Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Catching Up

Fallen behind recently on posts.  Here a some baseball ones I'm a bit late on.

Leading off: a reminder that Yogi Berra was handling a machine gun on a U.S. Navy ship providing fire support to the landing on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.  A great ballplayer and a great man.

 

Batting second: from June 4, 1972, the Dodgers retire the numbers of Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax and Roy Campanella (who was paralyzed in a traffic accident in 1958).  Jackie would pass only five months later at the too-early age of 52.


In the third spot we have Lou Gehrig.  June 2 was Lou Gehrig day in MLB, the 80th anniversary of his death in 1941; he was only 37.  Growing up all I knew was he died from Lou Gehrig's Disease.  It was only years later I learned about ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).  Lou was diagnosed with ALS at the Mayo Clinic the day of his 36th birthday.  That one of the strongest players to ever play the game could be brought down by such a disease was stunning.  If you see pictures of Babe Ruth you'll observe his skinny legs and with his shirt off he doesn't look particularly muscular.  The shirtless Gehrig is solid muscle and I've seen a picture of his massive thighs.


 

Ruth and Gehrig are forever entwined though different in so many ways.  Ruth boisterous, living every moment to its fullest, a showman on and off the field, a magnet for photographers; Gehrig, quiet, restrained, soft spoken, shy and dutiful, showing up for work every day for 13 years.  Like Gehrig, Ruth would also die early, at age 53.

Batting cleanup we have Roberto, Willie, and Hank.  Yes, I think that is sufficient.


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