Ernie Banks once compared Roberto Clemente to Willie Hoppe, the legendary carom billiards player: “Roberto, who plays a shallow right field, has been known to throw out batters at first base on drives hit on the ground. It’s practically impossible to go from first to third on singles into his territory. He plays those caroms off the slanting wall in right field like a Willie Hoppe. A runner on third is seldom sent home on a short fly to our friend.”