Posted By:
Dave S
Rhys, don't really think you can blame McGraw as he (and his entire team) claimed to be totally unaware of a two- week old rule.....
Johnny Evers was THE student of the rules of the dead-ball era, bar none. He knew the rules better than the umpires of the day, such that they often consulted him. Evers himself most likely may not have known the rule had he not been in a participant in the Pirate game from two weeks earlier..
And Merkle? Can you really blame a 19 year old kid for his exuberance after having the game-winning hit and reacting like any kid would have reacted?
Just a freak play surrounded by freaky circumstances. Yep, it changed the course of the 1908 season. Yep, it caused controversy and always will. But don't think anyone can be "blamed"...especially with such cloudiness surrounding so many different theories..