As I began research on the 1920 season for a Diamond Mind update in light of the new treasure trove unearthed by the geniuses at Retrosheet,the above headline jumped off the pages of the May 6,1920 edition of The Sporting News. This editorial dealt with gamblers amongst the ballplayers,but obviously a 21st century reader will think of steroid users amongst the ballplayers. This is a prime example of how I have found that research of baseball history can turn itself around to current issues.
Unfortunately,much of the article is illegible. I was lucky enough to have saved the 1920 season of The Sporting News before Google pulled the plug on the Paper of Record web site. However,some of the earlier seasons,like 1920,are not very readable. As you may suspect,most of what I could decipher read of such Victorian honor and valor to suggest that “this type of player (who throw ball games) we all know,ought to be tarred and feathered and run out of the country.”The author,Mr. Reichow,continues:
Why shouldn’t the players take it upon themselves to (illegible) the crooks? I think they should. Baseball is their bread and butter,and a mighty thick slice for many of them. The game has given and still gives a lot of them opportunity to go (illegible),to buy automobiles,oil leases and farms,and it will continue to do so as it remains on the square. The players who are getting their share of the plum today ought to make it a (illegible) to keep the game on the square for the boys who are growing up hoping some day to wear uniforms in the major leagues. Baseball gives players a national reputation,which is another reason why they ought to take a hand in cleaning it of dishonest players,if there are any present.
I am not going to turn this into another soapbox about performance-enhancing drugs in baseball,but it struck me kind of funny that the very same statements from nearly 90 years ago are being made by some today.
