Read Our Original Play Based on the Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente—The First Latin-American Baseball Superstar

Readers Theater Play Arriba Roberto! Read our original play based on the heroic life of Roberto Clemente—the first Latin-American baseball superstar

Sign up for the character you’re going to read. SCENE 1 Characters *Starred characters are major roles. Narrator 1: It is 1945 in a *Narrator 1 Roberto Marín [Mah-REEN], tiny town in Puerto Rico, Roberto’s first coach called Carolina [Cah-roh- LEE-na]. Most of the men *Narrator 2 Mr. Murtaugh [MURR-tog], in Carolina work in the Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates sugarcane fields. *Roberto Clemente [Kleh-MEN-teh] Narrator 2: Young Roberto Clemente, 11, is playing Coach Samples, a coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers catch with his friends Ephraim [EFF-rum], young Roberto’s friend Ephraim and Jaime. Their ball is old and worn from Vera Clemente, Roberto’s wife use. Their gloves are made Jaime [HI-meh], young Roberto’s friend out of an old sack. Announcer Smith, a radio announcer Ephraim: C’mon, Jaime, you have the good arm. Give *Luisa [Loo-EEZ-ah] Clemente, Roberto’s mother TV Announcer Prince Roberto a high one, as high as you can throw it. Jaime: Try getting this one, *Melchor [Mehl-CHOR] Clemente, Roberto’s father Roberto. It’s going all the way to the sugarcane fields. You can say hello to your Papi in Spanish words are in italics. Look for a glossary on page 5. the fields.

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Papi. Toss it a mile, Jaime. I his glove, picks up the lunch to save to buy the bike, but could use the exercise. pail, and runs off to the cane he does it. Narrator 1: Jaime throws and fields. Roberto takes off in a mad SCENE 3 sprint toward the sugarcane SCENE 2 Narrator 2: As Roberto fields. The wind carries the Narrator 2: On the road to grows up, his talent for ball far and fast, but Roberto the fields, Roberto sees a baseball grows, too. The is even faster. beautiful sight—a bicycle world has no idea yet who Jaime: Darn! That was my shop. The bikes are used but this young man is, but the hardest throw. in fine shape, and one is just word about his talent is Narrator 2: The ball falls Roberto’s size. He rushes off traveling around Puerto Rico. with a smack into Roberto’s to the fields. Narrator 1: When Roberto is burlap glove. It’s a perfectly Roberto: Hola, Papi, here’s 14, Roberto Marín, the timed catch. Roberto spins your lunch. manager of a semi- around, pulls back, and Melchor Clemente: Gracias, professional softball team in throws the ball to his friends. Roberto. Puerto Rico, sees him play. It’s a masterful maneuver. Roberto: Papi, you’ll never Narrator 2: Marín summons Ephraim: ¡Fantástico! believe what I saw on the him to his office one day. Jaime: DUCK! road coming over here. Marín: Come on in, young Narrator 1: Ephraim and Melchor: Could it be … man. Glad you could stop by. Jaime fall to the ground as a bike? Roberto: So … you saw one the ball hits the tree right Roberto: How’d you know? of my games? between them—a perfect Melchor: I walked the same Marín: Yes. You’re terrific. I bull’s-eye! road this morning. I saw the appreciate your talent a lot. I Roberto: You’re out at the bike, too. want to put you on my team. plate, amigos! Roberto: So … ? You can use that rifle arm of Narrator 2: Just then Melchor: So … what? yours in the outfield. Roberto’s mother, Luisa, Roberto: Can I have it? Roberto: Really? comes outside, carrying a Melchor: Yes. Marín: When I see you lunch pail. Roberto: Will you buy it slamming homers with a Luisa Clemente: Roberto, for me? bat made of a tree branch quit knocking your friends Melchor: No. and snagging fly balls with down. They’re nice boys. Now Roberto: Then how can a glove made of an old coffee- run to the fields and bring I get it? bean sack, I say to myself, your father his lunch. Melchor: You’ll earn it. “This Clemente will go Roberto: Mmmm. Smells Narrator 1: Roberto soon far.” I’ll help you learn the good, Mama. gets a job lugging a heavy game, so you’ll do well in the Luisa: It’s chicken, salad, and milk can from a neighbor’s major leagues in America. plátanos for su padre. It’s his farm to a local store half a That’s where you’re bound lunch for a hard day’s work. mile away. At six every to end up. No nibbling, Robertino. morning, he drags the heavy Roberto (smiling): When do Narrator 1: Roberto drops can. It takes him three years I start?

