Thanks Melissa, for all your comments! I really appreciate that you are enjoying the same journey of discovery, or at least re-discovery, that I sometimes go on when I research and write these pieces.
The Negro Leagues records changes are big news, absolutely. I said something about that I kind of liked in the comments of the Almost Cooperstown Substack the other day, so I think I'll put up a Note about that, just so Project 3.18 has an official take. I highly recommend Paul White's Lost in Left Field piece from today on this subject, also. (The other) Paul is a Negro Leagues researcher and historian and he pretty much dropped the mic on any doubts about whether this change was the right thing to do. I don't have much to add there except applause.
Very apt portrayal of what happened in 1987. I recall there also being talk about there being rubber balls inside of HoJo's bat. Johnson may have been in the head of Whitey Herzog but as was the case in 1985 and 1987 the Cardinals had the last word over the Mets. And left handed reliever Ken Dayley was a thorn in the Met's side except for the shot off the clock by Darryl Strawberry in late 1985 before Johnson joined the team. Straw will have his number retired at Citi Field on Saturday.
I appreciate this feedback from a subject-matter expert, Mark, thank you. This wasn't the point of the story so I didn't dwell in it too much, but it is really interesting how much smoke there was around these Mets teams compared to other teams. Like, they were really singled out for rumors of bat-tampering despite (from what I see) no evidence of this ever coming to light, even while other guys on other teams were caught. It all happening in the opening years of the Steroid Era also made me wonder if perhaps teams were suspicious of that as well, but not willing to voice such suspicions yet, or even perhaps able to form them, so all the focus went to the bats. But I'm trying to think of another team that took so much flak for cheating without ever actually have been found to have cheated--and coming up empty.
Howard Johnson’s cork issue was minor league stuff compared to George Brett’s pine tar episode - you’ve likely got something in the hopper on that front.
Great part 2! I am fascinated by these backstories and intend to upgrade my subscription later in the year when I can end another.
Off the topic, Paul, but I read this yesterday: https://www.mlb.com/news/stats-leaderboard-changes-negro-leagues-mlb I’m sure you’re aware. (I sent this as a comment on the part 1 episode but I was two days late reading it so you might not have seen it.)
Thanks Melissa, for all your comments! I really appreciate that you are enjoying the same journey of discovery, or at least re-discovery, that I sometimes go on when I research and write these pieces.
The Negro Leagues records changes are big news, absolutely. I said something about that I kind of liked in the comments of the Almost Cooperstown Substack the other day, so I think I'll put up a Note about that, just so Project 3.18 has an official take. I highly recommend Paul White's Lost in Left Field piece from today on this subject, also. (The other) Paul is a Negro Leagues researcher and historian and he pretty much dropped the mic on any doubts about whether this change was the right thing to do. I don't have much to add there except applause.
Very apt portrayal of what happened in 1987. I recall there also being talk about there being rubber balls inside of HoJo's bat. Johnson may have been in the head of Whitey Herzog but as was the case in 1985 and 1987 the Cardinals had the last word over the Mets. And left handed reliever Ken Dayley was a thorn in the Met's side except for the shot off the clock by Darryl Strawberry in late 1985 before Johnson joined the team. Straw will have his number retired at Citi Field on Saturday.
I appreciate this feedback from a subject-matter expert, Mark, thank you. This wasn't the point of the story so I didn't dwell in it too much, but it is really interesting how much smoke there was around these Mets teams compared to other teams. Like, they were really singled out for rumors of bat-tampering despite (from what I see) no evidence of this ever coming to light, even while other guys on other teams were caught. It all happening in the opening years of the Steroid Era also made me wonder if perhaps teams were suspicious of that as well, but not willing to voice such suspicions yet, or even perhaps able to form them, so all the focus went to the bats. But I'm trying to think of another team that took so much flak for cheating without ever actually have been found to have cheated--and coming up empty.
Howard Johnson’s cork issue was minor league stuff compared to George Brett’s pine tar episode - you’ve likely got something in the hopper on that front.