Baseball

by George Vecsey

  EPILOGUE

  Recently, I heard that my youngest brother, Christopher Vecsey, Ph.D., now a graying chaired professor, still plays baseball.

  Yes, Chris told me, but it's the other American bat-and-ball game, the one called town ball, which was long ago swallowed up by the New York game, with its nine fielders and four bases, now played in expensive ballparks around the globe.

  Town ball lives—not just as history but as frolic—in the annual Fourth of July picnic in the lovely little town of Hamilton, New York, not far from Cooperstown, the spurious home of baseball.

  “We play on one of Colgate's grassy fields,” Chris wrote in an e-mail. “A local doctor—Richard Cohen, GP, Little League umpire, Twins fan—organizes the game as part of the overall town celebration: parade down Broad Street, concerts and farmers' market on the village green, fireworks at Colgate at night.

  “Town ball takes place in the late afternoon. Rich has two sets (maybe a dozen each) of old, scratchy baseball shirts—one striped, one tan—for the teams, chosen up at random, mostly men and boys but also some girls.

  “Rich lays out the four stakes in a diamond shape, explains the rules (no gloves, no out of bounds, etc.). A local fellow serves as the referee in tails and a top hat. I can't ever remember his having to settle any dispute.

  “The ball is soft. The pitching is overhand but not fast. The game is somewhat anarchic, from the perspective of baseball's rigidity. The ball can be hit, or nicked, in any direction, and it is in play. Runners don't have to run to any one stake. So, if you bat the ball toward the first stake, you can avoid being ‘plugged’ (there are lots of interesting bits of arcane vocabulary).

  “Runners can also get away to avoid being plugged. So, this past year, we chased a young fellow into right field, aiming to plug him. We thought we had him cornered by Payne Creek, which runs across the outfield, where there was a children's toy boat race taking place. But the runner leapt into the creek, crossed to the other side, and taunted us from a safe distance. We returned to pitch to the next batter.

  “While this little bit of anarchy was taking place, I'm sure the audience and most of the other players were finding the game a little dowdy, but we were having fun. We played a couple games this past year. I think we set the winning number of tallies at 20 or 25. Each game took about an hour at the most.”

  The image of my kid brother, cavorting on the national holiday, going back a century and a half, brings back immensely joyous memories of our backyard games. The sport still brings out the child in some of us. It started on lawns and that is where it will endure.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My first debt is to the writers who have contributed to this lovely series. Their work and reputations made me want to be part of the team.

  I wish to thank Julia Cheiffetz of Random House, who made this book twice as good as I would have done on my own. Also, thanks to Esther Newberg, my agent, who lets me see the Red Sox through her heart. And thanks to my wife, Marianne Graham Vecsey, for the advice that always works. I do listen to you.

  I also want to thank Ted Spencer, the chief curator, and Jeff Idelson and Bill Francis of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, along with members of the Society of American Baseball Researchers (SABR), who have laid out an amazing amount of baseball history. And in particular, John Thorn, who was so generous with ideas, contacts, and information.

  In no particular order, other kind people include:

  Yoshi Demura, Pico Iyer, Brad Lefton, Dave Ornauer, Haruko Hasami, Bobby Valentine, Ken Belson, Bruce Picken, David Falkner, Yasumasa Ishikawa and our good friends, the Usuzaka family, for teaching me about Japan. Domo arigato.

  Mark and Josephine Harris. Branch B. Rickey, for the stories about his grandfather. George Shuba, one of the Boys of Summer. Garrett Squires, nephew of Roger Connor. Abe J. Schear, for his enlightening interviews with baseball people.

  David Block, who wrote an excellent book and then answered a lot of my questions. Fay Vincent. Peter Ueberroth. Ralph Branca. Buzzie Bavasi, a grand storyteller. Christopher Vecsey, Ph.D., my kid brother.

  Karen D. Thompson, Information and Research Services Branch, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Martina Bagnoli, Associate Curator, Manuscripts and Rare Books, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland. Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Department of Drama, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, for his e-mail about Frazee and Nanette. Kate Salem, University of Nebraska Press.

