Way Off Base

Surprising early statements made about six baseball greats:

Babe Ruth “Mistake to stop pitching” (Tris Speaker)

Jackie Robinson “Can’t hit inside pitch” (Bob Feller)

Sandy Koufax “Don’t sign him” (Branch Rickey Jr.)

Willie Mays “So-so center fielder” (New York Daily News)

Phil Rizzuto “Too small” to play (Casey Stengel)

Tom Seaver “He won’t make it” (Cubs scout)

Source: “The Experts Speak” (Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky, Pantheon Books, 1998)