Can this trio of baseball players restore Roberto Clemente High’s former glory?
AT ROBERTO CLEMENTE Community Academy on the border of Humboldt Park, conversations are peppered with baseball. Playing and talking about the sport has been a way of life in the Latino community here for decades. But in recent years, talent has fled to more academically strong high schools. Discipline problems have sidelined other players with promise. But this year, the high-school sports world is abuzz again about Clemente. Three baseball players there have signed to Division I colleges, the highest number since 1979. Rafael Garcia, considered by professional scouts as the best shortstop in the state, and Devin Melecio, a center fielder, will play for the University of Illinois at Chicago. Meanwhile, Garcia’s cousin Marvin Sanchez will head to Northern Illinois. There are several reasons for the good news: Three years ago, Clemente’s assistant head coach, Chris Hall, instituted a mandatory 2.5 GPA and ordered players to wear a tie on game days. “We’ve had too many problem kids,” Hall