  Peter C. Bjarkman. Douglas Logan. Sandra Levinson, Center for Cuban Studies, New York. Bob Waterman of the Elias Sports Bureau. Stan Isaacs. Marv Rothenstein. Ron Blum. Buck O'Neil, who taught us about the Negro Leagues, and then taught us about grace. Al Campanis, a good man who was so proud of Jackie, Campy, Newk, and Gilliam.

  Glenn Stout, for his knowledge about Ruth, Frazee, and the Robinson tryout. Jack Lang, who was so generous with Brooklyn and Mets information. Alan Taxerman, who gives me insight into the demanding world of the Yankee fan. And Ray Robinson, for his books, plus the long lunches, talking baseball—and politics.

  And finally, my parents, George Vecsey and May Spencer Vecsey, journalists and union pioneers who made me want to go into the family trade.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Ashe Arthur R. Jr. A Hard Road to Glory: Baseball: The African-American Athlete in Baseball New York Amistad 1988

  Asinof Eliot Eight Men Out New York Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1963

  Astor Gerald, editor National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: 50th Anniversary Book New York Prentice Hall 1988

  Block David Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game Lincoln University of Nebraska Press 2005

  Boswell Thomas How Life Imitates the World Series Garden City Double-day 1982

  Clark Joe A History of Australian Baseball Lincoln University of Nebraska Press 2003

  Eig Jonathan Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig New York Simon & Schuster 2005

  Fainaru-Wada Mark Lance Williams Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports New York Gotham 2006

  Fetter Henry D. Taking On the Yankees New York W. W. Norton 2003

  Flood Curt, with Richard Carter The Way It Is New York Pocket 1972

  Goldstein Richard Spartan Seasons: How Baseball Survived the Second World War New York Macmillan 1980

  Goldstein Warren Playing for Keeps: A History of Early Baseball Ithaca Cornell University Press 1989

  González Echevarría Roberto The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball New York Oxford University Press 1999

  Harris Mark The Southpaw Lincoln University of Nebraska Press 2003 (Orig. pub. 1953.)

  Helyar John Lords of the Realm: The Real History of Baseball New York Villard 1994

  Jensen Don The Timeline History of Baseball New York Palgrave Macmillan 2005

  Koppett Leonard Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball New York Carroll & Graf 2004

  Kuhn Bowie Hardball: The Education of a Baseball Commissioner New York Times Books 1987

  Lamster Mark Spalding's World Tour: The Epic Adventure That Took Baseball Around the Globe and Made It America's Game New York Public Affairs 2006

  Levine Peter A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball New York Oxford University Press 1985

  Mann Jack The Decline and Fall of the New York Yankees New York Simon & Schuster 1967

  Maraniss David Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero New York Simon & Schuster 2006

  Miller Marvin A Whole Different Ball Game Chicago Ivan R. Dee 2004

  Nuñez Bernardo B. Camilo A. Nuñez Su Majestad, El Baseball, Rey de los Deportes Panama Playball Sports 2002

  Obojski Robert Bush League: A History of Minor League Baseball New York Macmillan 1975

  Oh Sadaharu, with David Falkner A Zen Way of Baseball New York Times Books 1984

  Oleksak Michael M. Mary Adams Oleksak Beisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game Grand Rapids, Michigan Masters Press 1991

>   Rampersad Arnold Jackie Robinson: A Biography New York Alfred A. Knopf 1997

  Reaves Joseph A. Taking In a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia Lincoln University of Nebraska Press 2000

  Riley James A. The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues New York Carroll & Graf 1994

  Ritter Lawrence The Glory of Their Times New expanded edition. New York William Morrow 1984

  Robinson Jackie, as told to Alfred Duckett I Never Had It Made New York G. P. Putnam's Sons 1972

  Robinson Ray Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time New York W. W. Norton 2006 (Orig. pub. 1990.)

