I've never run across it and I've been a baseball junkie for a long time. I read Bouton's first book but not his second. I would think throwing grapefruits vs. oranges might help ruin a guy's arm, but what didn't back then (I mean innings abuse, guys not taking care of themselves because not as much $$$ riding on a baseball career).Perhaps most of us know/are familiar with the story?[/B][/I]
Bouton related the story in his follow up book I'm Glad You Didn't Take it Personally. It's as odd as it sounds. Guy just loved having his ass hammered by fruit. (I had remembered it as grapefruit,) He quoted an incredulous Radatz telling him about the story and then saying "and this was back when I was bringing it" for emphasis.
Ellis Kinder, mentioned above, apparently bent the elbow a lot and supposedly was out 'til 4:30 am the night before the pennant clinching game with NY in 1949 (lost of course, but he pitched very well). They could have nipped the curse in the bud right there, needing only one of two but losing both. In an alternate universe, they win one of them and then beat Brooklyn. In 1946 they also came close to not ever letting the word curse get attached to them, but, alas.
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