Perhaps since it is the oldest American sport, baseball legends have a shelf life that lasts multiple generations. The best current example of this was today's article marking the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth's first home run.
It never occurred to me that anyone would be interested in knowing that on May 6, 1915 Ruth hit his first of 714 major league home runs.
But even today's causal fans know about Ruth. He was a larger than life legend from the Golden Age.
He began as a pitcher with the Red Sox. The team owner got in financial trouble, so he sold Ruth to the dreaded rival New York Yankees. This led to the Curse of the Bambino, an excuse fostered by Red Sox fans for decades since their team failed while the Yankees became a championship dynasty.
Ruth, being in New York, held the attention of the national media. He was a celebrity. His off the field pursuits, beer, food, women, were covered as much as the game stories. He was an every man and a superman. His home run totals for his era far exceeded his peers. His career WAR is still the gold standard for player performance.
But why does his legacy endure?
Today, we have only scratchy black and white short films and photographs of Ruth. He looks like a large grizzly bear at the plate whipping a stick through the strike zone. He does not look like a modern baseball player.
But the connection is that baseball adores its history. It is stat driven game where people can compare eras based upon objective evidence. Old baseball tales were the bar stories for generations. Fathers past down stories from their fathers to their sons. When a fan base appreciates their sport's history, old players can have a lasting legacy.
