September 1961, Roberto Clemente Handwritten Letter in Spanish To Pedro Vasquez, Puerto Rican Baseball League, With Hand Addressed Envelope Handwritten in his native Spanish on the Cincinnati, OH Netherland Hilton hotel stationery to Pedro Vasquez (who was either a team or league official), Clemente discusses that he wants to play another season of winter ball in his native Puerto Rico despite having surgery on October 2nd to clean out bone chips in his elbow. He also mentions that he is exhausted but he will do the best that he can. In 1961, at 26 and one year after winning the World Series Championship, Clemente broke out, winning the NL batting championship with a .351 average, the All-Star Game MVP and earning the first of his 12 consecutive Gold Gloves for his stellar play in right field. As the leader of the first generation of Puerto Rican players to star in the major leagues (Orland Cepeda, Juan Pizarro, etc.), Clemente returned to the island each winter to live and play ball in the league that was founded in 1939. It was his love of his roots that led Clemente to do charity work both in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. On December 31, 1972, Clemente died in an plane crash, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973, thus becoming the first Latin American to be selected and the only current Hall of Famer whose mandatory five year waiting period was waived since it was instituted in 1954. The letter is in excellent condition, there is a small piece missing from the top margin and the envelope has been torn open from the side to pull out the letter. A full translation of the letter is available upon request. LOA from PSA/DNA.
September 1961, Roberto Clemente Handwritten Letter in Spanish To Pedro Vasquez, Puerto Rican Baseball League, With Hand Addressed Envelope Handwritten in his native Spanish on the Cincinnati, OH Netherland Hilton hotel stationery to Pedro Vasquez (who was either a team or league official), Clemente discusses that he wants to play another season of winter ball in his native Puerto Rico despite having surgery on October 2nd to clean out bone chips in his elbow. He also mentions that he is exhausted but he will do the best that he can. In 1961, at 26 and one year after winning the World Series Championship, Clemente broke out, winning the NL batting championship with a .351 average, the All-Star Game MVP and earning the first of his 12 consecutive Gold Gloves for his stellar play in right field. As the leader of the first generation of Puerto Rican players to star in the major leagues (Orland Cepeda, Juan Pizarro, etc.), Clemente returned to the island each winter to live and play ball in the league that was founded in 1939. It was his love of his roots that led Clemente to do charity work both in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. On December 31, 1972, Clemente died in an plane crash, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973, thus becoming the first Latin American to be selected and the only current Hall of Famer whose mandatory five year waiting period was waived since it was instituted in 1954. The letter is in excellent condition, there is a small piece missing from the top margin and the envelope has been torn open from the side to pull out the letter. A full translation of the letter is available upon request. LOA from PSA/DNA.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
