Thoughts, lists and other compulsive bits about baseball from comedian filmmaker television producer/Red Sox fan Paul Francis Sullivan....
feel free to call him “Sully.”
On August 2, 1979, I was in the front yard of our home doing what I did on most summer days... playing whiffle ball with my brother Ted. My dad came out and told me that Thurman Munson had died in a plane crash.
The 7 year old version of me took a moment to process this information. I remember the first question I asked was "Will he be buried in Cooperstown?"
I don't know why that seemed important to me. I was very sad that day... and I was, as I am now, a Red Sox fan. But this was still a gut punch. Baseball players weren't supposed to die. Especially players who meant everything to a team.
Jim Rice, Yaz, Fisk, Lynn... they were RED SOX. Munson? He was a YANKEE.
Using my "you start following baseball when you are 7 years old" formula, I guess people my age are the cut off for people getting emotional over Thurman Munson.
For people in their early 30s and younger, I guess Munson is a shadowy figure from the past... always a martyr.
For Yankee fans my age and older, he is the irreplaceable captain. I remember my friend Michelle Ciulla, a big Yankee fan, lamenting in the early 1990s when the Yankees were bad (remember those days?) "The Yankees haven't won since they lost Munson. They may never win again."
Diana Munson still gets standing ovations at Yankee Stadium. You still see men in their 40s wearing #15 jerseys.
And you'll still hear Yankee fans say things like "I wasn't a Reggie guy... I was a Munson guy."
Meaning of course they loved the grit and substance of the home grown captain to the flash and style of the imported superstar.
Imagine the Jeter vs. A-Rod debate... but in a clubhouse where the guys were brawling.
His funeral and the following Monday Night game (won by Munson's best friend Bobby Murcer) is one of the most emotional highlights in Yankee history.
And as a Red Sox fan, you MUST know that Munson is off limits for any taunts. Just out of respect... you can say bad things about ANY Yankee ever... just not Munson.
I often wondered what would have happened if Thurman had lived.
He probably would have left the Yankees eventually. He only had a year left on his contract and made it very clear that he wanted to play for an Ohio team.
The reason he was taking the flying lessons was to be able to fly to Ohio on off days to be with his family.
And, at least in 1977, was sick of what was happening in the Bronx. During the World Series celebration, he ducked the question "Do you want to be traded to Cleveland?"
He wasn't happy when Reggie Jackson became a higher paid player than he was. And with free agency looming, and an MVP and two World Series titles in the Bronx, he probably would have skedaddled.
And by 1979, the Yankees were quickly transforming. Sparky Lyle, Mickey Rivers, Chris Chambliss, Ed Figueroa, Catfish Hunter, Dick Tidrow and Paul Blair were all gone before the 1980 season was halfway through.
And Reggie had enough, leaving for Anaheim in 1982. Nettles and Gossage weren't far behind.
Munson wouldn't have stayed around for that. Remember how insane the Bronx was in the 1980?. Steinbrenner would dump beloved players on an impulse. (Remember letting Willie Randolph go for Steve Sax?)
He would alienate his best players (Howie Spira following Dave Winfield anyone?) And even anger Yogi Berra to the point where he wouldn't come back to the stadium for 14 years.
He probably would have gone to Cleveland and helped young pitchers like Len Barker find their stuff.
The 1980 Indians weren't contenders, but they came damn close to .500. Maybe a tough competitor like Munson in the clubhouse would have sparked the Tribe better than young Ron Hassey.
(Ironically, Hassey became one of the merry go round of Yankee catchers brought in to replace Munson.)
Maybe the more relaxed environment would have rejuvenated Munson.
Getting out of the Bronx certainly seemed to agree with Nettles, Gossage, Randolph and Jackson who continued to produce.
Maybe bringing him closer to his family could have made him more content.
Maybe Munson would have gone to Cincinnati.
With Sparky Anderson (who had slighted Munson after the 1976 World Series) gone and Pete Rose off to Philadelphia, the Reds were changing identity and needed a new spark.
And the oft injured Johnny Bench was playing fewer and fewer games behind the plate.
Maybe he would have gone to a still strong Reds team with a chance to win another ring and be only 200 miles from home.
(Probably not... the competitiveness with Bench would be too strong.)
Maybe in 1980, Munson would have joined his old manager Billy Martin in Oakland.
The team was brimming with young talent in the pitching staff including Rick Langford, Steve McCatty and Mike Norris.
Munson could have handled the staff instead of Mike Heath and who knows? Maybe faces the Yankees in the 1981 ALCS.
