There are virtually no African Americans in the NHL. Should all of the records before the first Black Hockey player be asterisked? There was probably a de facto ban in the NHL. It just went unnoticed.
Although he wasn't African-American, IIRC the Bruins signed the first Black NHL player in 1958. If the NHL had a de facto ban it was on Americans. In 1962 only one American player was in the NHL, and he played for the Bruins.
Of course, color-based timelines in baseball are just as silly as any other timelines in any other sports, mostly because the game itself, and how it is played, is dynamic. Do you start 'qualifying' the records of anyone who pitched or hit after the introduction of the designated hitter rule since it changed the game for the AL and not the NL? Pre or post high mound, low mound ?Or throw out all the dead ball era pitching stats because it took a howitzer to hit a ball into the bleachers before 1920? How about all the fielding records being divvied up between those who played before the fingers on gloves were laced, and those who played after? How about records from before expansion and after, and then another qualifyer added for every round of expansion after the first? You played whomever was available to be played at the time you were playing. For all anyone knows, the greatest baseball player of all time could have been some Australian in 1935 who couldn't afford ship passage to make it to a tryout in the States. Maybe. But we're never going to find out, so it isn't worth worrying about.
Bonds' biggest problem is that nobody likes him, and so a lot of folks, hoping against hope, want him to fail, which isn't all that unusual. Probably the most prevalent prejudice in modern society is a prejudice against people we personally just don't like. When you hear Bonds being described, by players, some fans, and some writers, you'd think SurlyAsshole was his middle name. It is interesting to note that Bond's most prominent detractor is Aaron himself, whom, if you read between the lines of his public statements, obviously thinks Bonds isn't fit to carry his jockstrap.
But if Bonds beats Aaron's record, he beats it. Nobody has to like it, but it is a fact and each person who cares can make of it what he wants. There won't be an asterisk next to his name in the official MLB record book, because there isn't an official MLB record book. Only a collection of stats, so everyone is free to have their own record book and make any notations they want.
And, if people want to make it a racial issue, I guess they're free to do that too. If Roger Maris was still around he'd think that Bonds was in a middle of a lovefest in San Francisco compared to the hostility he received from the New York media, the fans, and right up to the Commissioner's Office. Last I knew, Maris was a white guy from the upper Plains.
But, if somebody feels the need to do a computer simulation of Satchel Paige pitching against the '27 Yankees and play with the data enough to put him down as the greatest pitcher of all time, knock yourself out. Just don't expect it to mean anything.
Things are what they are.
As for O'Brien's call of the home run, assuming he's in a position to do it, as was mentioned on the radio this morning, expect it to have all the excitement and passion of an Associated Press wire story.
Regards,
TSB
Although he wasn't African-American, IIRC the Bruins signed the first Black NHL player in 1958. If the NHL had a de facto ban it was on Americans. In 1962 only one American player was in the NHL, and he played for the Bruins.
Of course, color-based timelines in baseball are just as silly as any other timelines in any other sports, mostly because the game itself, and how it is played, is dynamic. Do you start 'qualifying' the records of anyone who pitched or hit after the introduction of the designated hitter rule since it changed the game for the AL and not the NL? Pre or post high mound, low mound ?Or throw out all the dead ball era pitching stats because it took a howitzer to hit a ball into the bleachers before 1920? How about all the fielding records being divvied up between those who played before the fingers on gloves were laced, and those who played after? How about records from before expansion and after, and then another qualifyer added for every round of expansion after the first? You played whomever was available to be played at the time you were playing. For all anyone knows, the greatest baseball player of all time could have been some Australian in 1935 who couldn't afford ship passage to make it to a tryout in the States. Maybe. But we're never going to find out, so it isn't worth worrying about.
Bonds' biggest problem is that nobody likes him, and so a lot of folks, hoping against hope, want him to fail, which isn't all that unusual. Probably the most prevalent prejudice in modern society is a prejudice against people we personally just don't like. When you hear Bonds being described, by players, some fans, and some writers, you'd think SurlyAsshole was his middle name. It is interesting to note that Bond's most prominent detractor is Aaron himself, whom, if you read between the lines of his public statements, obviously thinks Bonds isn't fit to carry his jockstrap.
But if Bonds beats Aaron's record, he beats it. Nobody has to like it, but it is a fact and each person who cares can make of it what he wants. There won't be an asterisk next to his name in the official MLB record book, because there isn't an official MLB record book. Only a collection of stats, so everyone is free to have their own record book and make any notations they want.
And, if people want to make it a racial issue, I guess they're free to do that too. If Roger Maris was still around he'd think that Bonds was in a middle of a lovefest in San Francisco compared to the hostility he received from the New York media, the fans, and right up to the Commissioner's Office. Last I knew, Maris was a white guy from the upper Plains.
But, if somebody feels the need to do a computer simulation of Satchel Paige pitching against the '27 Yankees and play with the data enough to put him down as the greatest pitcher of all time, knock yourself out. Just don't expect it to mean anything.
Things are what they are.
As for O'Brien's call of the home run, assuming he's in a position to do it, as was mentioned on the radio this morning, expect it to have all the excitement and passion of an Associated Press wire story.
Regards,
TSB
