Great Piece on Mudcat Grant

I’ve been a fan of photographer Chris Arnade for quite some time, following him on social media and on Tumblr.  (If you’re unfamiliar with Chris’s work, I strongly suggest you check it out).  Aside from taking some really beautiful and powerful pictures, Chris also tells the story of the individuals within the photo.  Much of his work focuses on the Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point and the people that live there; people who are often forgotten or written off by much of society.  One of the reasons I became interested in history, and why I pursued graduate study in the subject, was to learn about the people that sometimes are forgotten.  I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so fascinated by Chris’s work; it tells the story of addicts and prostitutes, of people living in poverty just trying to get by.  There are other stories that he tells through photos and words on his Tumblr, and yesterday I was pleased and surprised to see that former Indians pitcher Mudcat Grant was featured.

It turns out that Chris and Mudcat Grant are from the same area in Florida, and he’s one of the reasons that Chris grew up an Indians fan.  I’ve read many pieces on Mudcat over the years, but I really enjoyed this one.  It includes discussion of his hometown, Lacoochee, as well as his baseball career and includes pictures of Mudcat and his hometown.  I highly recommend taking a few minutes to go read it.

(Here’s another link to the story, just in case):

James Mudcat Grant