Nah, I’ve never bought this take. Yes, sure, it is a museum in one sense. But above that, it’s Hall of Fame. It’s a place of honor for the best players of all time. After that, it’s a museum.
But honestly, as much as I say don’t let juicers in, as I’ve aged, I care less and less about all this dumb shit and all the petty drama in sports and entertainment. I just want to root for my teams and watch entertaining shows. I don’t have time and brain space for the other bullshit.
They’ve been effectively against the rules since the 70s the same way other illegal drugs were, regardless of performance enhancing effects. He’s right in that there wasn’t formal testing and punishment in the 90s, and baseballs steroid policy at the time was more or less “don’t ask don’t tell”. But saying they weren’t against the rules and that MLB encouraged use is spinning it in the most pro-steroid way possible and is pretty misleading imo.
That giants closer was high as fuck vs the tigers in the World Series
Looked like a psycho from borderlands.
Many hall of famers have admitted taking greenies. Hank Aaron, although I think he claimed he only tried them once? Mike Schmidt was super open about it. They were (are?) extremely prevalent.
Have you ever gone to Cooperstown? It’s literally a museum and there is a room with all the hall of fame plaques. Pete Rose has his own little display case there. Which is why the whole thing is hypocritical.
Yes
Congress “investigated” it after the whole 2nd Iraq War. There was public outrage over it and then MLB started testing for it in 2004/2005. But they were perfectly content looking the other way until then.
OK so then you know it’s a museum.
The really galling thing is that Rose was also never inducted into the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame. You think with all that he sacrificed he would have at least gotten the nod there.
The problem with the Hall of Fame – it’s become Nerd World. “Hey, if you look at his OPB – yes you know me – his OPS, if you multiply it using a sliding chart and you put some marmalade on your toes, he appears to be a 14th ballot Hall of Famer.” The Hall of Fame has become “Nerd World in Orlando."
Jose Canseco should be in the Hall of Fame and here’s why. It’s called “Hall of Fame.” “Fame” for “famous.” For ten years he was the most talked about player in the league. He is the whistle blower, the only honest person in this sport, who called out the game’s discrepancies and lies. He is famous, he is relevant and he is talked about. [nerd voice] “Well his numbers don’t compare—“ I don’t care. It’s called Hall of Fame, not “Hall of Very Good.”
It is already a sham, because littered through the Hall of Fame are huge hypocrisies. Pete Rose is the all-time hit king, Major League Baseball allows gambling all over the sport, and gambling advertising, yet the all-time hit king doesn’t get in. Total hypocrisy. We’ve got players who were nice to the media but very very good, not great, getting in. Jim Rice dominates for 12 years, he doesn’t? Jack Morris, best right-hander in the game arguably for ten years, doesn’t?
I mean, if you’re an MVP, you’re a Hall of Fame guy. Rafael Palmeiro would have gotten in – never been an MVP, never was close. In 19 years, only 5 did he even make the all-star team.
But it’s become nerd world. Where everybody constructs arguments based on data and research, and if you accumulate over time a bunch of numbers – that’s not great, that’s just working in a factory for 30 years. If you work in a factory for 26 years and are good, that doesn’t make you great. Good doesn’t become great over time – good’s good and great’s great.
You’re either a model or a supermodel. If you’re a model for 30 years, you’re not elevated to a supermodel. You’re a supermodel if you’re Tyra Banks. Okay? There’s a model and then there’s a supermodel. The Hall of Fame is supermodel territory. Some supermodels aren’t the prettiest girls – there is a “wow” factor to them. This is what Basketball’s Hall of Fame has thought for years. Basketball has the Harlem Globetrotters. They’re an exhibition team in the Hall of Fame. They have referees, they have people who were huge and influential and relevant in moments in time. They didn’t have it based on numbers. It’s based on relevance and importance and impact.
Jose Canseco is absolutely one of the 12 most known names in the history of the sport. From his home runs to his ego to the bash brothers to the whistle-blowing with steroids, he is absolutely relevant in the history of baseball. In the history of the sport. They’ll write stories about Jose Canseco. They ain’t writing them about Richie Ashburn, who compiled and constructed good numbers over time. It is called the Hall of Fame. “Famous” is part of the equation.
By that logic Michel Jordan should be in the hall of fame - he is literally the Michael Jordon of baseball!
I don’t have strong opinions about the juicing question, but I wanted to drop this anecdote. Griffey, Jr. was/is my favorite player of all time. A few years back I randomly got paired with Heathcliff Slocumb for a round of golf. The one thing I wanted to know was whether Griffey was as nice in private as he seemed from a public perspective. He said he was.
