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9.5.26 - Part 1 · Children's Hour

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to Radio Eye's Turn Story Hour. As
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading service intended for
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: people who are blind or have other disabilities that make
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: it difficult to read printed material. Today we will be
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: reading from various on sports. Your reader today is Diane.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: The first story is called Glen Burke Game Changer. The
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: man who invented the high five. It was published by
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: For our Strauss-Gerard perks for young readers, it has a
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: copyright year of 2024, and the author of the book
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: is Phil Bildner. On the baseball diamond, Glenn Burke was
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  Speaker 1: a five-tool talent. One, Glenn flew around the bases, ran
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  Speaker 1: faster than all the other neighborhood kids in North Oakland. Two,
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  Speaker 1: he always put a bat on the ball, sprayed his
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  Speaker 1: hits all over Bushrod Park. Three, he hit with power.
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  Speaker 1: One time he blasted a home run out of the
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  Speaker 1: park over Ransing Street and all the way to Telegraph Avenue. Four,
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  Speaker 1: Glenn had a glove. He caught everything, hit his way. Pop-ups,
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  Speaker 1: ground balls, line drives, everything. Five, Glenn's right arm was
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  Speaker 1: a canyon. One time he fired a one-bounce missile from
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  Speaker 1: the center field fence at Diamond Stadium straight into the
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  Speaker 1: catcher's mitt. When Glenn Burke got called up to the
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  Speaker 1: big leagues and put on his Dodgers uniform, he caught
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: the attention of the coaches. Five-tool talents didn't come around
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  Speaker 1: that often. Five-tool talents could change the game. Glenn Burke
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  Speaker 1: caught the attention of his new teammates, too. In the
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  Speaker 1: locker room, he danced around and performed comedy routines. At practice,
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  Speaker 1: he stepped towels under his jersey and imitated his manager,
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  Speaker 1: Tommy Lasorda. During games, he cheered louder than everyone. He
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: caught the attention of the fans, too. They loved the
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  Speaker 1: energy and excitement he brought to their team. They knew
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  Speaker 1: Glenn Burke could be a game changer. But the fans
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  Speaker 1: didn't know he already was changing the game. Glenn Burke
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: was gay. Most of his teammates knew or had an
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  Speaker 1: idea he was. Most didn't care. It didn't make a
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  Speaker 1: difference to them. But it made a difference to his manager,
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  Speaker 1: Tommy Lasorda. Tommy's son was gay, too. and Tommy couldn't
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  Speaker 1: stand that he was. When he found out his son
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  Speaker 1: was friends with Glenn, he made his son stay away.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn was crushed. It made a difference to the Dodgers
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  Speaker 1: general manager, too. Everyone on the team is married but you, Glenn,
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  Speaker 1: Al Campanus said. When players get married on the Dodgers,
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  Speaker 1: we help them out financially. Glenn Burke couldn't believe his ears.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: The Dodgers were offering to pay him to marry a woman. Al,
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  Speaker 1: I have no plans of marrying anyone anytime soon, he said.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: It would have made a difference to a lot of people.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Back in the 1970s, most gay people couldn't live openly.
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  Speaker 1: Often they were fired from their jobs or kicked out
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  Speaker 1: of their homes when others learned they were gay. Gay
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  Speaker 1: people were frequently bullied and attacked. Glenn Burke tried to
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: keep his identity a secret. He understood that most people
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: weren't ready for him or anyone to make history as
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: the first openly gay Major League Baseball player, but Glenn
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Burke was about to make history in a whole other way.
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  Speaker 1: Headline into the last game of Glenn's rookie season, the
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  Speaker 1: Dodgers had a chance to do something no team had
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  Speaker 1: ever done before. No team ever had four players hit
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  Speaker 1: 30 home runs each in the same season. Three players
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  Speaker 1: on the Dodgers already hit 30, and a fourth, Dusty Baker,
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  Speaker 1: hit 29. The Dodgers were one Dusty Baker home run
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  Speaker 1: away from the record books. On the mound for the
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  Speaker 1: opposing team was J.R. Richard, the hardest-throwing fireballer in all
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  Speaker 1: of baseball. Dusty didn't hit a home run in his
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: first at-bat. He didn't hit a home run in his
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  Speaker 1: second at-bat either. Dusty had one last chance. Ball one,
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  Speaker 1: strike one, strike two. Dusty Barker dug in at the plate. J.R.
