Roberto Clemente was an incredibly successful professional baseball player, who played eighteen seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was known not only for his remarkable athletic abilities, but also for his positive attitude and humanitarian efforts off the field. These quotes reflect his thoughts on life, adversity, and the importance of giving back.
Here are some of the most popular quotes attributed to Roberto Clemente:
1. “Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.”
2. “If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.”
3. “I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give.”
4. “I am convinced that God wanted me to be a baseball player.”
5. “When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth.”
6. “I am more valuable to my team hitting .330 then swinging for home runs.”
7. “If I would be happy, I would be a very bad ball player. With me, when I get mad, it puts energy in my body.”
8. “Every time I go to the plate, I feel like it’s the most important moment of my life.”
9. “To the youngsters of today, I also have a wish to make: be the scriptwriters of your destiny and feature yourselves as stars that showed the way towards a brighter tomorrow.”
10. “I am from the poor people; I represent the poor people. I like workers. I like people who suffer because these people have a different approach to life from the people who have everything and feel sorry for themselves.”
11. “The great thing about baseball is when you’re done, you’ll only tell your grandchildren about the good things. If they ask me about the bad things, I might not even remember them.”
12. “I didn’t come to have a regular life, and you start feeling that once you’re in the economic part of the game. But when you go and make decisions that’s going to help the masses — when you turn around and just help one kid, make him better — you’re accomplishing something.”
13. “When the Pirate’s manager discovered me in the minor leagues in 1955 he was told the Pirates needed a right fielder who could hit .280, hit 10 home runs a year, and had a good arm. I’ve tried to fulfill that prediction.”
14. “To me, baseball is an art. That’s how I look at it. It’s a beautiful art.”
15. “Pitch me outside, I will hit .400. Pitch me inside, and you will not find the ball.”
16. “I don’t believe in problems, I believe in opportunities.”
17. “My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.”
18. “All I demand of the players is their maximum effort. Nobody can do more than that.”
19. “I was born to play baseball.”
20. “I don’t try to break records; I don’t play for that. I just go out there to play the game I like and hope to do well.”
These quotes showcase Roberto Clemente’s deep passion for the game of baseball and his dedication towards making a positive impact on the world. His mindset and philosophy towards life continues to inspire millions, both within the baseball community and beyond.