A baseball tribute to Roberto Clemente – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Luis Clemente couldn’t help but think of his father as he watched the Field of Dreams Ghost Players conduct their world-renowned baseball clinic and comedy routine last winter.

Nine ballplayers from Dubuque County paid their own way to Puerto Rico to spread a positive message through baseball to impoverished youth often tempted by the lure of drugs and gangs. The tour fit perfectly with the life’s work of Roberto Clemente.

“It’s extremely significant to have Paul Scherrman and the Ghost Players come down and support the program we have, because it’s exactly what Dad was all about,” Luis Clemente said. “The fashion they do it in, they have truly proven to have it in their heart. And the results we’ve had for the kids who participate in the different events we’ve put together is amazing.

“When you do a good deed, you don’t have to have someone see you do it. You do it because you want to do it, and you feel it’s the right thing to do. There’s nothing more rewarding for your soul. It’s the power of one. One individual can cause huge things to happen, and Paul Scherrman and his group are doing that.”

Roberto Clemente sacrificed his life for his mission. On New Year’s Eve in 1972, he died in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico while trying to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Against his family’s wishes, the 38-year-old insisted on making the trip because previous supplies hadn’t reached victims.

The Pittsburgh Pirates great ended his 18-year career with exactly 3,000 hits. Major League Baseball presents the Roberto Clemente Award to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”

The baseball community continues to treat the Clemente family as royalty because of its commitment to fulfilling Roberto’s mission and support of programs such as Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. Goodwill trips, such as the Ghost Players’ visits to Puerto Rico, only help to spread the Clementes’ word.

“We see this as a confirmation that the reasons for which Dad died were the right ones,” Luis Clemente said. “You see an immediate response. You see the results right in front of you, and what you feel is indescribable.”

Inspired by Clemente, Scherrman serves as the Midwest Regional Program Coordinator for Roberto’s Kids, which collects new and gently used baseball equipment and shares it with children in impoverished countries. He visited Puerto Rico two years ago and helped coordinate last winter’s Ghost Players tour.

The Ghost Players and some of their wives will return with a 20-member travel party next month. While the Ghost Players will again pay their own travel expenses, they are asking for donations to purchase equipment — mostly baseballs — to share with the children they meet along the tour.

They will visit six cities where the majority of the citizens fall below the poverty level. In between clinics, the travel party will have plenty of time to vacation and see the popular tourist attractions.

“Our clinic is pretty brief; there’s not a whole lot you can do in an hour and a half,” Scherrman said. “The thing we try to accomplish is getting a few smiles on the kids’ faces. These kids have never been to a baseball clinic before, and I’m sure none of them have ever seen a brand-new baseball either.

“When we do the comedy routine, it spreads to stands. The parents and the caregivers really appreciate what we’re trying to do. Baseball is so important to their culture, and it keeps their minds away from some of the really strong temptations down there.”

Luis Clemente feels as though the Ghost Players’ clinics take the children a million miles away from their problems.

“They were at our home field, but I really felt like I was in another place,” he said. “With the music they bring and the way they approach baseball, they transformed our field. It was amazing.

“I saw a kid literally jumping up and down, saying, ‘This is the happiest day of my life. I will never forget this day.’ It was amazing to see the impact the Ghost Players made on these kids.”

Frank Dardis, who will also be making his third trip to Puerto Rico, figures he owes the service to baseball. And he believes the Ghost Players benefit from the experiences they share with less fortunate children.

“I speak for a lot of us when I say we could spend the rest of our lives trying to say thank you or give back to the game and still not even come close to matching what it’s done for us,” said Dardis, a 27-year member of the Ghost Players. “This trip says a lot about the people who are making it. It’s a beautiful group of people.

“When we’re on the road, we have a really good time, and we’ve had the opportunity to see some amazing places. But there are a lot of serious times, too. The kids are really important to us.”

During last year’s tour, the Clemente family expressed its gratitude by hosting the Ghost Players for a special dinner prepared by Roberto’s widow, Vera.

“To my generation, Roberto Clemente isn’t just one of the greatest baseball players of all time, he’s also one of the most incredible humanitarians,” Ghost Player Keith Rahe said. “For their family to be so receptive to what we’re doing was a real thrill.”