BASEBALL NOTES

For the second time in three days, controversy turned what was supposed to be one of baseball’s shining moments into a publicity nightmare.

The announcement that Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres had been given the Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award for performance and community service was marred by complaints that Clemente was left off on the all-century team.

There were no Latin players on the 30-member team, chosen through a national vote and supplemented by five picks from a group of experts.

Ross Newhan, The Times’ longtime national baseball writer, was one of those experts. He said he voted for Clemente.

The group added only one outfielder, Stan Musial, to a group that included Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Rose.

“I’m very surprised my father did not make the team,” said Luis Clemente, Roberto’s son. “My mother was very sad to watch the other great players walk on the stage and my father not be a part of that.”

Clemente’s son said the problem was that ballots were not available to all segments of society.

While ballots were distributed in ballparks, much of the voting was done over the Internet.

“A lot of people still don’t have access to the Internet, that could have been something,” Clemente said. “I’m also surprised that with the special committee, my father still didn’t make it.”

Although Selig did not agree that this was a setback in baseball’s push for more diversity at all levels, he did say, “If it was me, I would have voted for Clemente. But the one thing about elections is, they aren’t always going to come out the way you want.”

Gwynn, caught in the cross-fire of increasingly heated questioning, took it with his usual good humor.

“I was surprised that Clemente didn’t make it, but, hey, I didn’t make that team either,” he said with a laugh.

“In 100 years of baseball, Latins have meant so much to the game,” Luis Clemente said, “yet none of them [made the team]. I know lots of people are upset.”

Film director Spike Lee, in Yankee Stadium for Game 3, said the absence of Clemente and Frank Robinson made “a mockery” of the team.

“My whole thing is, I’m so sick of lists,” Lee said. “We’ve got the top 10 this, the top 10 that, the greatest moments . . . ESPN has its top 100 athletes, and there are two horses on the list, Man o’ War and Secretariat. Shoot, they should have put Rin Tin Tin and Flipper on there too. They got two horses in front of Lou Gehrig and Walter Payton!”