On the other hand I seem to be on the mend, so hah!
Anyhow, I just wanted to pop on and leave behind a few scattered comments while I have a few moments.
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto really shocked me. I'd been casually following her opposition to the Pakistini government for a few months and to open cnn.com and see the headline of her death . . wow.
We've got friends from Pakistan that visit their home every few years, and I think she's there now . . I'll pray for her safety.
* * * *
4 - 8 more inches of snow today, on top of the 2 plus feet that has already made this the 5th snowiest December in recorded Milwaukee history.
Ugh.
* * * *
Good for the NFL for caving in and opening the potentially historic Patriots-Giants game up to the nation at large. I'll be watching - and rooting against New England.
* * * *
Ballots are due on Monday for the Baseball Hall of Fame. If I had a vote . .
Well, hell, I'm as 'small hall' guy. I get my jollies when years produce only one or two inductees, and the rare year when no one gets in, 'tis warms me heart it does.
No one on the 2008 ballot really excites me. Under the guise of 'small hall', if I had to pick one name, it'd be. .
Mark McGwire.
Sure he probably did steroids, but if the Mitchell report did anything it showed that the use and abuse of those drugs was more 'mainstream' than previously imagined. Does that excuse him? Nah.
But go ahead and tell me how many of those home runs you'd take away because of steroids. This isn't Tony Gwynn; the man was going to hit 'em out (to some degree) roids or no roids.
Not voting for him because he was a 'one trick pony' who could only hit home runs? Yeah, uh huh. Like that would have stopped you from electing him pre-congressional hearing. Don't be a hypocrite.
I guess I have nothing more than an emotional rationale for my support of his candidacy. I enjoyed watching him play, I really did.
If the future has a place for Bonds and Clemens in the Hall, as I'm sure it does, than Big Mac belongs there too.
Now if I was going to go 'big hall' here's who I'd choose:
Tim Raines - 2,605 hits and 808 stolen bases
Allan Trammell -better than most shortstops in the Hall; overshadowed by some more media-popular players of his era
Bert Byleven - not a name that jumps out at you, but a sufficient 'compiler' of stats to warrant election. 5th all time in strikeouts, 25th or 26th in wins (I forget which)
and the beforementioned McGWire.
Hope everyone is feeling much better soon.
ReplyDeleteThere is not one steroid using player I would put in the Hall of Fame! It is not an evan playing field when they do that! That is like giving someone all the answers on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire & letting them win! They can't prove even one answer got them that last question! Even if they said "I already knew all those answers" you have no proof! There is no way to know if they would have been anywhere near what they achieved without! I feel so bad for Babe Ruth etc. I sure hope some surgeon doesn't get to operate after cheating!
I too was shocked & then not shocked about the murder! I figured it was only time unfortunately but I was sooo sadden to hear!
I don't think it's feasible to keep a generation of stars out of the Hall, especially when folks that are strongly suspected of 'roiding (Manny, David Ortiz) aren't named at all in any official report. So do they get a pass? Wouldn't that be a miscarriage of justice?
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of p.o.v's on this subject. I poked around some and in Jan of last year I did a pretty decent post on McGwire and the Hall.
http://journals.aol.com/slapinions/Slap-Inionscom/entries/2007/01/08/the-post-about-the-baseball-hall-of-fame-2007/2027
It elaborates on some of my points. Can't stand the font tho :)
Glad your feeling better, and I have to agree with the prior post, no one should be in the Hall if on steroids.. cheaters are cheaters
ReplyDeleteI too felt altho saddened, that it was only a matter of time before Benazir Bhutto would be assassin...she lucked on prior attempts