12/21/24
January 06, 2004
And the votes are in.: What do Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor have that Pete Rose doesn't? Baseball Hall of Fame membership.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 02:17 PM - 17 comments
Between Eck's feathered mullet (which is still going strong! he picked a classic and is waiting for it to come back around in style) and Rose's hair that looks like a concrete toupee but isn't, I'd have to say the HOF isn't discriminating when it comes to coifs.
posted by jerseygirl at 02:37 PM on January 06, 2004
If Molitor hadn't been so injury prone in the first half of his career, I think he'd have had the best chance to actually challenge Rose's record. He missed well over 500 games over his career and still managed to place 8th all-time in hits - sure credit the DH if you're a purest, but that guy was a PLAYA. Easily the most impressive baseball player to ever come through these parts.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:44 PM on January 06, 2004
I know a guy who swears he saw Eck at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert. "Skynyrd!!" 
"Holy crap is that Eck?"
posted by lilnemo at 02:46 PM on January 06, 2004
Good choices, but I'd have liked to have seen Sandberg and Gossage get in too. It looks like Sutter and Sandberg have the best chance of getting in for 2005 (with Boggs) or 2006 (can't think of 2000 retirees). If not, they get absolutely steamrolled and ignored in 2007 (Ripken, Gwynn, McGwire steal all the votes).
posted by grum@work at 03:42 PM on January 06, 2004
How come Jim Rice never gets in? Just squeezed out because of more obvious/popular/worthy choices each year or what?
posted by jerseygirl at 03:52 PM on January 06, 2004
No Alan Trammell :(
posted by corpse at 03:58 PM on January 06, 2004
No Alan Trammell :( Of course no Alan Trammell. Look at that psychotic mug.
" I'm a cannibal. I prefer to eat orphans."
posted by lilnemo at 04:13 PM on January 06, 2004
Beseball been bery bery good to me--when does Garrett get an honory HOF membership dammit!
posted by billsaysthis at 04:44 PM on January 06, 2004
How come Jim Rice never gets in? Just squeezed out because of more obvious/popular/worthy choices each year or what? I heard one baseball pundit say "Jim Rice would be the worst player ever voted into the Hall of Fame by the baseball writers" (which is not as bad an insult as it seems because the Veterans Committee has allowed some real stinkers in already). That said, there is always going to be a place for Jim Rice in the Hall of the Very Good. It seems the HOF has a cut-off point and Jim Rice would seem to be it.
posted by grum@work at 05:08 PM on January 06, 2004
Jim Rice was my favorite player growing up. I don't think he'd be close to the worst player voted in by the writers (though the distinction is a meaningful one). Having said that, (IMHO) he's not a true HoF candidate for one simple reason: not enough great years. He had an amazing 1978 plus some other great years, but not so many you'd vote him in. I think the idea that the media hated him so much they keep him out will keep him on the ballot longer than he should-- some writers might vote for him just to sidestep the appearance of a vendetta.
posted by yerfatma at 05:16 PM on January 06, 2004
I was hoping Fernando got in.
posted by jasonspaceman at 05:59 PM on January 06, 2004
No Sandberg! An absolute travesty.
posted by Bag Man at 06:27 PM on January 06, 2004
in that picture, alan trammell looks like the bastard son of Maxwell Smart from "Get Smart".
posted by jerseygirl at 06:34 PM on January 06, 2004
"Dad please stop calling Mom Agent 69."
posted by lilnemo at 06:42 PM on January 06, 2004
What do Eck and Molly have that Rose doesn't? Ummm ... class and a clean rap sheet?
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:11 PM on January 06, 2004
Rice was also my favorite player growing up. Alas, I don't think he'll get in. Part of the problem is he barely missed some "magic" numbers. Just short of 400 home runs (in an era when 400 was an accomplishment) and just shy of a .300 career average. Eck and Molitor are certainly deserving though.
posted by vito90 at 09:10 AM on January 07, 2004
Hair cuts that don't make the baby Jeebus cry? Oh, you already answered. Crap.