1998 Volume 121 No 1–4 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

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such a thing as a players' union
Lou: I don't see how it possibly could work. Because at that
rate a boy would not be rewarded for his abilities. A
ballplayers' union would put everybody in the same class
and it would put the inferior
ballplayer, the boy who
has a tendency to loaf
in the same class, as far
as salary is concerned,
with the fellow who
husties and has great
ability and takes
advantage of his
ability.
Anc: So for that
reason, a union
would not work as
far as you see
Lou: I can't see it
now.
Anc: Would you say
ballplayers as a
whole play for salary or do you think the majority play for
the love of the game
Lou: I think it's a combination of both. I think every
ballplayer is so crazy about the game that he'd go out and
play in his spare time if he weren't able to earn a living at it
and, of course, we must earn our bread and butter too.
Anc: It's nice to be able to earn money while having fun.
Lou: (Laughter) Oh, exactly right.
Anc: Would you say the young
ballplayers now coming up, on average
compare with
ballplayers of other
days
Lou: I think
they're just as
good.
Anc: Fine. I'm glad to
hear that from a man
who should be able to
make judgment.
Lou: Absolutely. Men like
Connie Mack who've been in
baseball for over fifty years still
insist baseball today is as good, if
not superior to, baseball of thirty,
thirty-five years ago.
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Anc: And I can't imagine anybody not knowing, that is, knowing
any better than Connie Mack.
Lou: That's the truth.
Anc: What advice would you give, as a baseball player, to
boys hoping to become professional baseball players That is,
to keep their health and fitness.
Lou: Well, to be able to play, you have to keep your health.
And in order to be able to play, you have to be able to practice
and put in a great deal of time. And you have to be a
L
New book: Lou Gehrig An American Classic
•fir HEN Lou GEHRING, HOPELESSLY ILL, STOOD IN FRONT
^^ of a sold out crowd and uttered those immortal
words:".. .today I consider myself the luckiest man on the
face of the earth," he drilled his name into the collective
subconscious of an entire nation.
A new book by Richard Bak takes a look at Brother
Lou's legend, both on and off the field,with beautiful photographs
(some dating back to the Iron Horse's childhood
and compelling writing.
The book looks at Gehrig's early days at Columbia (he
played football his freshman year)to his final fights with
ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The book is $29.95 and published
by Taylor Publishing in Dallas, Texas.
18 THE SCROLL SPRING 1998 http://www.phidelt-ghq.com