baseball stories

[GonzoStyle]

I'm with you guys on this, I love the history of baseball. Mostly though the old days, when players worked on farms and as delivery boys in the off season to make ends meet. Some would play all year round and go barnstorming during the off season. Barnstorming was when players would team up and travel across the country and play games in towns that didn't have teams and never had the chance to see a professional major league game. Before television and most every major city having the game available. Everyone from Cobb to wagner to ruth did it, mostly for the money but also for the love of just playing. Not like today, it just makes you sick that these fuckin athletes are more worried that some geek is gonna re-sell their autographs and make a few bucks. Granted its out of hand with some of the autograph hounds but a dude making 15 million a year off those same fans that they charge up the ass for some ink and a few seconds of time just makes me sick. Those fans who buy tickets, jersey's, cards, etc.

I just love hearing the old stories of before steroids, personal trainers, private jets with round the clock manicurists, million dollar contracts, protective gear, etc. Just a guy in a uniform and a bat who played with broken bones, in the rain sleet and snow. Pitchers who pitched 9 innings and 60 games a year, no DH's, no free agents.

There's so many great stories, ruth, gehrig, foxx, mantle, wagner, hornsby.

For all the horrible things Ty Cobb did, he also had soft spots for players. Cobb was what Magic Johnson is today minus the HIV. Cobb was a genius, he invested in everything before it became a household name. He was one of the founding investors of coca-cola, the ford motor company and many other huge companies. He was making millions when ball players were lucky to make 5 grand a year. Rogers Hornsby who was one of the greatest hitters of all time, Hornsby hit over .400 3 out of 4 years once. He still holds the highest single season average of .424, he became a lush and a certified loser after he retired and had not a penny to his name. Cobb supported him till his dying day.