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  Speaker 1: Richard rocked into his windup. He fired his fastball. Crack.
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  Speaker 1: Home run. As Dusty Baker trotted the bases, Glenberg bolted
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  Speaker 1: from the on-deck circle. Way to go, he shouted. Way
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  Speaker 1: to go. When Dusty Baker crossed home plate, Glenberg threw
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  Speaker 1: his right arm into the air and waved his hand.
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  Speaker 1: Dusty Baker smacked Glenn Burke's right hand with his own
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  Speaker 1: right hand. High five. The first ever high five. Next,
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  Speaker 1: Glenn Burke stepped into the batter's box. Crack. His very
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  Speaker 1: first big league home run. When Dusty Baker greeted Glenn
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  Speaker 1: on the steps of the dugout, Dusty threw his right
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  Speaker 1: arm into the air and waved his hand. Glenn smacked
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  Speaker 1: Dusty's right hand with his own right hand. A high five.
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  Speaker 1: The second ever high five. A handshake was born. That season,
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  Speaker 1: the high-fiving Los Angeles Dodgers made it all the way
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  Speaker 1: to the World Series. And in game one at Yankee Stadium,
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  Speaker 1: Glenn Burke started in center field. But a few minutes later,
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  Speaker 1: Glenn was traded to the Oakland Athletics, one of the
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  Speaker 1: worst teams in all of baseball. The Dodgers players were furious.
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  Speaker 1: You trade our best prospect, one told the general manager,
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  Speaker 1: not to mention the life of the team. Dusty knew
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  Speaker 1: why Glenn had been traded. So did most of his teammates.
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  Speaker 1: So did Glenn. He was crushed. The athletics didn't want
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  Speaker 1: Glenn on their team either. Their manager made that clear.
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  Speaker 1: He made sure the other players made it clear too.
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  Speaker 1: Some of them harassed him. Some of them spat on him.
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  Speaker 1: Some of them refused to go near him in the clubhouse.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn got the message. It was time to go. Baseball
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  Speaker 1: wasn't ready to embrace a game changer like him. But
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  Speaker 1: baseball embraced his game-changing handshake. So did soccer, football, basketball,
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  Speaker 1: and hockey. Sports all around the country and all around
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  Speaker 1: the world. All of a sudden, everyone everywhere was high-fiving.
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  Speaker 1: After baseball, Glenn Burke found his people. He found a
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  Speaker 1: community that welcomed and accepted him for who he was.
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  Speaker 1: He starred for the Pendulum Pirates in the San Francisco
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  Speaker 1: Gay Softball League. His team voted him Player of the Year.
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  Speaker 1: He played in the Gay Olympics. His team won gold.
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  Speaker 1: Many nights, Glenn would sit on the hood of a
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  Speaker 1: parked car in the Castro District and high-five the passerby.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn may have found his people, but he didn't find peace.
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  Speaker 1: All those years of pretending to be someone he wasn't
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  Speaker 1: and being treated like he wasn't enough simply for being
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  Speaker 1: who he was had taken a toll. It wouldn't take
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  Speaker 1: a toll on almost anyone. It would have taken a
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: toll on almost anyone. Glenn had trouble holding on to
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  Speaker 1: Job's He had trouble paying his rent. He got into
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: trouble with drugs and with the law. One evening, he
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  Speaker 1: got hit by a car. The accident shattered his leg
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  Speaker 1: in four places, shattered what was left of his five
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  Speaker 1: total talents. Then Glenn tested positive for HIV, the virus
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  Speaker 1: that causes AIDS. Back then, there were very few treatments.
