The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced a major change amongst the voting process. Hence forth, a player will only remain on the ballot for ten years as opposed to the fifteen years that has been the tradition for decades. Currently, there are three men who will be entering next year in their year of eligibility past ten years who will be grandfathered in. Lee Smith (13th), Alan Trammell (14th) and Don Mattingly (15th and final) will remain on the ballot, though based on the support patterns that the three have had, it is not expected that any of the three will receive the support needed for Cooperstown. One has to wonder openly if this reduction is to eliminate the controversy sooner surrounding the PED tainted athletes who are currently in the ballot. This would affect Mark McGwire the most, who is entering his ninth year on the ballot, and now has only two more years to gain induction. The former slugger received only 16.9 percent last year, which is his lowest yet. Coincidentally, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens dropped in support from their first year to their second. They will both only have eight more years on the ballot. Arguably, the collateral damage (if this is to reduce the length that suspected PED users are on the ballot) would be Tim Raines, who will be on his 8th year. Raines received 46.1 percent of the vote last year down from a high of 52.2 the year before. Nevertheless, Raines has doubled his support from the first year on the ballot, and with seven more years of eligibility, past history indicates his chances for induction were still decent. With only three more years of eligibility left, it will be a tough and shorter road ahead. Of note, in the past forty years, the reduced eligibility would have caused the following inductees to miss receiving the Hall of Fame call: Bert Blyleven (2011, 14th Year), Jim Rice (2009, 15th Year), Bruce Sutter (2006, 13th Year), Duke Snider (1980, 11th Year), Bob Lemon (1976, 12th Year) and Ralph Kiner (1975, 13th Year). There is an argument that if it someone can’t get into the Baseball Hall of Fame in ten tries, that another five years won’t make that much more of a difference. While the six names in the previous paragraphs were big names in their day, it would not necessarily downgrade the perception of the Hall of Fame if they were not inducted. Incidentally, this is the first major change in the Baseball Hall of Fame voting procedures since 1985, when the minimum five percent threshold was instituted to remain eligible. We are very curious to hear the feedback from the eligible players that will be impacted from this decision.
Read more...
Let’s not talk about the PEDs or gambling for a change. This weekend the Baseball Hall of Fame will be officially inducting their Class of 2015, and let’s just focus on the new inductees and the pageantry that will embrace the small town of Cooperstown, New York this weekend. This weekend will feature six worthy inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame, all alive, and all to be present. Three of them (Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine & Frank Thomas) are first ballot Hall of Fame inductees marking the first time that has happened since 1999 when Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount were selected. The other three (Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre) are arguably the greatest Managers in the last twenty five years. With this group, it can be argued that it is so strong that there is no inarguable headliner, though we can imagine that there will be a strong contingent coming in from Atlanta as four of the six inductees played or managed there. With Greg Maddux, you have an inductee who earned four straight Cy Young Awards and someone who stands in eighth place all time in Wins. Maddux also holds the Major League Record for the most Gold Gloves accrued in eighteen. Maddux’s longtime teammate, Tom Glavine also won a Cy Young Award, and also hit the 300 Win mark. This marks the first time since 1936, the first year of the Baseball Hall of Fame induction that two 300 game winners entered the Baseball Hall of Fame. Famed Chicago White Sox slugger, Frank Thomas enters the Hall. A power hitter with great plate discipline, Thomas is a member of the 500 Home Run club and is a two time MVP. “The Big Hurt” brings to the Hall a whopping career OPS of .974. These three greats are joined by three excellent choices by the Veteran’s Committee; the three men who are 3rd, 4th and 5th all time in Wins as a Manager. Accumulatively, the triumvirate of Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa have won eight World Series and have taken their teams to the playoffs a whopping thirty-eight times. Torre was a strong Hall of Fame contender himself as a player, staying on the ballot all fifteen years. Let’s toss a beer back and grab a dog and toast the excellence of these six legends.
Read more...
