Baseball is hallowed ground and has been since the Civil War. The reason baseball is held to such a high standard is because it has held a prominent position in every day American life for more than 150 years and its popularity immediately followed the Civil War, one of the most tragic times in the history of our country.

Let's not forget that when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line the whole country watched. Stepping onto that baseball field was not a sporting event. It was a historical event for America and signified sweeping changes to come in American society.

And that's why baseball will forever be the most sacred sport in this country. It is not just a sport and when you cheat it, you are cheating America as a whole. These kinds of feelings are not stirred up by football, basketball or hockey. Baseball will forever be different. That's why the HOF voting is so scrutinized. No one cares about the football or basketball HOF.

While I kinda agree with the sentiment below...what happens down the road when people like me...I'm 44...are long gone and there are no longer any people living who experienced Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

Today's kids care more about basketball, football, hockey. I see a day...although I will most likely be long dead...where baseball is no longer considered America's pastime...maybe that it once was as a footnote in a book...but will be replaced by another sport.


"Let's not forget that when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line the whole country watched. Stepping onto that baseball field was not a sporting event. It was a historical event for America and signified sweeping changes to come in American society.

And that's why baseball will forever be the most sacred sport in this country. It is not just a sport and when you cheat it, you are cheating America as a whole. These kinds of feelings are not stirred up by football, basketball or hockey. Baseball will forever be different. That's why the HOF voting is so scrutinized. No one cares about the football or basketball HOF. "

I agree with what you're saying too. I just hope baseball experiences a kind of renaissance in the near future. I can see football taking some kind of hit in the near future with the amount of information being released regarding head injuries. Every now and then you hear an ex-player talk about doing everything all over again and never playing football.

Buck O'Neil quote:

I heard Ruth hit the ball. I'd never heard that sound before, and I was outside the fence but it was the sound of the bat that I had never heard before in my life. And the next time I heard that sound, I'm in Washington, D.C., in the dressing room and I heard that sound of a bat hitting the ball — sounded just like when Ruth hit the ball. I rushed out, got on nothing but a jockstrap, I rushed out — we were playing the Homestead Grays and it was Josh Gibson hitting the ball. And so I heard this sound again.

Now I didn't hear it anymore. I'm in Kansas City. I'm working for the Cubs at the time, and I was upstairs and I was coming down for the batting practice. And before I could get out there I heard this sound one more time that I had heard only twice in my life. Now, you know who this is? Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson swinging that bat. And now I heard this sound... And it was just a thrill for me. I said, here it is again. I heard it again. I only heard it three times in my life.

Here is another Buck O'Neil quote:


Once Buck was asked....who is the greatest hitter that you have seen ?

Buck answered....Mickey Mantle would be the greatest, if he had been injury free.


TED Z