In a diary today, there was a three-person minithread on baseball. It was wonderful to me to think about the national pastime again, and to think that we're only six to eight weeks away from that wonderful newspaper headline, "Pitchers and Catchers Reporting Today."
I love baseball. to me it has a wonderful tempo, and the rules, which set up nine innings, three outs per side, don't take time into consideration.
More below the fold:
So... a game made with no clock, originally designed to be played in the daytime, based on the technologies of the time, a game that can be played with four peole or nine or more per side.
Also, to play baseball, one doesn't have to be supremely coordinated, or oversized, or musclebound-- while the players at the highest levels might be tremendous athletes, there are others who look like they never let the hot dog cart pass by without ordering a couple.
Yes, I'm ready for baseball. I probaly won't make it to a major league game again this year, but i might make it to a minor league game-- two teams within easy driving distance are the Columbus Red Sticks and the Montgomery Biscuits.
But I'll be listening on the radio, and watching a few games on television, especially in spring training, given the chance.
So-- thinking of baseball who are your favorite players, or whom do you consider the 'best' at his position?
In a discussion of pitchers, I said Bob Gibson, who was kknown as a fierce competitor, with a dour expression. Gibson holds the modern day record for Earned Run Average, or ERA, at 1.12. the year he held the league to an average of one run per game, he won 22 games and lost 9.
Others in the microthread mentioned:
Walter Johnson: "the big train" who won more than 400 games and had more than 3,000 strikeouts for the usually-mediocre Washington Senators in the early part of the 20th Century. Can't argue with a choice like that, he was incredible. One of the first folks selected to the hall of Fame.
Grover Cleveland Alexander "ole pete" won 373 games, 90-- yes 90 of which were shutouts.He pitched in both the dead ball and the live ball eras, served in WWI, and was diagnosed with shell shock. He was an alcoholic, but also developed seizures following his military service.
Hard to argue with this choice, either.
I just happen to like Gibson better.
Who do you like?