The Grand Illusion🪞 - 1982 CWS - Are the Big Leagues Possible for Working Class Players?
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- The 1982 Miami Hurricanes won the College World Series against the odds with the help of a hidden ball trick that bewildered the nation. This underdog story called for a deep dive into the socioeconomic side of the game of baseball, and the feasibility of blue collar kids making it to the big leagues from the inner cities and/or Appalachia.
Players mentioned: Phil Stephenson, John Kruk, Billy Wagner
Music Credit: Silicon Estate, Chris Haugen
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Come for the obscure baseball stories, stay for the well-reasoned social commentary. I dig it.
Glad you enjoyed it! The social element of baseball is much more in my element than the numbers/sabermetrics side of baseball, which is quite popular here on RUclips, hoping to take the path less traveled a bit.
HatBilly! Thoughtful stuff, as always. A meandering walk through Appalachia is a fine one, indeed. I appreciate your ability to tie seemingly disparate elements into a cogent and meaningful message.
That means a lot, Adam! This was a combination of a few different ideas sitting on my hard drive, glad it came across coherent. 🤣
Foul! Adam Eden stole my thoughts, and expressed them perfectly! Great job, HatBilly and Adam Eden!
This. This right here dude. You nailed it and in such a thought inspiring way. Thank you man. I have been lamenting the decrease in black players over the years, kind of blaming travel ball and the high cost barrier of entry. This was more than just baseball. Always root for the underdog.
I appreciate it! Really glad this message resonated with you, this has been on my mind for quite some time, I just finally devised a tasteful way to complain about it. 😅
Professor Hatbilly! You sure bring a depth into the discussion of baseball. Sure good to see your pieces again. And for bringing up the subject to us of how baseball accessibility has decreased. Your comments “shines brightly in such a weary world” -Bill Shakespeare
I really appreciate the kind words! I'll keep that in mind when planning future videos. I was afraid this one was a little too scatterbrained, but the reception has been great.
Hatbilly, you're too intelligent for RUclips. Thanks for classing-up the joint!
Good point, I don't believe there are too many nerds on the forefront of RUclips, it could use a few more. 🤣
John Kruk had a book called "I Ain't an Athlete, Lady" based on a real life encounter with a fan that was surprised to see him smoking. She said "Aren't you an athlete?" He said " I ain't an athlete , lady. I'm a baseball player"
Most definitely added to my list of baseball books to read. So hilarious!
Another great piece. ... I grew up in a low-income housing, and baseball was my only reason to get decent grades. In high school, American Legion ball was free and the best summers ever. It's really tough, now, to see kids who can't afford summer travel teams dropping out. It's more than athletics, it's education and their entire future. It's not fair.
Agreed, leagues like American Legion showed that baseball could be affordable for the majority. A classic case of it not being broke, but they fixed it anyway.
Very well done. I agree with you, being a product of rural Pennsylvania, opportunities in baseball for those in Appalachia are hard to come by. When a player is able to gain an opportunity, he usually flourishes. Coaches at the college and professional levels don't look at talent, they are interested in a near finished product. The talent is there, but the opportunities aren't easy to find.
I appreciate it! I totally agree. Recruiting is so streamlined these days, there's entire regions of the country largely passed over solely because of the level of play.
@@Hatbilly think about this for a second, Harmon Killebrew was from where, what about Dick Allen or Roger Maris? None of them would get an opportunity in the current situation.
@@michaelmartz8426 That's very sad, but true. I hope MLB bolsters their initiatives to keep kids like that in the game and sticks to it.
@@Hatbilly I believe scouting isn't anything like it was 50+ years ago. They don't need to "beat the bushes" in the search for talent. Franchise management seem to believe sufficient talent can be found in the southern states or Caribbean, with a splash of talent from Asia. To me, it is sad to see great baseball talent being wasted because a kid looks rough due to a lack of good coaching or game experience.
Killing off the minor leagues doesn't help the situation either. I'm certain Low A will be eliminated by 2025, maybe even High A by the early 2030's...
This is really good stuff man, keep it up
Everyone used to be working class because everyone had to work. Honus Wagner worked in mines at age 12. Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bob Feller and dozens of others were farm boys. Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench picked cotton. A few came from middle class families. Lou Gehrig dropped out of Columbia to play ball. Jackie Robinson did jr college then UCLA. Population shifted from rural to urban. The same collective bargaining which created a huge middle class also enriched baseball players when they were freed from the slavery of the reserve clause.
Rural or urban, across the board kids from low income families continue to face disadvantages. It's an unfortunate economic reality caused by the destruction of the middle class and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.
Thanks for that perspective on it, you hit the nail on the head!
He’s back! Looking forward to some new content from ya man.
