1. Broun is a baseball reporter, and reporters were often attributed with those exciting one-liners (or maybe two-liners) that really spoke to the excitement of the game. Looking at this piece, pick out a favorite line or two and tell me why these lines are fabulous. For example, I love the line, "Ward's homer was less lusty, but went in the same general direction." Good use of lusty, like it's the ball that wants to go somewhere rather than the hitter wanting the home run. Good use of personification.
2. What do you think is the most fantastic detail of Cool Papa's playing career? And why do you think so? Detail could be on or off the field.
Great job on the last post! Keep up the insight.
1. My favorite lines were definitely:
ReplyDelete"If that drive had been just a shade to the right it would have been a third home run for Ruth. As it was, the Babe had a great day with two home runs, a terrific long fly and two bases on balls".
First of all, I think "just a shade" is an awesome phrase. It is so superior to "a little" or "a bit". But my favorite part of this passage is "terrific long fly". There is a paradox in a fly-out being called terrific. It is as if the author sees past the fact that Babe got an out and appreciates the beauty in his stroke and the glory with which he hits the ball.
2. I loved hearing about all the places Cool Papa got to visit with the baseball team. I thought it was really fantastic how baseball allowed him to experience the whole continent. His descriptions of the towns (especially Picayune) were interesting to read because they gave a window into American culture during his time period.
1. One of my favorite passages was: “Catching for the Giants must have been a terrific strain on the neck muscles, for apparently it is etiquette to take signals from the bench manager furtively.”
ReplyDeleteI interpreted this line to be slightly sarcastic, especially the use of the word “etiquette.” Broun seems to be in a subtle way casting a negative light on the Giants catcher and makes him seem inferior to the Yankees’ catcher. I like how this line ties into the rest of the story with the different mentions of the other calls and interoperations of them. I also really liked the bit when McGraw was blowing his nose and Snyder did not know what that signal was supposed to mean! These days almost all catchers look to their managers for the calls.
2. Every time we have read about early baseball, especially the conditions of the Colored Leagues I am shocked. Despite all of the terrible conditions that they had to overcome they continued playing baseball. They played because they loved the sport and I am not sure if players today would do the same thing. One line that really stood out to me and captured what they went through was” All those things we experienced, today people wouldn’t believe it.” Arguably some of the greatest players ever were from early baseball and they played without all the millions of dollars, private jets, and fancy hotels that players today need.
I found the explanation behind his nickname quite fascinating. I liked how his manager did not think that he could handle the pressures of playing in front of a big crowd but that he did really well when he got his chance.
I also thought it was really interesting that the Western and Eastern leagues installed lights before the major leagues did.
One of my favorite lines in the ruth story is "The strike was a fast ball shoulder high, at which Ruth had lunged with almost comic ferocity and ineptitude." I find this line very interesting because of the great word choice. The use of the phase "comic ferocity and ineptitude" if funny to me because I know exactly how this type of swing looks. Just about all baseball players are enticed by a high fastball (even though they are pretty hard to hit) and have done they exact type of swing mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting part of the cool papa's career is the sheer amount of teams he played for. He would be called a "journeyman" in baseball today because of how many teams he played for. I also found it interesting how many ups and down he had to endure through his career. I also found it interesting how casually he stated the facts about not getting paid, which he made seem bad at first then almost brushed it off at the end of a sentence by simply saying there was not pay there either
My favorite line in the ruth story was, "The batter who hits a ball into the stands cannot possibly be caught napping off any base." I enjoyed the comedy of this view, which stated that in order to avoid base running errors, the players should just swing for home runs. That way, the team can win and never have to be on base. The team clearly suffered from mental mistakes, and I enjoyed this remedy.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Cool Papa had much more success on the field, I still found that his invention of probably the first treatment for Athlete's Foot was an awesome part of his story. I liked his description of "soft corn between my toes" and his ability to concoct a solution to help Athletes Foot shows his long term effect on society off of the field. His nickname, Cool Papa, fit very well with the pitch for his concoction and I am surprised he was unable to sell more. Obviously Cool Papa accomplished much on the field, but this discovery should not go unrecognized.
One one-liner I really liked was, "And so, at Snyder's request, Bentley did pitch to Ruth and the Babe drove the ball deep into right centre; so deep that Casey Stengel could feel the hot breath of the bleacherites on his back as the ball came down and he caught it." I love how descriptive this line is. Readers can comprehend completely just how far that ball went, and how hard it was to catch. Even without an excess of actions and movements, Broun describes this play very well, which is hard to do. Plus, the language itself is great: "drove the ball deep into right centre," "the hot breath of the bleacherites on his back."
