It's a medieval morning for me. Saturday has me reading a week's worth of goodies here and I'm struck by the themes across multiple pieces. @HollyABrown toured the British Museum and lightened up the Dark Ages and I glimpsed the medieval cookbook in the giftshop photo. That reminded me of the medieval cooking classes enjoyed by @AnnMarieAckermann and @Marie Powell on their travel and culture Substack. This moment of medieval baseball is a wonderful synchronicity. The joys of Smallstack.
Haha, I was just replying to Caroline's comments that all these enthusiastic responses to my medieval angle are going to be the encouragement I need to finally start a newsletter centered exclusively on the Middle Ages, which is something I've been thinking about for a long time. Thanks for reading!
Hooray to Smallstack for showcasing writers and posts I would never have read before.
Patrick, this post was great! As a lover of history, I think it's so cool how you wove baseball into a broader conversation with threads of historical context. I will seek out your other work.
PS. Diehard Tigers fan here. What can I say, I grew up in Windsor in the 80s. Never gonna top that 35-5 start....
Thank you for reading and for the kind words. And you're probably right, the Tigers aren't likely to top their start in 1984, but they're still off to a good one this year. As a Royals fan, I can't say that excites me much, but I'm sure you're enjoying it. And I guess the thing that really matters is finishing a season the same way the '84 Tigers did. When you do that, it doesn't really matter how impressive your start was!
I'm excited and flattered to be featured by Smallstack. Thank you to Erin for picking my article, and Robin and everyone else at Smallstack for all the work they do highlighting writers like myself. Hopefully, this will put my work in front of some eyes who otherwise might not see it, and some of you will jump on the Powder Blue Nostalgia wagon. I love engaging with my readers, whether it's about getting sober, raising teenagers, the brilliance of Rickey Henderson, or whatever, so I welcome any and all comments. Baseball is the starting point, but who knows where we'll end up? Thanks again to everyone at Smallstack!
Not sure if I appreciate this one or not. As the son of legend Bob Gibson, I'm pretty mad at MLB for shrinking integration back to being segregated against Black ballplayers. Therefore, I have mixed feelings. While Mr. Robinson was the 1st, my dad, Bill White, and Curt Flood were responsible for integrating MLB. After what they did with the St. Louis Cardinals, the rest of the league fell like dominoes and let Black ball players truly mix with their white comrades. It was then that we started showing up in St. Louis on a regular basis. My mama, sister, and me. I'll reserve judgment, because baseball wasn't a metaphor (or child's play) to me. It was my life. Ciao!
First off, I want to comment on how cool it is that my work has reached the family of Bob Gibson. I feel like that is an accomplishment in its own right. Your dad was before my time, so I never got to see him pitch live, but I hold him in the highest esteem. In fact, I was having a conversation the other night about WS MVPs, and my friend and I were commenting on how ridiculous his performances were in the most crucial situations. Perhaps there are a handful of pitchers who can claim to be his equal, but I don't think anyone has ever been better.
In terms of what I wrote in the article, not long after I published this piece, the Department of Defense tried to erase Jackie Robinson's page on their website in the middle of the night when no one was looking. Fortunately, the public called them on it and forced them to restore it. I'm not going to lie, the reaction to their attempt to erase history was actually very encouraging, but I have little doubt they'll try to do it again if they think they can get away with it. And I'm not terribly confident in Rob Manfred and MLB standing up to them.
As I stated in the article, MLB likes to celebrate itself for integration, and to a certain extent, they deserve to. They did open the door, even if many involved only did so reluctantly. I cringe a bit at MLB patting itself on the back, when the players deserve most of the credit, having endured so many hardships. And after this year's muted Jackie Robinson Day celebration, in which the league, clearly aware of which direction the political winds are blowing, downplayed the actual reasons why we celebrate Mr. Robinson, I have serious concerns about how the league will safeguard that history in the immediate future.
Your dad and the other players who made integration happen deserve to be celebrated, and the history behind their achievements (on the field, in the clubhouse, and beyond) need to be protected. Without getting into the weeds on DEI, they are the best example of why the policy existed in the first place. It wasn't meant to screw over qualified white dudes, which is how our current administration attempts to frame it. It was meant to give other qualified candidates a real opportunity. And while the integration of baseball didn't use the same terminology, it's proof that the policy works, which is why they're so gung-ho on rewriting the history.
I'm a white guy who grew up in a later era talking about this stuff. I didn't live through it like you, so I won't even pretend I'm as knowledgeable on the subject, and I hope I'm not coming off as a puffed-up windbag. I do consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about history and baseball, and I like to think I know the difference between right and wrong, which is why I was troubled enough about what's been happening in this country to write the article. I don't know that my words will make any difference in the big picture, but I at least want to be able to look myself in the mirror and know I stood up for what is right, even if my voice is only a whisper being mostly drowned out by all the noise that constantly surrounds us. If you made it this far, thanks for hearing me out.
