don’t know what suffering is.”
“It was a much bigger thrill to play on a winning team in 1960 than for me to win the batting title in 1961 when we finished sixth. When you’re with a bad team, you don’t have the incentive to keep going. Winning is such fun.”
“My father was the 87th Latino to be in the major leagues, but he was the first one … to be able to speak up and become an activist against prejudice, not only in baseball but also in society, and that took a lot to be able to do that.”
“This is my ball park. Every game is played in daylight and I can see the ball good. And I can reach the stands in any direction. I hope I’m never traded but if I am, I wish it would be to the Cubs. I know I do well there in 77 games.”
“I was looking for an inside pitch. I don’t know whether it was a fastball or not, but it came in a little inside and I was ready for it. I know it went out of here fast. Last year I hit one harder to the left field bleachers. That was a high fly ball. But this was a line drive. And I liked this hit better because it won the game.”
“In Puerto Rico, we like to laugh and talk before a game. Then we go out and play as hard as we can to win. Afterwards, we laugh and talk again. But in America, baseball is much more of a business. Play well and you get pats on the back and congratulations. Play bad and no pats and maybe nobody talks to you.”
“Jamie is one of the most accomplished pitchers in Mariners’ history, leading the major leagues in winning percentage over the last eight years, … But it is his commitment to making the difference in the life of those in need through the Moyer Foundation that has made people see you as a great baseball player and a great humanitarian.”
“I jus’ try to sacrifice myself, so I get runner to third. If I do, I feel good. But I get heet and Willie scores, and I feel better than good. […] What makes me feel most good is that the skipper let me play the whole game. I think maybe he take me out after a few innings for Aaron but no, he pay me big compliment. I stay in game and that gave me confidence. I think I don’t let him down, no?”
Famous Roberto Clemente Quotes About His Success From Baseball
“Winning is such fun.”
“My best game is when I drive in the winning run.”
“I’m not bragging when I say I think I’m as good as anyone.”
“I go up to hit. I hear people say I swing at bad pitches. If I can hit it, it is not a bad pitch.”
“I wasn’t ready for the majors when I joined the Pirates in 1955. I was too young and didn’t know my way around.”
“After I failed to win the Most Valuable Player Award in 1960, I made up my mind I’d win the batting title in 1961 for the first time.”
“In a way, I was born twice. I was born in 1934 and again in 1955 when I came to Pittsburgh. I am thankful to say that I lived two lives.”
“There was a time when I said if I couldn’t play in Pittsburgh, I wouldn’t want to play anywhere. I don’t feel that way now. If the Pirates traded me, I would accept it as a part of baseball and continue doing my best wherever I went.”
“I didn’t win the MVP alone. I couldn’t win it without having a good team, without men getting on base, and without us winning. I was sad because we didn’t win the pennant. But I thought the MVP was something the ball club could be proud of because it gave our whole team recognition.”
“One time my mother wanted to punish me. She started to burn my bat, but I got it out of the fire and saved it. Many times today she tells me how wrong she was and how right I was to want to play baseball. I bought my parents their home in Puerto Rico and gave them possessions they never thought they’d ever see. All from baseball.”
Quotes About Roberto Clemente
“(Roberto) Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.” – Broadcaster Vin Scully
“If (Roberto) Clemente were a football player, he’d make Ray Nitschke look like a pussycat.” – Pirates psychologist Dr. Thomas Tutko
“The big thing about (Roberto) Clemente is that he can hit any pitch. I don’t mean only strikes. He can hit a ball off his ankles or off his ear.” – Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal
“I still see him sometimes when I am alone. People remember him as a ballplayer, but he was so much more. He was a father, a husband, a wonderful man.” – Vera Clemente (wife)
“He gave the term ‘complete’ a new meaning. He made the word ‘superstar’ seem inadequate. He had about him the touch of royalty.” – Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (1973 eulogy)
“He was the one player that players on other teams didn’t want to miss. They’d run out of the clubhouse to watch him take batting practice. He could make a 10-year veteran act like a 10-year-old kid.” – Pitcher Steve Blass
“This is a tremendous honor (winning the 2002 Roberto Clemente Award), to be considered in the same class as Roberto Clemente. He is a hero and role model for all of us who play the game and strive to be as good a player and person as he was.” – Jim Thome
“Roberto Clemente was a legendary figure both as a player and a humanitarian. I have long been aware of his heroic efforts on behalf of others, and to have my name associated with his is a very special honor.” – Al Leiter (Winner of the 2000 Roberto Clemente Award)
“If we have a foundation with Roberto Clemente’s name on it, as a franchise we have a responsibility to make sure that it grows. Having kids play baseball in the inner city was important to Roberto Clemente, and we’re going down that same road.” – Pirate Owner Kevin McGlinchy
“The day of the crash I was in Puerto Rico. I went with the divers out into the ocean. It was really rough. I said, ‘I’m gonna dive.’ They gave me a tank and [scuba gear]. I went down. I saw barracuda and sharks. Big sharks. I got scared and pulled on the rope and they pulled me up.” – Manny Sanguillen
“He’s a shining star to many, many people. He grows and grows over time. He doesn’t diminish… The sad part is that there are not enough TV pictures of him. He made so many great plays that people can only talk about. You could never capture the magnificence of the man.” – Pirate General Manager Joe L. Brown
“Roberto Clemente played the game of baseball with great passion. That passion could only be matched by his unrelenting commitment to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate and those in need. People saw Roberto as a great ballplayer and humanitarian. He was also a great father, husband, teammate and friend.” – Manny Sanguillen
“Since 1971, Major League Baseball has annually presented an award that recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team. In 1972 the award, formerly know as the Commissioner’s Award, was renamed to honor Roberto Clemente who tragically died in a plane crash while delivering much needed supplies to earthquake-stricken citizens of Nicaragua. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the award.” – MLB Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig (2002)
Roberto Clemente Death
Roberto Clemente, future Hall of Fame baseball player, is killed along with four others when the cargo plane in which he is traveling crashes off the coast of Puerto Rico.
Clemente was on his way to deliver relief supplies to Nicaragua following a devastating earthquake there a week earlier.
At the time of his death, Clemente had established several records with the Pirates, including most triples in a game (three) and hits in two consecutive games (ten).
He won 12 Gold Glove Awards and shares the record of most won among outfielders with Willie Mays.
On July 25, 1956, in a 9–8 Pittsburgh win against the Chicago Cubs, Clemente hit the only walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in professional baseball history.
We have tried to come up with quotes and topics relating to willpower, discipline, success, dedication, determination and hard work which you need for your goals.
Everyday is a great opportunity for self improvement, hope, and believing in yourself.
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