Crazy Uncle Dave's Sports Pages
A Quote to Start Things Off
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Pictures of Memories I
Friday, February 9, 2024
3 Former Bears in 2024 NFL Hall Of Fame Class.
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Jim Kaat Full Baseball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech and Jim Kaat on Dick Allen
Monday, June 27, 2022
What Jim Edmonds Greatest Career Catches has to do with my ADD
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
V is for Vladimir, Vladimir and Voice
I know this guy Vladimir
He is a true friend ,very dear
His name in Russian means swan
I would like to go on
But a limerick's lengths very clear
For more A to Z challenge click here.
Saturday, April 23, 2022
T is for Tupelo, Thomas & Tower
Good evening and welcome to day 20 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
If I spent the day in Tupelo
Where it's 14 above not below
While water would still freeze
28 more degrees
Would increase by old get up and go
From my Facebook account in the winter of 2014
.
I
Monday, April 18, 2022
O is for Orange, Oliva, and Overt
Good morning and welcome to day 15 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Orange, is a wonderful fruit.
And has vitamin C to boot.
While it's no crime,
That it has no good rhyme.
It does make me want to say "shoot!"
Monday, April 11, 2022
I is for Illinois, Ibanez and Imago
Good morning and welcome to a new week of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
H is for Hammer, Hank, and Hairy
Good morning and welcome to Day 8 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
I was born in 1964. I was 9 years old when Aaaron broke Ruth's record. Aaronhit his first homer in 1954 and his last in 1976. From 1954 to1963 Hank hit 342 home runs. This was 5th most of all players over that time period and only 40 less than Willie Mays who hit the most in that time period.
Friday, April 8, 2022
G is for Grief , Griffey, and Geode
Good morning and welcome to Day 7 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Monday, April 4, 2022
C is for Capital Punishment, Cal, and Codex
Good morning and welcome to Day 3 of the A to Z Challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB Sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z Wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Part I: A to Z Limericks
2 years ago my theme was state capitals. Last month in preparation for this years challenge. With memories of that challenge I wrote this limerick...
I once had a friend in Cheyenne
Who hated his cell phone plan
He got charged for roaming
Without leaving Wyoming
He's better off with a string and a can.
Written in March 2022 in anticipation of the challenge.
Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime
When you think of Cal Ripken you don't necessarily think of home runs. I think of the streak. I think of the period between May 30, 1982 and 9/19/1998 when he started 2,632 straight baseball games. Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals currently has a 467 consecutive game streak. Merrifield would have to play more than 13 seasons to get near that record. Merrifield is already 33 years old. Ripken was 38 when the streak ended.
Yet Ripken was a prolific homerun hitter. He hit 431 homers in his hall of fame career, 242 between 1988 and 1999 all with the Baltimore Orioles.
Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z
Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.
On March 3, 2022 I started with codex.
C O D E X - This gave me an O in the right place so I followed up with aorta.
A O R T A - In addition to the O, I got a T out of position. My next guess was robin.
R O B I N - This gave me the O and the N and also the R as there was no other space for it. That helped me get Mourn in 4.
M O U R N
For more A to Z challenge click here,
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Hall of Fame Part III: Who I Would Vote For
Each year members of the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) are given a hall of fame ballot with the names of the players eligible for consideration of enshrinement in Cooperstown. They are instructed to vote for as many as 10 of the players on the ballot. This years ballot contains 30 players so the writers can vote for up to 1/3 of players on the ballot. If a player receives 75% of the writers votes they are admitted into the Hall of Fame. If they receive under 75% but more than 5% they are retained on the ballot for the next year. The players have up to 10 years on the ballot to earn the 75% needed for enshrinement.
I am not a member of the BBWAA and I do not have a vote but to again paraphrase Rob Lowe as the Grinder "What if I were? and What if I did?"
I ask myself that question about this time each year. Here is what I've come up with for 2022.
First of all a little about my process. Each year I imagine what would happen if I was a member of the BBWAA and was asked to vote for a certain number of players and only that number, no more, no less. Than I imagine that I was asked to vote for one less than that original number, than one less than one less, until I was asked to just vote for one player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. By imagining a world like this I add a ranking component that the BBWAA lacks and I am able to shed a little light onto what players achievements I value more than others.
I also imagine a world where I am able to vote for as many players as I feel worthy of enshrinement. When I hit that number, which is 6 this year, I call that my Official Unofficial Ballot or OUB for short.