ReplyDeleteI think the most fantastic detail was how he and his team played baseball in order to save someone's life. I don't know much about Trujillo, his policies or his behavior as a dictator, but regardless of what made everybody want to kill him, simply playing a game of baseball where a life was at stake would be a pretty big shock to my system. And the circumstances surrounding those games—wow! How Cool Papa just treated the whole game as a business transaction, changing the terms of the contract in Miami and what not…as "Cool Papa," he clearly was a very cool character, but I would have been freaking out. Given that he seemed not to worry too much about these literally life-or-death games, and that he even went on to win those, I'd consider this a pretty fantastic moment in his career.
My favorite lines in Broun’s story were “Snyder observed that the little Napoleon gritted his teeth. Then he proceeded to spell out with the first three fingers of his right hand: The Old Guard dies, but never surrenders”.
ReplyDeleteThese lines demonstrate the excitement and glory of a World Series game. Broun likens Mcgraw’s vendetta for Babe Ruth as a “little Napoleon gritt(ing) his teeth”. The game is no longer just about the players, but about teams battling and struggling against one another. Manager Mcgraw wants to prove that the Bambino is not dominant enough to walk in a stressful situation, even if pitching to him is not a smart move. Broun excellently describes the situation and how high pressure games can get personal and players and managers will do anything to pump themselves up and stand by what they believe in the heat of the moment.
The greatest detail of Cool Papa’s playing career was that “(He)’d be lucky to make $5 a game. But (he) had a lot of fun in baseball”. With all the bloated contracts we see today, I’d think that the players enjoy baseball much more than they did in the past. However, Cool Papa shows that money is not what baseball is about. It is about the experiences of playing other amazing players, traveling around the country, and having the brotherhood between teammates. Unlike many professions, no matter what players make playing baseball does not indicate their passion and desire to play the game. I think that even though Cool Papa was not pampered and worshipped by the throngs of fans like players today, he loved the game just as much. These are the details of baseball careers I love to hear.
My favorite line in Heywood Broun's "Ruth Comes Into His Own..." was "We wonder whether new baseballs conversing in the original package ever remark: 'Join Ruth and see the world.'" This passage provides such great imagery. In my mind, I see two newly packaged baseballs talking to one another. As if the baseball is hoping to be the one that is pitched to Babe Ruth. This line tells the reader of how far Ruth can hit in a engaging and creative way.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most fantastic detail in Cool Papa's playing career was the way that he got his nickname. He went out there in front of a huge crowd for the first time and played like it was nothing. This was really interesting to me because I never really considered baseball as a performance; something to be nervous to do in front of people. But, from his description, it seems like many players were in fact nervous to play in front of the crowd, and Cool Papa was commended for playing his first time with ease and without fear.
My favorite line from Broun's "Ruth Comes Into His Own..." is "For the first time since coming to New York, Babe achieved his full brilliance in a World's Series game, Before this he had varied between pretty good and simply awful." I love this quote because it captures how the legacy of a player is defined by what he does on the biggest stage. The author states that before Babe Ruth, the player widely accepted as the greatest ever, was "between pretty good and simply awful." it goes to show how moments on the biggest stage can define a players career such as it has Ruth's.
ReplyDeleteI think the greatest detail of Cool Papa's career was that he was able to play in so many places. He did not allow the color barrier limit is playing potential or his experiences. In fact, because of the color barrier he was able to broaden his experiences. The author mentioned that he played in 5 different countries. This was possible because he was not able to play in the Major Leagues; however, his experiences off the field in the places he went are much greater than that of many players in the Majors. Even though he never was able to play in the Major League he was still recognized by being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
One quote that really stood out for me was “ Kelly just nicked the ball with a vicious swing and the result was a treacherous spinning grounder that rolled only half way down to third”. Broun’s describes such a simple event, a slow grounder to third, with exciting and descriptive adjectives that make it seem as if it were the final play of the World Series. Braun uses great imagery, such as a vicious swing and a treacherous spinning grounder, in a way that allows you to completely envision the play occurring.
