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What If...
2008-07-10 08:20
by Alex Belth
Comments
2008-07-10 08:43:00
1.   Sliced Bread
Saving the Goldman piece fer lunch.. but look at the forearms on Gibson.
Looks stronger than ARod there, and ARod looks very strong.
2008-07-10 08:46:30
2.   Dimelo
I like Steve and he's a great writer, but I kept questioning as I read the article - what's the reason for rehashing a bad era in: 1. American history, 2. baseball history and lastly, 3.Yankee History?

What's the point? What should we do next Tuesday, field all living members that were in the Negro Leagues? If that's what he wants then say it.

Is it a history lesson on who Josh Gibson is? Then give us that, but the last line really bugged me:
"Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Josh Gibson also was slowly killed by a disease, a tumor devouring his brain, at age 35. His farewell, if any, went unrecorded."

What's that got to do with the Yankees or any other human being on this planet who has since passed away? My mom passed away and she didn't have her farewell either.

2008-07-10 08:51:06
3.   Raf
Hard to believe that for a time, there was nothing around the stadium
2008-07-10 09:22:03
4.   Shaun P
2 Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it?

I don't know, I'm just grasping at straws . . . as I read it, I felt he wanted the ASG to be used to reflect on the past and remember the guys like Gibson, instead of glossing over the bad old days. If you're going to celebrate history, why not celebrate all of it, and not just part? Even if the whole includes the bad parts?

2008-07-10 09:25:28
5.   williamnyy23
2 This article seems a bit out of left field (pardon the pun), even if Goldman tries to tie it in with the All Star Game. The moral of the story and the history lesson behind it is still meaningful, but I also don't get Goldman's point in the piece.
2008-07-10 09:36:53
6.   Dimelo
5 Exactly. Thanks for saying it better than me.

4 I do know my past, but I see no way you can associate Josh Gibson, his untimely death, the Yankees, baseball's ugly past with race and the all-star game this year, and make it out to be somehow the Yankees fault. That's what I got out of it. It seems like something Jason Whitlock would write.

2008-07-10 09:39:11
7.   Travis08
This has nothing to do with the article, but the Blue Jays just shuffled their rotation. John Parrish was moved up to today, and Halladay and Litsch were each moved back a day to face the Yankees.
2008-07-10 09:44:36
8.   Sliced Bread
7 makes sense. I figured they'd find a way to get Halladay into the series.
2008-07-10 10:08:20
9.   Sliced Bread
I liked the Goldman piece. Good read.

Caught the first couple innings of the '77 AS game (Goldman refers to) on YES last night.
Funny hearing the near silence that followed Shepard's introductions of Gossage, and Winfielda as non-Yankees.

Reggie hadn't become immortal yet, so he received less applause than Martin, Munson, and even the kid, Randolph.
Joe Morgan, Dave Parker, lotta damn good hitters on display in the early innings.

2008-07-10 10:17:05
10.   Shaun P
Haven't we had this conversation before, or am I the only one with a strong feeling of deja vu right now?
2008-07-10 10:29:40
11.   JL25and3
Haven't we had this conversation before, or am I the only one with a strong feeling of deja vu right now?
2008-07-10 10:37:38
12.   Sliced Bread
10 11 Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it 4
2008-07-10 10:37:49
13.   williamnyy23
9 I have that game on DVD...there are loys of fun tidbits from it.

Not only did Reggie receive less applause, he also had some booes. Also, one of the loudest ovations wasn't reserved for a Yankee, but for Tom Seaver. I wonder how a returning Met hero would be received today?

My favorite part of the game was Reggie's reaction to the 2 HRs off Palmer...almost like, "uh oh, here we go again". We are in the midst of AL domination of the ASG, but it was nothing like what took place in favor of the NL back then.

Finally, in his first ASG AB in front of his hometown, Kenny Singleton was hit by a pitch in shin. He looked so angry by having this opportunity ruined that he actually picked the ball up and threw it back to the mound.

2008-07-10 10:48:38
14.   JL25and3
13 Tom Seaver in July 1977 was a little more than just a returning Met hero.
2008-07-10 10:57:39
15.   pistolpete
That 2nd photo represents the last time there was no traffic on the Deegan. ;-)
2008-07-10 11:20:00
16.   williamnyy23
14 What more was he?
2008-07-10 11:49:30
17.   JL25and3
16 That was only a month after Seaver was traded to the Reds. I don't know if you remember the leadup to that trade, but it was extremely acrimonious. Among other things, it involved Dick Young acting as an attack dog for M. Donald Grant, trashing Seaver at every opportunity (even if the opportunity had to be invented).

In short, Seaver was basically run out of town by management, in a trade that couldn't possibly stand on its merits. It was ugly, ugly, ugly.

2008-07-10 11:52:50
18.   JL25and3
16 http://tinyurl.com/5usmsy

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