Not much comics news to post about of late, but I wanted to take special note of the 100th anniversary of one of baseball's most notorious controversies... the fabled "Merkle's Boner" play in a game between the Giants and the Cubs at the height of the 1908 pennant race. The CHICAGO TRIBUNE had an article about Fred Merkle's notorious gaffe (if gaffe it truly was -- opinions differ to this day) on its Web site this morning, and many other outlets are doubtless making mention of the centennial, especially in light of the fact that the Cubs have a legit shot at winning the World Series for the first time since that fateful season. The "Boner" has been a focal point of some notable literary works, including one of my favorite baseball books -- G.H. Fleming's THE UNFORGETTABLE SEASON -- and a more recent one called CRAZY '08 that I've been meaning to read but have not yet gotten around to perusing.
The Baltimore Comic-Con takes place this weekend. I hope to have some pics & news for you soon afterward.
The Baltimore Comic-Con takes place this weekend. I hope to have some pics & news for you soon afterward.
Keith Olbermann did a report of Fred Merkle back in 1983; he replayed it recently on his MSNBC show, allowing viewers to make fun of the wavy haircut and Chaplin moustache he had back then. ;-) Seriously, it was a good, solid report, and very sympathetic to Merkle's cause.
ReplyDeleteMark: I don't know where Olbermann got that pic of Merkle, but it wasn't taken in 1908; Merkle was a rookie at that time and clean-shaven. He had a long career, though, so he might have changed his looks along the way.
ReplyDeleteOops! I meant that wavy haircut and Chaplin mosutache that *Keith Olbermann* had in 1983. Sorry I wasn't more specific.
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