Wed December 5, 2012 How History Created The Cult Of The Catcher
NEAL CONAN, HOST: Earlier this week, Deacon White was elected to
the Baseball Hall of Fame. And yes, we know, you've never heard
of him. White's career began in 1871, at the dawn of
professional baseball. He played catcher in the days when
catchers use no equipment at all: no glove, no pads, no
facemask. They became heroes celebrated for their courage and
their wits, and Deacon White stood out as one of the best.
Baseball historian Peter Morris serves on what used to be called
the Veteran's Committee at Cooperstown. It's now called the Pre-
Integration Era Committee. He's also the author of "Catcher: How
the Man Behind the Plate Became an American Folk Hero" and joins
us now from the studios at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor. Good to
have you with us today. PETER MORRIS: My pleasure to be here,
Neal. CONAN: And in your book, you argue that the generation
that came of age after the Civil War looked around for some
heroes and found them behind home pl