That's a long shot... his heart would have been in Cleveland.
Munson could have become the manager in Cleveland... Maybe he could have squeezed some wins out of the Joe Carter/Julio Franco years.
The Billy Martin Yankees produced future managers like Lou Piniella, Willie Randolph and Bucky Dent (for some reason Chris Chambliss never got his shot... but that's another post.)
I am sure Willie, Lou, Bucky and Chambliss would all tell you to a man that Munson was the best managerial prospect.
Eventually he would have come back to the Bronx. In the end, they always do. If Winfield and Yogi could mend their fences with Steinbrenner, then no doubt Munson could have as well.
Even if it was just as a fixture at Old Timer's Day where he would get a rousing ovation each year, he would have been welcomed home.
No doubt there would be many Yankee fans insisting that he manage the team, just like there were people who wanted Don Mattingly to manage the team in 2008 and no doubt people will call for Jeter to helm the club if Girardi leaves.
No matter what would have happened, there would have been happiness and closure.
Munson would have found peace and time with his family as a player... and eventually Yankee fans would have had their captain back, even if it were only ceremonial.
Would he have been a Hall of Famer? It would have been close... but he would have been a beloved Yankee and maybe even have his number retired. And it would have been a joyous celebration of a man who played the game the right way and honored the uniform in an era of great turmoil.
I should be asleep right now. Everyone in my home is...
But I had an idle thought:
Many people think the NBA Finals will be the Lakers vs. the Cavaliers this year.
And I am guessing most people also feel that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will finish 1-2 in the MVP vote.
And I got to thinking... how many times has the World Series been played with the eventual NL MVP on one team and the eventual AL MVP on the other?
And I couldn't just let it go. I am up at this hour in my South Pasadena home with my family sound asleep writing a baseball list.
And I found out that it is a lot more rare in recent years than you would think!
I am using the Baseball Writers Association MVPs for the applicable years. And for the years before that, I am using the League Awards. (The League Awards began in 1911... which is where we'll start.)
And I found out a few interesting things...
OK. Let's list! THE WORLD SERIES MATCH UPS AGAINST EVENTUAL MVPS
1914 - BOSTON BRAVES (MVP: Johnny Evers) defeats PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS (MVP: Eddie Collins)
1927 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Lou Gehrig) defeats PITTSBURGH PIRATES (MVP: Paul Waner)
1931 - ST. LOUS CARDINALS (MVP: Frankie Frisch) defeats PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS (MVP: Lefty Grove)
1934 - ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Dizzy Dean) defeats DETROIT TIGERS (MVP: Mickey Cochrane)
1935 - DETROIT TIGERS (MVP: Hank Greenberg) defeats CHICAGO CUBS (MVP: Gabby Hartnett)
1936 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Lou Gehrig) defeats NEW YORK GIANTS (MVP: Carl Hubbell)
1939 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Joe DiMaggio) defeats CINCINNATI REDS (MVP: Bucky Walters)
1940 - CINCINNATI REDS (MVP: Frank McCormick) defeats DETROIT TIGERS (MVP: Hank Greenberg)
1941 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Joe DiMaggio) defeats BROOKLYN DODGERS (MVP: Dolph Camili)
1942 - ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Mort Cooper) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Joe Gordon)
1943 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Spud Chandler) defeats ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Stan Musial)
1945 - DETROIT TIGERS (MVP: Hal Newhouser) defeats CHICAGO CUBS (MVP: Phil Cavaretta)
1946 - ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Stan Musial) defeats BOSTON RED SOX (MVP: Ted Williams)
1950 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Phil Rizzuto) defeats PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (MVP: Jim Konstanty)
1955 - BROOKLYN DODGERS (MVP: Roy Campanella) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Yogi Berra)
1956 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Mickey Mantle) defeats BROOKLYN DODGERS (MVP: Don Newcombe)
1957 - MILWAUKEE BRAVES (MVP: Hank Aaron) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Mickey Mantle)
1960 - PITTSBURGH PIRATES (MVP: Dick Groat) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Roger Maris)
1961 - NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Roger Maris) defeats CINCINANTI REDS (MVP: Frank Robinson)
1963 - LOS ANGELES DODGERS (MVP: Sandy Koufax) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Elston Howard)
1967 - ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Orlando Cepeda) defeats BOSTON RED SOX (MVP: Carl Yastrzemski)
1968 - DETROIT TIGERS (MVP: Denny McLain) defeats ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (MVP: Bob Gibson)
1975 - CINCINNATI REDS (MVP: Joe Morgan) defeats BOSTON RED SOX (MVP: Fred Lynn)
1976 - CINCINNATI REDS (MVP: Joe Morgan) defeats NEW YORK YANKEES (MVP: Thurman Munson)
1980 - PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (MVP: Mike Schmidt) defeats KANSAS CITY ROYALS (MVP: George Brett)
1988 - LOS ANGELES DODGERS (MVP: Kirk Gibson) defeats OAKLAND A'S (MVP: Jose Canseco)
I didn't get bored and stop. That's it!