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  Speaker 1: Back then, it was up to family and friends to
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  Speaker 1: care for those who got sick. Glenn Burke died of
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  Speaker 1: AIDS in 1995. He was only 42 years old. Luckily,
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  Speaker 1: Glenn lived long enough to see his handshake become a
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  Speaker 1: universal green of joy and jubilation and of energy and excitement,
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  Speaker 1: our universal greeting. But he didn't live long enough to
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  Speaker 1: see the other part of his legacy, one just as
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  Speaker 1: lasting and universal and even more important. His bravery paved
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  Speaker 1: the way for others to live their lives openly and freely.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn Burke changed the game. Our next book is titled,
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: What Does a Linebacker Do?, And it was published by
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: the Rosen Publishing Group Incorporated. It has a copyright year
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  Speaker 1: of 2015. And the author of our book is Paul Challen.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: The football team. Football teams have three parts. The offense,
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  Speaker 1: the defense, and special teams. Each part has a different
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  Speaker 1: job to do. and so does each player. The offense
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  Speaker 1: tries to score points. The defense tries to stop the
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  Speaker 1: opponents from scoring. Special teams take the field for kicking plays.
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  Speaker 1: No team can succeed without being strong in all areas.
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  Speaker 1: It takes skills such as speed, strength, and ability to
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  Speaker 1: understand the game. Linebackers are defensive players. The defense consists
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  Speaker 1: of linemen who defend against the running game, defensive backs
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  Speaker 1: who defend against the pacing game, and linebackers. The linebacker
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  Speaker 1: must do both. Depending on the play, they may be
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  Speaker 1: trying to stop the offense from running or passing. The
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  Speaker 1: number of linebackers playing can vary. Usually, there are three
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  Speaker 1: or four linebackers on the field at one time. Strategy.
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  Speaker 1: A football team's defense has the responsibility of stopping the
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  Speaker 1: opposing team's offense. The offensive unit tries to move the
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  Speaker 1: ball down the field using running or passing plays. attempting
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  Speaker 1: to score a touchdown or kick a field goal. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: the defense uses tackling to stop runners. Both sides face
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  Speaker 1: off at the line of scrimmage on each play in
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  Speaker 1: a game. Linebackers line up in back of the line
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  Speaker 1: of scrimmage at the start of each play, and that
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  Speaker 1: is where the position gets its name. The middle linebacker
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  Speaker 1: stands centered behind the defensive lineman. Because of this positioning,
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  Speaker 1: he has a great view of how each running or
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  Speaker 1: passing play will unfold and is often referred to as
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  Speaker 1: the quarterback of the defense. Coverage. On passing plays, linebackers
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  Speaker 1: can use either man-to-man or zone coverage, depending on how
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  Speaker 1: their defensive teammates are set up. For man-to-man coverage, defensive
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  Speaker 1: players match up one-to-one against defensive receivers. Linebackers try to
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  Speaker 1: stay near the assigned receivers so they can break up
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  Speaker 1: a passing play. In zone defense, linebackers and defense backs
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  Speaker 1: Do not cover just one player. Instead, they protect one
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  Speaker 1: zone or part of the field. They try to keep
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  Speaker 1: the quarterback and receivers from completing a passing play. Each
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  Speaker 1: linebacker must guard any receiver who comes into his assigned zone.
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  Speaker 1: In the zone. In zone coverage, a linebacker does not
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  Speaker 1: simply stand in his given zone waiting for opponents to
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  Speaker 1: run into his area. Instead, when he understands what zone
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  Speaker 1: he is responsible for, He must sprint, backpedal, or move
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  Speaker 1: side to side to adapt to whatever play is unfolding.
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  Speaker 1: Zone coverage can be very effective if the defense executes
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  Speaker 1: it properly. To make it work, defensive players must get
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  Speaker 1: near their zone coverage areas before the snap of the ball.
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  Speaker 1: Then they can get into their assigned zone position quickly
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  Speaker 1: and monitor the play as it develops. In or out.
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  Speaker 1: When defense sets up, it uses inside and outside linebackers.
