Jon Matlack was finishing up his Rookie of the Year campaign in 1972 when he took the mound for the New York Mets against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-handed starting pitcher looked to the plate and saw right-handed hitter Roberto Clemente.
A future Hall of Famer, Clemente was perched on 2,999 career hits. However, Matlack had no idea.
“I was 22 years old, just trying to win a ball game and I was not having a very good day,” Matlack said. “I ended up walking five guys that day, and I think we lost 5-0 or maybe 5-2.
