Imagine if Twitter existed at the same time as Ray Caldwell, an absolute legend.
Another interesting story about Caldwell, according to this article:
Pitcher struck by lightning, unconscious, stayed in
It was an electric performance
Caldwell was known as a talented pitcher who, due to a fondness for ... let's say "nightlife," never was able to put together sustained bouts of success. Nevertheless, if you caught him in a period of remorseful repentance he could really help a team's pitching staff.
Prior to the 1919 season, the Yankees traded the 31-year-old Caldwell to the Red Sox after he had left the team without notice during the 1918 season. (It wasn't the first time he'd disappeared, but the team must have decided he was no longer worth the trouble.) Boston manager Ed Barrow had a reputation for being tough, so there was some hope of engineering a change in Caldwell.
In Boston, however, he became road roommates with a 24-year-old pitcher and slugger named Babe Ruth who also enjoyed the occasional drink. The outcome was predictable: Caldwell quickly wore out his welcome in Boston and was released in early August.
After getting jettisoned by two teams in the span of nine months, Caldwell's future prospects in the game didn't look good. But, the Indians were chasing the White Sox for the American League pennant and were desperate for whatever pitching could be had -- and Caldwell could be had.
Cleveland manager Tris Speaker had an unusual plan to find a sustainable balance between work and play for Caldwell: After every game he pitched, he would be encouraged to get drunk and would not report to the clubhouse the next day. When he returned the second day following his start, he would run a bunch of laps around the park to get it out of his system. Then he would begin the process of preparing for his next start.
No one could say no to a deal like that, so Caldwell signed with the team on Aug. 19.
Entire article:
https://www.mlb.com/news/ray-caldwell-struck-by-lightning-while-pitching