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  Speaker 1: And their name suggests these defenders begin plays from scrimmage
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  Speaker 1: behind the offensive line, either close to the ball or
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  Speaker 1: farther away from it. Where linebackers sit up depends on
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  Speaker 1: the defensive call. They usually line up about four yards
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  Speaker 1: from the line of scrimmage, but it can vary. Many
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  Speaker 1: people understand the inside linebacker to be the most important
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  Speaker 1: player on a team's defense because he is the one
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  Speaker 1: who usually gets defensive plays from the coaches and relays
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  Speaker 1: the plays to his teammates. Inside linebackers must understand the
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  Speaker 1: game well and be fearless, strong, and fast. Outside linebackers.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: As position's name suggests, the outside linebacker is the linebacker
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  Speaker 1: who sets up farthest away from the ball. His main
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  Speaker 1: job is to stop runners and receivers who are moving
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  Speaker 1: to the outside of the field towards the sidelines. The
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  Speaker 1: outside linebacker also plays a big part in the defense's
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  Speaker 1: attempts to stop the defense by blitzing the quarterback, rushing
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  Speaker 1: in from his position to try to sack the quarterback
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  Speaker 1: behind the line of scrimmage. Because of these responsibilities, the
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  Speaker 1: outside linebackers are often the fastest of the linebackers and
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  Speaker 1: it is not unusual for them to be the smallest
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  Speaker 1: as well. They need great speed in going forward and
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  Speaker 1: agility in going side to side. Outside linebackers must also
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  Speaker 1: have the strength to knock aside blockers. The right stance.
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  Speaker 1: Inside and outside linebackers get ready for the snap in
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  Speaker 1: similar stances. Both bend at the knees and crouch with
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  Speaker 1: their back straight. An inside linebacker stands with both feet
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  Speaker 1: pointed in the same direction. With his elbows against his body,
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  Speaker 1: he keeps his arms up and extends them in front
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  Speaker 1: of his body with hands open. The outside linebacker adopts
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  Speaker 1: a similar stance but varies his body position depending on
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  Speaker 1: whether he's lined up against a blocker. If he is,
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  Speaker 1: he will drop the foot farthest from the ball back
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  Speaker 1: slightly with hands up and ready. There's no offensive player
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  Speaker 1: lined up to block him. He can drop his arms
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  Speaker 1: to hang at his side. Footwork. One of the most
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  Speaker 1: important qualities a successful linebacker can have is good footwork.
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  Speaker 1: He has to cover so much ground on the field
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  Speaker 1: and be so aware of what's going on around him
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  Speaker 1: that fast, agile feet are a must. Depending on the play,
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  Speaker 1: linebackers may take short, powerful strides side-to-side or longer straight
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  Speaker 1: ahead strides, and chasing ball carriers or blitzing. However, a
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  Speaker 1: linebacker uses his feet. It is important that his footwork
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  Speaker 1: is quick and decisive. This is such an important defensive position.
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  Speaker 1: There's no room for hesitation. Beating blocks. Block is the
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  Speaker 1: word used to describe the way an offensive player uses
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  Speaker 1: his body to obstruct a defensive player, usually with a push.
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  Speaker 1: Most blocking is done by offensive linemen. To get into
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  Speaker 1: position to make any kind of tackle, a linebacker almost
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  Speaker 1: always has to get around at least one block. Doing
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  Speaker 1: that takes strength, agility, and smarts. Every time he takes
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  Speaker 1: on a blocker, a linebacker must look at the blocker
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  Speaker 1: and in a split second quickly determine what kind of
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  Speaker 1: block he's facing. Then he can adjust his feet and
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  Speaker 1: body position, get past the block, and try to make
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  Speaker 1: the tackle. Deep root blitzing. Most linebackers love to blitz.
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  Speaker 1: There's a lot more to this play than simply sprinting
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  Speaker 1: through a hole in the offensive line and sacking the quarterback.
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  Speaker 1: Even if the linebacker does make it past the offensive lineman,
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  Speaker 1: there's almost always a running back waiting to protect his quarterback.
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  Speaker 1: It's important to remember that even if he cannot get
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  Speaker 1: a sack, a blitzing linebacker can do a lot to
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  Speaker 1: disrupt an offense. On the other hand, leaving your usual
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  Speaker 1: linebacker position to blitz means you've left a gap in
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  Speaker 1: the defensive line. So there is some risk involved. The
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: role of a coach. Football coaches mix a team's offensive
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: and defense into a winning combination. They oversee practices and
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: help teams get ready for games. Coaches plan a team's
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  Speaker 1: strategy before a game and make important decisions during games
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  Speaker 1: as well. Successful coaches also know how to motivate players
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  Speaker 1: and teach them a love of the game. Coaches are
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  Speaker 1: also responsible for making sure teams practice good sportsmanship fair play,
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: and respect for opponents. Most coaches don't work alone, though.
