December 31st Proves Legends Never Die

Today is December 31st and I want to wish a Happy New Year to you all. Next year has now become this year and it is a time to look forward to the adventure that lies ahead. 

However, I would be remiss to note that December 31^{st, 2012} marks the sad day exactly 40 years ago that the baseball world lost one of its greatest stars.  Following a massive earthquake that devastated the country of Nicaragua, Roberto Clemente helped organize a relief effort for victims of the disaster and accompanied one of the aid packages on its flight on New Year's Eve 1972 to ensure that the goods reached the proper hands.  Tragically, Clemente's flight crashed off the shore of Puerto Rico, costing the Pirates superstar his life at the age of 38.  Clemente was posthumously honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal and a Congressional Gold Medal by then-president Richard Nixon and the U.S. Congress, and given immediate entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame, as the BBWAA waived its usual five-year waiting period.

I highly recommend the following video narrated by the great Bob Costas on MLB network that captures his essence as a player, man, and hero

in every mass email I send out I write "it's more than just a game".. Clemente proved that.

Legends Never Die