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  Contents

  INTRODUCTION BY STEVE WULF

  SOCK IT AWAY: John Wooden on the Importance of Hosiery

  UNTOUCHABLE: Jerry Rice on How to Run a Pass Pattern

  THE PITS: 13 Seconds with a NASCAR Pit Crew

  LARCENOUS LOU: Sitting Down? Lou Gehrig Stole Home 15 Times

  WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK: How to Whistle Like a Major Leaguer

  SPECIAL K: Why K Stands for Strikeout

  IN THE BAG: Inside Phil Mickelson’s Golf Luggage

  GENIUS IN A JIFFY: The Five Best Sports Leads

  THE WRITE STUFF: David Wright on How to Get an Autograph

  THROWDOWN: The Secrets to Rock, Paper, Scissors

  REEL GOOD: Jeffrey Lyons Picks the Five Best Sports Movies

  A MIGHTY LONG GAME: Cal Ripken and Wade Boggs Play 33 Innings

  FAMOUS AMOS: The Amazing Mr. Stagg

  THE PUCK STOPS HERE: Wayne Gretzky on How to Tape a Stick

  GLASS CEILING: The First Female Dunk

  BREAKFAST OF CHAMPION: A Breakdown of Michael Phelps’s Morning Meal

  CHAMPION OF BREAKFAST: How Wheaties Got That Slogan

  GLOVE AFFAIR: Omar Vizquel on How to Break In a Mitt

  NET RESULT: On the Origins of Cutting Down the Net

  JIMMY V: An Excerpt from Jim Valvano’s Famous Speech

  SUB TITLES: From Bambi to Thumper—A Nickname Quiz

  SIGN LANGUAGE: Rich Donnelly on How to Give Signs

  FOR PETE’S SAKE: The Day a Clubhouse Guy Scored a Touchdown

  JUST FOR KICKS: Landon Donovan on How to Score on a PK

  MIGHTIEST FIGHT (BOXING): The First Ali-Frazier Bout

  BRAZIL NUTS: You, Too, Can Have a Brazilian Soccer Name

  BY THE NUMBERS: Howie Schwab Counts Up the Uniforms

  BILL OF RIGHTS: The Orioles on How to Wear Your BB Cap

  JOCK IN CHIEF: Curly Lambeau Writes to Gerald Ford

  READY FOR PRIME TIME: The Ins and Outs of Playground Hoops

  GOLDEN PARACHUTES: Sports Kicked Out of the Olympics

  THE MASTER: A Golf Lesson from Bobby Jones

  “BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE”: A Sportscast for the Ages

  THE HEATER: Chris Young on How to Throw It by Them

  THE CHANGEUP: Todd Jones on How to Fool Them

  PRIVATE QUARTERS: Inside Donovan McNabb’s Locker

  TRUE CALLING: How Many Cy Youngs Would Cy Young Have Won?

