We've all heard it, "I walked uphill to school...BOTH WAYS!" We've all been given the tales of guts and glory from generations past. "In my day..." was ALMOST ALWAYS a better day than today. Music meant something! Kids had jobs at 11 years old and it usually entailed lifting blocks of stone...in short, they were tough and we are soft, self-centered, gimme gimme brats. Ya know what? They're sorta right on the money.
Let's take Baseball as a smaller scale example of the larger problem when comparing generation to generation. In fact, let dial it in further to our oft injured WWE wrestler of an outfielder...Mike "But I go by Giancarlo "Now" Stanton. Yes, he's hurt again. It's his hamstring. He'll be out 4 weeks or so...this song is more familiar than the Piano Man! "Oh Giancarlo at the bar is a friend of mine...he's on the IL again tonight...and he's making big money...so it's not too funny...that he probably will be for life..."
Think of it...a hamstring. Cast your mind back to not even a generation ago. 1996. World Series. Atlanta. Paul "The Warrior" O'Neill chases down a smoked rope to the gap on ONE GOOD HAMSTRING!! The other blew out earlier in the series like the inner tube of an old Schwinn!! Yet O'Neill played. He play his ass off.
Think about Munson, Nettles, Goose, Bucky, Bobby, Mick the Quick...do actually think any of them would've lasted in the Bronx Zoo claiming a tender hammy? NO. A. PRAYER. Am I saying Stanton is soft? YES!! Sure he's a muscle bound adonis, but the guy makes Tex look like a blood and guts type....by the way, Tex wasn't.
We are soft. Why? Because it's all about the image these days. The sizzle more than the steak. We specialize training, celebrate Tik-Tokers, take selfies...we are soft. Nobody is expected to go all out anymore. It's not about the fight, it's about sitting near the ring.
Look there is a much deeper undertone to this post that takes a shot at the lack of backbone in the world on a whole...but let's frame it with Mike Stanton. He's big, he's strong, he's wealthy, he's a handsome cat, seems like a good guy....and he's soft. And don't get me wrong...it ain't all Stanton's fault...he is a product of the environment of today's sports/celebrity culture.
They get hurt so often because they train to be true specimens of the Greek Gods...it's show in THE SHOW...the game, sadly is no longer the reason...it's making that Nike swoosh flash on the pecks stretched pinstripes. They aren't ballplayers the way we remember ballplayers...they are comic book heroes...
Yes, I'm getting older and becoming my Dad in many ways...and I'm darn proud of it. He taught me things that you just don't see anymore. 3 inning saves...gone. Grinding out innings to save a taxed pen...nope. Playing so hard that you launch yourself, and that moneymaking mug into the stands to catch a foul ball against Boston...thing of the not-so-distance past.
We won't fight. We won't sacrifice. We won't put ourselves out there....because it's just too damn hard.
Hopefully Giancarlo and this generation of Bombers will look harder....its not just about the pinstriped uniform on the player...it's about the hardened resolve and passion underneath that helps the player make those stripes mean something.
THIS ONE'S FOR THE GUY THAT PLAYED THE GAME ON RIPPED UP HAMMY....BUT MORE HEART THAT STANTON'S GOT MILLIONS!!
Where have you gone Paul O'Neill our NATION turns it's lonely eyes to you!! Atta boy, #21
Were stuck with them because of their 1. injury history and 2. Salary.
ReplyDeleteWe will also need to decide on Judge and Sanchez soon.
The Mick missed his fair of games but he had a lot of physical injuries to start but played when he was barely able to walk let alone run.They didn't lift weights they lifted bottles of beer and stayed out all night and hit bombs.
Oh these Yankees k ow not what the pinstripes mean.