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Chapter 11 Baseball’s Golden Age

America’s Greatest Pastime

What does the term “Pastime” mean?

Baseball’s Golden Age

Until the 1950’s, no other sport seriously challenged baseball’s supremacy as the “national pastime”.

1910-President Taft establishes the tradition of the president throwing out the first ball

• Quite a difference from the games that struggles to gain respect and credibility amongst the masses

The game continues to grow despite major events in history

Wars, Great Depression, and Scandal

Baseball’s Coming of Age

Baseball becomes the country’s most entrenched and mature professional sport amongst many different people

• Multiplicity of ethnic, racial and religious groups

• Common denominator was baseball

Baseball supporters credit the American game with a significant role in building social solidarity

• What do you think?

Baseball’s Coming of Age The fans adore the physical traits and the behavior of the games players

Baseball marketed their “characters” and it helped grow even more so

• Bugs, Babe, Rube, Wahoo Sam, Mugsy, Chief, Muddy, Kid, Hod, Dummy, Dutch, Stuffy, Gabby, and Hooks

The players seemed to take the special delight in spicing up the game with comedy and the unexpected… added theatrics to the game

• Detroit Vs. Cleveland (late innings, tied up)

• Herman “Germany” Schaefer

• On 1st, and Davy Jones on 3rd

• Signals (Double Steal)

• “Let’s Try it Again!” – bloodcurdling warrior cry

Baseball Rule (5.09(b)(10))

"After he has acquired legal possession of a base, he runs the bases in reverse order for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game. The umpire shall immediately call 'Time' and declare the runner out"

Ty Cobb Tyrus “Ty” Raymond Cobb, long time start of the Detroit Tigers played a career that spanned 24 years from 1905-1928

• Highest lifetime batting average (0.367)

His dazzling speed and recklessness on the bases terrorized opponents

• Baseball was a form of warfare

• “When I played ball, I didn’t play for fun”

• “It’s no pink tea”

Baseball had an understanding that brawls were meant to be verbal warfare

• Spikes, Fists, Bat, Tongue (verbal lashings)

All efforts to intimidate his opponents and disrupt their game

Ty Cobb

Never became a popular hero like Babe Ruth

Almost everybody thoroughly disliked him, including his own teammates

• Evoked fear and respect, but never affection

• Never had a close, personal friend amongst the big-league players or managers

• He ate alone

• Roomed alone

• For years at a time didn’t speak to or acknowledge certain members of his team

Fans everywhere came out to see the rampaging Cobb

• Partially in awe of his ability

• Also in hopes of witnessing a brawl where Cobb was the victim

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNt3DAd1xv0

Chicago Black Sox Scandal

1919 World Series was fixed

• Worst team scandal in the history of American sport

• “The Benedict Arnolds of baseball”

• The country’s outrage showed how far baseball had come

In retrospect, the scandal shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise

• Why?

Later evidence reveals that eight Chicago player had taken money from gambling to “throw” the World’s Series (World Series)

• Players took $5000-$10,000 in cash which was more than most yearly ball salaries

• Grand Jury records “disappear” after 7 of the 8 players admit to the sums they received

• A later trial between Joe Jackson and Charles Comiskey, the confessions “mysteriously” reappear in possession of Comiskey’s attorney

Chicago Black Sox Scandal

At the trial in 1921, all players abandon their initial confessions

• After a few hours of deliberation, the jury acquits all the players, plus two gamblers

• Spectators in the court rejoice and the men celebrate their victory at the local restaurant

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the new Commissioner of Baseball

An Age of Team Dynasties

From the start of the 20th century, the clubs located in the largest cities enjoyed better records than those in smaller cities…

• Why do you think that is?

1900-1952

• New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs won 30 of 52 Nation League pennants

• After new owners bought the NY Yankees and acquired Babe Ruth, they proceeded to win 20 of the next 32 flags

An Age of Team Dynasties

Most Successful Small-Market Franchise in 20th century

• Any guesses?

Branch Rickey managed to offset some of the advantages enjoyed by big-city clubs, by avoiding expensive player purchases

• The Farm System

By 1940 their farm system had 32 clubs and 700 players

• Won 9 league championships between 1926-1946

Made a great deal of money developing and selling players to larger city clubs

Class Activity - The Farm System

Google “(Your Favorite MLB Team) minor league teams”

• Triple – A

• Double – A

• Class – A Advanced

• Class – A

• Rookie League

CUBS

White Sox

Cardinals

U.S. – Caribbean Connections

Thrived in the Caribbean Basin during 1930’s-1940’s

• Exchange of players between U.S. and Latin American countries

• Light skinned players identified with other groups

• Native American Indian

• Claimed European credentials

• Players with African ancestry that was too visible played on the Negro League teams

U.S. – Caribbean Connections

U.S. players also traveled south

• Cuba and Dominican Republic played their pro ball season in the winter

Mexican League played in the summer

• 1937 – began to compete for U.S. teams for talent

Jorge Pasquel (oil tycoon)

• Offered more money to African American players than they could make in the Negro Leagues

“We live in the best hotels, eat at the best restaurants, and can go anywhere we care to.” - Willie Wells

“You would be really thirsty and see a water fountain and look above for the ‘White Only’ sign, and there was none.” - Bill Cash