If you could have a beer and shoot the breeze...

thekingofclout · #1 01-09-2010, 02:40 AM

with just one of these guys... whom would you choose and why?

GrayGhost · #2 01-09-2010, 06:20 AM

The Babe. Im not much of a drinker, but would love to chat baseball, women, drinking and hot dogs with the great Bambino. He just seems like a natural "great guy" to hang out with.

Scott Garner · #3 01-09-2010, 07:33 AM

Ruth is the obvious choice on this list because of his personality. Given the choice to have a beer with ALL players, my choice would definately be Walter Johnson! Better yet, how about Ruth & Johnson- that would work!!

thekingofclout · #4 01-09-2010, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott garner

ruth is the obvious choice on this list because of his personality. Given the choice to have a beer with all players, my choice would definately be walter johnson! Better yet, how about ruth & johnson- that would work!!

babeandwalter.jpg

JasonL · #5 01-09-2010, 07:50 AM

surprising.
I wouldn't cross the street to hear what Cobb had to say, as I'm averse to hanging around with jerks.
some other fascinating choices would be Gehrig, McGraw, Mack, Joe Jackson, Hal Chase, and definitely Honus.

Excellent poll idea!!!

MacDice · #6 01-09-2010, 07:42 AM

The Babe and Mickey would be tempting but would rather sit and talk hitting with Ted Williams for a couple of hours.

Also would be interesting to ask him how that frozen head thing is working out for him.

batsballsbases · #7 01-09-2010, 08:00 AM

Jimmy,
Funny you asked that I did have dinner and(drinks many) with the Mick. We hosted an event for Babe Ruth Baseball back in 1985. After it was over we all went out and had dinner Mickey was just great to talk to. A fun guy to be around. Along with Johnny Blanchard, Bill (Moose) Skowron and we had 2 players who were up and comers at the time Brian Fisher, and Dan Pasqua.
You couldnt ask for a better man to deal with ,some great stories to! Here is my program from the Mick!

BillyCoxDodgers3B · #8 01-09-2010, 08:13 AM

I'd have to go with Cobb, not so much for the sake of baseball, but in the hope that I could find a way of getting inside his mind. He is the most intriguing choice from a psychological perspective.

I've done the next best thing; I've had conversations and beers with men who played alongside all of the possible selections. Wouldn't trade those memories for the world.

thekingofclout · #9 01-09-2010, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBirkholm

I'd have to go with Cobb, not so much for the sake of baseball, but in the hope that I could find a way of getting inside his mind. He is the most intriguing choice from a psychological perspective.

I've done the next best thing; I've had conversations and beers with men who played alongside all of the possible selections. Wouldn't trade those memories for the world.

That's awesome Jodi. How did you pull that off?

mr2686 · #10 01-09-2010, 08:24 AM

I'd also have to go with Cobb. I'd like to find out where the "media" stories end and the real man begins. I find it hard to balance the stories you hear about him with some of the letters that he has written that we see in the hobby. He was obviously a driven, troubled and complex man, but would be interesting to talk to for awhile. Of course, we'd have to have a Coke and not a beer!

steve B · #11 01-09-2010, 02:21 PM

Tough choices!
I'm torn between Cobb and Ruth. Cobb could be fascinating, even if he was a bit harsh. I'm not sure about nice letters, but I passed on one I shouldn't have that was pretty strongly worded. I've wondered for years how much of the venom later on was real and how much was living down to the rep he'd built. His attitudes about some things weren't all that extreme for the 20's-30's.

But if I was going out on the town it would be Ruth for sure.

As a kid I did get to spend a little time with Feller and Brooks Robinson, not very loong, but a good deal more than just hello.

