Although the major league baseball offseason is in full
swing, there are plenty of other things keeping the game in the news. That’s
one of its best traits, as there is always something of interest or value that
fans can discover or rediscover on a regular basis. There is simply no other
sport that can engage the senses on so many levels. At least that’s my take…
Now, on to the notes for the week.
*The Baseball Golden Era Ballot voting has come and gone,
and there will be no
new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame from this body in 2015. Dick Allen
and Tony
Oliva each came within one vote of being elected, while Jim Kaat,
Maury
Wills and Minnie
Minoso narrowly missed as well.
As usual, there was varying amounts of outrage on the behalf
of the ten candidates. The simple fact is that while they were all excellent
players and contributors to the game, none of them were slam dunk choices. If
they were, most would not have been elected from the writers’ ballot. That
being said, this kind of process and debate is good for the game and keeping
people interested in its history.
*More regarding the Hall of Fame. There has never been a
player inducted with 100 percent of the votes from the writer’s ballot. This
even includes the likes of Babe Ruth
and Willie
Mays. Sports Cheat Sheet’s Eric
Schall has compiled a list
of the top-10 vote getters by percentage of all members of the Hall of Fame.
Hint; they probably aren’t who you think.
*With the holidays nearly upon us, the shopping season produces
a vast quantity of advertisements to hawk gift ideas. Check out this 1977
Christmas Mr. Coffee commercial
starring Joe
DiMaggio. If even a fraction of those who grew up idolizing the “Yankee
Clipper” bought one of his coffee machines, the company must have had a very
merry holiday season.
*Louisville Slugger bats are synonymous with baseball. An
incredible number of players have used them for decades, and they are truly
part of the fabric of the game. This video
gives a succinct history of the company and how they have evolved over the
years.
*Actor and director Penny Marshall (of Laverne and Shirley fame)
will be bringing an important baseball story to the silver screen. It was
recently announced
she will be directing a biopic of Effa Manley appropriately titled Effa. The first woman elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame, Manley was a groundbreaking owner in the Negro Leagues
who trail blazed not only for herself and women in the game but for her
players.
*With 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts in his career, former
left-handed pitcher Randy
Johnson was one of the most dominant hurlers in the history of the game. He
is on the 2015 writer’s ballot and it will be a major surprise if he is not a
shoo-in for induction next summer. That being said, baseball is far from being
what defines him. ESPN’s E:60
recently had a great
feature showing what the lanky southpaw is up to these days, as he seems to
have seamlessly transitioned into the next phase of his life.
*Chuck
Connors gained his greatest fame as a Hollywood actor, becoming known for
such roles as the Rifleman and as a slave
owner in the epic television miniseries Roots.
Before that, he was a fine athlete, playing professional basketball and
baseball. Here is a photo
of him during training with the Brooklyn Dodgers, demonstrating a proper
sliding technique.
In 66 games with the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs (1949 &
1951) he hit a combined .238 with two home runs, so he definitely made a wise
career choice!
*A huge collection
of baseball memorabilia has been discovered at Birmingham’s old Rickwood Field,
the oldest active ballpark in the country. This trove of artifacts, autographs
and other amazing items (including a pair of Reggie
Jackson’s cleats) is being put up for auction,
and the public will be able to take away a piece of history that had been
tucked away for years.
*The Baseball History
Daily has dug up another lost gem of a story.
In 1883, Providence Grays outfielder Cliff
Carroll decided to water down fan Jimmy Murphy after taking a drink from a
hose during a game. The drenched crank was so incensed that he retrieved a gun
and took a potshot at the player. You’ll have to read the whole entry to find
out what happened in this crazy encounter.
*Outfielder Mark Gilbert
had a major league career that lasted all of seven games with the 1985 Chicago
White Sox. Although he had six hits and four walks in 26 plate appearances, his
playing career was over by the time he was 29. Fortunately, it looks like he
has moved on nicely. USA Today reported
last fall how the now 58-year-old was nominated by President Barack Obama to be
the United States’ ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Just recently, that
appointment was confirmed
by the Senate, making him the first former major leaguer to hold such a post.
*Detroit Tigers Hall-of-Fame outfielder Al Kaline
turns 80 later in the week. The Detroit
News’ Tom Gage wrote a profile
of the legend and looks back on his outstanding career that lasted 22 years as
a player and is still going strong with his role as an adviser with the same
team that made him a bonus baby signing in 1953. "Al continues to be
involved in all of our major meetings and discussions," Tigers' president
and general manager Dave Dombrowski said of the legend, who does what he loves
and loves what he does. It’s great to see he is still involved, and many warm
wishes for that to continue for years to come.
You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrew
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