If I had 12 votes ...
Yes, I know that I just said that each BBWAA voter gets as many as 10 votes. But I also said, I am not a member. As a non member in good standing, I reserve the right to modify their rules whenever I please.
My 12th vote would go to Barry Bonds .
My yearly prognostication into all things Cooperstown started a few years before Bonds was on the ballot. In the nine previous years he has been on the ballot, the all time leader in home runs has never made my list before. The reason is very simple, I would never vote for him if I was given a real ballot. I have also never talked about why I would not vote for him. I just made my list and went on with my life.
So, why am I adding him this year? Well first of all, I am not adding him to mu OUB, I am not even adding him to the list of 10 players (the maximum BBWAA voters can choose), But that doesn't really answer the question as to why after 9 years of ignoring him am I putting him on my list this year? The answer is quite simple, even with all the reasons I would never vote for him the truth is had he not participated in that chapter of his life, he would have been a certain Hall of Famer. He may not have bypassed Aaron for the home Run record or even Broke McGwire's single season record, but he would have certainly been in the Hall of Fame by now and possibly on the first ballot. So in honor of his contributions to baseball that are not in question and because this is his last year on the ballot, one way or the other, I choose him 12th.
If I had only 11 votes, my 11th vote would go to Roger Clemens.
The 2 paragraphs I just wrote about Bonds could as easily have been written about the Rocket. I think the only difference is Roger Clemens would have been a certain first ballot Hall of Famer if his name wasn't so linked to the scandal that I endeavor so hard not to mention by name
If I had only 10 votes, my 10th vote would go to Jeff Kent.
I voted for Jeff Kent 6th last year here is what I said then:
He's like my poster child for outside looking in. Even thinking about it here, I'm tempted to have Jones and Rolen leap frog him.
Last year, I did not yield to my temptation of voting for Jones and Rolen before Kent. This year, I did (more on those players a little later). As Kent is listed as what certainly seems to be his penultimate appearance on the BBWAA ballot, I have decided that in my mind and in my vote Kent is just not Hall of Fame material.
If I had to vote for exactly 9 players this year my 9th vote would go to Scott Rolen.
I voted for Rolen 7th last year and here is what I said then:
Not only would I pick Rolen 7th, 7 is also the number of his gold gloves and all star appearances for this former Rookie of the Year. I have not picked him in the past but a closer look this year shows me he's right on the cusp of making my OUB.
This year, I am still pondering whether Rolen will ever make my OUB. It will have to be in the future as I'm still not 100% convinced he belongs there.
If I had to vote for exactly 8 player this year my 8th vote would go to Andruw Jones.
I voted for Jones 8th last year and here is what I said then:
If Jones retired in 2007 when he left Atlanta or if He had Atlantaesque numbers in his final 5 seasons of baseball He'd have a better chance of making Cooperstown than he does now.
The truth is that I'm not sure that Andruw Jones taking a giant step down in his performance in his final 5 years is as much of a detriment to voting for him as I've made it me. His star is definitely on the rise and I can imagine a time when my evaluation of him would increase to the point where I'd vote for his place in the hall.
If I was told that I had to vote for exactly 7 players on the 2022 BBWAA ballot the 7th vote would go to Omar Vizquel.
I voted for Omar Vizquel 2nd among 4 players on my OUB last year, and hers is what I said then:\
Vizquel is one of those players for whom advanced metrics can't tell the full story of. He played the game at an extremely high level for many years. Some say his defense is over rated, I disagree. He is a Hall of Fame caliber defender and worthy of Cooperstown.
I have not stepped away from any of those opinions in the year since I last voted. I still think he's a hall of fame type player. However, some of the controversy that has swirled around his nomination has made me decide to put a pause on voting for him this year and look at him with new eyes next year.
If I was told that I could vote for a many players as I wanted to this year for the Hall of Fame but they all had to be candidates that I was 100% certain I wanted in the Hall the number of players would be 6.
These 6 players would be the ones who adorned my official unofficial ballot for 2022.
The 6th of these players would be A.J. Pierzynski.
