Generalizin' So You Don't Have To
Making sweeping statements based on anecdotal data is a bloggy thing to do, but this is a blog so I'll proceed accordingly...After watching "Baseball's Golden Age" on television, I'm interested in how the changes in baseball reflect the changes in society.
Characteristics of baseball during the '50s:
The individual respected. Griffith Stadium was built around existing homeowners who wouldn't sell - the outfield wall came bounding in. Can you even imagine that now? Quicker than you could say "eminent domain" those homes would be razed.
Idiosyncratic ballparks. Odd dimensions - 490 foot outs and 297 foot homers in same park. A hill in center field of old Crosley. More tolerance for eccentricity in humans and architecture back then? More creativity?
No such thing as pitch count. Complete games were routine. Pitchers today not reaching their potential while hitters reach it by cheating. Of top 25 career home run hitters, 10 are active or were active in the past few years. Of top 25 career victory leaders, four.
Pitchers threw inside then. Little fraternization with the other team; now all players feel a part of one big team, one product: MLB. Players feel no patriotism towards their team or league, don't care about All-Star game so MLB had to force care by giving winner home field advantage in Series. Greater toughness then, but at the cost of camaraderie between non-teammates? Are toughness and amiability mutually exclusive?
No comments:
Post a Comment