Posted By:
Brian McQueenI think Peter may have started this topic in somewhat of a "casual" manner, however the topic of how alcohol may have influenced careers of the players we all admire from the pre-war era is a very interesting one in my opinion.
For example, allow me to quote an excerpt from "July 2, 1903", a biography of Ed Delehanty.
"Delahanty, drunk and disorderly, had been put off the train late one night at a way station just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York. Shortly afterward, he had plunged off the International Bridge into the waters below, where he was swept downriver and over the powerful waterfall...."
To this day, Delehanty remains very popular with collectors and those intrigued with his death. Whether it was a suicide or an accident, however, alchohol did play a prominant role in what happened. Many other ballplayers had their careers cut short or otherwise affected by drinking. I won't condemn Peter's thread (in this case anyways) as I believe the careers of the ballplayers on the cards we collect is not so off-topic as one might think but perhaps the topic could have been approached a little more sensibly.
-Brian McQueen