I know, it seems like I'm making a joke. Let me assure you that I am not. I take my role as an imaginary arbiter of Hall of Fame worthiness very seriously. As such, I think one of my responsibilites as a fictitious voter is to champion local players and keep the discussion going so their exploits can be celebrated (and debated) for more than one single season. At first sight Pierzynski, does not scream out Cooperstown. But I will say I have hated A.J. Pierzynski (during his 6 years with the Twins) and loved A.J. Pierzyski (starting with his 8 years for the White Sox and enduring throughout his playing career until now) for basically the same reasons, He plays to win and does his very best night in and night out to give his team the edge. Yes he is a ferocious competitor but he is also a beloved teammate. I think his playing days being the embodiment of those qualities make him very worth of continued Hall of Fame conversation.
If I was told that I could vote for only 5 players on my 2022 ballot my 5th vote would be for Curt Schilling.
Last year Schilling broke onto my OUB and was ranked in 4th place. Here is what I said about him then:
I have not been advocating Schilling as a candidate for Cooperstown until very recently. In 2020 I would have put Schilling 8th on my list and not in my OUB. He never got a mention from me in his first 7 years on the ballot. This year as I did my research many of my earlier qualms about his candidacy seemed to disappear into the vapor. He definitely has the resume for it ...
Last year Schilling received more votes than any other player and only missed enshrinement by 3.9 % of the vote. He then in the Curt Schilling caricature that he has portrayed himself over the course of his candidacy he asked for his name to be removed form consideration during his final year on the ballot. The Hall of Fame did not remove his name but I am certain that kind of request will bring down his percentage and eliminate any chance of him getting to Cooperstown via the writer's ballot. That doesn't change the way he played the game which is the only reason he has my vote this year.
If I was told I could vote for only 4players on my 2022 ballot my 4th vote would be for Todd Helton
Last year I voted for Todd Helton on my OUB and he was ranked third. Here is what I said about him last year:
... I eventually didn't hold it against Edgar Martinez that he played most of his career as a designated hitter, I don't begrudge Helton for playing his entire career for the Rockies.
The more I think about it the more I see Helton in the Hall. I hope that his numbers trend up this year and that a few years from now we can be celebrating his getting in.
If I was told I could only vote for 3 players this year my 3rd vote would be for David Ortiz.
I have a hard time voting for players for the Hall of Fame based on a certain issue. This year I am putting that aside and voting for Big Papi on my OUB. Years ago his name was leaked for failing a ped test that was supposed to be voluntary and confidential. The players who volunteered for this test proved to be the catalyst for the mandated testing that came in it's aftermath. The test resutls were never published so it's still unknown what he tetsted positive for. The facts remain that he never failed a mandated test and that he's always maintained his innocence. In this one case I let his numbers which are prodigious speak for themselves and gladly vote for his induction.
If I was told could only vote for 2 players this year my 2nd vote would be for Mark Buehrle.
Last year I voted for Mark Buerhle on mY OUB and I ranked him first above all other players. Here is what I said about him then:
He is a pitcher from another era, that's for sure, but those players of his caliber from that era are already in the hall of fame.
Last year 11% of the voters agreed with me and he's up for consideration on his 2nd year on the ballot. Smart money would say his 2nd and final year on the ballot as it doesn't look like hill get the 5% of the vote needed in this years proceedings, I would certainly vote for him only time will tell at this point.
If I could vote for only 1 player on my Official Unofficial 2022 Hall of Fame ballot that player would be a write-in candidate. I would write in the name of the player not in the hall of fame who most deserves to be there and that player is Dick Allen.
Last year I wrote Dick Allen's name on my ballot and ranked him 5th just shy of my OUB. Here is what I said about him then:
Allen who passed away late last year should already be a hall of famer. I think he will probably make it to the next time the veterans committee of his era re-convene. If not then he may be revisiting this list in the years to come.
Allen came up one vote shy on the veteran's committee for the 2nd time in a row. The battle against performance enhancing drugs was an important battle for MLB to engage in. It is not more important than the battle against racism and it's racism pure and simple that kept Allen out of the Hall of Fame. His numbers are there. I have written much about this in the past and I will continue to do so. Allen will be up for reexamination bty the Golden Era committee in 5 years until then expect to see Allen's name at the top of my subsequent OUB's.
Now a quick prediction.
I think that only one player's name will be announced later today and that player will be David Ortiz. Of the remaing players on my OUB I believe Pierzynski will get no where near the 5% needed to be on the 2023 ballot. Schilling will have his lowest voting percentage in the last 3 elections and will have no one to blame but himself. Todd Helton will probably climb 10 percentage points this year poised to make a run for enshrinement in the next couple of years. Buehrle will not get near the 11 percent form last year and miss or make the 5% cutoff by 3 votes or less. Dick Allen is not on the ballot, so he probably won't make it this year.
