Search - Wgbh American Experience Roberto Clemente [dvd] on DVD

A great baseball player and a great human being

Utah Blaine | Somewhere on Trexalon in District 268 | 04/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD contains a wonderful recounting of the life of one of baseball's true greats, and it isn't only for baseball fans. Roberto Clemente was the first great Latin American baseball star in the US. Clemente's life is recounted from his very humble beginnings in Puerto Rico (his father worked in the sugar cane fields) to his stardom with the Pittsburgh Pirates to his tragic death. The story is told in such a way as to really bring Clemente to life. There are interviews with many who knew him, including his wife Vera, his teammate Manny Sanguillen, as well as Orlando Cepeda and David Maraniss (who wrote a terrific biography of Clemente a few years ago which I've reviewed previously). They show some clips from some interviews he gave with reporters, and you'll get a sense of how surly he could be. Of course his achievements in baseball figure prominently in this tale. The 300 hits, the 2 World Series, his being robbed of the MVP. Beyond the purely baseball aspect though, you'll learn how Clemente was a many of dignity, with a tremendous amount of pride and respect for his family and for his fellow Puerto Ricans, and a man who ultimately died trying to help others. He is what we would hope all our sports heros would be like. This DVD is a great homage to a great baseball player, highly recommended."

A quality documentary about a man of character

Marcy R. Webb | Bloomfield, CT USA | 07/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased the documentary for my Spanish students. They are first-year 8th graders. We were learning about sports, and so learning about Roberto Clemente fit nicely with the theme. The students were completely engaged with the subject matter. The teacher resources on the American Experience website are very useful, too."