When The Babe Averaged 170 and Baseball Was Not a Sport
I figured it out: sport vs. game.ย
So many competitive endeavors require skill that ,"skill", just had to be aย subset of either sport or game.ย But you can't isolate expertise, and say that it is merely a "skill" and not part of a sport.
Racing around and around (lefts mostly) requires skill. However, teams of racers and cars now have demanded it be called a "sport," and not to be measured by individual excellence alone.
Track and field has doneย much the same. Where does skill leave off and the sport begin?
Beer and cigarettesโthat's where! It has always been my assertion that if a so-called sport could be performed while managing a can of beer and a lit cigarette it should no longer be considered a sport.
Football, basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, badminton, tennis, cricket, curling, racing, mountain climbing, sky diving, scuba, skiing, weight lifting, track and fieldโeven foosball conforms to this rule.
Go ahead: Separate the sports from the non-sports in the list above. Remember, relative excellenceย must be achievable while holding the beer.
I'll make it easy: bowling.ย Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all timeโon top of everything else, his pitching record would break any tiesโwas an avid bowler. Bowled in the 170 areaโwith Ford Frick as a matter of fact, Not too shabby.
And you knowย The Bambinoย had one open and one lit at all times.
Of course, we still don't know if there were more than hot dogs in his dugout...




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