Baseball Legends

The legends of baseball make up a major portion of the history of the sport. They were the giants who towered over the rest of the puny and pipsqueak crowd of players who were has-beens. There was something about them that differentiated them from every Tom, Dick and Harry. Such genius of the caliber of these legends seldom comes twice. It is almost as if Nature breaks the die after the production of such a legend as Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio.

People even today gaze at baseball legends figures and swoon. They were such fine and fit specimens of the human race. After all that concentration on training and a nutritional regimen to match their bodies became virtually fat-burning furnaces. None of the legends were fat. This is a sign for today’s obese generation that all that is needed is a little exercise and discipline.

Seeing baseball history and baseball legends it is very hard to separate the two. They are inextricably linked with each other. You just can’t have one without also having the other. It is history that is “his story”. And legends are ends in themselves. They have a whole cult of personality built around them which amends any valet-carping or grumbling by underlings. The phenomenal legends have all been a curious mixture of effort and opportunity. Rather like a sadist meeting a masochist. The perfect combination.

What distinguishes a baseball legend from the ordinary fan? Well a baseball legend is like a founder who goes his separate way and finds something of lasting value in his individuality. A fan on the contrary is like a fanatic who only knows how to follow and make a lot of unnecessary noise. There is a hell of a gap between the two. One creates while the other berates. One is constructive and the other is destructive. One is active and the other is passive.

Legends baseball bats have come in vogue recently. The wooden samples used in olden times by such behemoths as Ty Cobb and Mickey Mantle deserve a place in the museum or Hall of Fame. But to think that in time past these baseball bats were actively used on the field and now we place them in a frozen state for all to stare at in awe. It seems kind of ironic.

Baseball legends in 1950’s were ranked by ability and achieved status. There was Ted Williams, a very rude and obnoxious person who nevertheless had a heart of gold. He often misbehaved on the field by spitting and throwing the bat at crowd. But he was also a great (some say the greatest) hitter. There can be no doubt as to the ability of Ted to hit balls like a pitching machine. Fast and furious as a speeding car. He gave away much of his money in the form of donations and for charity purposes (in children’s cancer hospitals). Ted was often in conflict with the press and managers for which he paid the penalty. But he was the best of the 50s and he knew it.

Jackie Robinson was another all-time great to spring forth from the 50’s. He was a Black American and he broke the race barrier. A wonderful runner he was so fast he could make a cheetah look like a laggard. Along with these two many others formed the history of legendary greats who once formed a part of the game of baseball.