Thurman Munson, Carlton Fisk and Urban Legend Forensics
I have never seen an article like Rob Neyer’s Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk today about a football or basketball story. Baseball box scores never die.
Neyer does a spectacular forensic study in his new book “Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Legends“ of a story I read years ago about Thurman Munson and repeated as recently as two weeks ago at my office.
In a nutshell, the story goes that Munson is annoyed that a sportswriter writes that rival Carlton Fisk has two more assists to lead in that defensive category. In the next game, Munson proceeds to drop called strikes and throws out the batter at first base. He does this enough times to pass Fisk in assisted putouts.
Neyer goes on a forensic journey to determine when the game happened. Read on.
Still doesn’t change my mind that Munson was by far the superior catcher and leader.
On a tangent, there’s a story about a rabbi (see next to last paragraph) called the Chofetz Chaim. Early in the 20th century the rabbi is taken to court in Europe. An attorney describes the rabbi and about the many legends told about him, some even involving miracles. The incredulous judge motions the attorney for a sidebar and says “You don’t really expect me to believe all this, do you?” The attorney replies “No, your honor, but they don’t tell stories like that about you and me.”
This tells me that legends do orbit the legitimately legendary, from saintly rabbis to those who wear the tools of ignorance.
Dear friends and family, I’ve put this on my Amazon wish list. Wink wink nudge nudge. Another disclaimer — I’ve already written here about Munson being my favorite player.
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