  SIGH YOUNG: The Wrong Delivery for a Pitcher

  SEVEN WONDERS: You Have to Be There to Appreciate Them

  THE ROPES: Get a Jump-Start with Sugar Shane Mosley

  STARTLING FIVE: Steve Hirdt’s Favorite Stumpers

  UNCOMMON SCENTS: Don’t Stop to Smell the Hockey Bags

  REEL BAD: Jeffrey Lyons Picks the Five Worst Sports Movies

  BEND IT LIKE KLJESTAN: A Team USA Player on How to Curve a Free Kick

  SPORTUGUESE: What’s a Blutarsky? A Quiz on Sports Lingo

  MIGHTY CASEY: The Man Who Wrote America’s Best-Known Poem

  FROM THE PEN: A Poem by the Late Dan Quisenberry

  MIGHTIEST FEAT (OLYMPICS): The Day Bob Beamon Did the Impossible

  SUPER STARS: Super Bowl Score—Carol Channing 2, Lions 0

  SECOND HELPING: Robert Lansdorp on How to Hit a Second Serve

  MEASURE FOR MEASURE: What the Quarterback Rating Really Means

  PASS KEY: An NFL QB Guru on How to Throw a Spiral

  VINE YARD: The Story Behind the Ivy at Wrigley Field

  BAND LEADERS: The Five Greatest College Fight Songs

  UNDERHANDED WAYS: How to Make Hitting a Softball Hard

  MIGHTIEST GAME (HOCKEY): Why the Miracle on Ice Wasn’t Really

  REAL SORRY: Missing the Triple Crown by a Nose

  ACE OF CLUBS: The Master of the Hole in One

  MIGHTIEST GAME (BASKETBALL): The Night Wilt Chamberlain Scored 100

  AIR BALLS: The Family Secrets of the Wiffle Ball

  COLOR FAST: Why the Tour de France Leader Wears Yellow

  ALL THE RAGE: The Five Best (or Worst) Sports Tantrums

  MAKING WAVES: Gertrude Ederle Never Stopped Swimming

  TAKE A HIKE: A Long Snapper on Why It’s Not a Snap

  ROLL THE DICE: Strat-O-Matic’s All-Time Baseball Team

  BOOK MARKS: Five Reasons Sports Literature Isn’t an Oxymoron

  HIDING IN THE HALLS: Behind the Scenes in Cooperstown and Canton

  FACE VALUE: A WSOP Winner on How to Hide Your Emotions

  10 COMMANDMENTS: A Decalogue of Sports Sins

  BIG FLAP: How Not to Trot Around the Bases

  IN FOCUS: So You Want to Be a Sports Photographer?

  MIGHTIEST GAME (FOOTBALL): Hail Mary, Full of Grace

  MASKED MEN: Meet the Patron Saint of Goalies

  LUCKY CHARMS: Athletes Are a Superstitious Lot

  TABLETOPS: How to Rule at Table Tennis

  BREAKING ANKLES: Chris Paul on How to Fake Out an Opponent

  TAPING ANKLES: Kevin Carroll on How to Wrap an Ankle

  MIGHTIEST GAME (BASEBALL): The Story of the Merkle Boner

  MISSPELL CHECK: It Pays to Make a Mistake—on Baseball Cards

  CARD GAMES: How to Play with Major Leaguers

  TAKE 2: Error-Director: Five Sports-Movie Errors

  LEADING LADIES: The Woman Behind Title IX

  SIT FOR THE GOLD: The Importance of the Coxswain

  PAPER PIGSKIN: How to Join the Fold of Paper Footballers

  FALL CLASSICS: Yogi Berra’s Five Favorite World Series Games

  THE REAL GIPPER: The Man Who Inspired the Famous Speech

  HORSES CALLED MEN: Thoroughbreds Named After Famous People

  GETTING NOTICED: How to Shine at a Tryout

  SLIM AND NONE: Your Chances of Becoming a Pro

  THROWS LIKE A GIRL: The Woman Who Struck Out Ruth and Gehrig

  CREATURE FEATURE: The Original Phanatic’s Best and Worst

  UP A TREE: What It’s Like to Be the Stanford Mascot

  GREENER GRASS: Tips from George Toma, a Legend in His Field

  THE CRADLE: The Essence of Lacrosse

  THE BIGGER THEY COME …: A Sports Promotion Gone Wrong

  MIGHTIEST FIGHT (NONBOXING): The Day Santa Claus Dropped His Gloves

  FORE SCORE: The Best Presidential Golfer Might Surprise You

  HARDWARE STORIES: The Tales Behind Some Famous Trophies

  A BUMP UP: You May Never Be a Mogul, But You Can Ski One

  THE VOICE OF GOD: The NFL’s Greatest Storyteller, John Facenda

  THE LUCKIEST SPEECH: Lou Gehrig Almost Didn’t Give a Farewell Address

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Native American youths in Florida circa 1564 shoot arrows, throw balls at targets placed atop poles, and run races. This engraving, inspired by the paintings of sixteenth-century explorer Jacques le Moyne de Morgues, was originally published in 1591.

  Introduction

  BY STEVE WULF

  A few of our favorite things: the wooden frame that once held Carl Hubbell’s Hall of Fame plaque; a 1924 New York Baseball Writers Dinner program, signed by Babe Ruth; a Babe Parilli model leather helmet; a pin signed by members of the PBA tour, circa 1985; an Andy Seminick model catcher’s mitt.

  ABabe Parilli leather helmet. A program autographed by Babe Ruth. A Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger bat. A bowling pin signed by members of the PBA tour. A Jerry West figurine. An empty bag of 4 Bagger chewing tobacco. A Bo Belinsky button. A Bo Jackson Raiders jersey.

  Those are just some of the things I’ve acquired over time. A lot of stuff, most of it scattered about my office, much of it having to do with baseball: a Carl Yastrzemski McDonald’s glass, an ancient catcher’s mask, two seats from Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, a Russian baseball poster, a sanitary sock once worn by Doc Gooden, a ball autograp
hed by the members of the 1936 Washington Senators, an old portable typewriter, a lineup card from the 1993 World Series, a T-shirt that reads I COVERED THE PINE TAR GAME. And a lot of years, most of them spent as a sportswriter who’s often on the lookout for something that evokes the past or celebrates the moment.