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SCENE 4 league team in Montreal. few people of Hispanic Narrator 1: Roberto runs Roberto: But I’m one of your heritage there, unlike in New home to tell his parents the best rookies, Coach! York. Roberto’s English is exciting news. Coach Samples: You want limited, and the people he Roberto: Mama, Papi, el the truth, kid? You’re too meets don’t make him feel señor Marín has chosen me good. We heard the Giants welcome. to play on his team! Look, he are trying to draft you. If you Narrator 1: There are other gave me a real baseball glove! go there, our main problems. Puerto Rican Melchor: That is a great competition will get even baseball stars are new in the honor, Robertino. stronger. big leagues, and there are few Luisa: We are so proud of Narrator 1: The Giants of them. Black players and you, hijo. You have our already have Willie Mays, the other people of color are often bendición. best player in the league. treated very badly. Roberto: Thank you for the Samples knows that if they Narrator 2: Opposing teams’ blessing, Mama. got Roberto too, they’d be fans yell racist insults. Roberto Narrator 2: Roberto pounds unstoppable. hears these words, and they his fist into the pocket of his Coach Samples: We’re going sting him. Still, he plays on, new glove. to keep you from them by and he plays well. Yet, even as sending you to the minors in he makes his mark in baseball, SCENE 5 Canada. Don’t expect much his own manager behaves Narrator 1: It is 1954, and playing time when you get badly toward him. Roberto Clemente is on his there, either. way to play in America. It is a Narrator 2: This is not good SCENE 6 rocky road to the big leagues, news for Roberto. Narrator 1: Roberto is called though. Roberto: I’ve worked every to the office of Pirates Narrator 2: Several teams are day since I was a little kid. Manager Murtaugh. interested in Roberto, but the Now, baseball is my job. I’ve Murtaugh: The fans like you, Brooklyn Dodgers make the got to play. Is there any team Clemente. You’re an exciting first offer. Roberto gives his you’ll let me trade to? player. I just heard you’re word that he will join them, Coach Samples: There is one going to be on the rookie and soon he is on his way to team. They’re in last place, so baseball-card series. New York City. When he they are no threat to us: the Roberto: That’s great! I’ll call arrives, it’s not what he Pittsburgh Pirates. my family with the good news. expects. Roberto: Playing for the Murtaugh: Wait, Clemente. Coach Samples: No need to worst team is better than not You don’t mind if they change put on your uniform, playing in the majors at all. your name on the card, do Clemente. You won’t be Narrator 1: Roberto you? playing today. Clemente joins the Roberto: Change my ... To Roberto: Why not, Coach? Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. what? Coach Samples: Orders from Pittsburgh is a strange city to Murtaugh: “Bobby” Clemente. the front office. We’re Roberto. Roberto: But that’s not my shipping you to our minor- Narrator 2: There are very real name.

