Baseball’s Flood & Famine

Baseball’s Flood & Famine

This Day in History • First 500 mile Nascar race, 1950 • Mark Spitz wins seventh gold medal, 1972 • Little Rock Nine crisis begins, 1957 • General Lee heads towards Antietam, 1862 • Los Angeles is founded

Reminders • Book Selection Form is due MONDAY September 9th • It is a grade • Team Selection Begins MONDAY September 9th • It is a grade • Unit 2 Test is Tuesday September 10th • Unit 2 Vocabulary & Notebook is DUE • Pick 6 is due TOMORROW

Askin’ All Them Questions • What was the reserve clause? • Why did baseball players hate it? • Who was the first African American professional baseball player? • What was the color barrier? • Who was Rube Foster? • What was 1 superstar of the NNL?

Making Statements • What were your thoughts on the HBO Real Sports piece from yesterday? Is it OK? Is it fair? How does it relate to what we talked about? • 3-4 sentences

When the Depression Hits • Many owners fear the worst • Not going to be able to get fans • Ones that did wouldn’t pay much for tickets • Reality • _______________1930’s • No franchises had to fold or move during that decade • Why people came • To forget about their troubles

Baseball in the 1930’s • Transition of stars • From Ruth & Gehrig to DiMaggio • Cincinnati Reds bring _____________ to games • Cubs still take 50 years • Bill Veek plants _____ at Wrigley Field • Signature feature today

Baseball in the 1930’s • Hall of Fame • ________________ • First class • Babe Ruth • Ty Cobb • Honus Wagner • Christy Mathewson • Walter Johnson • ______________ • Comiskey Park • Fans and managers chose the players • Idea came from a sportswriter

In the Shadow of War • Baseball still played during World War 2 • Just with scrubs • Many all-star major leaguers volunteered for duty • Ted Williams • Warren Spahn • Bob Feller • Hank Greenberg • AAGPBL • Did exist • We will talk about it in Unit ____

Making Statements:

Post-War Boom • America experiences post-war boom after WW2 • So does baseball • Many Americans now have __________ • Popularity of baseball spreads • Many Americans move to ________ • So do baseball franchises • _____________ • No National League team left in NYC • Why is that a big deal?

Post-War Boom • Major League Baseball starts to _____________ the number of teams • Texas Rangers • Minnesota Twins • Toronto Blue Jays • Seattle Mariners • Baseball becomes big business

Assuming • You are a Major League baseball player that had to agree to the reserve clause to play. You make a decent living and more than the average American. How do you feel about seeing baseball expand and make a lot of money on TV rights that go mostly to the owners?

Curt Flood Trailer • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D_8-BKlgy8

Marvin Miller, head of Players Union • One was that the pension had not kept pace over eighteen years of progress. Also, they picked up strong rumors that the owners were wanting to change it. Television, by 1965, had grown tremendously. [LA Dodgers owner] Walter O’Malley saw this and wanted to alter the benefit plan. But beyond that, I was also learning that it was like pulling teeth learning what else made them unhappy. This was because they were a workforce basically unschooled in working conditions. They had all undergone a bunch of brainwashing that being allowed to play Major League Baseball was a great favor. That they were the luckiest people in the world. They were accustomed never to think, “This stinks. We need to change this.” You have to remember baseball players are very young, and, with few exceptions, have no experience in matters. What is a pension? Why according to Miller was change not happening in baseball? Do you think this problem is the same or has gotten worse?

Curt Flood • St. Louis Cardinals OF • Born and raised in Oakland • How do you think that affected his personality? • Became irritated after going through the minor leagues in the South • Flood is traded from St. Louis to Philadelphia • He says NO

After 12 years in the major leagues I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system that produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and a human being. I believe that I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decisions. I, therefore, request that you make known to all the major league clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season. Do you think that he is right/wrong? Do you have sympathy for him? Why does he use the phrase “piece of property”? What is he going for?

Reactions to Flood • Support • Jackie Robinson“I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this struggle with you.” • Fellow baseball players • Disapproval • Baseball owners • Regular Americans • Why?

The Supreme Court Decides • Supreme Court Decision • ________________ • 5-3 in favor of ____________________ • Baseball is ____________ trade • Congress says they are ________________ monopoly practices • Does this surprise you?

What Happened Next? • Flood refused to play 1970 season • Played sparingly for the Washington Senators in 1971 • Bought a bar and lived in Majorca • After businesses failed here in the US • Baseball changes • After 10 years and player has right to _____________ trade, 1970 • Struck down in 1975 • Beginning of ________________

Askin’ All Them Questions • Reserve clause • Walker Moses • Rube Foster • Babe Ruth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqDcHz40hw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m66lmbROA58

Hank Aaron: Baseball’s Ups & Downs • Hank Aaron • Born in Mobile, AL • 1/7 children • Brother Tommie also played MLB • Sharecropping family • Primitive baseball equipment • Offered to play football, but turned it down • Turned down to play baseball • Joined Mobile Black Bears

Hank Aaron • Spent time in Braves minor league system • _____________ Braves • Made his Major League debut in 1954 • Milwaukee Braves • Career Stats • 25 All Star appearances • 3 Gold Gloves • 2 Batting Championships • 4 Home Run Championships • 4 RBI Championships

Hank Aaron • Most known for breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record • 714 home runs • He ended the 1973 season 1 short of Ruth’s record • Lets the idea of an African American breaking Ruth’s record simmer

Assuming • Why do you think it was a bad thing that he didn’t break the record at the end of the year?

Aaron receives several death threats every day • "Is this to be the year in which Aaron, at the age of thirty-nine, takes a moon walk above one of the most hallowed individual records in American sport...? Or will it be remembered as the season in which Aaron, the most dignified of athletes, was besieged with hate mail and trapped by the cobwebs and goblins that lurk in baseball's attic?“ • Sports Illustrated

Breaking the Record • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvfYg_kNtTk • Braves opened in Cincinnati • Wanted Aaron to break the record at home • Commissioner ruled he had to play 2/3 games • Ties record on 1st AB of the season • April 8, 1974 • Aaron hits 715 off of the Los Angeles dodgers

Now…Watch His HR Trot Again • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9T93yqPohM • Why is he startled? • What reason does he have to be startled?

Baseball’s Flood & Famine