This was fun. It is every year. I'll be back in a few days with a follow up piece.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
Hall of Fame Ballot 2022: Part II Returning Players
Earlier today I finished a preview of the 13 players appearing ont the HOF ballot for the first time in 2022
There are 17 players returning to the ballot this year.
I have them listed by percentage of votes received in 2021 from most to leasr I have also included the percentage received in 2020
Player YOB 2021% 2020 %
Curt Schilling 10th 71.1 70
Barry Bonds 10th 61.8 60.7
Roger Clemens 10th 61.6 61%
Scott Rolen 5th 52.9 35.3.
Omar Vizquel 5th 49.1 52.6
Billy Wagner 7th 46.4 31.7
Todd Helton 4th 44.9 29.2
Gary Sheffield 8th 40.6 30.5
Andruw Jones 5th 33.9 19.4
Jeff Kent 9th 32.4 27.5
Manny Ramirez 6th 28.2 2 8.2
Sammy Sosa 10th . 17 13.9
Andy Pettitte 4th 13.7 11.3.
Mark Buehrle 2nd 11
Torii Hunter 2nd 9.5
Bobby Abreu 3rd 8.7 5.5%
Tim Hudson 2nd 5.2
I will be back tomorrow to reveal what my 2022 ballot would look like if I had been given one
Hall of Fame Ballot 2022 : Part I First Year on the Ballot
The Baseball Writer's Association of America (BBWAA) are given a ballot each year and asked to select as many as 10 players for induction to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. This year, there are 30 players on the ballot. Seventeen are returning from last years ballot which means these players are in their 2nd to 10th time on the ballot and have received between 5% and 74.9% of the vote each year of eligibility. Less than 5% and they are removed from consideration, 75% of more and they are enshrined into Cooperstown. Tomorrow I will review these 17 players, today we will focus on the "lucky" 13 who are receiving consideration for the first (and for many the last) time.
These players are:
Carl Crawford - Outfield Years Played: 2002 - 2016
Teams Tampa Bay 2002 - 2010, Boston 2011-2012 LA (Dodgers) 2013-2016
Crawford hit .290 during his playing career which ties him for 7th place with all players on the ballot and is second to Alex Rodriguez for players on the ballot for the first time in 2022. His 480 stolen bases is 2nd to Barry Bonds for all players on the ballot and of course is the most for any players new to the ballot this year. Crawford played in 4 all star games, was the All star MVP in 2009 and won both a silver slugger and Gold Glove award in 2010.
Prince Fielder - First Base Years Played 2005-2016
Teams: Milwaukee 2005-2011, Detroit 2012-2013, Texas 2014-2016
Prince Fielder hit .283 and had a slugging percentage of .506 duriing his eleven seasons in the big leagues which puts him in 10th place of all players on the ballot for both categories. Fielder a 6 time all star won the Home Run derby on 2 occasions during the all star festivities. The First baseman currently know as Prince was the 2011 All Star MVP, won the NL Hank Aaron award in 2007 the comeback player award in 2015 and three silver slugger awards.
Ryan Howard - First Base Years Played 2004-2016
Team: Philadelphia
Ryan Howard of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies hit 382 homers in his 13 year career which ranks 9th for all players on the 2022 ballot. He also has a life time slugging percentage of .515 which is 3rd of all players new on the ballot for the first time this year and 7th when all players are included. Howard was the 2005 NL Rookie of the year and followed that up with the 2006 NL MVP (He also received a TSN MLPOY and Hank Aaron award that year). The 3 time all star also was a home run derby champ, won a silver slugger award, and was the 2009 NLCS MVP.
Tim Lincecum - Pitcher Years Played 2007-2016
Teams San Francisco 2007-2015 LA (Dodgers) 2016
Of the 10 pitchers on this years Hall of Fame ballot Lincecum, of the 2010, 2012 & 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants ranks 3rd with his 222 career victories. This is the most of any players who are first time on the ballot. The 4 time all star won back to back Cy Young awards in 2008 & 2009..
