Letters

Josh Jr. says he doesn't like people calling his father "the black Babe Ruth." Perhaps Ruth should be called "the white Josh Gibson."
—ERIC MARK, Paramus, N.J.

Bigotry Is to Blame
It's sad that black players like Josh Gibson (above) were kept out of the major leagues. This was due in large part to the racist views imposed by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who's a member of the Hall of Fame. In the perverse world of baseball, gambling is considered a more despicable act than a crime against humanity.
BRUCE CHRISTENSEN, Pittsford, N.Y.

A Legend Resuscitated
Kudos to John Schulian on the wonderful article about Josh Gibson (Laughing on the Outside, June 26). Most players in the Negro leagues have been forgotten. Players such as Josh and Satchel Paige paved the way for Jackie Robinson. They had to play great to attract attention, and because they did Jackie broke through.
CHAD HUBER, Birch Run, Mich.

It's a shame that Gibson is so often dismissed because people can't fathom a player with Mark McGwire's power, Ivan Rodriguez's arm and Rickey Henderson's speed. As for the argument that Gibson's home run stats were inflated because they came against inferior pitchers, could the pitching in the Negro leagues have been any worse than it is in the majors today?
JON SWARD, Glorieta, N. Mex.

Your article brought back pleasant memories. I grew up in the Bronx in the '40s and worked part-time in Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. In the mornings we sat around filling bags with peanuts and talking. Talk sometimes got around to teams in the Negro leagues playing that day and if anyone wanted to go there and work the stands. The question always arose, "Is Josh playing?" Uninformed, I asked, "Who's Josh?" I was told that he's the guy who hit one out of the Stadium, that he hit one into the bleachers in the Polo Grounds—the stories mentioned in your article and then some. Myth? Legend? Hey, those stories were being told while Josh was alive!
ED ROMAINE, Massapequa, N.Y.

By George!
I enjoyed CATCHING UP WITH... George McGinnis (June 26). A couple of years ago McGinnis was visiting relatives in my hometown of Childersburg (pop. 4,600), Ala. I called the hotel and asked him to speak to our youth basketball team. He apologized and said that he was too tired and that he'd fly out to Baltimore early the next morning. Fifteen minutes into practice, McGinnis walked into the community center. He was generous with his time, spoke to the team and a week later sent an ABA replica basketball for the kids to use in practice. I knew he was 6'8", but that day I found out why he is known as Big George.
ROYCE WARREN, Childersburg, Ala.

Security Deposit?
No, Sammy Sosa (Storm Center, June 26), your $42 million, four-year deal doesn't top those of Ken Griffey Jr. ($116.5 million for nine years) or Kevin Brown ($105 million for seven years). But $10.5 million a year doesn't give you "the kind of long-term security" those guys get? How secure do you need to be?
DON FREEDMAN, Greensboro, N.C.

A Modest Proposal
The column Tear Down Wrigley! is a masterly satire because Mark Mravic argues logically from the wrong premise (SCORECARD, July 3). The paradox in his argument is that one has to destroy to rebuild. Winning does not guarantee a profit, as the Florida Marlins have demonstrated. Mravic points out implicitly that profit, not winning games, is the real business of professional baseball in general and of the Chicago Cubs in particular.
JAMES E. HICKS, Belleville, Ill.

Are you insane? Tear down Wrigley? Why don't you suggest taking a sledgehammer to the Statue of Liberty? Over the years I've taken many people to Wrigley, and the looks on their faces when they walked up the stairs and first saw the field have been priceless. I've been to most major league stadiums, and not one is in the same class as the Friendly Confines. Yes, Wrigley is old. Yes, it's small. But it's all about baseball. All the contraptions and distractions are absent. You go to a Cubs game and you've got no choice but to watch baseball.
JANET WARD, Atlanta

Mravic states that Wrigley should be torn down and a new ballpark built to inspire the players to win and the fans to get tougher. I've got one example for you: Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Arguably the best stadium in baseball, Camden is packed for nearly every home game. The team is loaded with high-priced talent, and it still can't put together a champion. Clearly the problem is ownership. The Cubs can't put together a winner because they don't have an owner dedicated to doing so.
JOHN PENCE, Washington, D.C.