Mmmm, I love a medievalist - you people do the same trick that my squad (anthroplogists) do: we remind people that everything they do, say, think, is a historically and culturally contingent specificity, and not a universal for all time. It's a highly repetitive job, but the world will never stop needing people who do it. Personal note - one of my fave high points was gifted by medievalists. Eileen Joy and Co. Beautiful conversations, writings, un-conferences.
Thank you for reading, Caroline. Some of these comments might finally give me the push I need to start the exclusively medieval history newsletter I've been thinking about for so long!
No, I appreciate what you said, Mr. Glancy. I made it to the end 😆. I had no idea this one would be about baseball, let alone a metaphor. I was surprised.
They freaked out when I got invited to the day they commemorated my father at the ballpark after he passed, and they downplayed that. I'm sure they wanted me to be grateful I was there and out on the field before the game. I wanted the coverage of the ceremony and they ignored me like they always did most of my life. I initiated the invitation, because I'm just bold like that ... much like my father before me.
They also hid an article behind a paywall about my father where I came out as his son. A lot of businesses pat themselves on the back while stabbing their players, families, or employees in THEIR backs. I even see that crap at the VA.
MLB isn't protecting them. Else, how did it go from over 30% down to 8% Black ballplayers left? With a stupid excuse of why they're doing that. Corporate greed & racism, which is a really bad excuse to me. That's not what they're saying, though. They switched to men from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, South America because they can pay them far less. Will they tell the truth? Hell no!
These times are getting awful for us again, and I remember them trying to do that to Jackie. Roland S. Martin, on his Unfiltered show, did a great segment on why affirmative action was good for professional baseball. I was disappointed he didn't mention my dad, so I wrote a letter to him that I don't know he received. No doubt they'll try it again. We have long memories when it comes to oppression, discrimination, racism, etc. It never ends. Thank you for saying what you did, sir. 👊🏿 Thank you for reading, because I'm long-winded too and type like the wind.
That's the importance of history. Gotta keep receipts, because you're right, it never ends, and people (not all, but more than enough) will always be awful if they think they can get away with it. The best we can do is whatever we can do to keep them from getting away with it.
Some of think Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio are the gold standard. But then, those of us around when they were are pretty old. I have always loved baseball as a metaphor, today even a metaphors for greed and stupidity. Not always richly available, as Roger Angell knew very well.
Can't fool me. That's an early still from the Sonny and Cher Show.
It's a medieval morning for me. Saturday has me reading a week's worth of goodies here and I'm struck by the themes across multiple pieces. @HollyABrown toured the British Museum and lightened up the Dark Ages and I glimpsed the medieval cookbook in the giftshop photo. That reminded me of the medieval cooking classes enjoyed by @AnnMarieAckermann and @Marie Powell on their travel and culture Substack. This moment of medieval baseball is a wonderful synchronicity. The joys of Smallstack.
Haha, I was just replying to Caroline's comments that all these enthusiastic responses to my medieval angle are going to be the encouragement I need to finally start a newsletter centered exclusively on the Middle Ages, which is something I've been thinking about for a long time. Thanks for reading!
I am definitely ready for some medieval history!
Hooray to Smallstack for showcasing writers and posts I would never have read before.
Patrick, this post was great! As a lover of history, I think it's so cool how you wove baseball into a broader conversation with threads of historical context. I will seek out your other work.
PS. Diehard Tigers fan here. What can I say, I grew up in Windsor in the 80s. Never gonna top that 35-5 start....
Thank you for reading and for the kind words. And you're probably right, the Tigers aren't likely to top their start in 1984, but they're still off to a good one this year. As a Royals fan, I can't say that excites me much, but I'm sure you're enjoying it. And I guess the thing that really matters is finishing a season the same way the '84 Tigers did. When you do that, it doesn't really matter how impressive your start was!
I'm excited and flattered to be featured by Smallstack. Thank you to Erin for picking my article, and Robin and everyone else at Smallstack for all the work they do highlighting writers like myself. Hopefully, this will put my work in front of some eyes who otherwise might not see it, and some of you will jump on the Powder Blue Nostalgia wagon. I love engaging with my readers, whether it's about getting sober, raising teenagers, the brilliance of Rickey Henderson, or whatever, so I welcome any and all comments. Baseball is the starting point, but who knows where we'll end up? Thanks again to everyone at Smallstack!
Not sure if I appreciate this one or not. As the son of legend Bob Gibson, I'm pretty mad at MLB for shrinking integration back to being segregated against Black ballplayers. Therefore, I have mixed feelings. While Mr. Robinson was the 1st, my dad, Bill White, and Curt Flood were responsible for integrating MLB. After what they did with the St. Louis Cardinals, the rest of the league fell like dominoes and let Black ball players truly mix with their white comrades. It was then that we started showing up in St. Louis on a regular basis. My mama, sister, and me. I'll reserve judgment, because baseball wasn't a metaphor (or child's play) to me. It was my life. Ciao!
