Photography

I remember Bobby Richardson well. He was part of the Yankees “Million Dollar Infield” of Clete Boyer, Tony Kubek, Richardson and Moose Skowron (later Joe Pepitone). He was an excellent second baseball and solid lead off hitter. He’s the only man to win World Series MVP on a losing team (1960).

I agree that baseball has become a big business. Earl Battey signed with the White Sox for a bonus of $3999. That was one dollar less than the minimum salary in those days. If he had gotten any more he would have had to have been carried on the big league roster for two years — like Sandy Koufax and Harmon Killebrew. It’s a different game.

As for cheating? Well . . . The mound in Cleveland was 19 inches high — 4 inches extra at the time The groundskeeper said Bob Feller (an Iowa boy) “liked to ride high.” Feller was a gun captain on the USS Alabama during WW II. He brought back the high powered spotting binoculars he used, and installed them in centerfield to steal the catcher’s signs. The Giants under Durocher did something similar. I’m sure there are other examples. As Harry Truman said, “The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know.”

Bob