My mother, Jane, passed away just a couple of weeks before the MLB season was supposed to begin. This Mothers Day, I'm missing her terribly, and I don't have her beloved sport of baseball to keep me company. So, in her honor, I'm crowning her all-time MLBoyfriend.
First, let's give some honorable mentions to some worthy candidates for the title of Mom's MLBoyfriend.
Minnesota Classic: Tony Oliva
Mom was born and raised in Minnesota. Although she moved (all the way to Iowa!) well before the MLB franchise came to the state, she always had a soft spot for the Twins. Growing up, I heard a lot about great Minnesota players including Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, and, Tony Oliva. Later, I was a little surprised to discover that Oliva is not a household name even among serious baseball fans.
Oliva played all 15 years of his career with the Twins, and for eight of them, he was one of the best hitters in baseball. He was the 1964 American League Rookie of the Year, won 4 AL batting titles, went to 8 All-Star Games, and ended up with some very respectable career stats, Oliva remains Twins royalty. Last year, at age 80, he went on a road trip with the team as a special bench coach.
The Pretty Boys: Trevor Plouffe & Eric Hosmer
 |
| Plouffe & Hosmer |
....However, it wasn't his numbers that made him Mom's favorite Twins player in the early 2010s.
....But he gave really good face.
I named Hosmer as my MLBoyfriend a few years ago, and I strongly urge you to read that post to find out how Mom revealed her crush on him to me in the funniest emails I've ever received from anyone. Seriously, click here and check it out.
The Slugger: David Ortiz
Mom was quick to remind you that she spotted Ortiz early--his rookie year when he was playing as "David Arias" in Minnesota. She never really forgave the Twins for trading him.
Mom's #1 MLBoyfriend: Roberto Clemente
I emailed my siblings asking for suggestions for a list of Mom's favorite baseball players. My brother John replied, "Doesn't that list begin and end with Roberto Clemente?"
Roberto Clemente was one of the greatest players ever to play baseball.
"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give."- Roberto Clemente #RememberingClemente— Pirates (@Pirates) December 31, 2012
I'm not going to go through all the stats, but here a a few highlights from his amazing 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- 15 All-Star Games (Mom saw him live in the 1965 ASG),
- 12 Golden Gloves,
- 4 time winner of the National League batting title,
- 1966 National League Most Valuable Player,
- 1971 World Series Most Valuable Player, and,
- Most famously, the 11th MLB player ever to reach 3,000 hits.
More importantly, Roberto Clemente was one of the greatest people ever to play baseball. His biggest legacies are his advocacy for civil rights and his humanitarian work. He literally died serving others. He was on his way to deliver relief supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake when the small plane he was on crashed into the ocean.
 |
| Roberto Clemente holding a baseball clinic for low-income children in Puerto Rico. |
If you want to know more about why Roberto Clemente was a hero both on and off the baseball field, check out this short video that pieces together clips from a variety of sources. (Thankfully, someone else has risked copyright infringement, so I didn't have to.)
An incredibly talented baseball player who fights for social and economic justice was totally Mom's perfect man. Apologies to her husband of 63 years, my father, but even he would tell you that Roberto Clemente was her all-time favorite. I know it's trivial compared to everything else, but it certainly didn't hurt that he was really handsome.
