Quote:
Originally Posted by Directly
No offense--but does everybody believe Ruth was a saint?--Both were the best, but??
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No, but for good or for bad, or for both, Ruth is probably the most iconic athlete the US has ever had. (I guess you could debate Jordan.) Multiple movies, dozens of books, legends, myths, elementary school books, plays, etc. While Cobb was a singularly great hitter, I just don't see him as the kind of mythical persona that Ruth embodied. Sort of like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Yes, Bird amazing. But Jordan grabbed the culture, hard core and casual fans, in a way Bird never did.
People like to project onto these people attributes and mythical powers. Mickey Mantle case study no 1. Hell, I'd say Mantle has captured the imagination of people more than Mays or Aaron.