The comparison between Kaline and Clemente in their later years is not an apples to apples comparison.
Kaline was playing a lot 1st Base from 1968 onward. While he was still primarily a right fielder, he played a total of 135 games at 1st Base between 1968 and 1973. In his final year, in 1974, he ONLY played DH.
When you play 1B or DH, you need to hit quite well to be league average.
Kaline hit average for a right fielder, but below average for a 1st baseman or DH.
So, Clemente was hitting average for a Right Fielder, and still a premier fielder.
Therefore, he was more valuable to his team than Kaline towards the end of his career.
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