  My secret vice is pulling over at antiques stores or flea markets. I once tried to buy a Duke Snider bat at an antiques store in Westmoreland, New York, only to be told it was not for sale. “That’s what I use to confront shoplifters,” said the lady proprietor. No bat, but I did get a San Francisco Giants calendar with all three Alou brothers (Felipe, Matty, and Jesus) on the cover.

  In its own way, this book is kind of a flea market. A lot of stuff. A lot of years. There are anecdotes, arguments, quotes, quizzes, lists, lessons, histories, mysteries, speeches, facts, curios. It’s haphazard enough that you can drop in anywhere. But it also has a logic to it that will become apparent as you leaf through the pages.

  I should point out that I am not the sole proprietor of the book. Most of these items were suggested or written by others: colleagues at ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Books, and Ballantine; friends and family; fellow youth coaches; professional acquaintances. What they all had in common was a curiosity about sports: these are some of the things they wanted to know more about. There are 101 entries here, as well as an almost equal number of random oddities and quotes.

  An empty bag of 4 Bagger tobacco.

  As for the title, the “Mighty” is meant to be both playful and folksy. You may have noticed a spate of sports books out there that assert to be about “The Greatest” game, or “The Last” season, or “The One True” athlete. We make no claim that this is an omnipotent, all-encompassing book. The sports world is so huge, so old, so fascinating, that no one book could pretend to be definitive. We just think this book is mighty interesting.

  Within its pages are a lot of things you may not already have in your grasp. Ways to jump rope like Sugar Shane Mosley, or run pass patterns like Jerry Rice, or tape a hockey stick like Wayne Gretzky. Food for arguments about the best sports books, the worst sports movies, the greatest athlete to wear the number 32. Stories about the woman most responsible for Title IX, the fight that broke out among Santa Clauses, the clubhouse attendant who scored a touchdown. Tours of Donovan McNabb’s locker, the Seven Wonders of the Sports World, Phil Mickelson’s golf bag. The truth about the Gipper, the chances of becoming a pro, the reason why the Tour de France leader wears yellow. And while you’re browsing, you’ll encounter Yogi Berra, Chris Paul, Carol Channing, Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Jones, Cal Ripken, Jim Valvano, John Wooden, Gertrude Ederle, Michael Phelps, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig …

  A Russian baseball poster.

  Among my most prized possessions is the wooden frame that once housed Carl Hubbell’s original Hall of Fame plaque. Back in the late ’70s, before memorabilia became a business, the Baseball Hall of Fame revamped its gallery and simply discarded the frames. Some of them ended up with the proprietor of the batting cage adjacent to Doubleday Field, who sold them for modest prices based on the inhabitant’s fame. (If I recall correctly, Candy Cummings went for $12.)

  The plaque has been replaced by a mirror, not for the sake of vanity, but for the purpose of reflection. Think of Hubbell, then think of all the athletes who came before and after him. Think of the time Ty Cobb cut Hubbell from the Detroit Tigers, then think of all the similar surprises offered by sports. Think of that screwball of his, then think about all the tricks of the trades. Think of the 1934 All-Star Game in which Hubbell struck out, in succession, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin, then think about all the great athletic feats.

  That’s what we call mighty.

  —STEVE WULF

  The Great International Caledonian Games, Jones Woods,

  New York City, July 1, 1867.

  SOCK IT AWAY

  JOHN WOODEN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HOSIERY

  It starts with the socks. That’s what longtime (1948-75) UCLA basketball coach John Wooden believed, so that was the first thing he taught his incoming Bruins. As one of his players, Bill Walton, recalls, “Here we are, these eager young men ready to learn the key that will unlock it all from the greatest college basketball mind the world has ever known, and he says, ‘I’m going to show you how to put on your socks.’ And now we’re saying to ourselves, ‘I’m a high school All-America. Who is this antique?’”

  According to Wooden, “I personally demonstrated how I wanted the players to put on their socks: Carefully roll the socks down over the toes, paying special attention to having the seam going horizontally over the toes. Then proceed with bringing the sock over the ball of the foot, arch, and around the heel; then pull the sock up snug so there will be no wrinkles of any kind.”

