THE OLD DAYS

Recently in a Mets/Brewers game, after a homerun, and hit batter by the Brewers, the Mets decided to take out their best hitter David Wright. The manager, Terry Collins is from the old school, and rather than have Wright retaliated on, took him out of the game.

The incident brought to mind stories I’ve heard of old time ball players and I’d like to share a few. For instance…

There was Ty Cobb, meaner than a junkyard dog, who openly sharpened his spikes in front of the opposition, as he got ready to bat, with the intent of using those spikes when he slid into the second baseman, spikes held high!

Of course one of my favorite stories was about Frenchy Bordagaray, an old Brooklyn Dodger back in the 40’s who once got into a heated argument with the umpire. The Ump took offense when Frenchy spit at the ump and was fined. Asked about the fine the next day by a sports writer he said: “It was more than I expectorated!”

Dirty Jack Doyle. Because of his aggressive playing style, Doyle was known as “Dirty Jack,” often feuding with the Umps, fans, opposing players, and even, at times, his own teammates and the hot dog vendor in the stands. Once in Cincinnati in 1900, Doyle slugged an umpire after being called out on a steal attempt. Fans jumped from the stands as the two got into it, the players separating the two fighters. Doyle was arrested.  

At the Polo Grounds the next year, while being harassed by a fan, he jumped into the stands and hit the fan once with his left hand, reinjuring it after having broken it several weeks earlier.

Doyle hated John McGraw, due to a feud that started when they were teammates at Baltimore. McGraw was appointed manager of the Giants, and his first act was to release Doyle, who was batting .301 at the time.

It wasn’t always fights and meanness: sometimes it was just plain old fun.

When Yogi Berra showed up for his first season at Yankee Stadium, he went to his locker an started to dress for a game. When it was time for him to don his spikes, he reached down into the bottom of his locker and the spikes would not move! His teammates nailed his shoes to the bottom of the locker!

Of course there is the story about Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Billy Martin, who out hunting one day drove through this farm area. Since they needed permission to hunt on this particular farm, they stopped at the farmhouse and asked for permission, and it went something like this: Mickey and Whitey went into the farmhouse to talk to the farmer, leaving Billy asleep in the back seat of the car. The farmer gave the two ballplayers permission, and asked them if they would do him a favor and shoot an old sick mule on their way out. The Mick and Whitey decided to play a joke on Billy and say that the farmer said NO to their request to hunt, then they would drive by the old mule and shoot it.

Getting back into the car they drive by the mule after telling Billy the farmer said no to their request to hunt, one of them aiming at the mule and shooting it. Suddenly they hear a shot ring out, and Billy lowering his rifle.

“That will teach him, I got his cow too!” said Billy.

Well, as Yogi once said: “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.“

That's all I wrote, folks!