I have Burn's Baseball on in the background. John McGraw, Giants manager on pitching to Babe Ruth in the World Series ... "We only threw him twelve fast balls. Eleven of them knocked him on his back."
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I love listening to the older black gentleman that played for the Monarchs in the old Negro League.
You can just see the youthful entheusiasm in his voice and the love of the game simply oozing from his pores. That guy would have played for nothing and would have loved every single day of it.
You can just see the youthful entheusiasm in his voice and the love of the game simply oozing from his pores. That guy would have played for nothing and would have loved every single day of it.
One of the college baseball programs has a question for their players is ... Baseball player living or dead you would want go to dinner and talk with. Mine would be Buck Leonard. Imagine the discrimination he dealt with and he smiled and loved baseball until the day he died.
I looked him up when I got home.
The man is even more impressive the more you read about him. There are people that simply exemplify the game and Buck Leonard was one of them. Yes, I agree, I would love to sit down for an evening and just talk with the man. I bet it would have been one of the top evenings of my life.
Sad he is gone. Love what the Royals did for him after he left.
The man is even more impressive the more you read about him. There are people that simply exemplify the game and Buck Leonard was one of them. Yes, I agree, I would love to sit down for an evening and just talk with the man. I bet it would have been one of the top evenings of my life.
Sad he is gone. Love what the Royals did for him after he left.
quote:Mine would be Buck Leonard.
I heard John Schuerholtz talking about Buck's remarks the first time he "heard" Bo Jackson hitting. John was still the GM at Kansas City and during Spring Training they were talking in the Clubhouse when Buck told John, "shoo, who is that hitting now?" Schuerholtz said; "what do you mean?" Buck then said; "I have only heard that sound off the bat one other time; when Babe Ruth was hitting!" John said; "Buck that's our new Rookie, Bo Jackson."
Another story I like from Burns' "Baseball" was of a understandably nervous rookie pitcher facing Rogers Hornsby.
He threw 3 straight balls, just missing the plate, trying to nibble.
He complained to the umpire, "Hey, those last 3 pitches should have been strikes!"
The umpire stepped out and instructed the pitcher, "Young man, Mr. Hornsby here will let you know when you throw a strike."
Love it!
He threw 3 straight balls, just missing the plate, trying to nibble.
He complained to the umpire, "Hey, those last 3 pitches should have been strikes!"
The umpire stepped out and instructed the pitcher, "Young man, Mr. Hornsby here will let you know when you throw a strike."
Love it!
Well, I haven't seen "Baseball" recently, but I'm pretty sure it was Buck O'neil, not Leonard, who was featured.
Not to slight Buck Leonard - still a great story.
Not to slight Buck Leonard - still a great story.
You're right. I was looking at the picture of Buck Leonard and thinking it didn't look quite right. Every time I saw a post I was asking if I had the right guy.
Sorry, it was Buck O'neil.
Every baseball lover who ever happens to be anywhere near Kansas City should find time to visit the Negro League Hall of Fame.