Legends In Our Mind

48 years ago today, Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single season home record of 60, although not without major controversy. Maris did it in 162 games. The Babe needed 154. Maris was not well received by Yankees fans, who perceived the South Dakota native as an "imposter" to the Yankees legacy. In 1961, Babe Ruth was still a god in the baseball world. A man who cheated on his first wife with his second, cheated on his second wife with anything that moved, drank heavily, gorged himself on disgusting greasy foods, and was known for having a temper. Roger Maris needed 24 hour protection for his entire family because fans around the world were protective this guy. Personally, I think Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player of all time. The reason I wrote that description of Ruth is because in 2009, Babe Ruth would have never exsisted. The media would have torn him down after his first marriage. Hero's don't exsist anymore. News outlets won't allow them. Back in ruth's era however, the media helped create something larger than life. Take the called shot. The famous image of Ruth pointing to the left field fence moments before cracking a HUGE post season home run. Looking back, it seems like it might not have ever happened. Ruth really seems to be pointing at the Cubs dugout, but the media built the legend and that's how we remember it. It's funny how things are played back through history. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and history will point to the curse of the Billy Goat as the reason. Reverse the Curse T-Shirts sell all over Chicago. The incident that inspired the curse? 1945. So what curse kept the Cubs from a championship between 09 and 45? There was the curse of Fred Murkle. Who? Exactley. You know who Bill Buckner is right? Ask anyone. He'll tell you he was the 1st baseman on the Red Sox that cost them the World Series by letting Mookie Wilsons ground ball roll through his legs. BUCKNER COST THE SOX THE SERIES. Except that was games six. The Mets had to beat the Sox again the next day and it had nothing to do with Bill Buckner. So in honor of some old Yankees war horses, lets not give a flying F*#k about who banged who, and how many shots of Scotch it took to get who drunk. Lets enjoy baseball for what it is. A game, played by men who are no different than you or I. Oh yeah, and congrats to the Phillies. Three time N.L. East champions. Now. We'll see what history has to say about it