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Baseball only had one umpire on the field until 1912. The National and American Leagues decided then that it would be a good idea to have two umpires, mostly, to keep the riffraff off the field.



These umpires, were routinely, cursed at, spit at, and punched. Players were not suspended long for these offenses. In some cases, not at all.

It wasn't until 1970, the umpires formed their own Union.





The spitball was banned in 1920. The banning was a knee jerk reaction to Carl Mays beaning of Ray Chapman, and Chapman's eventual death. The commisioner ruled that it was an "uncontrollable pitch".

Noted spitballers were grandfathered in, and the last legal spitter was thrown by Burleigh Grimes in 1934.



Ever hear of a guy named Ralph Buxton?

Ralph Buxton was a cup of coffee guy in 1938. He toiled in the minors enough to be called a career minor leaguer.

His best year may have come 10 years after his Major League debut, in 1948. He went 13-3 and led the Oakland Oaks and Manager Casey Stengel to a AAA pennant.



Stengel was hired as the Yankees Manager in 1949.

The '49 Yankees staff had the 'big three' of Vic Raschi, Allie Reynolds, and Eddie Lopat. But, all were over 30.

During mid-season Stengel brought Buxton up to the Yankees. Buxton was 35 and would only pitch 26 innings for the Yankees.



Stengel did not want Buxton up to pitch. He wanted Buxton to show Raschi, Reynolds, and Lopat how to throw a "pine tar" ball. With age an enemy, Stengel thought the 'big three' could use a new pitch.

Buxton would apply pine tar to the stripe that ran down his pant leg and use the substance for a better grip in breaking off any pitch with movement.





The Yankees went on to win the '49 pennant and World Series. In fact, they won five consecutive World Series starting in '49. Buxton, despite just 26 innings pitched in long relief, was voted a full World Series share by the players.



Some quotes-



"Cheaters never prosper??...Bullshitt!!"

- Leo Durocher



"I didn't cheat in 1961 when I won 25 games. I don't want anybody to get any ideas and take my Cy Young award away. And I didn't cheat in 1963 when I won 24 games. Well, maybe a little"

- Whitey Ford



To Ross Grimsley when visiting on the mound with the bases loaded- "If you know how to cheat, this would be a good time to start!"

- Earl Weaver



"I don't want anybody cheating to get there (Cooperstown)"

- Harmon Killebrew



"I've cheated, or someone on my team has cheated, in almost every single game I've played in."

- Rogers Hornsby



If you are cheating and get caught, you are a louse. If you cheat and don't get caught, you are a competitor"

- Ty Cobb



"We make Wurst better"

-A sign at our local butcher



"I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the pitcher."





I know those last two quotes have nothing to do with 'cheating', I just like them.

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



"I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the pitcher."





I know those last two quotes have nothing to do with 'cheating', I just like them. I looked up the last quote. I made some guesses before hand and thought Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Ty Cobb or Ted Williams.



The guy credited for the quote was a great player. I'll let you add in his name or people can look it up for themselves.

Nice catch, Russ!

Totally by omission on my part.

His stats are my favorite amongst older players.

He is one of the five dead ball players, Id like to have dinner with....

Of course, they'd have to be alive for that dinner or there wouldn't be much conversation, would there?



Lou Gehrig

Ty Cobb

Rogers Hornsby

Christy Mathewson

Honus Wagner



Each for different reasons.

Babe Ruth is not on the list. I've read most of his biographies and he is so much like some of the softball players by my side over the years that I feel like he wouldn't bring much to the table, besides an appetite

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



He is one of the five dead ball players, Id like to have dinner with....

Of course, they'd have to be alive for that dinner or there wouldn't be much conversation, would there?



Lou Gehrig

Ty Cobb

Rogers Hornsby

Christy Mathewson

Honus Wagner



Nice list.



I thought, ok, I’ll knock out my top 5 dead baseball guys to eat with. It’s not really as easy as I thought.



Only two really came to me right away, Addie Joss and Ted Williams.



I read a SABR produced biography on Joss several years ago and would like to follow up on that. Joss is not well known, but he’s a HOF member and I would like to hear more of his story. And Ted Williams just seems so fascinating that I would love to talk with him. Although from everything that I have read and from video’s I’ve seen, I have a feeling I would walk away from a dinner with Williams not really liking the man.



When it came time to expand the list, the more I thought about it, the harder it became to add a name to the list for varies reasons. I’m sure if I thought about it more I could put different people on the list, but for now, here are the additional three that I would add.



I’m sure I would put Jackie Robinson on the list. Robinson kind of led me to put Satchel Paige on the list. And Satchel Paige led me to Bill Veeck. Three guys that had a monumental impact on the game. I think Veeck would be the most interesting of the three.



So there it is; Joss, Williams, Robinson, Paige, and Veeck.

No fair!

Bill Veeck is not a player.



