It was another long, sleepless winter for Roberto Clemente. A national hero in Puerto Rico, the Pittsburgh Pirates' 38-year-old rightfielder once explained that his home near San Juan was "like a museum—people flocking down the street, ringing our bell day and night, walking through our rooms."
Then there were the endless demands for public appearances that "I just couldn't say no to." Among other charitable projects, Clemente last week led Puerto Rico's efforts to aid earthquake victims in Managua, Nicaragua, a city where he had coached and played with Puerto Rican teams during...