Roberto Clemente Signature "Bob"

[71buc]

Interesting conversation, I’ll voice no opinion one way or another. Nor will
I judge anyone for their comments or opinions. Nonetheless, Clemente was not from a foreign country. Like all Puerto Ricans he was born an American citizen. As such I would disagree that calling him Bob was an effort to Americanize him.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by 71buc

Interesting conversation, I’ll voice no opinion one way or another. Nor will
I judge anyone for their comments or opinions. Nonetheless, Clemente was not from a foreign country. Like all Puerto Ricans he was born an American citizen. As such I would disagree that calling him Bob was an effort to Americanize him.

Yes, Puerto Ricans are technically Americans. But to White America, they were foreign sounding (and looking), and were treated differently. I should have more accurately said that calling Roberto Bob may have been a way to "Anglicize" his name.

Check out the attached article from June 7, 1955 in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette where Roberto firmly states what he wants to be called and where the newspaper goes to great lengths to emphasize the different way he pronounced certain words:

""My name eet is Roberto Enricque Clemente Walker….Just Roberto Clemente, thas all….This Enricque is middle name. Walker eet is my mother's name. In Puerto Rico, people she use father and mother's name. I use Roberto Clemente in thees country.""

[Jim65]

I'm wondering, did Topps try to Anglicize any other players names.

I see Roberto Pena and Roberto Rodriguez were named Roberto on their 1960's Topps cards, so obviously there was no giant conspiracy to eliminate the Robertos of the world.

[EddieP]

Originally Posted by Jim65

I'm wondering, did Topps try to Anglicize any other players names.

I see Roberto Pena and Roberto Rodriguez were named Roberto on their 1960's Topps cards, so obviously there was no giant conspiracy to eliminate the Robertos of the world.

I’ m not sure if Topps was the reason but Vic Power is really Vic Pellot. In fact, he played in the PR Winter League as Vic Pellot.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by EddieP

I’ m not sure if Topps was the reason but Vic Power is really Vic Pellot. In fact, he played in the PR Winter League as Vic Pellot.

This name has nothing to do with Topps and the Power name predates Topps.



I can’t find any evidence that Topps was renaming people to be
assholes, or even renaming people at all (who all continued to sign with them every year for basically nothing). I’m sure some evidence will come up soon. Any minute now. Yep.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by G1911

This name has nothing to do with Topps and the Power name predates Topps.



I can’t find any evidence that Topps was renaming people to be
assholes, or even renaming people at all (who all continued to sign with them every year for basically nothing). I’m sure some evidence will come up soon. Any minute now. Yep.

It is interesting though, as I pointed out, that every other manufacturer called him Roberto throughout the same period; at least as far as I can tell.

[cgjackson222]

Not from Clemente's mouth, but his friend Osvaldo Gil says in this video that Roberto Clemente didn't want to be called Bob at 20:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGfbgg88fY

[rats60]

Originally Posted by 71buc

Interesting conversation, I’ll voice no opinion one way or another. Nor will
I judge anyone for their comments or opinions. Nonetheless, Clemente was not from a foreign country. Like all Puerto Ricans he was born an American citizen. As such I would disagree that calling him Bob was an effort to Americanize him.

Americanize is the wrong word, they tried to Anglicize him. Call him an English language version of his name instead of his actual Spanish name.

When Roberto came to the mainland, he was shocked at the racism he faced, both as being black and Latino. He was American and wasn't subject to racism in Puerto Rico. So when white Americans would call him an Anglicized version of his name, he was not receptive of it. As has been pointed out, when it was friends, he knew it was not meant badly, but from strangers he was always skeptical due to the way strangers treated him.