Remembering Roberto and Rick

 

Just when you think the year is in the books, something happens that shakes your senses one more time. In both 1972 and 1985 such events occurred on the very last day of the year.

In '72, about 20 miles off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a Douglas DC 7 carrying relief supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua crashed killing all aboard. Among the dead, Roberto Clemente.

A similar accident took place in 1985 on the same day, December 31. This time, after performing a concert in Guntersville, Alabama, the Stone Canyon Band, aboard a leased 1944 Douglas DC 3, headed to its next performance in Dallas. . The plane never arrived, crashing just northeast of Dallas in DeKalb, Texas. Both pilots survived. All the band members were killed. Among them was lead singer Rick Nelson.

Clemente and Nelson were very different people. Roberto was a model citizen, a true humanitarian, a family man. Nelson lived on the edge. He was a free spirit and plagued by an addiction to drugs. Clemente and Nelson, however, did have two things in common--the way they died and the fact that both left legacies in their respective fields of endeavor.

Clemente is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. By the time of his death at age 38, and after a 17 year major league career, he had accumulated 3000 hits and has a career average of .317. He was fleet afoot and one of the most graceful athletes ever. He was an MVP and helped the Pirates to the 1960 World Series win over the New York Yankees. He was an All-Star 15 times, won 12 gold gloves was the 1966 MVP and was twice a World Series Champion with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and 1971. The 5-year rule was waived to allow Clemente immediate entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The only other player ever to be accorded that distinction was Lou Gehrig.

Clemente was a national hero in Puerto Rico. Citizens pointed with pride to his accomplishments as the most famous Puerto Rican ball player ever. Kids idolized him. Many played on baseball fields he built. It was Roberto Clemente's vision to make his nation a perennial breeding ground for future major leaguers.

He was also a great humanitarian in other ways. It was at Clemente's behest that a relief effort was established to help the people of Nicaragua, who had suffered tremendous losses from that devastating earthquake that severely damaged Managua and surrounding areas. Clemente was concerned that relief supplies were being pilfered by profiteers and he wanted to make sure that when the next plane arrived, its supplies went to those in need. He decided to accompany the fourth flight to Managua. The pilot was late and the flight delayed. Clemente told his wife that if there was another delay he would not leave until the next morning. But the flight did leave with Clemente aboard. His remains were never found and it was later learned the plane was overloaded by more than 4000 pounds.

Rick Nelson was as great an artist in his own right as Clemente. Nelson is in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and produced a treasure trove of great singles and albums. Rick, first known as Ricky Nelson was the son of Ozzie and Harriet --a band leader and singer-- who broke into radio and then television with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Both Ricky and his older brother, David, became part of the show and TV audiences watched them grow up on the air. Ricky's musical talent became obvious early and he often sang during the show. It was there audiences first heard the likes of Hello, Mary Lou, Travelin' Man and Poor Little Fool among many others. Even later in his career, Ricky wrote and sung Garden Party, one of his biggest hits. Nelson was just 45 when he died.

It's been 40 years since Clemente's passing. 27 since the world lost Rick Nelson. "Time flies," they say, but in the case of both these legends, time has stood still. Much of their work has been preserved, and for those who remember them in the prime of their careers, that memory will remain forever.