"Bob" vs "Roberto" Clemente

[avery1328]

Same Company that will not show Chief Wahoo anymore on their cards..

[rats60]

Originally Posted by avery1328

Same Company that will not show Chief Wahoo anymore on their cards..

They don't call Roberto Clemente "Bob" anymore either.

[brian1961]

I think you guys are making way too big of a deal over this. In the 60s I always knew him as "Bob", and the announcers generally referred to him as "Bob". Maybe by the early 70s, as he made his preference known, fans, announcers, baseball card manufacturers adjusted. I think it was kind of tough for Topps to put his formal first name on a card, particularly little ones as the Bazookas. You're taking this as if it was a personal slam, and it was not.

By the early 70s, I noticed him being referred to as "Roberto", and I simply changed. I've always preferred addressing people as they themselves prefer to be called. It's simple respect.

Did you ever call Bert Campaneris by his formal first name, Dagoberto? Fortunately he also had a nickname, "Campy". Back in the day, cards, announcers, and The Sporting News said "Bert". No big deal.

---Brian Powell

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by brian1961

I think you guys are making way too big of a deal over this. In the 60s I always knew him as "Bob", and the announcers generally referred to him as "Bob". Maybe by the early 70s, as he made his preference known, fans, announcers, baseball card manufacturers adjusted. I think it was kind of tough for Topps to put his formal first name on a card, particularly little ones as the Bazookas. You're taking this as if it was a personal slam, and it was not.

By the early 70s, I noticed him being referred to as "Roberto", and I simply changed. I've always preferred addressing people as they themselves prefer to be called. It's simple respect.

Did you ever call Bert Campaneris by his formal first name, Dagoberto? Fortunately he also had a nickname, "Campy". Back in the day, cards, announcers, and The Sporting News said "Bert". No big deal.

---Brian Powell

A-frickin'-men!!!!

[Republicaninmass]

Or Odbert Hamric .....Bert

[JollyElm]

I know plenty of Roberts, and it doesn't matter what they prefer to be called, everyone will immediately default to the name Bob. Just like Michael. I have a few in my extended family, and if they want to be called "Michael," it doesn't matter. Within 5 minutes of meeting them, people are immediately referring to them as Mike. It's human nature, not frickin' racism.

Let's look at the 1972 Topps set, because I have it on hand. There isn't a single card with Robert as a first name. Not one. Even a bunch of Roberto Clemente's teammates were named Robert, but all of their cards show a form of Bob. Was Topps guilty of racism in regards to all of these players, even the white people???? Isn't it reasonable to assume that some of these players preferred to be called Robert, and not Bob or a derivative of it???

(Didn't research all the birth names of these players, but logic dictates that almost all of them had/have the birth name of Robert.)
Bob Tolan
Bobby Valentine
Rob Gardner
Bob Johnson
Bob Gebhard
Bob Barton
Bob Barton IA
Bob Oliver
Bobby Murcer LL
Bob Gibson
Bob Reynolds
Bob O’Brien
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Floyd
Bob Grich
Bob Watson
Bobby Heise
Bob Montgomery
Bob Miller
Bob Robertson
Bob Robertson IA
Bob Lemon
Bob Bailey BP
Bob Bailey
Bob Locker
Bob Moose
Bobby Wine
Bob Aspromonte
Bobby Knoop
Bob Fenwick
Bob Stinson
Bobby Pfeil
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer IA
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Bonds IA
Bob Veale
Bob Burda

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

I know plenty of Roberts, and it doesn't matter what they preferred to be called, everyone will immediately default to the name Bob. Just like Michael. I have a few in my extended family, and if they want to be called "Michael," it doesn't matter. Within 5 minutes of meeting them, people are immediately referring to them as Mike. It's human nature, not frickin' racism.

Let's look at the 1972 Topps set, because I have it on hand. There isn't a single card with Robert as a first name. Not one. Even a bunch of Roberto Clemente's teammates were named Robert, but all of their cards show a form of Bob. Was Topps guilty of racism in regards to all of these players, even the white people???? Isn't it reasonable to assume that some of these players preferred to be called Robert, and not Bob or a derivative of it???

(Didn't research all the birth names of these players, but logic dictates that almost all of them had/have the birth name of Robert.)
Bob Tolan
Bobby Valentine
Rob Gardner
Bob Johnson
Bob Gebhard
Bob Barton
Bob Barton IA
Bob Oliver
Bobby Murcer LL
Bob Gibson
Bob Reynolds
Bob O’Brien
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Floyd
Bob Grich
Bob Watson
Bobby Heise
Bob Montgomery
Bob Miller
Bob Robertson
Bob Robertson IA
Bob Lemon
Bob Baily BP
Bob Bailey
Bob Locker
Bob Moose
Bobby Wine
Bob Aspromonte
Bobby Knoop
Bob Fenwick
Bob Stinson
Bobby Pfeil
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer IA
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Bonds IA
Bob Veale
Bob Burda

If all the Roberts are Bob or Bobby, I would suggest "Bobo" or "Bobbyo".

You can call me Franco, just don't call me Julio (It's not my name).

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

I know plenty of Roberts, and it doesn't matter what they prefer to be called, everyone will immediately default to the name Bob. Just like Michael. I have a few in my extended family, and if they want to be called "Michael," it doesn't matter. Within 5 minutes of meeting them, people are immediately referring to them as Mike. It's human nature, not frickin' racism.

Let's look at the 1972 Topps set, because I have it on hand. There isn't a single card with Robert as a first name. Not one. Even a bunch of Roberto Clemente's teammates were named Robert, but all of their cards show a form of Bob. Was Topps guilty of racism in regards to all of these players, even the white people???? Isn't it reasonable to assume that some of these players preferred to be called Robert, and not Bob or a derivative of it???

(Didn't research all the birth names of these players, but logic dictates that almost all of them had/have the birth name of Robert.)
Bob Tolan
Bobby Valentine
Rob Gardner
Bob Johnson
Bob Gebhard
Bob Barton
Bob Barton IA
Bob Oliver
Bobby Murcer LL
Bob Gibson
Bob Reynolds
Bob O’Brien
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Floyd
Bob Grich
Bob Watson
Bobby Heise
Bob Montgomery
Bob Miller
Bob Robertson
Bob Robertson IA
Bob Lemon
Bob Bailey BP
Bob Bailey
Bob Locker
Bob Moose
Bobby Wine
Bob Aspromonte
Bobby Knoop
Bob Fenwick
Bob Stinson
Bobby Pfeil
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer IA
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Bonds IA
Bob Veale
Bob Burda

I'm pretty sure every one of the 'Bobs'/Roberts you listed were born in the United States.

Roberto Clemente was born in a totally different culture.

Surely, you are not trying to compare Roberto being called Bobby to Robert Lemon or Robert Bonds being called Bob or Bobby.

When Senior Clemente played, it WAS INDEED a form of racism.


.

[rats60]

http://www.espn.com/blog/onenacion/p...ntes-number-21

throughout Clemente’s 17-year career (which began eight years after Robinson's), this proud black Puerto Rican dealt with racial, cultural and language issues head-on, even when he was mocked by sportswriters for his accent or when he couldn’t even stay with his white Pirates teammates in the segregated South.

Something as simple as a baseball card labeled “Bob Clemente” became the symbol of the cultural arrogance Roberto Clemente experienced daily.