The oldest track & field blog on the internet

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Great Minds Think Alike

Almost daily, I update my own World Rankings in this space. Sometimes it seems like I'm only doing it for myself.

Now the New York Times tells us Jack Kerouac did the same, but on a far grander scale.
Almost all his life Jack Kerouac had a hobby that even close friends and fellow Beats like Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs never knew about. He obsessively played a fantasy baseball game of his own invention, charting the exploits of made-up players like Wino Love, Warby Pepper, Heinie Twiett, Phegus Cody and Zagg Parker, who toiled on imaginary teams named either for cars (the Pittsburgh Plymouths and New York Chevvies, for example) or for colors (the Boston Grays and Cincinnati Blacks).

He collected their stats, analyzed their performances and, as a teenager, when he played most ardently, wrote about them in homemade newsletters and broadsides. He even covered financial news and imaginary contract disputes. During those same teenage years, he also ran a fantasy horse-racing circuit, complete with illustrated tout sheets and racing reports. He created imaginary owners, imaginary jockeys, imaginary track conditions.

3 comments:

Dylan said...

I love your posts and blog! YOu are not doing it just for yourself. Your site is the best for keeping up with track and field. Facebook me if you are on that.

Ed Spillane
espillane@cstx.gov
College Station, TX

Carl Wilhelm said...

Just wanted to let you know I enjoy reading your posts so you're not doing it just for yourself! Excellent story about Jack Kerouac! Also wanted to pass along that I've changed my blog address to www.the400meter.com. Makes it eaier to remember (i think!) if you ever get a chance ( i know your busy from reading your blogs!) could you check it out and giveme some pointers? Thanks!
carl
www.the400meter.com (formerly www.trackandfield400m.blogspot.com)

The Track & Field Superfan said...

Thanks for the words of encouragement!