At the age of 18, Clemente attended a tryout camp conducted by Brooklyn Dodgers scout and future general manager Al Campanis. Among 70 players, Clemente stood out. "He was the best free-agent athlete I have ever seen," Campanis recalled.
After playing with Santurce in the Puerto Rican winter league, Clemente signed with the Dodgers for a $10,000 bonus and a $5,000 salary. He played in 1954 with the Dodgers' Montreal farm club. But when Brooklyn didn't protect him on its roster, the Pirates selected Clemente as the first selection of the rookie draft that took place on November 22, 1954.
On November 23, 1954 Mr. Harold G. Roettger, assistant to the President of the Pirates sent this letter to Mr. Phillip Piton, Ass't to Pres. on the NAPBL.
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The response from the NAPBL...
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Being a huge lifetime Clemente fan, I consider this one of the most important finds I've made