From: James Smiley <jsmiley@gusd.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 1:37 PM
To: Joe Moeller <moe25joe@gmail.com>
Subject: You and Roberto Clemente
I still remember the thrill of facing Roberto Clemente the first time. The game was at old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh in early May, 1962. I was just 19 years old.
With the score tied in the bottom of the 9th our manager Walt Alston summoned me in from the bullpen. It was my 5th big league appearance.
The first batter was Dick Groat. Two years earlier he was the National League Most Valuable Player for the world champion Pirates. He worked the count full before I walked him.
With the winning run on base I now had to face Clemente for the first time in my career. In ’62 he was in the midst of a run that saw him make the All Star team in 8 consecutive years and in 12 of 13 seasons. He sure earned his nickname, “The Great One”.
I got ahead of him with two quick strikes. On the third pitch I threw one out of the strike zone. Instead of laying off of it, Clemente smacked a line drive single to right that advanced Groat to third. Now the winning run was just 90 feet away.
On orders from the dugout I walked Dick Stuart intentionally while Ron Perranoski warmed up so he could relieve me. My night was over.
The Pirates pushed across a run when Bob Skinner hit Perranoski’s third pitch up the middle for the walk-off win.
I always remember pitching against Clemente. He was such a bad-ball hitter, you could never really waste one. It’s funny how the memory works. The statistics say Roberto hit just .238 off of me. My heart tells me he was one tough out.
—
Jim Smiley
Psychology/Sociology
World History Teacher
Crescenta Valley High School