Baseball History

I have read about baseball and the history of the sport more than any other subject in my 30 years on this planet. It's definitely a passion of mine and I crave the interesting nuggets of lore that the history of this game provides. The sport of baseball has been filled with all sorts of characters. The sport has also had it ups and downs.

It's golden age was undoubtedly the 1950's, with some of history's greatest players having played within this decade. It's hard to argue that there was a better decade when players named Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Ted Williams and Stan Musial all had portions of the prime of their career fell in this time period.

I believe this golden age followed the lowest point in the history of the game (yes, lower than canceling a world series, rampant steriod use and even the Black Sox Scandal): The color barrier. The not-so-unspoken color line excluding African Americans from Major League Baseball deprived fans from seeing some of the most entertaining and capable players of their generation, regardless of race. For instance, even though there are varying opinions, it has been reported Satchel Paige once pitched three shutout innings a game at the ripe old age of 60 (or thereabouts...no one ever knew how old Satchel really was). Imagine how he would have done in the majors, oh, I don't know, 40 years before that! By far the most intriguing figure in sports history for my nickel, I am fascinated by all things Satchel. If you haven't read his book, it's worth it. It won't take you very long and it will give you some good insight about what this man was like. Naive? Maybe. Dumb? No. Talented? You betcha. A conflicted man? Absolutely. Give it a try. If you like baseball anecdotes, this will not disappoint.

The Negro Leagues have always fascinated me. If anyone has good links, please send them over.