Clemente’s 3,000th hit nearly made history twice

Moments later, the scoreboard flashed another message: “E.” That indicated that Boswell, usually a surehanded infielder, had made an error. The fans booed the decision lustily. Official scorer Donald “Luke” Quay, a writer and editor for the McKeesport Daily News, had apparently ruled the play an error from the outset, but the scoreboard operator mistakenly thought that he heard someone in the press box yell, “Hit.” The misunderstanding resulted in a premature celebration by the fans and by Clemente, who had already been presented with the ball by first base umpire, John Kibler.

After the game, Clemente initially expressed frustration with the scoring decision. “It was a hit all the way,” he told reporters in the Pirates’ clubhouse. Clemente believed that Charley Feeney, a longtime writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, had made the scoring decision. A few moments later, Clemente learned that it was Quay.

Of all the writers who covered the Pirates, Clemente liked Quay the best. In fact, they were friends. So when Clemente learned that it was Quay who ruled the error, he softened his tone. He was not about to allow a scoring decision affect his friendship. Clemente took the ball and signed it for Quay, while leaving a humorous message for his good friend. “It was a hit,” Clemente inscribed on the first line. On the second line, he wrote, “No, it was an error.” And then came the third line, “No it was superman Luke Quay. To my friend Luke with best wishes—Roberto Clemente.”

Restored to good spirits, Clemente would have to continue his quest for 3,000 the next day – Sept. 30, a Saturday afternoon game. Clemente faced Jon Matlack, an impressive young left-hander who would soon win National League Rookie of the Year honors. In his first at-bat against Matlack, Clemente struck out. He would have to wait for his second chance until the fourth inning.

Clemente led off the fourth against Matlack. While Bob Prince announced the game on the Pirates’ flagship station, KDKA, Luis Mayoral delivered the Spanish language play-by-play for a radio station in Puerto Rico. “It was something like 3:07 in the afternoon,” recalls Mayoral. “A little bit over 13,000 fans were in the stands. Fourth inning. Jon Matlack was pitching. Yes, I saw that.”

Matlack jumped ahead on the count with a first-pitch strike. Then came Matlack’s second pitch, a curve ball. The pitch hung a bit, allowing Clemente to make hard contact, lacing the ball toward the left-center field gap. Neither Mets left fielder John Milner nor center fielder Dave Schneck would have a chance to make the catch. There would be no dispute of hit vs. error on this play. By the time that Schneck retrieved the ball and threw it toward the infield, Clemente easily steamed into second base with a clean, no-questions-asked double.

With that hit, Clemente became the 11th player in major league history to reach the 3,000-hit circle. He also became the first Latino to achieve the milestone.

As Clemente stood atop second base, umpire Doug Harvey retrieved the ball from Mets shortstop Jim Fregosi. Harvey handed the ball to Clemente, shaking his hand during the brief encounter. Clemente then handed the ball off to his first base coach, Don Leppert, who kept the ball in his back pocket for safekeeping.

Although the crowd at Three Rivers Stadium was small that day – only 13,117 in attendance – the fans were loud. They took to their feet and cheered raucously, maintaining the applause for more than a minute. Not knowing what to do next, Clemente awkwardly placed his hands on his hips and rolled his neck, the latter movement a ritual that he often did during his at-bats.

“I feel bashful when I get a big ovation,” Clemente told Milton Richman of United Press International after the game. “I am really shy. I never was a big shot and I never will be a big shot.”

After play resumed, Clemente eventually came around to score as part of a three-run Pirates rally. In the top of the fifth inning, Clemente ran out to right field and received another standing ovation from the fans at Three Rivers.

When Clemente and the Pirates returned to the dugout at the end of the half-inning, Clemente received a different kind of acknowledgement. Willie Mays, now a part-time player with the Mets, made his way from the visiting dugout over to the Pirates’ bench. Although Clemente and Mays were never particularly close, they had played together one season in winter ball during the mid-1950s. The two stars clearly respected each other. Mays hugged Clemente, congratulating him on the milestone.

Clemente did not bat again that day. In the fifth inning, with the Pirates on the way to a 5-0 win, Bill Virdon gave Clemente the rest of the day off, pinch-hitting for him with another future Hall of Famer, Bill Mazeroski. After the game, Clemente spoke to reporters and dedicated his 3,000th hit to the fans of Pittsburgh and to a man named Roberto Marin, who had first coached him in softball so many years earlier in Puerto Rico.

No one realized it at the time, but Clemente’s 3,000th hit would be the last regular season hit of his career. Virdon rested Clemente on Sunday, played him only in the field in a Tuesday game, and then sat him out on Wednesday, the final day of the regular season.