Editor-In-Chief
McALLEN, Texas - In the late-1980s, after he'd made something of a name for himself with the lowly Texas Rangers, infielder, and fan favorite, Toby Harrah was traded to the New York Yankees. In Gotham City, Harrah never could duplicate his hitting prowess and was subsequently benched. His career soon ended, but it was a column by New York Daily News sportswriter Dick Young that sparked a bit of adios anger from Harrah.
Young, known as Big Dick in New York writing circles, penned a column saying Harrah's batting woes had come as a result of his "shacking up" with some broad in the Bronx. I thought about Dick Young after the hated Texas Rangers whipped my NY Yankees last night and now head for the World Series next week. I'm not much of a Sports Section reader in the Rio Grande Valley, mainly because the local sportswriters largely are "homers;" that is, they cheer for the hometeams and disdain objective reporting.
But Dick Young, shown in photo above, didn't take crap from anybody. He sparred with hyper-linguist Howard Cosell, Muhammad Ali and every uppity athlete who found himself in his crosshairs. Young died in 1987, yet his work has gained stature even in death.
Wrote one New York Times sportswriter: "With all the subtlety of a knee in the groin, Dick Young made people gasp...He could be vicious, ignorant, trivial and callous, but for many years he was the epitome of the brash, unyielding yet sentimental Damon Runyon sportswriter."
This year's World Series may be the most underwhelming of all time, especially if the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies and get to meet Texas. SF vs. Texas? Boring! No, the World Series never is the World Series without the Bombers. Baseball history is on my side.
But perhaps I'd be okay if only Dick Young covered the damned thing. It is the equal of seeing Gonzo Journalist Hunter S. Thompson cover our national politics. A no-bullshit interview of Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada by Thompson? Priceless literature...
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