You know who was not nice? Ron Guidry. For some reason I liked him and tried to get him to sign my glove when I had good seats at a Rangers game. I was probably 11. He was not nice. Ron Guidry was not a nice man. I was 11 and was not going to sell my glove.
In 1984, Guidry won the Roberto Clemente Award,[25] given annually to the Major Leaguer who “‘best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.’”[26]
lol
Nice autograph, prick
wtf he looks like he’s signing an autograph. I was 11, man. That incident has stuck with me for over 40 years. Glad you had a plaque dedicated to you non-Hall of Famer.
When I was a kid, I used to go to baseball card shows and other places where baseball players - mainly Brewers and ex-Brewers - were making appearances so I could get autographs. Just for my memories, not to sell. In fact, I was happy if they personalized them.
Almost everybody was nice, don’t remember anyone who sucked. At worst, they were neutral. The nicest were Larry Hisle (he happily chatted with everyone), Pete Vuckovich, and Mickey Mantle. I met lots of players at random bank appearances and stuff and if there was barely anyone there, they were happy to talk for a while.
The Brewers used to always have a charity bowling event, so I went with my brother and a couple friends once. Basically, you huddle around one lane and get autographs when the players had time. Paul Molitor was, unsurprisingly, a popular draw. We were at the front of the crowd, but security wasn’t letting anyone get autographs. At one point, when security was unaware, Molitor turned to us and told us to give him some things to sign. He quickly signed them and got them back to us before security to stop him/us.
At that same event, we caught minor leaguer Greg Vaughn coming out of the bathroom (by accident) and he was thrilled that someone recognized him.
I’d go to that hall of fame #12 Marge Schott #11 Yankees #10 hunk o cork #9 Bartman #8 Jackie Robinson #7 Jose Canseco #6 first-edition signed wicker basket containing Plan B and rag of pine tar and instructions #5 Kevin the squint Costner #4 drinking fountain filled with sock blood / dip spit / acyclovir / and tears of jim joyce and daryl strawberry #3 seagull crypt #2 san diego chicken #1 Babe Fuckin Ruth
he’s doing good, after an initial pronounced uptick the sector continues to post increased volume and encouraging lift, and big frank himself has been rallying hard as his penis balloons with blood in a manner conducive to sexual intercourse
Bobby Jones was really happy when I asked him to autograph my glove. That’s right, THE Bobby Jones you’ve never heard of.
On the other side of the Guidry foot is my personal Hall of Famer Ellis Burks. Ellis was somewhat of a hometown hero for me and my teammates. He went to Everman High School outside of Fort Worth that we used to play pre-district and he was playing for the Red Sox. I don’t think there was anyone playing in MLB that was from the area other than him at the time. He was excellent for the Red Sox but became a star when he moved to the Rockies.
My junior year in college I decided to try to play baseball for my college. I had my high school bat bag and took it to Boston on my flight. I then saw Ellis get on my flight (he flew coach) and I was like, uh-oh, this might be a problem because he was famously known as a very nice guy.
The flight lands in Boston and he takes up a perch right at the start of the baggage claim with his wife. I’m just watching him hoping he doesn’t notice my bat bag. My bat bag comes out (I can’t see it) but he starts pointing at it excitedly and I could see him telling his wife that ‘we used to play them in high school!’.
At that point I don’t know if he’s going to try to say something but I was really nervous about the prospect of meeting one of my favorite players. I was also never into disturbing famous people since Ron Guidry scarred me.
I was very far away from him and when the bat bag comes to me I discreetly picked it up and tried to walk out. Not even 15 seconds later he was right there saying ‘hi I’m Ellis Burks, we used to play against y’all in high school’. I was kind of like ‘I know, you’re one of my favorite players, but I’m just a scrub’. He said he didn’t care about that at all and talked with me for a few minutes. I don’t remember any of the substance but he asked for my name and repeated it back multiple times to remember it. He said he would leave Red Sox tickets for me at will call any time I wanted. I never went because I’d probably have been bummed if he actually didn’t. As I said, he was a very nice guy.
I grew up in an apartment building also inhabited by hall of famer Rick Ferrel. You haven’t heard of him but he has the distinction of being the most average player to somehow make it into the hall.
*Fiction writer Al Stump
Why you like Cobb so much?
I don’t care about Cobb but that guy’s biography has been shown to be a work of fiction.