First off, I want to comment on how cool it is that my work has reached the family of Bob Gibson. I feel like that is an accomplishment in its own right. Your dad was before my time, so I never got to see him pitch live, but I hold him in the highest esteem. In fact, I was having a conversation the other night about WS MVPs, and my friend and I were commenting on how ridiculous his performances were in the most crucial situations. Perhaps there are a handful of pitchers who can claim to be his equal, but I don't think anyone has ever been better.
In terms of what I wrote in the article, not long after I published this piece, the Department of Defense tried to erase Jackie Robinson's page on their website in the middle of the night when no one was looking. Fortunately, the public called them on it and forced them to restore it. I'm not going to lie, the reaction to their attempt to erase history was actually very encouraging, but I have little doubt they'll try to do it again if they think they can get away with it. And I'm not terribly confident in Rob Manfred and MLB standing up to them.
As I stated in the article, MLB likes to celebrate itself for integration, and to a certain extent, they deserve to. They did open the door, even if many involved only did so reluctantly. I cringe a bit at MLB patting itself on the back, when the players deserve most of the credit, having endured so many hardships. And after this year's muted Jackie Robinson Day celebration, in which the league, clearly aware of which direction the political winds are blowing, downplayed the actual reasons why we celebrate Mr. Robinson, I have serious concerns about how the league will safeguard that history in the immediate future.
Your dad and the other players who made integration happen deserve to be celebrated, and the history behind their achievements (on the field, in the clubhouse, and beyond) need to be protected. Without getting into the weeds on DEI, they are the best example of why the policy existed in the first place. It wasn't meant to screw over qualified white dudes, which is how our current administration attempts to frame it. It was meant to give other qualified candidates a real opportunity. And while the integration of baseball didn't use the same terminology, it's proof that the policy works, which is why they're so gung-ho on rewriting the history.
I'm a white guy who grew up in a later era talking about this stuff. I didn't live through it like you, so I won't even pretend I'm as knowledgeable on the subject, and I hope I'm not coming off as a puffed-up windbag. I do consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about history and baseball, and I like to think I know the difference between right and wrong, which is why I was troubled enough about what's been happening in this country to write the article. I don't know that my words will make any difference in the big picture, but I at least want to be able to look myself in the mirror and know I stood up for what is right, even if my voice is only a whisper being mostly drowned out by all the noise that constantly surrounds us. If you made it this far, thanks for hearing me out.
Mmmm, I love a medievalist - you people do the same trick that my squad (anthroplogists) do: we remind people that everything they do, say, think, is a historically and culturally contingent specificity, and not a universal for all time. It's a highly repetitive job, but the world will never stop needing people who do it. Personal note - one of my fave high points was gifted by medievalists. Eileen Joy and Co. Beautiful conversations, writings, un-conferences.
Thank you for reading, Caroline. Some of these comments might finally give me the push I need to start the exclusively medieval history newsletter I've been thinking about for so long!
Was privileged to hang out with this crew for a while. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/733227
No, I appreciate what you said, Mr. Glancy. I made it to the end 😆. I had no idea this one would be about baseball, let alone a metaphor. I was surprised.
They freaked out when I got invited to the day they commemorated my father at the ballpark after he passed, and they downplayed that. I'm sure they wanted me to be grateful I was there and out on the field before the game. I wanted the coverage of the ceremony and they ignored me like they always did most of my life. I initiated the invitation, because I'm just bold like that ... much like my father before me.
They also hid an article behind a paywall about my father where I came out as his son. A lot of businesses pat themselves on the back while stabbing their players, families, or employees in THEIR backs. I even see that crap at the VA.
MLB isn't protecting them. Else, how did it go from over 30% down to 8% Black ballplayers left? With a stupid excuse of why they're doing that. Corporate greed & racism, which is a really bad excuse to me. That's not what they're saying, though. They switched to men from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, South America because they can pay them far less. Will they tell the truth? Hell no!
These times are getting awful for us again, and I remember them trying to do that to Jackie. Roland S. Martin, on his Unfiltered show, did a great segment on why affirmative action was good for professional baseball. I was disappointed he didn't mention my dad, so I wrote a letter to him that I don't know he received. No doubt they'll try it again. We have long memories when it comes to oppression, discrimination, racism, etc. It never ends. Thank you for saying what you did, sir. 👊🏿 Thank you for reading, because I'm long-winded too and type like the wind.
https://youtu.be/Ae9kYYR27Dw?feature=shared (RMU Segment)
That's the importance of history. Gotta keep receipts, because you're right, it never ends, and people (not all, but more than enough) will always be awful if they think they can get away with it. The best we can do is whatever we can do to keep them from getting away with it.
Some of think Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio are the gold standard. But then, those of us around when they were are pretty old. I have always loved baseball as a metaphor, today even a metaphors for greed and stupidity. Not always richly available, as Roger Angell knew very well.
Absolutely. Baseball is an excellent tool to make any discussion more relatable.
Then again, I had a very different vantage point. 😉
😂 I thought fans were insane or something. Hahahaha
As someone who can also go on and on when I'm passionate about a subject, nothing but respect from where I'm sitting. Thanks for reading!