With April being the start of the baseball season, this Monthly Book Spotlight focuses on Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss.

Clemente, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 until his untimely death in 1972, was one of baseball's first Latino superstars. With his rather unorthodox batting style, he won four batting titles and amassed over 3,000 hits. He was also a dazzling outfielder, displaying a precise and powerful throwing arm. Anyone who saw Clemente play couldn't help but feel that they were watching a future member of baseball's hall of fame.

However, Clemente is not only remembered for his skill as a baseball player. Like the author's earlier biography on the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi (When Pride Still Mattered), this biography also reveals a man who was committed to the cause of social justice, particularly when it came to racial inequality. He was also known for his philanthropy. Clemente died tragically in a 1972 airplane crash while en route to deliver aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.

With Clemente, Maraniss has written an illuminating biography for both baseball and non-baseball fans alike. His biography is not just about an exceptional baseball player but about an athlete who wanted to make a difference, not just on the baseball diamond but in society at large. As Maraniss writes, "The beautiful fury of Clemente's game had enthralled all of baseball. More than simply another talented athlete, he was an incandescent figure who had willed himself to become a symbol of Puerto Rico and of all Latin America, leading the way for the waves of Spanish-speaking baseball players coming north to the majors." David Maraniss's Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero is a long overdue account of one of baseball's greatest players.

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero can be found on the basement level of the Library at call number GV865.C45 M355 2006. When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi is also located on the basement level at call number GV939.L6 M37 1999.

Jonathan Coe wrote this Monthly Book Spotlight.