We should keep things in perspective, however. It’s not just Negro League baseball, but all old time baseball.
Sure, everyone has heard of Babe Ruth (cultural icon) and Lou Gehrig (disease). How many people know who Christy Mathewson was? Nap Lajoie? Hell, even Honus Wagner if they’ve never collected baseball cards. The same could be said for the vast majority of baseball players who played prior to 1980. Maybe even prior to 2000.
That’s the truth. But at least as far as reference material goes, there’s no shortage of it — people just have to experience it. Not to sound geocentric, but I wish the Negro League Baseball museum were on the east coast and not in Kansas City because I would absolutely love to visit it in a regular basis, and get all my friends to join me.
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