Baseball Legends
Chick Stahl. Jack Colins. These and more notable figures have established a space in sports history.
Yogi Berra
Raised in an Italian community located in Saint Louis dubbed as “The Hill”, Yogi Berra is a son of two immigrants from Europe, Pietro and Paulina. It was in the eighteenth of October 1909 when Pietro who is originally from Milan migrated to Ellis Island where he crossed paths with Paulina. Not for long, both tied the knots and bore a son which they nicknamed Lawdie because his mother had difficulty correctly pronouncing Lawrence. Yogi is actually among the baseball legends that grew up along Elizabeth Avenue since the also famous Joe Garagiola also came from the same block together sportscaster Jack Buck.
At this point, you may be wondering where in the world he inherited his name. Yogi Berra was called such because his friend noticed that his face resembles that of a Hindu god whenever he squats on the corner waiting for his turn to bat. He also sported the same look after a defeat so that is basically why he was not identified to be Lawdie or Lawrence by the common public. Yogi was even more employed especially that it was the time where the cartoon character by Hanna Barbera became popular. Amidst the “playful label”, he still emerged as one of the baseball legends who participated in fourteen World Series.
Roberto Clemente
Holding a right fielder position, Roberto Clemente is among the baseball legends in the Major League. It was in 1973 when he was seconded to the Hall of Fame as the first ever player of Hispanic- American descent. He was actually the only exemption to the obligatory five- year rank- retirement waiting episode from the time it was established in 1954. Prior to the achievements of Roberto, he was the same with any other young lad who dreamt of becoming big. The youngest among a brood of four, this baseball legend is a native of Carolina in Puerto Rico who was in touch with his roots even in the height of his career.
Playing eighteen seasons in the Major League from 1955 to 1972, Roberto Clemente is a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was his team all throughout his active participation as a professional athlete where he was then awarded as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1966. As what was mentioned earlier, he is among the baseball legends who never forgot about where he came from. As a proof, he extended all means to help his fellow men back in his native country. Not only that, he also gave assistance to the individuals in the Latin regions. While Roberto, among the legends of baseball, delivered food, his airplane crashed and was not able to survive.
Babe Ruth
Dubbed as the Sultan of Swat and Colossus of Clout, Babe Ruth’s real name is George Herman who is of German blood. Among the all the baseball legends in history, he is considered as the greatest of them all. As a matter of fact, a lot of polls recognize him as the top professional athlete of all time. Babe spent most of his career playing as an outfielder of the New York Yankees. However, he actually started out as a pitcher from the Boston Red Sox where he garnered a win- loss record of eighty- nine is to forty- six. By 1918, this baseball legend was already in the first base that helped the team big time.
In 1919, Babe Ruth was able to participate in a total of one hundred eleven games holding the position of an outfielder. He was also able to make twenty- nine home runs where he surpassed the record of Ned Williamson who also hit a lot of home runs all in one season. By 1920, he was among the baseball legends who experienced being traded with another team. Owner of New York Yankess Harry Frazee sold Babe to Boston Red Sox. The change in his career actually heralded him to the pedestal as he led the team to seven pennants together with a World Series championship in 1923.
As the years evolve, the legacy of these three will always be remembered.