It used to happen all of the time. I guess the voters for the award has always leaned towards the pennant winner and without divisions and rounds of post season play, each League champion would be well represented.
And these days you see the MVP awarded to players who didn't make the post season more and more. Last year Albert Pujols won it while his Cardinals played golf in October.
Since 1976, 7 AL MVPs and 12 NL MVPs were for teams that didn't even win their division. (I am not counting 1994 where there was no post season.)
But since 1977 it's happened two times? Not once in the 1990s or the 2000s?
Wouldn't it have happened by a fluke once or twice?
I wonder how many times Cy Young winners faced off?
I stumbled across this gem on YouTube and it is worth a look.
It is the locker room celebration after the 1977 World Series. And it is kind of startling to watch when you compare it to the carefully choreographed for TV post game celebrations that go on now. Perhaps it is appropriate that the team that inspired The Bronx is Burning have a chaotic celebration.
I may be a Red Sox fan, but I know a good celebration when I see one!
Let's take a closer look
0:00 - Bill White interviews Billy Martin. First of all, ABC needs to bring back those yellow blazers. Secondly it is a shame that the Yankees won in 1977 and not 1976. In 1976 NBC had Phil Rizzuto in the booth and it would have been amazing to hear Scooter call a Yankees World Series title with ZERO objectivity.
0:18 - White poses the "Nobel Peace Prize" question. When you think about it, John Turturro doesn't really look like Billy Martin at all... but he got his affectations and mannerisms down to a T.
0:33 - How about next year? Well the Yankees would turn around and do it again in 1978... just without Billy. Don't worry... Billy would be back in 1979... and 1983... and 1985... and 1988.
0:41 - Yes Red Sox fans, that is Mike Torrez being hugged. He got the last out in the 1977 series and as a Red Sox pitcher would cough up the Bucky Dent homer. Some Sox fans believe he was a double agent in that 1978 playoff.
0:58 - More people pass in front of the camera and more cops surround the interview. Isn't there a TV production assistant waving people out of the shot?
1:01 - I guess not! The first appearance of the William Howard Taft looking guy with the plastic helmet. There is no way he was an employee of the Yankees, the NYPD nor ABC. For all we know he jumped onto the field and somehow made it into the locker room.
1:03 - The cops wisk away the yahoo in the plastic hat. Hey, Lenny Briscoe. Thanks for the help, but could you keep the people from walking IN FRONT of the interview?
1:15 - Lou Piniella celebrates. Sadly we don't see Billy's face as he actually compliments Reggie Jackson. You don't cut away when the impossible happens!
1:22 - Billy is let go to go and drink. Never a good idea.
1:25 - A crazed Yankee comes in to spray Bill White and his amazing yellow blazer with champagne.
1:26 - It turns out that Yankee isn't a player but former Yankee great Elston Howard. Possibly revenge for the 1964 World Series. (White was on the winning Cardinals team. Howard was on the losing Yankees team.)
1:27 - The field is chaos. According to one of his monologues, one of the people on the field is a young Artie Lange and his father. It's a good thing all of those police officers are in the locker room and not on the field making arrests!
1:30 - We still hear the sound of Elston Howard spraying Bill White. I wonder why they cut away. White calls for Yogi Berra... no doubt Yogi will bring some dignity to the proceedings.
1:41 - It took long enough to cut back to Bill White and Yogi Berra that I wonder if there is some sort of rule against showing champagne sprayed.
1:42 - Billy didn't get that far. He's actually closer to the camera now than he was during his interview.
1:43 - Yogi is loving this. As a player and a coach, this was his 12th World Series clinching celebration. He would have one more... 1978.
1:48 - Holy Cow! A FILM camera. Now they don't even use tapes, but someone is shooting 16mm film! (Sorry, the film school grad came out there.)
1:50 - The second appearance of the William Howard Taft looking guy with the plastic helmet. He made it past the Andy Sipowicz looking cop to regain his close up.
