Remembering Jim Thorpe
One of the greatest Americans played Major League Baseball for the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and (ironically) for the Boston Braves. I’m speaking of Jim Thorpe. Of mixed race (as are today’s Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees), he was stripped of his Olympics medals for the crime of playing semi-pro ball. Thorpe’s life was harsh. He excelled in all sports. As we think of Jackie Robinson, let us also reflect on what the life struggles of Jacobus Franciscus (James Francis) Thorpe say about our common humanity.
It’s worth noticing that Jim Thorpe’s teacher at Carlisle was Marianne Moore, the behatted poetic muse of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
I didn’t know this, brovit. Thank you.