Lelands/Clemente family problems

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Slightly off-topic but i know theres both Clemente fans and Leland fans here,and thought it was an interesting read



Report: Clemente family upset with memorabilia auction

June 5, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- Roberto Clemente's family is upset that pieces of the plane he died in are being auctioned off, according to The New York Times.

Lelands auction house is selling a light metal piece of the airplane, measuring 19 by 14 inches at its largest point, the paper reported on its Web site Saturday night. That section has a minimum auction price of $1,500.

A gray steel propeller, 14 by 79 inches, has a minimum price of $1,000.


The high bid for the first piece is $1,650 and the high for the second is $1,210. The auction, which includes 28 Clemente-related items, is to end June 24.

Clemente died on Dec. 31, 1972, when the DC-7 he was on during a relief mission crashed after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The plane was headed to Nicaragua with supplies for earthquake victims.

``It's disgusting,'' Roberto Clemente Jr. was quoted as saying. ``It's a shame that something so sacred to my family would go on the market like this. It's ridiculous. It has nothing to do with baseball. He's a human being. He lost his life. There's nothing funny about that.''

The Clemente family will talk about whether they should take legal actions.

Joshua Leland Evans, the chairman and founder of the auction house, did not return messages from the paper seeking comment.