  Actually, there were two pairs of socks. The coach wanted the first pair turned inside out so that the softer part would be against the skin. The outer sock would go on normally over the first sock. “I would then have the players carefully check with their fingers for any folds or creases in the sock. I paid special attention to the heel because this is where the wrinkles are most likely.… This may seem like a nuisance, trivial, but I had a very practical reason for being meticulous about this. Wrinkles, folds, and creases can cause blisters. Blisters interfere with performance during practice and games.”

  As for shoes, Wooden wanted them to fit snugly, with very little room at the toe, and he wanted them tied tightly—“start at the bottom of the laces, snug, snug, snug”—with a double knot.

  “We came to realize,” says Walton, “that the simple process of putting on your socks the right way led to everything else. He never told us the answers, just how to get there. To this day, though, I can’t lose the image of him, barefoot in the locker room. Coach Wooden, I’m afraid, had very ugly feet.”

  Coach Wooden talks with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and other UCLA freshmen, 1965.

  UNTOUCHABLE

  JERRY RICE ON HOW TO RUN A PASS PATTERN

  What if you were going out for a pass in touch football and had the benefit of the experience, if not the talent, of someone who had caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns in the NFL? What route would you run?

  Meet Jerry Rice.

  First of all, touch football is fantastic. It’s all about quickness and being elusive. You can really focus on your routes and on catching the ball without worrying about getting killed.

  The number one thing is, don’t let them get their hands on you. If you can get off the line cleanly, there’s nothing they can do to stop you. I’d run a post route in the middle of the field, then, once I got to the red zone, put a double move on and run a post corner. That’s like taking candy from a baby.

  Pick routes are also great. If you can have your second WR come across the middle and reroute that linebacker a little bit, the number one guy will be wide open in the flat. It’s just up to the QB to get him the ball.

  Rice says that just as in pro football, the QB and his receivers have to be on the same page in touch football.

  If your QB is having a bad day, run a couple of safer routes and build his confidence back up. Then you can go for the home run ball. And stay positive. Bill Walsh used to tell us, ‘If you don’t feel like you have a chance of winning, then you’re already defeated.’ That’s just as true in touch as it is in tackle.”

  THE PITS

  13 SECONDS WITH A NASCAR PIT CREW

  They don’t sell Caleb Hurd T-shirts at Walmart, but they should. The former Virginia Tech holder on placekicks now handles the gas can for Jeff Gordon’s Rainbow Warriors, NASCAR’s most storied pit crew. Says Hurd, “Jeff can drive his guts out for 40 laps, and then we can undo everything with one bad stop. It makes handling a kick in the BCS title game feel like a walk in the park.”

  What’s the big deal? Let’s take a look inside a four-tire, two-cans-of-fuel Sprint Cup pit stop—13 seconds of beautifully brutal ballet:

  Jeff Go
rdon’s first NASCAR race, in November of 1992, was Richard Petty’s last.

  The driver brings his 3,400-pound race car to a perfect stop inside the white-lined pit box, allowing enough room between his left side and the wall for the crew to work, but not stopping so far right that they’re in harm’s way. Seven men go over the wall while another half dozen provide support behind it.

  The jack man slings his 45-pound aluminum jack around to the passenger side, and after him come two tire changers and two tire carriers toting a pair of 75-pound tires. With one stroke, the car rises as the tire changers pop off five lug nuts with their air wrenches.

  The gas man is already emptying the first of two 11-gallon, 70-pound cans of fuel, which are guided into the nozzle by his assistant, the catch-can man. When the first is empty, he tosses it over the wall and is handed the second.

  As the changers pull off the old right-side rubber, the carriers slap two new ones onto the studs. Five fresh lugs are preglued to the wheel wells, firmly enough to stick but loosely enough to let the wrenches do the job. The carriers and the jack man chase down the old tires, which will incur a NASCAR penalty if they roll out of the pit box.

  The instant the last lug is tight, the jack drops, and everyone heads over to the other side, careful not to trip over the air hoses, slip on the white pit-box paint, or crash into the fuelers at the rear of the car.

  The process is then repeated on the left side of the ride.

  Once the old tires are behind the wall, the tire carriers busy themselves scraping trash off the front grille, cleaning the windshield by pulling away a Mylar tear-off, or making a chassis adjustment by snapping a ratchet wrench into the back windshield to raise or lower the rear of the car.

  Everyone waits on the fuel man to finish filling, which is signified when gas starts to overflow into the catch-can man’s … well, you guessed it— into his catch can.

  With a twist of the handle, the jack man drops the car to the ground, which is the driver’s signal to drop the hammer—but not too hard. If he exceeds the 55 mph pit-road speed limit, he’s coming back around for a stop-and-go penalty.