ReplyDeleteI think the most fantastic detail about Cool Papas playing career was the sheer number of games that he played, and how great of an athlete he must have been to continuously find success. He talks about how they “would frequently play two and three games a day” and how he never hit below .308 in a season. To be this successful over the course of such a long career, he must have been an amazing athlete. The most shocking thing about this success is that how hard he had to struggle to survive while playing so well. Modern day baseball players are regarded as celebrities, and to be so consistently good yet still not be able to eat at a restaurant or sleep in a hotel because of your race must be extremely frustrating. He seemed to be extremely down to earth and modest, because it seems like he never got upset over these injustices, and just continued to find success and enjoyment in the game of baseball.
Cara
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line was:
"Ere the sun had set on McGraw's rash and presumptuous words, Babe had flashed across the sky fiery portents which should have been sufficient to strike terror and conviction into the hearts of all infidels."
This line is effective in completely shutting John McGraw down. Broun is showing that the humiliation of being wrong isn't enough for McGraw, he needs to elaborate on just how wrong he was. The fancy language and excessive adjectives work great to really emphasize his point. ''
The whole story about Cool Papa's baseball career was really interesting but my favorite details were the descriptions of his family, specifically his mother. The small details like his mother didn't want he and his siblings to "come up the way she came up" and that she wanted them to "try to get the best education [they] could" add a really personal and more sensitive aspect to his story. It is also really interesting to learn about where he came from before he got into baseball and what may have influenced his decisions.
I like the line "We ever wonder if new baseballs conversing in the original package ever remark: "Join Ruth and see the world." It adds to the well realized but subtle humor of the passage. It is an interesting phrase for the author to say because of the time period in which this was written. The First World War was fresh on people's minds, and this brings to mind the well-known propaganda used to recruit soldiers: "Join the army and see the world." It is interesting how Broun seems to be, in his own way, comparing Babe Ruth and the army, as if Ruth fought for American ideals through baseball.
ReplyDeleteCool Papa Bells' stats are mind blowing. 29 years of professional baseball is staggering. most players are completely washed up after 15. Three seasons with averages over .400 is amazing, especially the .437 average he had one year. Batting .300 consistently is sometimes enough to get into the Hall of Fame, but batting consistently between .340 and .400 is unheard of. Maintaining that high caliber of play for 29 years is an amazing feat.
My favorite line in Heywood Broun’s “Ruth Comes Into His Own” is “Kelly just nicked the ball with a vicious swing and the result was a treacherous spinning grounder that rolled only half way down to third”. I really like the adjectives (treacherous and vicious) that Broun uses to describe the hit. It is interesting in baseball how a ball can be dangerous or have other human characteristics.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite detail from “Cool Papa’s” career was when his brother told him to join the St. Louis Stars. He was told to take the deal “just so [he] could say [he] played pro ball”. I thought this was interesting because it shows the difference between the game today and in the past. Today, with all of the big salaries it seems as if many players are only in it for the money, but “Cool Papa” possessed a true love for the game.
My favorite line in Broun's article is "Ruth half topped a line drive over the wall of the lower stand in right field." Broun tries to describe what Babe Ruth was capable of and how great of a hitter he was. Since there was no sportscenter or replays during this time, people could only read about games and try to get a since for what went on. It is amazing to picture Babe not even getting a hold of one, yet still being able to hit a home run, in a time period where those were hard to come by. Telling how Babe hit a line drive home run not even squarely is a tribute to his greatness.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting part of "Cool Papa's career was how many seasons he played baseball, twenty-nine. Today, a twenty year career in the game is considered a long and outstanding one. To play twenty-nine years is unheard of by todays standards. It was also not for the money, "Cool Papa" loved the game itself. Many veterans in the game hang on for too long because of the money, but to play a total of fifty seasons (including the winter seasons) is remarkable. His statistics over those years are amazing as well. A lifetime hitter of .308 today gets consideration for Cooperstown, for him, it meant his worst season as a big leaguer. To be that consistent over that long of a period of time does not mean you are great, but rather legendary.
An intersting line in Heywood Brouns “Ruth Comes Into His Own” is, “It was a pop fly with a brand new gland and, though it flew high, it also flew far,” because of the vivid description it gives of Babe Ruth’s home run. The use of the word gland, a sleeve used to produce a seal around a piston rod, is interesting because when this tight sleeve is brand new and lubricated, it makes the pistons in a car move smoothly similarly to the baseball gliding in the sky. The connection with a piston and the baseball illuminates that Babe Ruth was a home run hitting machine (which indeed he was).