Justin Morneau - First Base Years Played 2003-2016
Teams: Minnesota 2003-2013 Pittsburgh 2013 Colorado 2014,2015 Chicago (White Sox) 2016
In 2006 Morneau was the AL MVP while fellow first time ballot mate Ryan Howard was the NL recipient of the same award. In 2014 while with the Rockies Morneau won the NL Batting Title hitting .319 that season (interestingly enough he hit for a higher percentage for the Twins in 2006 and 2010 and was not the AL batting title winner either year). The 4 time all star was all a Home Run derby champ as well as a two time winner of the silver slugger award.
Joe Nathan -Pitcher Years Played 1997-2016
Teams: San Francisco 1999-2003&2016 Minnesota 2004-2011 Texas 2012,2013 Detroit 2014,2015 Chicago (Cubs)2016
Joe Nathan's 2.87 lifetime ERA is 3rd best among all pitchers on the ballot and 2nd of all players on the ballot for the first time in 2022.Nathan pitched in 787 games and recorded 377 saves the most of any player on the ballot the first time and 2nd behind Billy Wagner in each category. The 2009 Rolaids Relief pitcher was also a 6 time all star.
David Ortiz - DH First Base Years Played 1997-2016
Teams: Minnesota 1997-2002 Boston 2003-2016
Ortiz of the 2004, 2007 and 2013 World Champion Boston Red Sox played in 2408 games which is 6th of players on the ballot and 2nd behind A-Rod of first year ballot players. His 8,640 AB 1,419 runs, 2,472 hits , 541 homers, 1,768 Runs Batted in, and 1,319 walks. ranked among all on the ballot 8th, 9th 7th 5th 4th and 7th respectfully, and 2nd in each category behind Alex Rodriguez for first timers on the ballot. Orizs lifetime batting average of .286 ranks 9th on the ballot (3rd for newcomers) and his slugging percentage of .552 is the best of all newcomers and 3rd best overall. Ortiz was the ALCS MVP in 2004 and the 2013 WS MVP as well as a 10 time all star for the BoSox, David won 7 silver slugger awards and multiple other awards too numerous to mention here.
Joanathan Papelbon - Pitcher Years Played 2005-2016
Teams: Boston 2005-2011 Philadelphia 2012-2015 Washington 2015,2016
Papelbon a member of the 2007 World Champion Red Sox has a lifetime 2.31 ERA best among all new pitchers on the ballot this year and 2nd among all pitchers. His 689 appearance are 4th among all pitchers on the ballot and 2nd behind Nathan among first timers on the ballot. Papelbon's 368 saves ranks 3rd just 9 behind Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon received the 2007 delivery man of the year which was awarded to the best closer of that year. Papelbon finished 2nd in 2006 AL Rookie of the year voting and was a 6 time all star.
Jake Peavy - Pitcher Years Played 2002-2016
Teams: San Diego 2002-2009 Chicago (White Sox) 2009-2013 Boston 2013,2014 San Francisco 2014-2016
Peavy a member of the 2013 World Champion Red Sox and 2014 Giants won 152 games in his career more than any other first year player on the ballot. Peavy's 436 starts and 2,377 innings pitch both are tops for new players on this years ballot. Peavy ranks 4th in strikeouts among all on the ballot and again tops that list for first timers. Peavy a 3 time all star (twice with the Padres once with the White Sox) was had the lowest ERA in the National League in 2004 and 2007. 2007 was his best season as he was also an all star, The NL Cy Young Winner and winned of the NL triple crown for pitchers given when a player has the highest winning percentage, lowest ERA and most strike outs. Peavy won his only Gold Glove award as a member of the Chicago White Sox.
A.J. Pierzynski - Catcher Years Played 1998-2016
Teams: Minnesota 1998-2003 San Francisco 2004 Chicago (White Sox) 2005-2012 Texas 2013 Boston 2014 Saint Louis 2014 Atlanta 2015,2016
A.J. a member\of the 2005 World Champion Red Sox is a 2 time all star (one with Twins, one with White Sox) and won his onlt silvEr slugger award as a member of the White Sox.