  Robinson Ray Matty: An American Hero New York Oxford University Press 1993

  Rogosin Donn Invisible Men New York Atheneum 1983

  Ryan Bob When Boston Won the World Series Philadelphia Running Press 2002

  Shapiro Michael The Last Good Season New York Doubleday 2003

  Smelser Marshall The Life That Ruth Built Lincoln University of Ne braska Press 1993

  Smith Curt Voices of Summer: Ranking Baseball's 101 All-Time Best Announcers New York Carroll & Graf 2005

  Smith Curt Voices of the Game New York Simon & Schuster 1987

  Snyder Brad A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports New York Viking 2006

  Stout Glenn Yankees Century: 100 Years of New York Yankees Baseball New York Houghton Mifflin 2002

  Sullivan Neil The Diamond in the Rough: Yankee Stadium and the Politics of New York New York Oxford University Press 2001

  Thorn John, with Pete Palmer Michael Gershman David Pietrusza Total Baseball: The Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Sixth Edition. New York Total Sports 1999

  Tygiel Jules Baseball as History New York Oxford University Press 2000

  Whiting Robert The Chrysanthemum and the Bat: Baseball Samurai Style New York Dodd, Mead 1977

  NOTES

  I: SIX DEGREES

  3 Musial in Japan: Lee Kavetski, “Stan ‘the Man’ Musial—A Class Guy,” Stars and Stripes, January 24, 1988.

  3 Oh and Musial crouch: Sadaharu Oh, with David Falkner, A Zen Way of Baseball (New York: Times Books, 1984), p. 81.

  9 Merkle and 1908: Lawrence Ritter, The Glory of Their Times, new expanded edition (New York: William Morrow, 1984), pp. 105–8.

  10 legacy of the game: Tom Shieber and Ted Spencer, Baseball as America: Seeing Ourselves Through Our National Game. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2002.

  11 “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”: Baseball-Almanac.com.

  11 Tagliabue and baseball: Karl Taro Greenfeld, “The Big Man,” Sports Illustrated, January 23, 2006.

  12 “Casey at the Bat”: Favoritepoem.org.

  12 “I went back”: Mark Harris, The Southpaw (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2003), pp. 287–88.

  II: BERBERS WITH BATS

  17 blond Berbers: David Block, Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005), pp. 95–99.

  18 Spanish drawing: Bill Pennington, “They Ain't Found Till They're Found,” New York Times, September 12, 2004.

  18 Flanders ball: Block, Baseball Before We Knew It, p. 148.

  18 Stow and London: Ibid., pp. 166–67.

  19 Newbery and baseball: Ibid., pp. 178–79.

  19 Gutsmuths: Ibid., pp. 67–73.

  20 Silesian glass-blowers: Ibid., p. 101.

  20 The game that flourished: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: 50th Anniversary Book, edited by Gerald Astor (New York: Prentice Hall, 1988), pp. 1– 4. 20 Doc Adams: John Thorn, “The True Father of Baseball,” Elysian Fields Quarterly, Winter 1992.

  23 first admissions: John Odell, “Curator's Corner: The All-Stars Are Not the Only All-Stars,” Memories and Dreams (Baseball Hall of Fame quarterly magazine), Spring 2003.

  23 James Creighton: Leonard Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004), p. 46.

  24 Creighton death: John Thorn, SABR Baseball Biography Project.

  24 Cuthbert and stolen bases: Don Jensen, The Timeline History of Baseball (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). 25 U.S. Grant and Red Stockings: Harvey Frommer, “The Birth of Base-ball's First Professional Team,” Frommer Sportsnet, 2005.

  III: THE FIRST ENTREPRENEUR

  29 Spalding and “manliness”: Peter Levine, A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), p. 119.

  29 Spalding and professionalism: Ibid., p. 14.

  30 Spalding as entrepreneur: Ibid., p. 44.

  30 Spalding's awareness of thèque: David Block, Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005), p. 11.

  30 Chadwick and Beadle's: Levine, A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball, p. 19.

  31 “Boston is in mourning”: Ibid., p. 21.

  32 Spalding and sporting goods: Leonard Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004).

  32 Chadwick and the K: Jules Tygiel, Baseball as History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 23.

  32 Salary cap: Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball, p. 57.

  32 Spalding and Chadwick and labor: Levine, A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball, p. 53.

  32 Australia trip: John Rossi, “The Great Base Ball Trip Around the World in 1888–89,” LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Nationalpastime.com.

  33 Duval and leash: Mark Lamster, Spalding's World Tour: The Epic Adventure That Took Baseball Around the Globe and Made It America's Game (New York: Public Affairs, 2006), p. 317.

