Book Log 2007 #1: Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss

Back during the baseball book a week phase I'd read a somewhat unsatisfying biography of Clemente, and found it odd that a player of his caliber and with his tragic hero background hadn't commanded a definitive work. And while I wouldn't call this a definitive work, it does go a long way towards that goal.

Part of what keeps it from making that final push, for me, is that while there's a lot of discussion of Clemente's personality quirks, it's not always clear to see where they came from. There is but one chapter about Clemente's formative years in Puerto Rico, and while what is there provides some insight, I can't help but feel that there's something missing. I suppose it can't be helped in some cases - a number of useful interview subjects now being deceased - but I still think there's material out there that'd be useful.

A smaller part comes late in the book, when Richard Nixon pops up. There's enough of a tie-in to make Nixon's presence germane, but I don't get the feeling it was useful, either in recounting and examining Clemente's life or in setting the tone for that part of the book.

Still, this is a nicely written work that gives the fullest examination of Clemente's life to date. That it's a contemporary baseball book not about the Y@nkees (or even the Red Sox, I have to admit) is a bonus.