Guys like Snodgrass and Merkle and later, Bill Buckner, have been maligned for decades unjustly, in my opinion. Their careers were so much more than just one play that didn’t go their way. It’s just sad.,,
Hey I know this video has very low views and few comments but I wanted to say that I listened to the whole thing and really enjoyed it. It's a great and valuable piece of baseball and I'm glad you interviewed him so many decades ago and put this up here. So many aspects of baseball from Fred's day is being obscured and forgotten due to the passage of time that it's really nice to hear these stories. Today the only people who still remember that Snodgrass muffed that fly ball are let's say the senior baseball fans, and I would think people like myself who really love the history of the game. If I tell anyone about this thing that happened in the 1912 World Series, they will look at me like I just pulled this most obscure fact out of thin air, therefore I must know EVERYTHING about baseball. But he's just the Bill Buckner or Ralph Branca of a far ago generation. It sounds not too different from what they went through. But here's the thing I never realized. The 2 biggest goats of baseball in those old days: Fred Snodgrass and Fred Merkle: for some reason I never put it together that they were teammates and both of these horrific incidents tormented the same fanbase during the same time period, a time period in which they also went to and lost 3 straight World Series (then another one 4 years later) in addition to losing the pennant Merkle cost them. Perhaps this is the karmic cross they had to bear for refusing to play the World Series in 1904 due to nothing more than arrogance.
Cait Murphy wrote a great ! book about the exciting 1908 season- how the ChiSox blew the pennant to the Tigers and a riveting account of that Giant- Cub playoff game
Great interview ! Before I listened to this, I had heard of Snodgrass and had this image that his missed fly ball was the last play of the game. I went to the box score first and saw that the play was actually the first batter of the inning. Totally wrong to blame Snodgrass. As far as the interview, a fascinating insight into the dead ball era.
You know what's interesting. Don Denkinger is forever remembered for making 1 bad call at first base and it's believed he cost the Cardinals the 85 World Series by calling Jorge Orta safe at first base on the ground ball to first. But that was also the first batter of the 9th. The Royals still had to move him and another man around the bases that inning in order to win that game.
Agree. I can't stand listening to know-it-all types when their arse is the size of a VW Bug, and they've hardly ever touched a baseball! Nothing against non-athletic people: I'm no professional athlete myself.
@@billny33Yes, on the very next pitch Balboni popped up in foul territory on the first base side and Clark and Porter let it drop between them. Balboni then singled. Much like how later in that inning in 1912 Speaker popped up in foul territory and it fell between Mathewson, Merkle and Meyers. Speaker then lined a game tying single.
Guys like Snodgrass and Merkle and later, Bill Buckner, have been maligned for decades unjustly, in my opinion. Their careers were so much more than just one play that didn’t go their way. It’s just sad.,,
Great interview! So glad you captured Fred’s memories and perspective before it was too late!
These wonderful interviews bring warmth to my heart.
Couldn't agree more. I just found this channel and am loving it.
One guy who DIDN'T blame Snodgrass was his skipper McGraw. Good enough for me.
Hey I know this video has very low views and few comments but I wanted to say that I listened to the whole thing and really enjoyed it. It's a great and valuable piece of baseball and I'm glad you interviewed him so many decades ago and put this up here. So many aspects of baseball from Fred's day is being obscured and forgotten due to the passage of time that it's really nice to hear these stories. Today the only people who still remember that Snodgrass muffed that fly ball are let's say the senior baseball fans, and I would think people like myself who really love the history of the game. If I tell anyone about this thing that happened in the 1912 World Series, they will look at me like I just pulled this most obscure fact out of thin air, therefore I must know EVERYTHING about baseball. But he's just the Bill Buckner or Ralph Branca of a far ago generation. It sounds not too different from what they went through.
But here's the thing I never realized. The 2 biggest goats of baseball in those old days: Fred Snodgrass and Fred Merkle: for some reason I never put it together that they were teammates and both of these horrific incidents tormented the same fanbase during the same time period, a time period in which they also went to and lost 3 straight World Series (then another one 4 years later) in addition to losing the pennant Merkle cost them. Perhaps this is the karmic cross they had to bear for refusing to play the World Series in 1904 due to nothing more than arrogance.
Lol yep
Cait Murphy wrote a great ! book about the exciting 1908 season- how the ChiSox blew the pennant to the Tigers and a riveting account of that Giant- Cub playoff game
I think this is audio of Lawrence Ritter's interview. His book is Glory of Their TImes. His original audio tapes are in the HOF.
Great interview ! Before I listened to this, I had heard of Snodgrass and had this image that his missed fly ball was the last play of the game. I went to the box score first and saw that the play was actually the first batter of the inning. Totally wrong to blame Snodgrass. As far as the interview, a fascinating insight into the dead ball era.
He got stuck with a bad rap! Nobody remembers the rest of that inning!
You know what's interesting. Don Denkinger is forever remembered for making 1 bad call at first base and it's believed he cost the Cardinals the 85 World Series by calling Jorge Orta safe at first base on the ground ball to first. But that was also the first batter of the 9th. The Royals still had to move him and another man around the bases that inning in order to win that game.
Agree. I can't stand listening to know-it-all types when their arse is the size of a VW Bug, and they've hardly ever touched a baseball! Nothing against non-athletic people: I'm no professional athlete myself.
@@billny33Yes, on the very next pitch Balboni popped up in foul territory on the first base side and Clark and Porter let it drop between them. Balboni then singled. Much like how later in that inning in 1912 Speaker popped up in foul territory and it fell between Mathewson, Merkle and Meyers. Speaker then lined a game tying single.
Nice pickup , hard to go wrong with a t206 Lajoie. Congratulations 🎊
Several Hours more left from this interview and all the others from the audio book of TGOTT. Sadly to this day they haven’t been digitized
What does TGOTT stand for?
@@mysterj1 The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter. Great book and this interview represents a chapter in that book
Wonderful story.
Thank you for sharing
Great video!
That’s my grate grate grate grandpa OMG
"men were men in my day"
The montage is to distracting, I'm naming players instead of listening to the story
Listen as a podcast then?
Put your phone face down.
@David-j5g4b there's an idea