So who was better ( Kaline or Clemente) ?

[campyfan39]

Clemente fan oh,

Thanks for the insults and failing to point our my inconsistencies in logic.
Never once did I say he wasn't HOF or had a short career. Yet he was 38 when he died which is pretty young in my book! Also, if you don't know about the overdoses of Bonham, Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin etc. then Idk what else to say.

I am a Clemente fan. I just believe, my own opinion, that his heritage and tragic death has elevated him somewhat in baseball lore and in our hobby beyond what he might have received had he not sadly died. I think a valid comparison of his rookie and Kaline rookie are good examples. Throw in Banks and Koufax from those two years as well.

I hope your weekend gets better.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

Clemente fan oh,

Thanks for the insults and failing to point our my inconsistencies in logic.
Never once did I say he wasn't HOF or had a short career. Yet he was 38 when he died which is pretty young in my book! Also, if you don't know about the overdoses of Bonham, Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin etc. then Idk what else to say.

I am a Clemente fan. I just believe, my own opinion, that his heritage and tragic death has elevated him somewhat in baseball lore and in our hobby beyond what he might have received had he not sadly died. I think a valid comparison of his rookie and Kaline rookie are good examples. Throw in Banks and Koufax from those two years as well.

I hope your weekend gets better.

I've always thought, and it's nothing more than perception, that Roberto's RC values and overall popularity had as much or more to do with his being the first truly great Latin player as his tragic death.

[G1911]

55 was a gorgeous set, Koufax and Clemente might have the best looking of the big star Topps issue rookies. Guess which card is the one I need to finish my set 55 set?

Kaline's rookie was a lot cheaper. I think Clemente has outsold Kaline primarily on the strength of his death, more than race reasons. The racial line is, I think, more relevant today and will alone keep Clemente higher than Kaline, but not so much when the price gap started.

While I think Kaline is a hair better, Clemente deserves a popularity bonus for his death. Not because he died young, but because he died doing the right thing when he didn't have to do anything.