1:58 - You've got to give the guy in the plastic helmet some credit... he knows where to stand. Essentially if you had to describe this frame, he's be the focal point. I think he is actually in focus! He's laughing like he's good buddies with Yogi and Bill White.
2:00 - The guy in the plastic hat has a glance and a smile with the Bruno Kirby looking cop on frame right. I wonder if he is in the Steinbrenner family. Mitch Steinbrenner.
2:08 - The William Howard Taft looking guy in the plastic helmet is now cheering on an off screen Thurman Munson to douse Yogi Berra with champagne on National TV. I am convinced he won the strangest "Make A Wish" foundation award ever.
2:10 - The William Howard Taft looking guy in the plastic helmet removes his helmet and asks Thurman Munson to spray him with champagne. I am convinced he will never wash his hair again.
2:11 - More people in front of the camera. There was less confusion in front of a TV camera when Hinckley shot Reagan.
2:17 - It's a wonderful blind leading the blind live TV moment. Bill White can't see because he has champagne in his eyes. Meanwhile the viewers can't see because we are literally looking through arm pits and elbows to see the interview subject. Basically they have achieved radio.
2:24 - Now it is just getting strange. A guy rises from the floor in what looks like an Orioles hat. Was he trampled? Was he washing the floor? Is there a trap door he climbed up from?
2:47 - Munson, knowing the "Do you still want to be traded?" question is coming up, pours beer on Bill White's mike. Today parents groups would be fretting over what kind of message this sends to our youth. In 1977, it was kind of funny.
2:51 - Bill White asks Munson if he wants to go back to Cleveland. It's a strange question when you think about it because he never actually ever played for Cleveland. Nor did he live in Cleveland. His family was in Canton. But we know what he meant... he wanted to be traded to an Ohio team... preferably one that did not employ Johnny Bench at the time.
2:53 - Munson basically dodges the question. Actually there was no basically about it. He avoids it, "I'm trying to be happy."
3:00 - Munson says "I'm going to play baseball somewhere." I need to tread carefully here as a Red Sox fan. One thing I've learned when you deal with Yankees fans is you do NOT f--- with Thurman Munson. And I am not going to do that. I do think that had he lived past the 1979 season, he would have eventually left for Cleveland. Lest we forget the reason he was taking the flying lessons was to get to Ohio quicker.
3:05 - Is that Napoleon Dynamite over Bill White's shoulder, screen right?
3:09 - THIS is why they now build a little stage in the clubhouse during the celebration. Poor Bill White has to pull Reggie Jackson in from the crowd... which at this point looks looks less orderly than than Tokyo with Godzilla approaching.
3:11 - It is officially a scrum. Bill White even gives a "Hey!" to someone crowding him. Seriously, is Bill White all alone at this point? Aren't there... I don't know... producers from ABC Sports who can give the former All Star first baseman a 2 foot perimeter?
3:14 - Bill White pulls Reggie into the shot like he was pulling a castaway onto a lifeboat.
3:21 - This is basically a shot of one of Reggie Jackson's eyes. At this point I am convinced the ABC camera man has the single worst vantage point of anyone in the locker room. For all I know the William Howard Taft looking guy in the plastic helmet is closer to the World Series MVP than the cameras for ABC.
3:22 - Holy Cow! That Napoleon Dynamite guy is back... AND IT'S DAN SHAUGHNESSY!!! Man, this is when he was youthful and painfully awkward... as opposed to older and painfully awkward.
3:36 - Shaughnessy is basically resting his head on Reggie's shoulder.
3:48 - Shaughnessy can't believe how damn boring Reggie's response is as he gives Bill White a history lesson. White seems like he is about to say "I know those players, Reggie. I was on All Star teams with them!"
3:58 - DOWN IN FRONT!
4:00 - Reggie says "I can say I know there is a God in Heaven." I never can understand that leap in logic. He smacks three homers off of three different pitchers and somehow that confirms there is a Deity watching over us? What does that say to Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough? Either it makes them doubt there is a God in Heaven or they now know that God in Heaven hates their guts.
4:09 - "I'm not important." Humble Reggie is hilarious!
4:12 - The camera man zooms back. I am convinced that isn't for our benefit. I am sure the director in the ABC truck is screaming at the camera man through his headset to "Get a better shot." By zooming back, he's showing the director of what he's dealing with.
4:17 - Now zoomed all the way back, we see the camera man has basically put his tripod in Shea Stadium and zoomed in. What were they thinking setting up that far away?
