Clemente Gets Kidnapped

We all know Clemente.

He’s not only one of the greatest ballplayers to ever grace a diamond but also one of the most impactful off the field.

Of course, his story has a tragic ending, but something that’s not often mentioned is the incident in ‘69 when he got kidnapped in San Diego.

The Pirates were playing the Padres in their first year as a new franchise.

Clemente and the boys had never played in San Diego before, so it was Roberto’s first time in the city.

After the first game of the series, he stopped at a restaurant to grab some grub before heading back to the hotel.

According to Clemente, he was walking back from the restaurant and was about 400 feet from his hotel when he noticed that he was being followed.

Just then, four men rolled up on him and forced him into their car at gunpoint.

Photo: Louis Requena/ MLB via Getty Images

They took the Gold Glover deep into the California Hills, forced him to take off his clothes, and took all his belongings - including his All-Star ring and fried chicken.

The kidnappers put a pistol in his mouth, and Roberto later admitted that he thought these might be his last moments.

He had to throw a Hail Mary.

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Clemente started talking to the guys in Spanish, telling them that he was there to play baseball with the Pirates and that his team was relying on him.

The thieves were shocked; they had no idea that the man they’d nabbed was actually Roberto Clemente.

They handed back everything: his cash, his prized All-Star ring, his MLB Players’ Association ID card, and his clothes.

They drove him back to downtown San Diego and dropped him off without a scratch.

And yes, they even returned the chicken.