Baseball Myths

Baseball Myths: Debating, Debunking, and Disproving Tales from the Diamond examines baseball myths—old and new. It covers such legendary players as Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Pete Rose, and Derek Jeter, while also looking at lesser-known figures like Dummy Hoy, Grover Land, Wally Pipp, and Babe Herman. Deane’s original research and logic will educate, amuse, and often surprise readers, revealing the truth behind such legends as the inventor of baseball, the first black player in the major leagues, and even the origin of the hot dog. With photographs, stats, and more than 80 myths examined, this book is sure to fascinate everyone, from the casual baseball fan to lifelong devotees of the sport.

Bill Deane was Senior Research Associate at the National Baseball Hall of Fame from 1986 through 1994. He has authored six books on baseball and was managing editor of Total Baseball. Deane won the SABR-Macmillan Baseball Research Award for his book, Award Voting, and in 2003 he won the Utica-Cooperstown SABR chapter's "Cliff Kachline Award."

Introduction Baseball's Infancy Abner Doubleday Invented Baseball Ninety Feet Is a Magical Distance Today's Reds Are Baseball's Original Pro Team Old Hoss Radbourn Pitched His Team's Last 27 Games in 1884, Winning 26 The Pitching Distance Was Increased from 50 to 60- Feet In 1893 Mike Grady Made Four-Plus Errors on One Batted Ball Home Plate is So Named Because it is Shaped Like A House Negro Pitching Legend Rube Foster Taught Christy Mathewson the Screwball Concessionaire Harry M. Stevens, with Help from a Cartoonist, Introduced the Hot Dog The World Series Was Named After a Newspaper Dummy Hoy, a Deaf-Mute, Created Umpires' Hand Signals Nick Altrock Won a Game Without Pitching a Ball Honus Wagner Objected to Tobacco Products Honus Wagner Viciously Tagged Out Ty Cobb on a Steal Attempt in the 1909 World Series Tinker, Evers and Chance Were a Great Double Play Combo Ty Cobb Psyched Joe Jackson Out of a Batting Title Old-Time Relief Pitchers Were Nothing More than Washed-Up Starters Grover Land Hit a 65-Foot Home Run Christy Mathewson Died As the Result of a Gassing Incident in World War I Charles Comiskey Gypped Ed Cicotte Out of a 30-Win Season and Bonus The Reds Hit an Inordinate Number of Triples Toward Joe Jackson's Position in the 1919 World Series The Truth About Ruth The Red Sox's Owner Sold Ruth to Finance His Theatrical Production, No, No Nanette Ruth Replaced George Halas as the Yankees' Right Fielder The Yankees Adopted Pinstripes to Make Ruth Look Slimmer The Baby Ruth Candy Bar Was Not Named After the Yankees' Slugger Ruth Won Only One MVP Award in His Career Ruth Promised and Delivered a Home Run to Johnny Sylvester Ruth Didn't Really Call His Shot in the 1932 World Series The Lively Ball Era A Lively Baseball Was Introduced in the 1920s Center Fielder Johnny Mostil Caught a Foul Ball A Headache Cost Wally Pipp His Career Babe Herman Tripled Into a Triple Play Grover Alexander Clinched the 1926 World Series Despite Nursing a Hangover The Yankees Beat the Pirates in the 1927 World Series Before the Games Even Started For 5- Years, Chuck Klein Was as Great a Hitter as Baseball Ever Saw Al Simmons's Holiday Cost Lefty Grove His 16-Game Win Streak Mel Ott Owed All of His Success to the Polo Grounds Ted Williams Risked His .400 Average on the Last Day of the 1941 Season Bill Veeck Tried to Buy the Phillies and Stock it with Black Players, Years Before Jackie Robinson Leo Durocher Said "Nice Guys Finish Last" Enos Slaughter Scored from First Base on a Single to Win the 1946 World Series Joe DiMaggio Was One of the Best Outfielders Ever Jackie Robinson Was the First Black Player in the Major Leagues Bill Bevens and Cookie Lavagetto Ended Their Careers on the Near No-Hitter in the 1947 World Series A Boston Writer Cost Ted Williams the 1947 AL MVP Award The 1948 Braves Won the Pennant Only Because of Spahn and Sain Ted Williams Lost the Closest Batting Race in History The Indians Could Have Had Aaron, Mays, and Banks Hoyt Wilhelm Homered and Tripled His First Two Times Up, then Never Hit Another Homer or Triple in His 21-Year Career Willie Mays Caught a 480-Foot Drive in the 1954 World Series A Racist Manager Prevented Brooks Lawrence from Winning 20 Games Fidel Castro Was a Pro Baseball Prospect The 1955-60 K. C. Athletics Gave Away Their Talent to the Yankees Jerome Holtzman Invented the Save Timeless Myths A Hit That Bounces over the Fence is a Ground-Rule Double The Curveball is an Optical Illusion "I Got Stan Musial Out Forty-Nine Times in a Row" Abbott and Costello Are in The Baseball Hall of Fame There Are Writers' & Broadcasters' Wings at the Baseball Hall of Fame The Head-First Slide is Dangerous A Star Relief Ace is as Valuable as Any Other Great Player Artificial Turf Increases Batting Averages and Shortens Careers A Team with a 91-71 Record is 20 Games Above .500 The Quality Start is a Meaningless Statistic Derek Jeter is a Great Clutch Hitter The Expansion Era Stu Miller Was Blown off the Mound in the 1961 All-Star Game Roger Maris's Home Run Record Was Marked with an Asterisk Sandy Koufax Suddenly Matured to Become Great Bill Dewitt Gave Away Frank Robinson, Calling Him "An Old 30" Tony Conigliaro Was the Youngest Man to Hit 100 Homers Curt Flood Pioneered Free Agency Hank Aaron Rode 'The Launching Pad' to the Career Home Run Record Pete Rose Ruined Ray Fosse's Career in a Meaningless Game Joe Morgan Became a Superstar Because He Escaped the Astrodome Ted Simmons Was a Lousy Catcher The Designated Hitter Rule Was Introduced by Charlie Finley in the 1970s Minnie Minoso Was the Oldest Man to Get a Hit Willie Aikens Was Named after Willie Mays Pete Rose Broke the Career Hit Record Only Because He Was a Manager, Permitting Himself to Play Bill Buckner Lost the 1986 World Series for the Red Sox Pete Rose Was Banned from the Hall of Fame and Jailed for Betting on Baseball Billy Martin Died While Driving Drunk Expansion Has Diluted Baseball's Talent The 1991-2005 Braves Were Underachievers Shorter Fences Have Aided Modern Home Run Hitters Bibliography Index