4:19 - This shot is entering "Lee Harvey Oswald Prisoner Transfer" territory.
4:38 - What a novel idea! They cut to a different camera... one that was within 300 yards of the subject.
4:50 - Bill White informs Reggie that he is the series MVP. Today this announcement is done with a staged ceremony in front of a car. In 1977, the camera work resembles a Jason Bourne movie.
4:52 - Reggie tells Bill that he has a sister who needs the car awarded to the World Series MVP. I hope that admission didn't get her into tax trouble.
5:00 - Reggie disappears into the crowd... never to be seen again.
5:01 - Bill White apologizes for the free for all in front of the camera. I can only imagine what the director in the truck is screaming into his earpiece.
5:06 - Commissioner Kuhn comes in with the trophy. Someone could seriously lose their eye on that thing. In fact you could lose 26 eyes on that trophy!
5:15 - Again, in today's World Series celebration the network makes sure the owner, GM, President and manager are on the stage with the Commissioner and Jeanne Zelasko. Here poor Bowie Kuhn is standing there with a trophy and nobody to give it to. Maybe he can just give it to Bill White... or maybe Dan Shaughnessy.
5:23 - Poor Bill White has to adlib while Steinbrenner, Billy Martin and Gabe Paul trudge through what looks like the streets of Pamplona. "That's a beee-youtiful trophy there" is the best that he can do. It's actually kind of an ugly trophy, but what else is White going to say?
5:27 - Poor Bowie Kuhn has to return the adlib patter. He tells us that is goes to the Champion of the World. Thanks for clearing that up. I thought it went to "Best Penmanship."
5:31 - Bill says "There's a guy right behind you that maybe we can talk to." The subtext of that statement is wonderful. "Thanks for trying to play along Commissioner Kuhn, but there is someone in this sea of humanity that might actually have something interesting to say!"
5:36 - Mike Torrez is dragged into the shot. These are his last moments as a New York Yankee but as Red Sox fans will remember, won't be the last time he contributes to a Yankees World Championship.
6:00 - Bill White's assumption that Mike Torrez has something interesting to say is painfully wrong.
6:26 - Enter King George.
6:32 - They all wait for Billy Martin... who is probably getting 'faced with Art Fowler.
6:43 - George says the tough year is "worth it all." That thing on top of his head is positively Donald Trump-esque.
6:48 - Bill White keeps looking off camera for Billy Martin... clearly hoping for some decent TV to happen when he arrives. Maybe Steinbrenner will fire him right then and there.
6:52 - George asks for Billy. It might be the only time he ever does so for a positive reason.
6:54 - Everyone is calling for Billy Martin. No doubt the William Howard Taft looking guy with the plastic helmet is one of the guys calling for Billy.
6:57 - Bill White, realizing that at least five seconds of network television air time has been killed by waiting for Billy Martin says "somebody has taken Billy Martin from us." Probably not the best wording from Bill, but he has clearly drawn the short straw with this locker room assignment.
7:02 - Elston Howard strikes again with the champagne.
7:10 - Bill White says "Billy gets a lot of flack" while pointing at Steinbrenner. I wonder if George wanted to fire White at that moment.
7:41 - George reluctantly takes a swig of champagne. Funny, Elston Howard won't pour any bubbly over George!
7:47 - Steinbrenner says Happy Birthday to a very small man. No doubt that man was fired by November.
7:53 - Bill White asks what George wants to do with the club. George claims "I'm not going to touch it!" A month later he would sign Rich Gossage to essentially replace Cy Young winner Sparky Lyle.
8:07 - Mercifully Bill White throws it back to the booth. People are walking on the Yankee Stadium grass at this point. It resembles the Sheep Meadow in Central Park. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone having a picnic in center field.
8:20 - The great Keith Jackson informs us there is a rule from the Commissioner that we can not go into the losing team's locker room. That's a shame because a camera man could probably actually get a half way decent shot in there.
8:39 - Back from a commercial break and there is still a sea of humanity on the field, I wonder at what point do the people on the field think "Alright, let's go home." And I also wonder how many fans needed to be on the field before the cops all thought "F--- this, I'm going into the Yankees locker room."
8:42 - Bill White interviews Don Sutton, who somehow has wandered into the Yankees locker room. The strange thing in this shot is there is an African American man named "White" and a white guy with a bigger Afro than the African American man. Go figure.
The only one who comes close is his former teammate Ken Griffey Jr, whom I saw as a member of the San Bernadino Spirit in 1988 and many times in the major leagues. But A-Rod is better, I grudgingly admit.
