The biggest what if has to be what if Blacks had been eligible all along to play in the Major Leagues.

As for individuals, Dwight Gooden. He was just a kid when he started and he was unbelievable.

Did you see where yesterday Brandeis University declared words such as policeman and congressman to be abusive because they aren't gender neutral? I thought that was an important step in fixing the world, myself. Next thing you know they'll be tearing down Teddy Roosevelt's statute. Oh, wait.

It would have been a sight to see Satchel Paige, pitch to Babe Ruth or Walter Johnson pitch to Oscar Charleston.

How about Lefty Grove pitching to Josh Gibson? Another match up we were robbed of.

Would've been even more interesting to see what teams these guys would have played on.

I believe Paige did pitch to Ruth in exhibitions. If memory serves Buck O'Neill recounted Ruth homering off him but I'll have to check.

Here 'tis.
Ken Burns's documentary on baseball included an interview with Negro League player Buck O'Neil. Here is a portion of the interview:

Is there one moment in all of baseball you wish you could have seen?

I wish I could have been there when Babe Ruth pointed and hit the ball out of the ballpark in the 1932 World Series. I wish I could have seen that. But I did see something I admired just about as much, with Satchel Paige and Babe Ruth. This was in Chicago, after Ruth came out of the major leagues. He was barnstorming, playing with different teams, and he played us. Satchel was pitching and Ruth was hitting. Satchel threw Ruth the ball and Ruth hit the ball, must have been 500 feet, off of Satchel. Satchel looked at Ruth all the way around the bases and when Ruth got to home plate, you know who shook his hand? Satchel Paige shook Ruth's hand at home plate.

They stopped the game and waited, he and Satchel talking, until the kid went out, got the ball, brought it back and Satchel had Babe Ruth autograph that ball for him. That was some kind of moment.

I haven't watched it in several years...thanks for reminding me what a treasure Buck was.

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Lankford is likely to be the last pitcher to do so, unless there is a significant change in the way Baseball is played.

Speaking of him, what's the connection among Babe Ruth, Josh Gibson, and Bo Jackson?

I can't find it online, but O'Neil recounts in his inimitable style an epic confrontation in which Paige struck out Josh Gibson after walking the bases full to face him.

All three have 8-10 letters in their names.

Babe or George, it matters not.

That's a fine guess, doc. But what's that got to do, got to do with Buck O'Neil?

They all dated Tina Turner at some point?

I believe it was a story. I do remember somewhere O'Neill telling a story, when he (correct me if I am wrong) was working for the Royal's. He may have been involved in an interview or something, but something was occupying his attention when he heard a sound of a ball being hit by a bat. He then said something along the lines of that the only time in his life he heard that sound was when Babe Ruth hit a ball, Josh Gibson hit a ball and Bo Jackson hit a ball.

Yep. It's mesmerizing the way he tells it, wish I could find it. The best part, and it's probably a tall tale, was when he first heard Gibson, he says he was in the locker room at Griffith Stadium and the home team was taking batting practice and he hears a sound like when Ruth hit and he ran out in his underwear to find out what was going on and he saw Gibson.

The best part of the whole interview was when he said very directly, without bitterness, but without the slightest hesitation, there never should have been a Negro League. Chilling.

And speaking of Gibson, just put this picture in the dictionary for "catcher."

Buck O’Neil has 10 letters. :p :p :p

Eddie might of had the all time record for number of walks or hit by a pitch??--

No one will be ever beat his OBP. If only he’d come up 50 years later, the sabermetrics people would’ve found a place for him. :D

Actually, 9.

Dam.

Thought about this thread as looking at the stats for Eric Davis, whose career trajectory I've always found fascinating for some reason. So many stops and starts. So many comebacks, so many injuries.

He played until he was 39 years old, but never missed less then 25 games a season. He's a guy that reminded be of Mantle in short spurts, but with even less luck then The Mick.

What could he have been if he didn't play on that Cincinnati turf, or continuously run into walls, and warning tracks, and team-mates in the outfield.

Early in his career, he not only stole a ton of bases..........he very rarely got caught.

I watched a fascinating video on Davis the other day I'll link it below. It's a little stat heavy at times, but an interesting watch. As someone that didn't see him play, reading stories about him and watching some highlights you could tell how gifted of a ballplayer he was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjthf71nF1E

Thanks for that video. Great stuff. I remember the lacerated kidney in the World Series...........I didn't remember he had to spend 40 days in the hospital because of it. Cancer a few years later. :eek:

Just one thing after another his whole career.