Five Non players-



1. Branch Rickey

2. Keneshaw "Mountain" Landis

3. Bill Veeck

4. Bill Klem

5. George Steinbrenner



I like the Satchel Paige vote. I'll choose Josh Gibson as an alternate to give that perspective from back in the day.

Damn, broke my promise about limiting my posts...



[ July 27, 2010, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Originally posted by Navel Lint:

quote:Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



He is one of the five dead ball players, Id like to have dinner with....

Of course, they'd have to be alive for that dinner or there wouldn't be much conversation, would there?



Lou Gehrig

Ty Cobb

Rogers Hornsby

Christy Mathewson

Honus Wagner



Nice list.



I thought, ok, I’ll knock out my top 5 dead baseball guys to eat with. It’s not really as easy as I thought.



Only two really came to me right away, Addie Joss and Ted Williams.



I read a SABR produced biography on Joss several years ago and would like to follow up on that. Joss is not well known, but he’s a HOF member and I would like to hear more of his story. And Ted Williams just seems so fascinating that I would love to talk with him. Although from everything that I have read and from video’s I’ve seen, I have a feeling I would walk away from a dinner with Williams not really liking the man.



When it came time to expand the list, the more I thought about it, the harder it became to add a name to the list for varies reasons. I’m sure if I thought about it more I could put different people on the list, but for now, here are the additional three that I would add.



I’m sure I would put Jackie Robinson on the list. Robinson kind of led me to put Satchel Paige on the list. And Satchel Paige led me to Bill Veeck. Three guys that had a monumental impact on the game. I think Veeck would be the most interesting of the three.



So there it is; Joss, Williams, Robinson, Paige, and Veeck. [/QUOTE]Paige might want to go dancing afterwards

Originally posted by Dub:

quote:Originally posted by Navel Lint:

quote:Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



He is one of the five dead ball players, Id like to have dinner with....

Of course, they'd have to be alive for that dinner or there wouldn't be much conversation, would there?



Lou Gehrig

Ty Cobb

Rogers Hornsby

Christy Mathewson

Honus Wagner



Nice list.



I thought, ok, I’ll knock out my top 5 dead baseball guys to eat with. It’s not really as easy as I thought.



Only two really came to me right away, Addie Joss and Ted Williams.



I read a SABR produced biography on Joss several years ago and would like to follow up on that. Joss is not well known, but he’s a HOF member and I would like to hear more of his story. And Ted Williams just seems so fascinating that I would love to talk with him. Although from everything that I have read and from video’s I’ve seen, I have a feeling I would walk away from a dinner with Williams not really liking the man.



When it came time to expand the list, the more I thought about it, the harder it became to add a name to the list for varies reasons. I’m sure if I thought about it more I could put different people on the list, but for now, here are the additional three that I would add.



I’m sure I would put Jackie Robinson on the list. Robinson kind of led me to put Satchel Paige on the list. And Satchel Paige led me to Bill Veeck. Three guys that had a monumental impact on the game. I think Veeck would be the most interesting of the three.



So there it is; Joss, Williams, Robinson, Paige, and Veeck. [/QUOTE]Paige might want to go dancing afterwards [/QUOTE]Huh. That reference is going over my head.

Originally posted by Navel Lint:

quote:Originally posted by Dub:

quote:Originally posted by Navel Lint:

quote:Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



He is one of the five dead ball players, Id like to have dinner with....

Of course, they'd have to be alive for that dinner or there wouldn't be much conversation, would there?



Lou Gehrig

Ty Cobb

Rogers Hornsby

Christy Mathewson

Honus Wagner



Nice list.



I thought, ok, I’ll knock out my top 5 dead baseball guys to eat with. It’s not really as easy as I thought.



Only two really came to me right away, Addie Joss and Ted Williams.



I read a SABR produced biography on Joss several years ago and would like to follow up on that. Joss is not well known, but he’s a HOF member and I would like to hear more of his story. And Ted Williams just seems so fascinating that I would love to talk with him. Although from everything that I have read and from video’s I’ve seen, I have a feeling I would walk away from a dinner with Williams not really liking the man.



When it came time to expand the list, the more I thought about it, the harder it became to add a name to the list for varies reasons. I’m sure if I thought about it more I could put different people on the list, but for now, here are the additional three that I would add.



I’m sure I would put Jackie Robinson on the list. Robinson kind of led me to put Satchel Paige on the list. And Satchel Paige led me to Bill Veeck. Three guys that had a monumental impact on the game. I think Veeck would be the most interesting of the three.



So there it is; Joss, Williams, Robinson, Paige, and Veeck. [/QUOTE]Paige might want to go dancing afterwards [/QUOTE]Huh. That reference is going over my head. [/QUOTE]I thought (was certain) this quote was from Paige:



"Work like you don't need money,

Love like you've never been hurt,

And dance like no one's watching."



but on further review- My bad

Its listed here near the bottom- Enjoy. Most are great!!!!



http://www.satchelpaige.com/quote2.html