  33 Twain at Delmonico's: Boston Daily Globe, April 9, 1889.

  33 Delmonico's menu: Lamster, Spalding's World Tour, p. xv.

  34 Louisville scandal: Eliot Asinof, Eight Men Out (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1963), pp. 11–12.

  34 Comiskey and playing wide: Tygiel, Baseball as History, p. 43.

  35 Roger Connor: Mike Attiyeh, “Roger Connor: The 19th Century HR King,” baseballguru.com.

  35 “The family old-timers”: E-mail from Garrett Squires, Connor's grandnephew, February 5, 2005.

  36 Anson and Ward at Delmonico's: New York Times, April 9, 1889.

  37 Mack and the Brotherhood: Tygiel, Baseball as History, p. 45.

  38 Philadelphia Pythians: Don Jensen, The Timeline History of Baseball (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).

  38 Bud Fowler and Page Fence Giants: Ibid.

  38 Moses Fleetwood Walker: Arthur R. Ashe, Jr., A Hard Road to Glory: Baseball: The African-American Athlete in Baseball (New York: Amistad, 1988), pp. 3–4.

  38 Anson and Stovey: Michael M. Oleksak and Mary Adams Oleksak, Beisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Masters Press, 1991), p. 26.

  IV: COLUMBUS, POCAHONTAS, AND DOUBLEDAY

  41 Doubleday: Richard J. Tofel, “Regarding the ‘Innocuous Conspiracy’ of Baseball's Birth: Two Long-Lost Letters Show How Double-day Was Credited with the Game's Invention,” Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2001.

  42 “an American Dad”: Letter from Spalding to Murnane, January 25, 1905, courtesy of Bill Francis, researcher, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, 2006.

  42 Spalding resists Chadwick's rounders theory: Peter Levine, A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), p. 113.

  43 Graves letters: Courtesy of Ted Spencer, chief curator, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 2006.

  43 no record of Doubleday visiting Cooperstown: Ted Spencer, chief curator, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, e-mail, February 16, 2006.

  43 Doubleday never wrote about baseball: Victor Salvatore, “The Man Who Didn't Invent Baseball,” American Heritage, June/July 1983.

  43 “You ask for some information”: Letter to unknown correspondent, November 20, 1887, courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, 2006.

  44 Abner Demas Doubleday: David Block, Baseball Before W
e Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005), p. 58.

  44 Mills in honor guard for Doubleday: Levine, A. G. Spalding and the Rise of Baseball, p. 114.

  47 Alexander and Hall: Sporting News, January 27, 1938, p. 4.

  47 Ted Williams and Negro League stars: Donn Rogosin, Invisible Men (New York: Atheneum, 1983), p. 176.

  V: GROWING PAINS

  51 Ban Johnson and Western League: Eliot Asinof, Eight Men Out (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1963), p. 75.

  52 Athletics “white elephants”: Leonard Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004), p. 95.

  53 crowds in Boston: Bob Ryan, When Boston Won the World Series (Philadelphia: Running Press, 2002), p. 100.

  53 “Tessie”: Ibid., p. 135.

  53 Mathewson and Sunday: Ray Robinson, Matty: An American Hero (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 12.

  54 Eddie Grant, Argonne Forest: Ibid., p. 186.

  55 Cobb's average reviewed: E-mail from Bill Francis, National Baseball Hall of Fame, May 2007.

  55 Federal League and Mack: Jules Tygiel, Baseball as History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 59.

  56 Landis “shocked”: Rick Burton, “From Hearst to Stern: The Shaping of an Industry Over a Century,” New York Times, December 19, 1999.

  VI: THE BLACK SOX

  60 Hal Chase and $50: Eliot Asinof, Eight Men Out (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1963), p. 14.

  60 White Sox salaries: Ibid., pp. 17–18.

  61 Cicotte hits Rath: Ibid., pp. 64–65.

  62 “whelp of a beaten cur”: Ibid., p. 77.

  63 push for a neutral leader: Leonard Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004), p. 135.

  64 “Birds of a feather”: Asinof, Eight Men Out, p. 280.

  64 Cobb and Speaker: Koppett, Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball, p. 164.