baseball history never changes; idioms do

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Found this gem at the National and had to share it with those of you who were not there to see it in person:

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

"Merkle's Boner" was on Sept. 23, 1908, not 1928. Also, the teams involved were the Giants and Cubs - this is a more modern picture of a different play.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

read the headline, think, LOL

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

I just don't get the date change and modern photo - I guess there's a laugh in there that I'm missing.

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Posted By: identify7

I think that perhaps the pulling of a boner currently has connotations which may not have been applicable then.

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

but what does 1928 and a circa-1960 photo have to do with it?

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Posted By: warshawlaw

That's what I get for trying to liven up everyone's day with a little funny.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Adam, thanks for the chuckle. Gotta remember, sometimes subtle humor slides by unnoticed. It is odd that the card would have so many errors in it.

Jay

My place is full of valuable, worthless junk.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

Adam:

I found it funny, too. That surely supports my wife's opinion about my sense of humor.

I'm not familiar with this series of cards (I assume it is a series). I wonder - are other cards similarly error laden?

Kevin

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Posted By: Glen V

I don't think that card is too different than cards of today. For instance, just after Palmeiro got busted, Viagra came out with a "Palmeiro Pulls Boner" card.

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

Please guys - I think "Merkle Pulls Boner" is funny - EVERYONE does. It's all the stupid mistakes on the card that I question - were the mistakes meant to be part of the humor? If so, they just seem stupid - sorry, just my opinion.

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Posted By: brian p

The subtitle nails the heartache felt by true fans of the game, as well as those of other persuasions: "MERKLE PULLS BONER--Fails to touch 2nd (boner)in key game."

Brian

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Posted By: Max Weder

I'm with Scott on this. Merkle pulling whatever he pulled is always funny; is there anything with the 1928 date and the circa 1960 photo anachronisms that add to the humour?

An explanation is required for those of us comedically challenged, or I will start telling tax jokes.

Max

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Posted By: Howard W. Rosenberg

In my newest book, I cite the following from a Baltimore spring training game at Savannah, Ga.

Baltimore's John McGraw said something to Savannah’s Punch Devinney that caused Devinney to hit him. They exchanged light blows, ``but the players were separated before any harm had been done by either man,’’ the Savannah News said. The Savannah Press said McGraw is known as a ``scrapper’’ and that his ``linguistic eccentricity wasn’t noticeable’’ during the game. ``The fans expected something spicy from him, but, for unaccountable reasons, he didn’t ejaculate once during the game. This [self-restraint] must be exceedingly distressing to the brilliant third baseman.’’

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

obviously the blows were too light.