Styx, such an underrated band
Definitely trying to get back on the grind, my man! The part about Styx was originally like four minutes long, but I figured people would forget it was a baseball video. I've always loved that band.
Great video as always! Glad you're back!
Hey, thanks!
Glad to see you back to uploading vids again. A great one as always!
It's good to be back! Sorry to leave you guys hanging for a while.
Great video essay. I am now rooting for Appalachia, Billy Wagner and a sudden resurgence of poor black and white kids to take over baseball.
A styx album? French war films? You're putting out some of the best stuff on youtube.
Great video !!! And you have many. This was relatable as a kid who played soccer in a working class neighborhood of the midwest in the 80s. The club ball kids used us a practice for other teams with club player stock.
great video and the answer is unfortunately no
dude. great content. Billy Wags was the man. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate it! I'd like to make a full video on Wagner's career eventually. We'll see.
Absolutely brilliant. Bravo.
I appreciate the kind words! More is on the way.
Not sure how I missed Kruk’s backstory living in Philly 91-93 and going to games at the Vet! Thanks for filling me in.
And yeah, there are probably a ton more Latino kids playing, but baseball needs to step it up. Thanks for - as others have said - connecting the dots.
No issue with the way the game has grown in Latin America, I just know there's more MLB could do to keep the game accessible to prospective players on their own soil.
Glad to see you back.As usual hit this one out of the park.Btw my father is still hanging in there.I don't get much free time,but certainly would like to do some trout fishing or catch a Baysox,or Orioles game this year.Always have an invite half hour from both ballparks.
Really glad he's hanging in there! I appreciate the invite, it sounds like a great time.
This channel is so good for so many reasons, but the Styx reference really nailed it for me. Sir, you have absolutely won me over.
Thanks! I'm as big of a music fan as I am with baseball, so I look for opportunities to relate the two!
You know brother you hut it right on the head man. I'm not black or from Appalachia, but I did grow up in a poor white immigrant family, and even though I'm not athletic at all, and my hand eye coordination was always bad, I knew and my brother knew as well, not even to ask about our mom and dad about little league, because we know we couldn't afford it. Honestly, don't even know how we could have survived nowadays as kids need phones and all this other stuff.
Thanks for the kinds words and for sharing your story here! Definitely fits my theory that many families are "priced out" of the game from a young age.
Great video, from one Appalachian to another.
Thanks, Jesse! Hang in there in all this strange-ass weather!
You make some really good content. Keep it up. BZ
I appreciate it!
This is my fav video yet man keep up the great work!
Happy I was able to put something together you enjoyed!
Phil Stephenson was supposed to be a big league star
I'm amazed he didn't get it going in the majors like everyone predicted.
I was literally wondering where Billy had been two days ago. Great content per usual 👏🏽 👌
I appreciate your concern! All is well. More to come. 😅
HEEEEEEEYYYYY!!!
You're back!!!
It's good to be back on the grind!
Juxtaposition, which Is the worst word ever.
Dang. You covered some serious ground in that one. Your content is insightful and entertaining. There is a lot of truth there. Being a baseball man from upstate NY (also part of the Appalachian range and very similar to places you described), and now in prime baseball land, middle Tennessee, I acknowledge your viewpoints on youth baseball. But even from modest (poor) beginning to still modest existence now, we have experienced and now try to help provide opportunity through baseball despite monetary limitations - maybe as an anomaly.
Overall, you make great points and historical allusions.
🤞Long live baseball as a working man's game.
I took a 3 month or so sabbatical from these videos before I put this one together. I think it's pretty evident I just spilled all the varying thoughts I had over that time period.
I commend you for the time and effort you put into youth sports! In no way was my intention to disrespect anyone involved. I've just seen some pretty disheartening things in my time involved with it, and i needed to vent a little bit.
You're right on the money (pun intended). I see and have seen what I assume are the same things. And heading to college, I did feel very disadvantaged being from where I was and with no money. I actually showed up never having owned my own game bat (unimaginable to most kids now) and having played far fewer games than other players. Your post was a great reminder to continue to make efforts to keep desire and work ethic, not money, paramount in giving baseball opportunities. I don't have my own organization, I just volunteer coach and train as I can. But many who do could take some cues from this video.
The cage is always free and open at my house. 👍
Keep up the great work.
this video is so good. loved the story telling and showcasing some really cool baseball from the past. good luck!
I really appreciate it, man! Can't wait to riff on base all with you guys! The kind of support found in this community is so special.
@@Hatbilly yeah, because the community is actualyly really small. in terms on diy stuff. none of that big time prodcued stuff going on here. we don't need it! haha just honest work!
Great stuff.
I appreciate it! 😁