This is the introduction of the earliest of the Hall of Famers: Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Rube Wadell, John McGraw, etc. This is primarily a close look at individuals. The two greatest pitchers of their era played in different leagues, Johnson and Mathewson, and arguably the greatest hitter, Ty Cobb. The personalities are so varied. You had the great gentlemen and the sociopaths. You have Cobb who somehow managed to direct his anger at the game or he probably would have been hanged at some point. He was a racist, hated by his own teammates who actually congratulated another player who beat their teammate in the batting race. It also focused on the inimitable John McGraw, the 31 year manager of the New York Giants. This is when baseball truly began to have an identity, with real stars and great rivalries. It is the time of the first World Series. A really fine episode.
Review of Something Like a War
