Friends and I often joke about the joys of doing nothing when unemployment hits. The dream of waking up and having "a cool buzz and some tasty waves," in the words of Spicoli.
As good as that dream is; we forget that it's just an awesome consolation dream. We all really want to be the star quarterback that throws for 700 yards in the Super Bowl, the superstar slugger that hits the walk-off home run in the World Series after having pitched a perfect game, or the guy that sinks a buzzer beating 40 foot fade away three over a double team in game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Long before we were dreaming of living the dream, the orphan turned superstar, Babe Ruth was doing it, making a killing on the field and partying like a rock star off the field. For instance on this day of May 7th, 81 years ago in 1917, Ruth allowed only two hits out-dueling the legendary Walter Johnson 1-0. Ruth hit a sacrifice fly to score the only run.
Ruth was always getting the best of Walter. In 1916 alone, Ruth out-dueled Johnson in all 4 games he faced him, including a 13 inning affair. Then to solidify his superstar on superstar dominance, Ruth hit the only two jacks Johnson would give up for two years (1918-1919).
Before being traded to the Yankees and building a majestic stadium and obliterating every offensive record with a Roy Hobbs type of thunder, Ruth was winning three World Series in four years with the Red Sox (1915, 1916, 1918). And the four-peat did not happen as a result of Ruth not bringing it. In 1917, Ruth who was 24-13 with six shutouts, a 2.01 ERA and a .325 batting average.
In all of his Red Sox World Series appearances, Ruth was 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA, throwing 29 2/3 scoreless innings at one point. In 1918 he led the league in home runs, while only taking 317 at-bats. He went on to pitch and win the first and last game of the 1918 World Series.
In 1919, his last year with the Sox, he belted 29 home runs, more than doubling the previous record. And for all the Red Sox ingratitude, they sold Ruth, their soul to the Yankees. Ruth pronounced a curse on them, and the Sox did not win a World Series for 86 years. Yes Ruth 86'd the Sox fans and Mr. Buckner who was not even born yet!
That is living the dream. Or is it? He actually one-up'd his dream with the Yankees, because that is what Ruthian dreamers do!
No comments:
Post a Comment