Historic baseball

While watching 'The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg' I feel as though I have missed the greatest time for the sport of baseball.  I love my modern day Tigers (even my 2003, 119 lose Tigers), but I feel that I really missed out on the ground level of fandom.  Can I do anything about it?  Of course not.  But how great would it be to say, 'I watched Hank Greenberg play' or 'I remember when Al Kaline broke in.'  Saying something like 'I watched Denny McLain win thirty one games in '68.'?  It would make me feel really important.  Hell, I can't even say I watched Alan Trammell's first game, but at least I got to watch the majority of his career.  Come on, tell me a greater combo than Sweet Lou and Tram.  You can't. I suppose the one thing I have is watching Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello play their entire careers.  Those guys have talent, book it. 

But it's more than just wanting to see Tiger greats play.  As an overall feeling, I missed out on the greatest time in the sport.  The raw talent that some of these players had can top some of the modern day players.  There were still farm teams and systems that allowed players to develop, but there were players like Bob Feller who pitched his first game before the age of eighteen.  EIGHTEEN!  What were you doing when you were eighteen?  Not striking out professional baseball players that's what. 

I will forever love baseball over any other sport, just because I grew up watching it more than football or hockey.  Even with the steroids marring the image of the sport, I will stand tall for the sport.    I think that the one thing I want the game to get back to is playing for love of the game that the old timers had and still have.  It never will, but I can always hope.  I know that professional sports today is all about making the big bucks.  I don't care what any pro says.  You want to see an athlete play for the love of sport, go watch a minor league or an independent league game.  Most of those players know they will never play at Fenway or Wrigley or at the JLA or Madison Square Garden.  Then why continue to play?  Because they want to.  They play their sport they have played since childhood because they can and will.