Since we can't see any present, and don't know when we will be able to look forward, we shall have to spend out time looking backward, I suppose.

Here is a comment I found about Roberto Clemente, whom they picked as the greatest right defensive right fielder of all time:

"His 254 assists are the most by an outfielder in the live ball era, which is nutso when you consider that, once word got around, a runner would almost rather have a lobotomy than risk embarrassment by his legendary arm."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UUy65ZpSP0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WnfqgOsR6A

As a kid, I sent a letter to Roberto requesting his autograph. I had been told he was really responsive to autograph requests from kids. What was really freaky was that I received a picture, personally autographed to me, after he was killed in the plane crash. I subsequently learned that many players had "phantom" signers or machines that signed their photos. Apparently the machines often left a "dot" where the pen struck the page. I guess if a phantom signer was used, and he was good at his "craft", it would be harder to determine if the autograph was legit. I had an "expert" who dealt in Clemente paraphernalia look at my autographed photo and he simply wasn't sure if it was actually signed by Roberto or not. Anyway, I did have it framed and it still is hanging in my office at home. I'll just assume it is "real" since even an "expert" couldn't rule that out.

I would assume it is real. And in any case, just the fact that you received it after he was killed makes it special.