Best events, activities ranked on new lists
Everyone loves a good list — guys like David Wallechinsky and Dave Letterman have actually made good livings off them — and sportswriters are no different. The NCAA Tournament? Nothing but a big list, really. Same goes for Hall of Fame induction ballots.
Recently I’ve come across two lists that have begged for my 2 cents, one presented in a book, the other in a newspaper column.
In “Change Up: An Oral History of 8 Key Events That Shaped Modern Baseball” (Rodale Books, $24.95), Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale present their arguments. The authors count the modern era from 1958 through 2008, and they do not focus on the style of the game played on the field — for instance, the way pitchers are used today or the steroid scandal.
Their eight key events?
1. Expansion, as told by looking at the 1962 Mets;
2. The rise of the Latino ballplayer;
3. The way baseball is covered by the media, thanks to the publishing of Jim Bouton’s “Ball Four”;
4. The formation of the players’ union;
5. The creation of the designated hitter;
6. Frank Robinson breaking the managerial color line;
7. Cal Ripken Jr. revolutionizing the shortstop position; and
8. The internationalization of baseball, as evidenced by the rise of the Japanese ballplayer.
No doubt about it, I think these things are all major trends, but I’m not sure if I’d agree with all of the assertions. For one, I don’t think that the impact of the Japanese baseball player has been as profound as the authors do, nor do I think that the Robinson hiring — as momentous as it was — changed the game very much.
Personally, I think the trend for new stadiums and the money generated by them have shaped the game more, and from a fan’s perspective, I think the rise of Fantasy Baseball leagues has helped the game heal itself after the last baseball strike. Either way, the book’s a great read (particularly the part relating to the Mets).
Another list, published in The Kansas City Star, mentions a “bucket list” of 10 things every sports fan must do before he dies. Ones I strongly agree with include taking in a Duke-North Carolina basketball game, a Michigan-Ohio State football game, a Packer playoff game at Lambeau Field, watching a Cubs game from a rooftop and eating a pimento cheese sandwich at Amen Corner during the Masters.
To the list I’d add the following: eating peanuts and Crackerjack at Yankee Stadium during a day game against the Red Sox, drinking a Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby, and driving on the sand at Daytona before the big race. That ought to fill your bucket.