[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by 71buc

Surely you jest Cespedas has an amazing arm but IMHO it rates a 6on the 8 point scale. Clemente's arm was a true 8. His arm is the one all others are measured by. The velocity and trajectory of his throws set the standard. His throws actually seemed to pick up velocity as they approached the infield. The only recent player I have seen who may be even remotely close to Clemente's arm is Ichiro. My 74 year old father has made some outlandish claims about Rocky Colavito's arm that I find hard to believe and there no video evidence to support those claims. He tells me that many times he saw Rocky Colavito throw balls from home plate over the center field wall during batting practice at Municipal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UUy65ZpSP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5PgPOM4HCs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFAbXnlzZGQ

Mike, I never claimed that Harper or Cespedes had the same arm strength Roberto Clemente had. I merely said how great it was seeing the same kind of throws Roberto made when he played, and how much I appreciate great defense.

I've idolized Roberto since I was a kid. I know how great he was both offensively and defensively. In fact, I just made this statement a few days ago on the thread I started about my ten favorite vintage cards:

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Nice to see somebody else pick the '58 Topps Clemente, Nate.



This card gets me every single time I look at it yet. Roberto was not yet Roberto. Though he'd finished third in batting in 1956, 1960 was his breakthrough season. 1961 is when he became a superstar.

I still think Clemente is the most underappreciated star to ever play the game. People give him credit, but generally view him as a step below Ruth, Aaron and Frank Robinson in right field. No way.

From 1960 until 1972, the end of his career, a span of thirteen seasons, he was a .330 hitter that amassed 2,318 hits (most in all of Major League Baseball), a fifteen time All Star (two All Star games in 1960, '61 and '62), and a twelve time Gold Glove Award winner.

I've yet to see anybody that could match Roberto's arm strength and accuracy. When the argument is made that Ruth and Aaron hit more home runs, and drove in more runners, I counter with the number of runs Clemente's defense prevented. Hitters just didn't try to stretch singles into doubles, or doubles into triples, when Roberto was in right. If they did try, they learned not to make the same mistake again.