Why the Baseball HoF is a sham (i.e., the Rickey ballot)..
by ST on Jan 9, 2009 11:57 AM PST
19 comments
Just read this excellent report from the Mercury News:
Rickey won't be unanimous to Hall
In a nutshell, some offbeat writer, Corky Simpson, for a small town Tucson newspaper intentionally omitted Rickey off the HoF ballot because he "wasn't a Rickey guy and that he would vote for him next time". So instead of including one of the best (if not the best) basestealers leadoff outfielders baseball player ever, who did he select instead? How about the likes of fringe players Matt Williams and (to a lesser degree) Tim Raines. This columnist even had the audacity to cite that "Nobody ever played the game with more intensity, nor with more reverence for the sport" than Matt Williams! At 70 years old, I would have thought that he had the enjoyment of seeing Rickey's intensity in his prime years.
Luckily for us, Rob Neyer of ESPN calls him out on it :
No Hall of Fame vote for Rickey … why?
To Simpson's credit, he did express regret about voting that way. However, the damage has been done and the vote can't be retracted. It's retarded how these HoF ballots are casted by the most irrelevant and stupidest of folks (that same Tempe sportswriter also made a mockery out of McGwire's inclusion due to the steroid scandal, yet never once cited the that Williams was a part of the infamous Mitchell report - no Diamondback bias there alright).
Anyhow, I encourage you to show your displeasure with these asinine voters by contacting the Baseball Hall Of Fame themselves to stop this mockery of the HoF:
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It's their choice
If they’re going to give writers and media types the ability to vote however they want, things like this are going to happen.
What’s more important to me is of the 38 people who revealed who they voted for, Rickey was on 37 of them. That’s a little over 97%.
Rickey’s automatic.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jan 9, 2009 12:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I hope
this guy enjoys his fifteen minutes.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 9, 2009 12:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
How screwed up is when the guy who gets paid to report the news intentionally makes himself the subject of it?
by Svidrigailov on Jan 9, 2009 12:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Wouldnt it be his 7.5 minutes?
His first 7.5 being the Alabama thing in 1992.
by A'sfaninNC on Jan 9, 2009 12:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
And as I recall, he ended up being right about that.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jan 9, 2009 12:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
What Alabama thing?
I care nothing for college sports.
The monster at the end of this blog.
by grover on Jan 9, 2009 2:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This
Simpson created a national sensation in 1992 when he was the only voter who voted for Alabama over Miami for the entire season in the Associated Press college football poll. He was vindicated when the Crimson Tide won the national championship and served as grand marshal of the celebration parade in Tuscaloosa.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jan 9, 2009 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Meh
Is it stupid? Yes, but it’s not the end of the world. No other HOFer has been elected with 100% of the vote either.
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Jan 9, 2009 12:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Of course,
maybe one writers standard may be along the lines of Ruthian achievements before induction, and he has his right to, but did you even read the article or Simpon’s rationale? He clearly was a homer voting in Matt Williams, but to vote in Tim Raines and ignore Rickey when he exceeded all Raines numbers, as well as accomplishments?
I’m not saying it’s the end of the world, but the Baseball HoF needs to do much more credible job evaluating these voters otherwise it’s no more than a popularity contest. And if we are talking in that context, might as well have an internet vote by the fans themselves then.
"Twenty minutes," says Jack Sr. "Thank god for Billy Beane."
"Any fan that wants us to do that is going to be disappointed because that just isn’t us." - Wolff
"Joe Morgan's going to think Beane wrote the movie too..." -whitshoes40
by ST on Jan 9, 2009 1:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I've followed it closely for the last few days so yes
It’s just now worth trying to figure out why an irrational person behaves irrationally. It’s futile, you’ll just bang your head in frustration. Similarly, you’ll never get an entire group of 500 people to agree about anything.
Let it go.
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Jan 9, 2009 5:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
"No other HOFer has been elected with 100% of the vote either"
no other HOFer except lou gehrig. the precedent has been set, albeit under special circumstances but still. i’m awfully tired of hearing this ‘no one has ever been elected unanimously’ talk.
by Livermore on Jan 9, 2009 1:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, yeah. But nobody who's had to wait the normal time for eligibility has been elected unanimously
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
by Flashfire on Jan 9, 2009 1:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
can't really compare
there was a special election held for lou gehrig, which was completely separated from the normal 1939 hof selection (the one that saw sisler, colllins and keeler get in).
so we are not only talking about special circumstances and very emotional affair, but also of an election process which was different from the normal ones.
by elcroata on Jan 9, 2009 2:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The point is
that if you have your hopes set on 100, you’re sure to be in for a disappointment. It’s just not going to happen. Except for Gehrig, there is no precedent for a player to receive 100, even for the greatest of the greats.
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Jan 9, 2009 7:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think it's a travesty. I don't care if Rickey gets in with 99%
It’s not enough. Take this guy’s card away. What a maroon.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2009/1/9/715673/rickey-henderson-to-be-den
More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/
by louismg on Jan 9, 2009 1:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
The guy is an idiot...
Rickey will get in with a huge percentage and that is all that matters to me.
Bring back Hammer.
by OaktownPower on Jan 9, 2009 3:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
What i don't understand
is why the hall of fame needs a bailout in the first place – it’s not like they’re making suvs…
"...in baseball you wear a cap." -- george carlin
by Hot Cup Joe on Jan 9, 2009 4:03 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
"wasn't a Rickey guy and that he would vote for him next time"
Like there was really going to be a next time. No, dumbass (Simpson), he’ll already be inducted because there’s absolutely no one else in the panel that would be such a knucklehead to pull that kind of stunt. I guess you gotta give quirky Corky some respect for being a non-conformist (if you’re into that sort of thing). Anyhow, Corky, Life Goes On.
by LowcountryJoe on Jan 9, 2009 9:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
eh, atleast he's making it to the hall of fame
the real flaws of voting in baseball can be seen at the all star game…
Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!!
by naq92 on Jan 10, 2009 8:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
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