Steve

ChiefBenderForever · #12 01-09-2010, 10:09 PM

I would love to party with Ruth, but to talk Cobb would be very interesting. His grandfather was a confederate soldier who was shot by the Yanks and almost killed, his father had his head blown off by his mother and the rest is history. If I had the choice of anyone not on the list I would like to talk with Chief Bender, Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Lou Gehrig.

thekingofclout · #13 01-09-2010, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batsballsbases

Jimmy,
Funny you asked that I did have dinner and(drinks many) with the Mick. We hosted an event for Babe Ruth Baseball back in 1985. After it was over we all went out and had dinner Mickey was just great to talk to. A fun guy to be around. Along with Johnny Blanchard, Bill (Moose) Skowron and we had 2 players who were up and comers at the time Brian Fisher, and Dan Pasqua.
You couldnt ask for a better man to deal with ,some great stories to! Here is my program from the Mick!

I kinda expected someone to have had drinks with the Mick. What a tremendous night that must have been. Very happy for you to have that memory Al.

BTW... sorry to anyone who wanted to see some other players on the list, but these are my top five.

I'm still undecided on who I would pick...

Bob Lemke · #14 01-10-2010, 08:19 AM

I'd relish the chance to judge the man for myself and to try to seperate what might have been jealous venom and sniping from his contemporaries and modern political correctness irevisionism from the reality in a man who has engendered so much modern-day controversy.

Robextend · #15 01-10-2010, 08:24 AM

Out of that group I chose Ruth, but I would love to spend some time with Rube Waddell. That might be quite an interesting time helping him chase firetrucks!!!

mayx2 · #16 01-10-2010, 02:51 PM

being a huge Clemente fan,I would loved to have met him in person,and maybe with a few beers he might be a little less serious,But to drink and talk to the Babe would probably be the most fun based on the Legend of the Bambino's exploits. Lou

GKreindler · #17 01-10-2010, 03:41 PM

Good call on Waddell, Rob. I think that he's one of the most interesting characters the game's ever seen. Or at least, from what I've read...

jacksons · #18 01-11-2010, 10:45 AM

I surprised myself by choosing Mantle. Anyway, here's why:

Ruth: Babe was known to not be able to sit very still, so I'm not sure I could've retained his attention for very long. Also, he never would have remembered my name, so he would've been calling me "kid" the whole time. "Let's go back to my apartment, kid. Dugan's got the bathtub full 'o cold beers and I've got some lady friends a'waitin." No thanks, Bam. Maybe another time.

Cobb: Three drinks into a conversation with the Peach and I would've asked him about that fateful night of his father's "murder". Conversation over, and I would've lost a few teeth.

Robinson: I just don't see this as a two-way conversation. And I think Jackie would be a 1 drink minimum kind of guy.

Mantle: By process of elimination, I settled on Mantle. I think he'd be the most comfortable chatting over a bucket of beers - either fishing, golfing or hanging out at the Copa. Who knows where the night would lead? Maybe to an upstate farm for a deer hunt with Billy and Whitey?

thekingofclout · #19 01-12-2010, 06:14 AM

and after much consideration, I chose Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, because he had the Dignity of Lou Gehrig, the Humanity of Roberto Clemente, the Talent of Ty Cobb, the Character of Christy Mathewson, and the Determination of Martin Luther King. Now that's what I call a Five Tool Player.

Thanks to all for participating. Sincerely, Jimmy

Zach Wheat · #20 01-12-2010, 02:18 PM

I would have to say Ty Cobb. I think it would be interesting to try and pick his brain to figure him out. I can just see him in the last year of his life with Al Stump who spent day & night with him writing his bio....and the Cobbie running out on the hotel balcony in Nevada shooting off his gun because everyone was partying too loudly! What a nut...

I agree with Rob and others - interesting choice with Waddell.

View Poll Results: Choose ONE guy you could have a beer & shoot the breeze with?
Ty Cobb	19	23.46%
Babe Ruth	43	53.09%
Jackie Robinson	7	8.64%
Mickey Mantle	7	8.64%
Roberto Clemente	5	6.17%
Voters: 81. You may not vote on this poll