And as such a great player he is beloved by…. Whom? Seattle fans boo him Texas fans hate him And Yankee fans were all ready to say “Good Riddance” after winning 2 MVPs in 4 years.
When else has such an overwhelmingly talented and larger than life player been a force in their sport and yet not be beloved by any fan base? Well look to another #13… Wilt Chamberlain.
How are Wilt and A-Rod similar? Let me count the ways
1. Are they the best?
Any discussion of greatest basketball player must include Wilt Chamberlain. He is the only player to average 40 and 50 points a season… becoming the all time scoring champion, the all time rebounding champion and even led the league in assists.
Oh yeah, he also scored 100 points in a game. The more you think of that stat, the more mind boggling it is.
And over the past 13 season, nobody has homered more, scored more runs, had more total bases or had more extra base hits than A-Rod.
Plus at age 31, was on pace to hit more homers than Bonds, drive in more runs than Aaron, get more hits than Rose and score more runs than Rickey Henderson. If he passes all of them, he would be the all time king in each of those categories.
Yet try to have any conversation with a fan about basketball and see if they put Wilt even in the top 3. And saying A-Rod is better than Ruth, Mays, Aaron, Williams or DiMaggio would get most baseball purist to burn you in effigy from Abner Doubleday’s statue.
2. Which city loves him?
Wilt played for the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers… You would think he would be the most worshipped player in each of those franchises.
But the face of the Warriors franchise is Rick Barry. Nate Thurmond, Chris Mullin and Tm Hardaway get more love there. An ESPN listing of the greatest Warrior team doesn’t even throw a token mention of Wilt.
The 76ers fans worship Dr. J… and I would argue Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Mo Cheeks and Allen Iverson decorate more Philadelphia sports bars than Wilt.
The Lakers? Behind Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, Jerry West and James Worthy… Wilt would be coming off the bench in the “all love from the fans” team.
Meanwhile Junior Griffey and Ichiro are the two faces of the Mariners… No Ranger will ever surpass Nolan Ryan… And if you ever feel like pissing off a Yankee fan, tell them “A-Rod is better than Ruth, better than Gehrig, better than DiMaggio, better than Mantle, better than Berra, better than Reggie, better than Donnie Baseball… better than Jeter.”
But don’t say Munson. You don’t f--- with Munson when you talk to Yankee fans.
3. The Stat Compiler It’s hard to believe but Wilt has been criticized for piling up numbers instead of helping his team win. As if scoring 100 points in a game is hurting his team. Taking shots and making them helps… taking shots and MISSING them makes you John Starks.
A-Rod has hit 546 homers and according to Yankee fans, they have all come in the 8th inning of a 9-1 loss.
4. The Russell/Jeter Factor On like with stat compiling, fans have gotten over both Wilt and A-Rod for not being a winner in the post season.
More specifically they have each been compared unfavorably to a player whose stats weren’t as sexy but found ways to win in the playoffs.
Bill Russell wasn’t Wilt’s equal on the court, but his Celtics beat Wilt’s Warrior, 76er and Laker teams 7 times in the playoffs.
For A-Rod the unfavorable measuring stick was Derek Jeter. Actually the two only faced off once in the playoffs (the 2000 ALCS) but Jeter’s ability to find ways to win (a la the toss play to get Jeremy Giambi) as opposed to A-Rod’s inability to get the big play (1 run batted in in his last 15 playoff games) make the Jeter vs. A-Rod discussions very one sided… even though Jeter has only a fraction of A-Rod’s skills.
5. Nobody likes the best
Wilt was looked on as a freak of nature when he rose to power in the 1960s and he was quoted as saying “Nobody loves Goliath.” But they love when he falls.
A-Rod’s huge contract has made him a target for fans who relish booing the best player any of them will ever see.
6. Lady Luck
People seem to be fascinated with their sex lives… although Wilt was smart and decided to be a lothario with remaining a bachelor, unlike A-Rod who will be shoveling over most of that $300 million contract to Cynthia.
Wilt’s stats no doubt overshadow A-Rods in this department… but considering that A-Rod shacked up with Madonna, and considering if you sleep with someone you also sleep with everyone THEY slept with… A-Rod might be closer to 20,000 partners than you think.
So there you have it… Two of the best yet least loved players in their sports history.
Maybe it can blamed on number 13.
(Let the record show I desperately wanted to include a reference to Wilt being in Conan the Destroyer... but I couldn't do it.)