Alex Rodriguez - Shortstop and Third Baseman Years Played 1998-2016
Teams: Seattle 1994-2000 Texas 2001-2003 New York (Yankees) 2004-2013 2015,2016
A-Rod a member of the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees as mentioned previously leads all 1st time players on the ballot in most offensive categories. These are games (2,784 - third overall)on the ballot, , At Bats (10,566, 2nd behind Omar Vizquel overall), Runs (2021, 2nd behind Barry Bonds), Hits (3.115, 1st overall) Home Runs (696, 2nd behind Barry Bonds) Runs Batted In (2,086, 1st overall) Walks 1,338, 4th overall) and Batting Average (.295 4th overall) Rodrigues is also in the overall top 10 for Stolen Bases (329 for 6th overall and 3rd among first timers on the ballot and Slugging Percentage (.550 4th overall and behind only David Ortiz for first timers. Rodriguez won 3 AL MVP awards (1 with Rangers, 2 with Yankees) a 2 time sporting News Major League Player of the Years, a 14 time All Star, a ten tme silver slugger award winner with 2 gold gloves as well. A-Rod was the 1996 batting champion while with the Mariners.
Jimmy Rollins - Shortstop Years Played 2003-2016
Teams: Philadelphia 2000-2014 L.A. (Dodgers) 2015 Chicago (White Sox) 2016
Jimmy Rollins a member of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies played in 2,275 games 3rd most for first timers on the ballot. His 9,294 at bats are 4th among all players ont his years ballot and just behind A-Rod for first timers, Rollins is also in the top 10 in Runs (1,421, 8th overall, 2nd behind A-Rod first timers) , Hits (2,435 10th overall , 3rd 1st time ballot & Stolen Bases (470, 3rd overall 2nd behind Carl Crawford first time on ballot). Rollins was a 3 time All Star, the 2007 NL MVP winner. He also picked up his first of 4 gold gloves that season as well as his only silver slugger. He won the coveted Roberto Clemente award in 2014, his final season with the Phillies.
Mark Teixeira First Baseman Years Played 19984-2016
Teams: Texas 2003-2007 Atlanta 2007,2008 L.A. (Angels) 2008 New York (Yankees) 2009-2016
Mark Teixeira was a member of the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees. Teixeira's 434 homers ranks 3rd overall of players on this years ballot and 3rd among those in their first year on the ballot. His 1,298 runs batted in is also 3rd among first timers as are his 998 walks which are good for 10th overall. Mark's lifetime mark of a .509 slugging percentage is 9th best on this years ballot. Teixeira played in 3 all star games, won 5 gold gloves and 3 silver slugger awards.
The 13 players listed above played on 20 of the 30 teams in the MLB. The teams with the most first timers are the Red Sox, Rangers and Giants with 5 players each and the Twins and White Sox with 4 apiece. The 10 teams without any representation of first timers on the ballot are the team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians, the Kansas City Royals, the Cincinnati Reds, the Arizona Diamond Backs, the Oakland A's , the Houston Astros, the New York Mets, The Miami Marlins, The Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays.
I will be back soon with a quick story on the 17 returning players and then again tomorrow for who I would vote for if given a ballot.
Friday, December 31, 2021
Nolan Ryan vs. The White Sox You win some and you lose some
Monday, December 13, 2021
Minoso, Kaat, Hodges and Oliva make Hall. Dick Allen snubbed again.
On Sunday, December 5th of this year. The Golden Days Era Committee voted on the 10 candidates up for the Hall of Fame. Before they met I wrote my analysis here. We had a busy day on Sunday celebrating my Daughter's 16th birthday a day early and picking out and decorating our Christmas Trees. It wasn't until my daughter's actual birthday the next day, that I saw the results of the voting. The Committee voted to put Minnie Minoso, Jim Kaat, Gil Hodges and Tony Oliva in the Hall. In my opinion they are all worthy of induction. I am especially happy about Minoso and Kaat's election. also the look on my Dad's face when he heard that Gil Hodges, who hit a home run at the first MLB game he ever attended was one of the biggest thrills of my life.
However as much joy as I feel about who the committee did include pales in comparison to the misery I feel about the exclusion of Dick Allen who for the 2nd time missed the HOF by 1 vote, Allen was my first White Sox hero and in my opinion more deserving than any of the aforementioned 4 of enshrinement.
Some might say that I'm not objective, as I've already declared that He was my hero. The truth is he was my hero over 50 years ago and for years I accepted the story that he had not played long enough and was not a high character guy as legitimate reasons for him not being in Cooperstown.
Over the past 10 years as I have learned more about the racism he encountered in Philadelphia from the fans and the Press and as the advanced stats that were not available until a few decades ago that have validated his career as one of the best players of his generation have made me realize that my first White Sox hero is probably the best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame. (
Here is one of many fine articles that articulate why he should be in the Hall.)
