By Louis A. Zona
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – I was reading through the sports pages the other night and saw that a 20-year-old minor league baseball player named Tamarr Johnson in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system refers to himself as “the greatest hitter in the world.”
Wow! I would say that the young man at least has chutzpah, even if it turns out that he doesn’t have the talent to back up his bragging.
But hey, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been so terrible of late that they should bring him on just in case he happens to be the next Shohei Ohtani.
Mr. Johnson may indeed become the next big star but let’s try a dose of humility. You might remember that Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) was the biggest braggart in the world…but he could back it up with his “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” style. He amazed the world with his bragging but more so with his punch.
One of the most famous brag episodes in Major League Baseball occurred when the great Babe Ruth was taking some ribbing from his opponents during a game in Chicago.
Having had enough of the teasing, Ruth stepped to the plate and pointed to the left field bleachers. He got his pitch and knocked the ball into the right field bleachers as the crowd went wild in disbelief. He had called the shot, becoming part of baseball lore in the process. Some in attendance that day doubted the famous pointed finger, and others swore that Ruth was merely extending an arm. But those of us who love baseball and know that Babe Ruth was capable of that feat believe that he hit the ball exactly where he wanted to quiet the teasing of the opposing team.
There is no shortage of gigantic egos in the world of entertainment.
Everyone’s favorite braggart, in my estimation, is Kanye West. His personality feeds his ego and vice versa. People like him add to the richness of American culture.
We also point to the famous people who are shockingly humble, like the late Tony Bennett, who seemingly had little or no ego. Bragging probably never appealed to him. Fortunately, people like him exist in our world.
One of my very favorite Broadway shows was “Camelot.” The original cast included Robert Goulet who played the biggest braggart in medieval history, Sir Lancelot. I love the Lerner and Lowe song that introduces the egotistical Knight of the Roundtable. The lyrics go:
“A knight of the table should be invincible, succeed where a less fantastic man would fail, climb a wall that no one else can climb, cleave a dragon in record time. Impossible deeds should be his daily fare.
“But where in the world is there in the world a man so extraordinary c’est moi. I’m forced to admit, ’tis I, I humbly reply. The man in whom these virtues are known ’tis I, it’s I, ’tis I.”
Goulet was the perfect actor to play Lancelot, since the actor was extremely good looking and had a powerful singing voice. I would add that I saw the road company of “Camelot” at the former Palace Theater in downtown Youngstown. Unforgettable!
But we needn’t go to the entertainment world to see bragging at its best, since so often we experience gigantic egos in operation.
For example, I once had a neighbor who could point out a stone and brag that it was really gold and get you to start believing it. Everything that he owned was naturally much better than anything that the rest of us could ever acquire. Everything that he had was always the very best even if it was stamped “Made in China.”
I do believe that a Sir Lancelot complex is a fascinating human development. It’s fascinating to see how many of us can rationalize something to the point where red becomes yellow and big becomes small.
In the case of my neighbor John, I believe that bragging rights should become his middle name. I’ve watched him lose a pickup tag football game and claim that he not only won the game but that he won it with a talent reserved for professional players. John was something special and the whole neighborhood admired his abilities – at least in his company.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who think that just about everything they make or possess is inferior and not worth bragging about.
I have an aunt who is a wonderful chef-quality cook. But even if she has made a terrific meal, she will point to the slightest irregularity and dwell on it. A perfect pasta dish is not so perfect in her eyes because maybe that pinch of salt was just too much seasoning.
Does a comment like this remind you of anyone you know: “I know that my golf score was the best of the day, but I should have made that last putt.”
Or how about this: “The Guardians had a great season, but if their pitchers had been more on their game, they would be in the World Series.”