The Great One

Roberto Walker Clemente was born on August 18, 1934 in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico. His parents Melchor and Luisa had seven children and Roberto was the youngest.  His father worked as a foreman on a sugar plantation and his mother ran a food store for the plantation workers. Their family was very poor and Clemente worked hard as a young kid in Puerto Rico delivering milk and taking other jobs to earn extra money for the struggling Clemente family.

In his early baseball career Clemente was eighteen years old in 1952 when he was offered his first contract. A scout spotted him playing professional hardball team in Puerto Rico. His first club he signed with giving him forty dollars per month, plus a five hundred dollar bonus. Clemente caught the attention of the major league scouts in 1954 and signed up with the Los Angeles Dodgers who sent him to their minor league team in Montreal.

On November 14, 1964, Roberto Clemente married Vera Cristina Zabala in Carolina, Puerto Rico. They had three sons: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique. He had each of them born in Puerto Rico to honor their father's heritage.

Roberto Clemente is one of only a few players to have collected 3,000 hits, He delivered his 3,000th hit on the last day of the 1972 regular season. He was also a powerhouse from the outfield too, throwing out players from over 400 feet.

His personal records included four National League batting championships, twelve Gold Glove awards, the National League MVP in 1966, and the World Series MVP in 1971, where he batted .414. Clemente was the first Latin American player elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. For his "outstanding athletic, civic, charitable, and humanitarian contributions," Roberto Clemente was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress in 1973.

 Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, had been shrunken by an earthquake that hit just days before Christmas. There were reports of up to 10,000 dead and hundreds of thousands more left without shelter in its aftermath. Roberto was commited in helping thousands by going on a plane bringing clothing, food and medical supplies. Shortly after takeoff the rickety plane went down off the coast of San Juan. Roberto Clemente died on December 31, 1972. His body was never found.

The History of the Green Monster

The Green Monster is a one of a kind wall that distinguishes Fenway Park from all other stadiums in the Majors. The wall stands a little over 37 feet tall and is 231 feet long. The Wall was originally built to keep spectators who did not pay to see the game from watching the game for free in 1912. The original wall was made out of wood til it was burnt down in 1934. It was rebuilt this time made out of tin. Today's Wall is made out of hard plastic and was assembled in 1976. Up until 1947 there were advertisements all over the wall, that year they painted it green hence the name Green Monster.

Fenway Park would not be Fenway Park without the Monster. Apparent doubles become “Fenway singles”, pop flies that would be outs in other ball parks graze the wall on their way down and become doubles, line drives with clank off of the wall for “wall ball doubles”, and long drives clear the Monster and end up on Landsdowne street. The position Left fielder is completely change when playing at Fenway Park with the Monster at your back. The Red Sox's have had many great players stand in front of the wall Ted Williams (9), Carl Yastrzemski (8)and Jim Rice (14). All played one after another and all there numbers are retired in Fenway Park.
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One of two scoreboards in the Majors that is man operated. This was originally meant to score the game but now it provides other score in the Majors as well as the AL East standings. A small door gives two scoreboard operators access to the inner sector of the wall. The operators make updates during the game and in between innings. There are a Overabundance of autographs with the inner bowls of the Monster. Over the years thousands of players have stepped inside and left their mark.

There is a ladder attached to the Monster, it was use up until 2002 to fetch home runs that were caught by the netting above the Green Monster. In 2003 they removed the net in put in place the famed "Monster Seats". There are now 274 seats above the Monster were fans sit to watch there beloved Red Sox's.

The Patriots Off-Season Moves

During the off-season the Patriots made outstanding moves to bring the big defensive lineman Albert  Haynesworth to the New England Patriots. The Washington Redskins traded Albert to New England for a 2013 fifth-round draft pick. Haynesworth was drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He was taken in the first round with the 15th overall pick. Albert played his first seven season with the Titans and his last two season with the Washington Redskins.

                                                

There is also a huge risk in getting Albert Haynesworth. Albert Haynesworths bad past from Road Rage, Sexual Abuse Allegations and The Stomp which was an incident that happened in 2006.  Albert Haynesworth stomp on Andre Gurode head, The league suspended Haynesworth for five games with no pay. In the 2010 season Haynsworth didn't get in shape for the season and didn't pass the Mike Shanahan conditioning test which was two 300-yard shuttle runs to be completed in 70 seconds and 73 seconds with a three and a half minute break in between.

This is not the first time the New England Patriots have taken a chance on a trouble some player. Bill Belichick has helped these players rejuvenate there reputations safety Rodney Harrison, running back Corey Dillon and wide receiver Randy Moss. Albert will be Belichicks toughfest challenge because Haynesworth did not see eye to eye with his last coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth was suspended by the team for the last fore games of the 2010 season.

The Patriots also picked up star wide out Chad Ochocinco from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots traded two draft picks, a 2012 fifth-rounder and a 2013 sixth-rounder. Chad will help fill the deep threat after the pats lost Randy Moss. Ochocinco will help the already stack receiving core joining Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Aaron Hernandez  and Rob Gronkowski. Ochocinco was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He is a 10-year veteran and a six time pro bowler.