Nostalgia

Somehow, among the fondest and most enduring sports memories of guys (and girls) in my generation, the baseball afros of the '70s loom large. Literally. It was part of the game. You wondered how they ever got a batting helmet onto that -- perhaps with some sort of large machinery that also screwed manhole covers or submarine hatches into place. Then when the player got a hit, the hat popped off somewhere between home and first base, usually with enough force that patrons in the first 30 rows of seats had to sign waivers against personal injury lawsuits.

Being a Phillies fan from back in the day, of course I'm partial to Bake McBride. But you have to admit, Oscar Gamble just ruled the roost. Literally. It's only slight comfort that he was a Phillie, too. That happened after the golden age of the baseball fro had passed.

Through the miracle of the Internet, there is a site devoted to the topic. Natch! It includes an all-afro team.