I guess it is possible to be deeply disappointed and delighted at the same time. I am delighted that Minnie Minoso long career has finally been validated, and at the same time, I am deeply disappointed that Dick Allen's family could not celebrate along with Minoso's. I am also hopeful that in 5 years time when the committee meets again that Dick Allen's HOF caliber career will finally be recognized.
Jim Kaat HOF class of 2022
Friday, November 26, 2021
Golden Days Era Ballot
On January 25, 2022 the attention of the baseball loving public turns once again to Cooperstown, New York for the announcement of those who will be inducted into the 2022 class of Baseball's Hall of Fame
Each year the BBWAA (Base Ball Writer's Association of America) is tasked to pick among the most elite of the previous generation of ballplayers who will be placed with the rest of the legends of the sport.
This process now can take approximately 15 years as players are placed on the writer's ballot 5 years after retiring from the game and players are allowed to be on the ballot up to 10 years while trying to receive the 75% of the sportswriters votes needed to be elected to the hall.
This is not the only avenue available for players to be enshrined into Cooperstown. There is a path for players not elected by the BBWAA as well as managers, umpires and executives to be included into the HOF. This path formerly called the veteran's committee now has 4 individual committees based on the era that the individuals were involved in the sport: The Today's Game Committee (1988 to Present) , Modern Baseball Committee (1970-1987), The Golden Days Era Committee (1950 to 1969) and the Early Baseball Era Committee (1871-1949).
At least one of the committees meets each year at the annual Baseball Winter Meetings . The Today's Game and Modern Baseball Committees meet twice every 5 years. The Golden Days Era meets once every 5 years while the Early Baseball group meets once every 10 years. On December 5th of this year the Golden Day's Era Committee and the Early Baseball era Committee (each comprised of 16 members)will both vote on 10 people to be considered for Cooperstown. Any one receiving 75% of the vote or more will be among those announced in the Hall of Fame on 1/25/2020 and inducted on Sunday, July 24th 2022.
The remainder of this article is about the Golden Era Ballot.
These are the 9 former players and 1 former manager who are under consideration on the Golden Era Ballot
Dick Allen Years Played: 1963-1977 Teams: Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago White Sox , LA Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Oakland Athletics
Allen was the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year when playing for the Phillies and the 1972 AL MVP for the White Sox as well as a 7 time all star. Allen has been considered by the committee on 3 past occasions missing enshrinement by 1 vote in 2015. Dick Allen passed away on December 7, 2020 at the age of 78.
Ken Boyer Years Played: 1955-1969 Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers, NY Mets, and Chicago White Sox.
While Dick Allen was earing his NL Rookie of the Year award in Philly, Boyer was the NL MVP for the 1964 World Champion Cardinals. He was also an 11 time all star with 5 gold gloves at third base. Boyer has also been considered by the committee on 3 past occasions. Ken Boyer died on September 7. 1982 at the age of 51.
Gil Hodges Years Played:1943 - 1963 Teams: Brooklyn & LA Dodgers and New York Mets.
Hodges was an 8 time all star with 3 gold gloves, He played for the World Series Champion 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1959 WS Champ LA Dodgers. He managed the 1969 Mets so he has caused a little misery to both Chicago teams over the years. Hodges has been considered by 4 previous veteran's committees, the most recent being in 2015. Gil Hodges only lived to the age of 47 dying on April 2, 1972.
Fun Fact: Gil Hodges homered in the first baseball game my Dad ever saw on 6/28/1953 in County Stadium in Milwaukee. Fellow Golden Era nominee Dick Allen homered in the first White Sox game I ever went to but I think I had been to a few Cubs games before that.
Jim Kaat Years Played 1959-1983 Teams Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins (same franchise), Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
Kaat is a 3 time 20 game winner (twice in a row with my beloved White Sox), a 3 time all star and owner of a whopping 16 consecutive gold glove awards. Kaat pitched in the 1965 World Series for the Twins as they lost to the Dodgers and in 1982 pitched in the World Series as his Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers. Kaat has been considered on 3 previous occasions missing enshrinement by only 2 votes in 2015. Jim Kaat is one of 3 living former players on the ballot and turned 83 earlier this month.
Roger Maris Years Played 1957-1968 Teams New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians. St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Athletics.
