I enjoyed this piece which takes a whimsical trip through time and shows that for every A-Rod on steroids, there’s someone on the Black Sox or someone throwing a spitball or stealing signs from the scoreboard.
Good stuff. Here’s a taste:
1950s
Went looking for a real baseball player and took a trip to the Polo Grounds, where the New York Giants were in a playoff series with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers were leading the deciding game, 4-2, in the bottom of the ninth when New York’s Bobby Thomson delivered a “shot heard ’round the world.” Turns out Giants coach Herman Franks used to sit out in center field, steal signs and relay them to the New York bench. Was Thomson tipped off?
1960s
Went looking for a real baseball player and took a visit to Yankee Stadium, where names like Berra and Mantle dominated the game. Ralph Terry was on the hill for the Yanks and his pitches were dancing so much it looked like the hitters were trying to swat a fly. Turns out Berra was cutting balls on the back of his spikes.
www.metspolice.com