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  Speaker 1: A typical NFL football team has 15 assistant coaches who
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: help the head coach. Each one has a specialized job,
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: such as working with quarterbacks or defensive backs, scouting opponents,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: or helping players with their strength and conditioning. The best linebackers.
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  Speaker 1: Many legendary linebackers have thrilled NFL fans for the years
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  Speaker 1: with their speed, strength, and ability to read offenses. They
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  Speaker 1: include Jacqueline Burt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dick Buckus of
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  Speaker 1: the Chicago Bears, and Tiana Boll Jr. of San Diego Chargers.
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  Speaker 1: All of these men could battle through blocks, chase down
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  Speaker 1: running backs, and break up enemy passing plays. In recent years,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman of the San Francisco 49ers,
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  Speaker 1: Luke Colchi of the Carolina Panthers, Tamba Haley of the
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: Kansas City Chiefs, and Von Miller of the Denver Broncos
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  Speaker 1: have all been outstanding linebackers and big-time fan favorites. Be
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  Speaker 1: a good sport. Good sportsmanship is a very important part
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  Speaker 1: of football. Of course, it is easy to lose your
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  Speaker 1: cool in the heat of a game, and react in
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  Speaker 1: a negative way towards the referees, your opponents, the fans,
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  Speaker 1: and even your coach. But while winning is great, respecting
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: the rules of the game, the decisions of the officials,
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  Speaker 1: and keeping safe are the most important ways to enjoy football.
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  Speaker 1: Like all sports, football has rules to make sure the
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  Speaker 1: game is fair and is safe as possible for players.
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  Speaker 1: The rules tell what conduct is allowed and what is not.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, sometimes the rules are broken sometimes, This is
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  Speaker 1: known as a foul, and the punishment for a foul
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  Speaker 1: is called a penalty. Each foul has a penalty set
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: down in the rules. When a player commits a foul,
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  Speaker 1: the whole team is penalized. So football players must learn
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  Speaker 1: and understand that playing a good, fair game is what
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  Speaker 1: really matters. Our next book is called Call Me Roberto.
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: Roberto Clement goes to bat for Latinos, and it was
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: published by Hal Skins Creek, an imprint of Astro Books
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: for Young Readers. It has a copyright year of 2024.
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: And the author is Natalie Alfonso. In the quiet sugar
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  Speaker 1: town of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Roberto Clement is always playing baseball.
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  Speaker 1: He doesn't care that his ball is a tin can
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  Speaker 1: and his bat a tree branch. or that his field
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: is muddy and cluttered with pommas, or that his mother,
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: Dona Luisa, has dinner ready. Roberto lives to swing and slide,
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  Speaker 1: to catch, to throw, to run. 19-year-old Roberto catches the
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: eye of a scout for a major league team. With
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: the blessing of his father, Don Melcor, he says adios
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  Speaker 1: to his Caribbean island and travels north. He's going to
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: be a famous pilotero. But Roberto's first stop is chilly Montreal,
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  Speaker 1: where he often sits on the bench longing to play baseball. Finally,
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: on a spring day in 1955, Roberto gets to play
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  Speaker 1: in the major leagues. In his first at-bat for the
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  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Pirates, he whacks the ball to the left side
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  Speaker 1: of the infield, blazes down to the first base. Safe!
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  Speaker 1: The next batter hits the ball to right field. At
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: full speed, Roberto rounds third base and scores many times.
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  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh fans love Roberto's boat style, but not everyone is
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: quick to embrace a black man from Puerto Rico who
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: speaks Espanol. I represent the common people of America, so
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: I am going to be treated like a human being.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: Roberto hears taunts from opposing players and people in the stands.
