We don’t laugh about losing anymore. That’s a pity, actually. There was a time when we could, when losing not only amused us but gave us something to feel good about.
There came a day early in 1962 when Casey Stengel, managing the Mets, observed that Chris Cannizzaro, his catcher, a man who made the major leagues because of his defense, wasn’t especially gifted at catching baseballs and was even worse throwing them. Those are not good qualities for a defensive catcher.
“This makes a man think,” Stengel said one day. “You look up and down the bench and you say to yourself, ‘Can’t anybody here play this game?