Joe Morgan

[Quoner]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Deadspin)

"It wasn't just the black people who made sacrifices. There were a lot of white people who died to help the cause. We seem to forget them. And I thought about where are we going now."

Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan.

[Censored by Laurie]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Deadspin)

Well, really, he's right...and as a antebellum social historian, I might go so far as to say white people played a bigger role in black freedom and equality than black people.

There is a clear distinction between white and black abolitionists. Blacks, like Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser and Denmark Vesey were blessed with natural talents and instincts for liberation...but they lacked focus at times...their attack and escape routes could've been considerably crisper and because they so frequently tried to rely on their God-given abilities they also frequently failed...prompting abolitionist fans and commentators to wonder how they continued to under-achieve. White abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Stanton, on the other hand, were considerably more cerebral in their approach...sure, they may not have had the natural skills of their black teammates, but they were true students of the movement...some of them were the sons of abolitionists so they grew up around abolition their entire lives, emersing themselves in the fundamentals of the movement. It was this dedication and attention to detail that enabled white abolitionists to compete at the same, or higher, level of black abolitionists despite their lack of inherent talents.

Sure...there are exceptions like John Brown...kinda the Chris Anderson of abolition...but these examples are rare and often prove, rather than refute, the rule.

[Green P1]

William Lloyd Garrison was a the Tyler Hansbrough of abolitionists. A real lunch pale guy.

[Censored by Laurie]

William Lloyd Garrison was a the Tyler Hansbrough of abolitionists. A real lunch pale guy.

Punny

[Green P1]

Punny

As long as my genius does not go unnoticed I'm happy.

[eulessismore]

He was such a hero to me when I was a kid. It wasn't like he had great statistical achievements; maybe it was that he did so many things very well, that I never felt like he would disappoint. A lot of middle infielders would have a great year or two offensively, then disappear. Joe always hit well enough, or got on base well enough, and stole bases well enough, that it was easy to believe he would make something happen. It doesn't seem like today's baseball has such "complete players". Oh well, I quit following baseball completely when the Texas Rangers traded Sammy Sosa for 5 or 6 players noone has heard from since, or whose names anyone even remembers. The Rangers never seemed to understand that their job as an organization is to win baseball games, and keep playing in the fall. Guys like Joe Morgan loved playing baseball, and always tried to find ways to win. Most players now seem to think they're too good to just get on base and try to find a way to score a run.

[oldguystudent]

Most players now seem to think they're too good to just get on base and try to find a way to score a run.

Go watch some Ft Worth Cats. You'll see some drive in those players.

[mad dog]

William Lloyd Garrison was a the Tyler Hansbrough of abolitionists. A real lunch pale guy.

Genius.