ReplyDeleteThe most intriguing detail of Cool Papa’s life was the form in which he received his last name and how the "cool" trait guided him though his chaotic baseball career. He says “So they start calling me Cool.” This resembles this tranquility he experienced when playing baseball in front of a significant amount of people. This composure is also apparent in the end when he says, “But I’m not looking back the past; I’m looking ahead to the future. I’m not angry at Mississippi or anyplace else. That’s the way it was in those days.” Throughout his whole life he experienced rejection, racism, and playing games up to 3 times as day, yet he still maintained his love towards playing baseball. He managed to still play at an excellent level in the midst of all the chaos baseball had in his era.
My favorite line from "Ruth Comes Into His Own" by Broun is Pennock went down with a groan which could be heard even in the $1 seats." This line really stuck with me because of the detailed image I was able to picture in my head capturing this event. His exaggeration of the groan being "heard even in the $1 seats" helped increase the drama of the fastball Pennock took to the back. And finally I like how concise and effective this line is in describing the event.
ReplyDeleteI believe the most fantastic detail of Cool Papa's playing career was how well rounded and naturally gifted of a player was. It's amazing how he was holding his own in a semipro league as a thirteen year old. Also the fact that he became an outfielder just so he could bat more goes to show how great of an all around ballplayer he was. It's scary to think if he had the resources and training tips we have today how dominant of a ballplayer he would have been.
My favorite line from Heywood Broun is "Just once Pennock was in grave danger. It looked as if his three-run lead might be swept away in the 6th inning".
ReplyDeleteI believe that this quote captures baseball's nature of unpredictability. Especially when two teams are playing for the World Series, it is unwise to assume anything to quickly because one will never know how the final results will come in until the game has been finished. Even if things look good or bad, the game can change drastically leaving one in awe at how fast things changed.
I think the most fantastical part of Cool Papa's career was that he played baseball for 29 seasons and sometimes played 3 games a day. I find the commitment and love of the game that Cool Papa displayed is amazing because he managed to stay cool and didn't get distracted by any of the discomforts of traveling or job security. His commitment to baseball should be idolized at the highest level of love for a game.
My favourite line from the Broun piece was, "We wonder whether new baseballs conversing in the original package ever remark: 'Join Ruth and see the world.'" I like this line because of it's playful and sarcastic tone. I feel that it acts, in a way, like a little break from the tension and the pressure in the game that is described by the rest of the piece. The line is also very effective in putting Ruth on an even higher pedestal, as it likens the act of admiring him to joining a cult - his following is seemingly so strong that even the baseballs want to so-called "join" him for an adventure.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to mention the line, "It was a pop fly with a brand new gland and, though it flew high, it also flew far." There is something very catchy about this line, and although I don't understand half of the archaic expressions, I am still drawn to it. It's just very fun to say. The expressions "pop fly" & "brand new gland" are actually part of the fun of the line, because although they are most likely some sort of baseball jargon that I am unfamiliar with and have never heard before, they add a sort of intrigue to the image of how the ball flew when it was hit.
The most fantastic detail of Cool Papa's playing career involves his race and the segregation and double standards that he experienced. I knew that the laws that existed at that time were strict; they were the cause of the experiences in which the coloured players couldn't get lodging or even be served food. However, I was surprised to learn that it was his brother, the restaurant OWNER, who told him to become a baseball player in the first place. I was not clear as to what part of the country that his brother was in, or if he was referring to a metaphorical really-close-friend-type of brother - my dominant impression was that he was referring to a real brother - but I definitely felt surprised, and a bit confused, by this contrast in rights.
My favorite line of this piece was, "In order to prevent blunders in base running he wisely decided to eliminate it. The batter who hits a ball into the stands cannot possibly be caught napping off any base."
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great line because it was unlike any other throughout the piece. Although it wasn't the most exciting line of the piece, it was deceptively clever and something that i thought was an interesting bit. The use of his casual language was what made the comment deceptively witty. We always just want a hit but Broun is saying "why get a hit, when you can hit a home run." There is no reason to limit yourself when you have the chance to do something big.
I think the best part of Cool Papa's playing career was that he truly loved the game. He played a total of 50 seasons of baseball which shows his true passion for the game. He traveled throughout the country and visited places that some hadn't even heard of. I think another great aspect of his career was how much he appeared to have learned through it all. It's amazing to think about all that he was taught by playing in different leagues, such as the Spanish or American leagues. Just the overall experience that he had was truly inspiring and something that I believe all baseball player's should cherish.