Maris won back to back AL MVP awards in 1960 and 1961 for the Yankees In 1961 Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record with 61. Maris was in 7 all star games , 7 World Series (winning with the Yankees in '61 and in '62 and with the Cardinals in '67. Maris has been on the veteran's ballot 1 previous time in 2007. Roger Maris lived until 1985 dying at the age of 51.
Minnie Minoso Years Played: (1946-1980) *includes his time in the negro leagues and his return to baseball in 1976 and 1980* Teams: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, New York Cubans, Washington Senators, St. Louis Cardinals.
Minoso had a life time batting average of .298 and was 37 hits shy of 2000. A 9 time American League All Star (4 time all star with the negro leagues). Minnie had 4 gold gloves and his only post season play was when the New York Cubans won the Negro League World Series in 1947. Minoso was the first black player to play for the White Sox. Minoso has been on 4 previous Veterans committee ballots, in 2015 he received 8 of 16 possible votes. Minnie Minoso died in 2015 less than 9 months before he would have turned 90.
Danny Murtaugh Years Managed (1957-1976) Team Pittsburgh Pirates
Murtaugh is the only person on this years Golden Days Era Ballot that I had not previously heard of. Murtaugh played second base for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1941 to 1951 in between serving in WW II. As a manager, Murtaugh led the Pirates to two World Series championships in 1960 and 1971 and managed 3 all star games.. Murtaugh has been twice considered by veterans committees previously in 2008 & 2010. Danny Murtaugh died at the age of 59 on December 2, 1976 just 2 months after retiring as the Bucs manager.
Tony Oliva Years Played (1962-1976) Team Minnesota Twins
Oliva like Murtaugh did as a manager, retired from playing baseball after the 1976 season. In the American League( like Dick Allen in the NL) was the 1964 Rookie of the Year. Oliva won back to back AL batting crowns in 64&65 and a third in 1971 and was an all star for 8 consecutive years beginning in his sensational '64 campaign. Olivia received as much as 47.3% of the BBWAA votes in his 15 years on their ballot. This is his 5th time being considered by committees and like Allen he missed enshrinement by only 1 vote in 2015. Unlike Allen, Tony Oliva who turned 83 earlier this year may still be alive if Cooperstown does finally come calling.
Billy Pierce Years Played 1945-1964) Teams Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers,
Pierce is among 5 former White Sox players being considered for the HOF by the committee this year. While he neither began or finished his illustrious career with the Sox, he hurled 13 seasons for the pale hose and had his # 19 was retired by the club back in 1987. Pierce was a 7 time all star and was the AL pitcher of the Year in 1955 with an era of 1.97. Pierce was on the veterans ballot for the first time in 2015. Billy Pierce died in 2015 at the age of 88.
Maury Wills Years Played:1959:1972 Teams Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos.
Wills was a 7 time all star with back to back gold gloves at shortstop in 1961 and 1962. In 1962 Wills was the NL MVP as well as the All Star MVP. He played in 4 World Series for the Dodgers winning the championship 3 times. This is Wills 4th time being considered by the veterans committee receiving 9 of the minimum 12 votes needed for enshrinement back in 2015. Maury Wills turned 89 this past October.
Fun Fact: Wills, Pierce and Hodges all played in the 1959, World Series. This does not include Minnie Minoso who played for the White Sox in all but 2 seasons between 1950 and 1961. Alas, one of those season was 1959, otherwise 4 of the 10 players on this years ballot would have been in that series.
Analysis:
This is a very deserving class and itis more than a little mind numbing that some of these players were not enshrined long ago. I have a well earned reputation as a Sox homer so it should not be surprising that I think I can make a good argument for inclusion into the HOF for 4 of these former southsiders. That being said, I think the two most logical candidates for enshrinement this time out are the two players (Dick Allen and Tony Oliva) who missed it by one vote in 2015. This would allow for my first White Sox hero to achieve in death what I think he most certainly earned in life and to have Oliva avoid the same speedbump on his eventual road to Cooperstown.
If there are more than these 2 enshrined look to Kaat, Wills and Minoso as the logical candidates. The rest of the field are also quite deserving and have 1 two time MVP in Maris and 1 MVP in Boyer not to take anything away from Pierce, Hodges or Murtaugh. I guess we will have to wait until December 5th to find out if any of these fine baseballers are Cooperstown bound. We've been waiting so long for some of them, what's another 10 days?
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