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  Speaker 1: His teammates keep their distance, and newspaper reporters mock him
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: when he speaks English. You Roberto holds his head up
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  Speaker 1: high as he swings and slides and runs. Roberto motors
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  Speaker 1: around the bases with an inside the park grand slam
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: in one game, three triples in another. The Pirates' radio
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: announcer starts chanting, Ariba, Ariba, when Roberto is at the plate,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: and he catches and throws. Out in the right field,
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Roberto is an acrobat. He leaps and dives and reaches
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  Speaker 1: for the wall to rob hits and home runs, and
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  Speaker 1: base runners don't stand a chance against his powerful right arm.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: But newspaper reporters don't praise Roberto's energy. They call him
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: a show-off, and when his back hurts and he can't play,
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: lazy to make things worse people call him bob they
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: think it sounds more familiar more american roberto doesn't like
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: being called bob call me roberto he insists because i
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: am from puerto rico and puerto rico is just as
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: proud of him in 1960 roberto was an all-star for
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: the first time and he's hitting the ball farther than ever.
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: 16 of those balls clear the fence. Gone. Roberto's 16
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: home runs and 94 runs batted and propelled the Pirates
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: to the World Series. Dona Luisa travels to Pittsburgh to
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: see him play, while the rest of Puerto Rico is
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: glued to the radio. On baseball's biggest stage, Roberto shines.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: In his first World Series at-bat, he ropes a single
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: to center field, driving in a run as the Pirates
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: take Game 1. In a decisive Game 7, Roberto's infield
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: pushes a run across the plate, and the Pirates win 10-9.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: They are champions of baseball. Roberto is the only Pirates
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: player with a hit in every World Series game, yet
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: few people in Pittsburgh seem to notice. While the Pirates celebrate,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: the boy from Carolina heads home to his beloved island,
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: where fans sounding... Hitos and tambourines give him a hero's welcome.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: If I'm good enough to play here, I have to
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: be good enough to be treated like the rest of
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: the players. Perico throws a party after party for Roberto,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: but he yearns to be recognized in Pittsburgh, too. When
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: newspaper reporters vote him eighth of the Most Valuable Player Award,
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Roberto is outraged. They won't acknowledge his talent because he's black,
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: because he is Puerto Rican, And it's not the only
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: injustice he faces. In Puerto Rico, Roberto is free to
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: go wherever he wants. But in segregated Florida, where the
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: Pirates train each spring, the team hotel and most other
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: places are off limits for a black man, even a
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: World Series champion. While his white teammates play golf and
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: swim at the beach, Roberto is stuck in his room
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: in another part of town. It's like being in prison,
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: he tells the reporter. Roberto continues to demand justice for
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: himself and for players like him, but it's on the
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: field that he makes himself heard. A determined Roberto has
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: his best season yet. At the 1961 All-Star Game, when
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: the score tied, he smacks the ball to right field,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: a game-winning single. When the season is over, Roberto leads
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: his league with a. 351 batting average and wins a
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: gold glove for his spectacular catches and throws. There's no
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: ignoring Roberto now. The ball is flying off his bat.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: He hits 29 home runs and drives in 119 runs
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: for the Pirates in 1966. At the end of the season,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: the newspaper writers can't deny it. Roberto is the MVP.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: El May Valeso. By now, more players from places where
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: Palmas grow and people speak of Spaniel are shining in
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: the major leagues. Roberto's hard work is paying off. but
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: the biggest performance of his career is yet to come.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: When the Pirates make it back to the World Series
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: in 1971, Roberto once again has a hit in every game.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: In Game 7, he wallops a home run to left
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: field to help the Pirates win 2-1. The Pirates are
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: champions again, and this time Roberto is named MVP of
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the World Series, a first for a Spanish-speaking player. Puerto
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: Rican's beam is Roberto as Dona Luisa and Don Melcher
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: for their blessing on television in Espanol, and he is
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: not done making his people proud. On a September afternoon,
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Roberto clobbers a ball to left field for a double,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: his 3,000th hit. Few players have ever had that many
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: hits in the major leagues. Standing tall on second base,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: the boy from Carolina tips his helmet to the crowd.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: After 18 seasons, he still lives to swing and slide
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: and to catch and to throw. and to run. This
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: concludes Children's Story Hour for today. Please join us next
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: time as we will read more stories, fables, and fairy tales.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: Thank you for listening, and please stay tuned for the
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: next Inherit Leader on Radio Eye.