Jim Decorso

Roberto Clemente - The Lost Years Jim Decorso

Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash on a relief supply mission on December 31st, 1972. In this fictional novel his plane does not crash!What will the rest of his baseball career be like? What will the remainder of his life look like?The story of Clemente's Lost Years are told through the voice of Rico, a team trainer hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972. Rico, who is now an old man, befriends a young boy in his native Puerto Rico. The boy takes an interest in Rico's stories about the old days with Clemente and the Pirates. Rico tells the boy every detail he can remember from over 40 years ago including working to heal Clemente's chronic back and neck pain, and how he is invited on the near-fatal plane flight to Nicaragua. He tells of the dangerous experience of landing in the earthquake-ravaged country. Rico also follows Clemente closely through the last seasons of his baseball career, his big retirement ceremony, the building and grand opening of the Ciudad Deportiva Youth Sports Facility in Puerto Rico, and the rest of his life after baseball. Clemente's career is well documented with his 3000 hits, 12 Gold Gloves, and a .317 lifetime batting average. This novel lets the reader's imagination explore The Lost Years after December 31st, 1972.