"He instinctively can find the shining greatness of our American culture and does a good job of highlighting it (although he also does have those rare lapses when he writes about hockey, but that is something caused by impurities in the Eastern waters or something)." Erik Keilholtz
Under the patronage of St. Tammany
Mark C. N. Sullivan is an editor at a Massachusetts university. He is married and the father of three children. Email
Before the Red Sox got rid of Babe Ruth, they got rid of Gavvy Cravath, home run king of the Dead Ball Era.
Cravath picked up his nickname when he was playing in California and hit a ball that killed a seagull -- gaviota in Spanish – in flight.
Criticized as a Red Sox rookie for his plodding speed afoot, he struck a Jack Aubreyesque note in his own defense:
"They call me wooden shoes and piano legs and a few other pet names. I do not claim to be the fastest man in the world, but I can get around the bases with a fair wind and all sails set. And so long as I am busting the old apple on the seam, I am not worrying a great deal about my legs."
As the Red Sox won four titles after selling him to the White Sox, there was no talk of a Gavvy Cravath curse, but he went on to become baseball's home run king in the pre-Ruth era.
His record of 24 home runs in a year, set with the Phillies in 1915, was broken by Ruth in 1919, and his career record of 119 round-trippers was broken by Ruth in 1921.
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