Analyzing Our National Pastime
“I wasn’t trying to think of myself as being the Great White Father. It didn’t matter to me whether he was black or green, he had a right to be there too.” Pee Wee’s friendship and welcoming of Jackie will never be forgotten as a true baseball gesture that resembles the game being America’s past time, and despite past conflicts, every American had the right to play America’s game.
“The greatest player I ever saw was a black man. He’s in the Hall of Fame, although not a lot of people have heard of him. His name is Martin Dihigo. I played with him in Santo Domingo in winter ball in 1943. He was the manager. He was the only guy I ever saw who could play all nine positions, run and was a switch-hitter. I thought I was havin’ a pretty good year myself down there and they were walkin’ him to ge to me.” There were several negro league players such as Martin Dihingo and Josh Gibson, Continue reading Johnny Mize
“I was probably as big a fan of the event as anyone else there. After all, I’d never seen anybody get three thousand hits, either.” The great left fielder describing the day of his own 3000th hit, as a humble legend.
“When I started throwing the ball back to the pitcher harder than he was throwing to me, we changed positions.” The great Hall of Fame starter began his career as catcher, and explains his switch to pitcher.