Category: Baseball Hall of Fame

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Yesterday’s news on Pete Rose is strike-3.
Washington Post Des Beiler August 2, 2017
‘The woman’s testimony was introduced in a Pennsylvania court as part of defense proceedings in a defamation lawsuit Rose filed last year against John Dowd, a former federal prosecutor whose report on Rose’s gambling had played a major role in the latter’s ban from baseball. In 2015, Dowd told a Pennsylvania radio station that, during Rose’s days with the Cincinnati Reds, an associate of the 17-time all-star had helped him meet girls of “ages 12 to 14,” with whom he committed “statutory rape.”
“The woman, identified in the court filing as Jane Doe, said that Rose had contacted her in 1973 when she was 14 or 15 and a resident of Cincinnati and that they had a sexual relationship for several years. Rose contends that they began having sex in 1975, when she was 16, meeting Ohio’s age of consent, and he was a 34-year-old married father of two”.
As a baseball fan and contributor, to the BBHOF I understand and know that Rose’s admission to gambling would forever keep him out of the BBHOF.
However, I have encountered in every ballpark that I’ve visited around the country fans expressing, he‘s “done his time let him in; baseball should forgive him.” “After all, he is baseballs all-time base hits leader.”
So Rose, not only broke baseballs cardinal sin, and bet on baseball he’s also reminding the voters of the ‘Character’ clause.
Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.
 
Yesterday’s news will forever keep the door to Cooperstown closed to Pete Rose. 

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Tonight at 6 pm we learn who the BBWAA 2017 inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame will be. These two players like so many in recent years have not been getting the support they deserved. That can be said of many of the names on the ballot, and those who did not get the required 5% of the votes needed stay on the ballot. But that’s a discussion for another day. Let’s hope these two player and a few more get those calls tonight.

Tim Raines Major League Baseball Player from 1979-2002
Tim Raines Montreal Expos

 

 

Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros
Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros

Now waiting on the announcement, live from the Hall of Fame:

Congratulations To

Jeff Bagwell

Tim Raines

Ivan Rodriguez

 

 

 

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Late yesterday the Mets signed Yoenis Cespedes for three years with an Opt-Out clause after one year. This made think of Charles Oscar Finley maverick owner of the A’s  who passed away twenty years ago. In March 1960, he purchased the Kansas City A’s and for the next 20 years, would be a thorn in the side of two Baseball Commissioners and the other owners.

As an owner, he was behind baseball playing World Series games at night, and the Designated Hitter. Now after 42-years it appears in 2017, the National League will finally adopt the DH. Other ideas, like using an orange baseball for night games were considered silly.

Courtesy of Nancy FinleyCharles O. Finley
Courtesy of Nancy FinleyCharles O. Finley

But, Charles Finley’s biggest contribution to baseball and all sports, is Free Agency. Through his failure during 1974, baseball season to meet certain obligations in Catfish Hunters contract, an arbitrator declaring Hunter, a free agent and his subsequence signing of a five-year contract with the Yankees. Following the 1975 season, a grievance was filed by Andy Messerschmitt of the Dodgers and Dave McNally of Expos, arbitrator, Peter Seitz ruled for the players declaring them free agents. This verdict ended the Reserve Clause that tied players to teams forever. Charles Finley then said what may be his boldest idea “Make Them All Free Agents Every Year”. Marvin Millet opposed this knowing it would it would keep player salaries low and the owners were afraid of the concept.

What was once scared owners and maybe the players is now taking hold in a unique concept, the opt-out after one to three years now being part of bigger contract signings.

It is early in the game, but as the opt-out becomes more attractive in contract negotiations, it will make for some exciting times in player and team moves.

 

 

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It’s that time of the year when we make New Year resolutions. I always try to think of something that’s a self-improvement that becomes part of my life, i.e. like making the bed every morning before I head out to my studio. Last year’s resolutions were each month to make one new meal that we never did before and to blog once a week. Well, we had 12 exciting new dinner meals, on the blogging front I started off strong but because of  other commitments I trailed off. So this year I will recommit myself to first blogging on a regular base and expand from their.

 

If I had a Vote

 

Player                     Vote                        Year

†Rich Aurilia                                             1st

Jeff Bagwell                 √                            5th

Craig Biggio               √                             3rd

Barry Bonds               √                             3rd

†Aaron Boone                                             1st

†Tony Clark                                                1st

Roger Clemens            √                            3rd

†Carlos Delgado                                          1st

†Jermaine Dye                                             1st

†Darin Erstad                                               1st

†Cliff Floyd                                                   1st

†Nomar Garciaparra                                   1st

†Brian Giles                                                  1st

†Tom Gordon                                               1st

†Eddie Guardado                                          1st

†Randy Johnson                  √                       1st

Jeff Kent                                                        2nd

Edgar Martínez                                             6th

†Pedro Martínez                √                         1st

Don Mattingly                                              15th

Fred McGriff                                                  6th

Mark McGwire                                              9th

Mike Mussina                    √                         2nd

†Troy Percival                                                 1st

Mike Piazza                        √                           3rd

Tim Raines                          √                          8th

Curt Schilling                                                  3rd

†Jason Schmidt                                                1st

†Gary Sheffield                                                1st

Lee Smith                                                        13th

†John Smoltz                      √                           1st

Sammy Sosa                                                     3rd

Alan Trammell                                               14th

Larry Walker                                                     5th

Tomorrow at 1pm we will find out how the BBWAA  voted