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Murtaugh: I know, but Announcer Smith: What’s with 2,999 hits. And there’s “Roberto” sounds too, well ... that, Bob? the pitch! Clemente Puerto Rican. You’re in Roberto: Call me “Roberto.” connects. It’s a line drive to America now. OK ... Bobby? left center field in the gap! SCENE 8 Ladies and gentlemen, SCENE 7 Narrator 1: Roberto Roberto Clemente is the 11th Narrator 2: For years, continues to have problems major leaguer in history to Roberto is known as Bobby with reporters, but the fans of collect 3,000 hits, and the Clemente on the baseball Pittsburgh grow to love the first Latino baseball player to cards that show his amazing hard-working hitter. reach this remarkable batting average, runs batted Narrator 2: In 1964, Roberto milestone! in, and home runs. As good falls in love and marries Vera Narrator 1: The fans stand as he is, though, his success Zabala. They make their up and cheer. Willie Mays, is often ignored by sports home in Puerto Rico, where who now plays for the Mets, reporters who seem to be Roberto spends the off- runs across the field to uncomfortable with a player season playing in the winter congratulate Roberto. named Roberto. leagues. Narrator 2: Later, Clemente Announcer Smith: Here with Narrator 1: Soon Roberto speaks to reporters. me is Pittsburgh Pirate Bob and Vera have three sons. Roberto: I dedicate this hit to Clemente, a fan favorite. Say Roberto loves playing with the Pittsburgh fans, to the hello to the fans, Bobby. his kids. He also spends his people of Puerto Rico, and to Roberto: Hello. free time working for good one man in particular, Announcer Smith: Bob, causes. Roberto Marín, my very first 1961 has been a breakout Narrator 2: Over the next few coach. year for you. A .351 batting years, Roberto lives up to his average, 89 RBIs, 100 runs promise of baseball greatness SCENE 9 scored, and you beat out and surpasses it. In 1966, he Narrator 1: When the season Hank Aaron for the right-field earns the Most Valuable is over, Roberto goes home to Gold Glove award. It seems Player title for the league. He Puerto Rico as usual. like Willie Mays is the only is the first Puerto Rican Narrator 2: On December 23, player who matches your player to win this award. 1972, he and Vera get the bad overall skill at the game. Narrator 1: September 30, news that an earthquake has Bobby, tell the fans how you’d 1972, is a very special hit the Central American like to see your career Saturday afternoon game country Nicaragua. develop from here. against the New York Mets. Roberto: The earthquake has Roberto: Well, first of all, Narrator 2: On this day, killed 7,000 people. It left at thank you for those kind Roberto joins one of least 250,000 homeless. words, but I always feel like I baseball’s most elite clubs. Vera: I wonder how all of our can improve my skills. As for Announcer Prince: The fans friends are doing. We know so my career, I’d like the ladies are screaming “¡Arriba many young people from and gentlemen of the press to Roberto!” as Clemente when you coached that do me a big favor. approaches the batter’s box international tournament.

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Roberto: Vera, it breaks my Vera: Roberto, no! It’s too Narrator 2: The flight is heart. Babies are dying there. risky. delayed several times We must collect money, food, Roberto: Sí, there’s a risk, but because of mechanical medical supplies, and I must help. Remember my problems, but nothing can clothing for those poor parents giving me la stop Roberto from keeping people. bendición, the blessing. I his promise. Vera: Will it do any good? We have been so blessed in my both know the political life. I must try to give la SCENE 10 situation there is very bad. bendición to others. Reporter Jones: I have tragic Roberto: I know we can’t trust Narrator 1: Roberto and Vera news to report tonight. A the dictator of Nicaragua to spend the rest of their DC-7 cargo plane carrying deliver the supplies to the Christmas holiday organizing Roberto Clemente and four truly needy people. relief efforts. On New Year’s other volunteers has crashed Vera: Then what can we do? Eve, Dec. 31, 1972, the into the sea. They were on a Roberto: I will go there myself supplies are ready to be flown relief mission to Nicaragua. and make sure the supplies to Nicaragua in an old, There were no survivors in get to the right people. donated plane. this terrible accident. Narrator 1: The world mourns Roberto’s death. Glossary of Spanish Words Announcer Prince: Arriba Roberto Clemente, for your Names life as a baseball hero and a Papi [PAH-pee] An affectionate name for father hero to all mankind! Robertino [Roh-behr-TEEN-o] This is a nickname for Roberto. Narrator 2: Roberto The “ino” ending means that the person is young, Clemente was inducted into dear, or familiar—the same way that Daniel becomes Danny or Kate becomes Katie in English. the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the first Hispanic Words player to achieve this ¡arriba! [ah-REE-bah] – hurrah, bravo timeless honor. Narrator 1: Today, young amigos [ah-MEE-goes] – friends people who trade baseball fantástico [fahn-TAH-stee-co – fantastic cards may come upon an old su padre [soo PAH-dray] – your father card with the name Bob plátanos [PLAH-tah-nos] – plantains; Latin American fruits Clemente. They may also similar to bananas that are usually fried or baked come upon names like Alex hola [OH-lah] – hello Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, and gracias [GRAH-see-ahss] – thank you Nomar Garciaparra. Hispanic el señor [el say-NYOR] – sir, mister players make up 20 percent hijo [EE-hoe] – son of the major leagues today. It bendición [bain-dee-SYON] – a blessing was Roberto Clemente who paved their way to success. sí [see] – yes —Danton Stone

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