Do you want to right a wrong?
Correct a historical inaccuracy?
Learn something about baseball,
BUT ‘has more to do’ with life?
Read on:
Not too long ago, there was a baseball player.
Some say the greatest, others…notsomuch.
After reading “Ty Cobb – A Terribly Beauty”
by Charles Leerhsen….my eyes are now opened
to a glaring flaw concerning the reputation
of who ‘I now believe’ was the greatest player
of the game of baseball (and maybe about life).
Based upon misinformation, and several ‘hit
pieces’ which had great traction (in the days
before media was matured….and unethical
writers took too much liberty with the ‘facts’)
Ty Cobb’s legacy was destroyed.
What I learned the most, the man was brilliant,
(and used his mind to outwit/outsmart and bedevil
his opponents….while studiously observing them
to best exploit their weaknesses).
Although he seemed ‘thin skinned’ to his adversaries;
it also seems he was much more ‘calculating’ than
has been reported (by those same adversaries).
Being ‘thin skinned’ seems to be untrue, as he was
from the old world era; whereby ‘if you were
greatly offended’ you would ‘go out back,
and settle the matter’ as men have done for centuries.
(And oftentimes ‘shaking hands’ after the venting*
had taken it’s course. *Usually by fisticuffs.)
Finally, did he have ‘flaws’….?
Yes. (We all do.) His were publicly exploited.
– – – – – – – – – –
When I started out reading this ‘expose’ as I now
call it; I admit I didn’t know very much about the
man (or the deadball era)….as it is referred to.
My childhood team was the Milwaukee Braves, and
my favorite (historical) player was Ted Williams
(who played for the Boston Red Sox).
When Milwaukee ‘moved away’….so did my following
of the sport. Fast forward to today….
– – – – – – – – –
We’re now in an era where ‘political correctness’
has run rampant. It infiltrates too much of society,
and too few disputes are settled (man to man,
Or woman to woman, ie: face to face).
Ty Cobb appears to be from the era where ‘appearances’
would make him look-like “Ready, Fire, Aim”….
(it would be much more accurate to describe him as
one who ‘defended his honor’ with his fists).
Some call them knuckle-draggers,
others refer to them as ill-willed or short-tempered;
but we’re discussing a timeline when
your honor, reputation, and sense of well-being
“had to be defended” as it should have been.
More problems today, would be ‘better resolved’….
if more men were to ‘man up, get into the ring, and
settle the dispute’ instead of holding-on to lifelong
personal sniping/backstabbing. Some things should be
resolved….and then just ‘move on’….
(And I’m not advocating violence, just presenting a
case “why” it would be better to have a small skirmish,
than a building hatred which results in the lingering
and festering situations we face in our crumbling society.)
Read the book, it is a good read.
Even if you don’t like baseball, it’s a great piece
about a bygone era….where men were men, and resolving
disputes were ‘handled’ at the lowest possible level.
(Which meant we had fewer lawyers, also.)
– – – – – – – – – –
By the way, I’m talking about the first man to
be admitted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Even if you don’t follow the ‘stats’….
this is a man who stole 897 bases,
and had a career batting average of .366
Details matter so here they are:
In 24 years, 3034 games,
AB=11434, R=2246, H=4189, RBI=1938
Not too shabby for a man who (imho)
wasn’t a brawling racist….
and who cared ‘more about’ the game
(and defending himself), than he did
about the wags…and ‘used’ his short
temper to achieve greatness.
– MyrmidoNOT
(( This was written for Garth, but initiated
by Eric….who piqued my curiosity about the
time when my grandfather ‘was growing up’… ))