It was not that long ago that the Minnesota Twins announced that Chuck Knoblauch would be entering their franchise’s Hall of Fame. There was a ceremony that was to take place on August 23rd before their home game, but that has been officially cancelled in wake of the alleged allegation that he assaulted his ex-wife. This is not the first time that the former Second Baseman has had domestic issues. He was convicted of hitting a previous wife in 2010, and received one year’s probation for the assault. In Minnesota, Knoblauch earned four All Star nods and the 1991 Rookie of the Year Award, the same season he won the World Series with the Twins. This is one of the first times that we can remember that a Hall of Fame invite was revoked. Constantly, and this is regardless of the sport, we learn that our heroes are not necessarily worthy of our adoration and when these events occur, debate will ensue as to whether that athlete should have his Hall of Fame induction pulled. The best example is when O.J. Simpson murdered (sorry, we are not going to say allegedly) his ex-wife in 1994, he was not removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, or the Buffalo Bills Ring of Honor. There were articles and a small movement looking to remove O.J. from those honors, but that movement never gained any steam. The Twins for that matter had Kirby Puckett, who entered the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2001. Shortly after Puckett entered Cooperstown, stories of Puckett’s indiscretions came out, mostly through a Sports Illustrated article though there was never any consideration to remove Puckett from the Baseball Hall of Fame, or the Twins Hall of Fame. It is uncertain at this time, whether the Minnesota Twins will ever reinstate the Hall of Fame induction of Knoblauch. The Twins organization can either be praised for how they recognize that character matters or jeered for how only on field accomplishments should matter. With all due respect to Knoblauch, it is not like this is Harmon Killebrew, who was a much bigger star in the Twins canon, so perhaps the decision was not a hard one. Either way, we wonder if this will create a precedent that other franchise Halls of Fame will follow.
Read more...
Today the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2015; the 17th Class that the Knoxville, Tennessee based institution has inducted. The unarguable headliner of this Class is Lisa Leslie, who led the United States to four consecutive Gold Medals in the Olympics. Leslie would play her College ball at the University of Southern California and was named the Player of the Year in 1994. Following the formation of the WNBA (which first took the court in 1997), Leslie would star for the Los Angeles Sparks, the flagship franchise of the new league. In L.A., Leslie would win the WNBA MVP three times and was named a First Team All WNBA selection eight times. Most importantly for Leslie, she was able to finally lead the Sparks to the WNBA Title in 2001 and repeated the effort again in 2002. Joining Leslie is Janeth Arcain, the main star of the Brazilian National Team in the 90’s. Professionally, Arcain played for the Houston Comets of the WNBA and would be a focal point of the Comets squad that won the first four WNBA Titles. She would also earn First Team honors in her career. Another inductee this year is Janet Harris, who was a standout player at the University of Georgia. Harris was the first NCAA player to record 2,500 Points and 1,250 Rebounds. Kurt Budke is posthumously inducted. Budke passed away in 2011 in a plane crash and was coaching the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at the time. Budke is recognized as one of the most successful Junior College Head Coach and had revitalized the OSU program. Current Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach, Gail Goestenkors is being inducted also. Goestenkors primarily enters based on her work with Duke University and at the University of Texas. She was named the Coach of the Year in 2003 and took the Blue Devils to four straight Final Fours. The Class is completed by Oregon High School Coach, Brad Smith and the 1972-74 Immaculata College who enter in the “Trailblazers of the Game” showcase. We would like to congratulate this year’s Class.
Read more...
It looks like Beyonce is headed towards the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; well at least her clothing is anyway. Outfits from her Super Bowl Performance and single black unitard worn from her “Single Ladies” video will be on display this Tuesday in the Ahmet Ehrtegun Main Exhibit Hall in its Legends of Rock section. Based on the amount of material that Beyonce was willing to donate, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame elected to put her display in the main attraction of the site. This addition to the Hall, and the comments made by Rock and Roll HOF Executives comparing her to Aretha Franklin open the question as to whether Cleveland will permanently honor Beyonce next decade. Beyonce will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as a member of Destiny’s Child and again in 2027 as a solo artist. Regardless of whether you think a Beyonce exhibit belongs in the Hall, based on the progression of music, we here feel that this is a nice addition.
Read more...
The Rock and Roll world lost another great one today with the passing of Johnny Winter, who died in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland today at the age of 70. It is unknown at this time what was the cause of his death. The distinctively looking Winter (he was born with albinism and horrific eyesight) would carve a place for himself in the Rock/Blues world. Winter first gained recognition in 1968 as a live act, and would put out his first album the following year. While Winter never sold a ton of albums, nor had radio friendly singles, he quickly became known for his live performances and would be one of the few musicians in the early 1970’s that could sell out an arena without the benefit of radio. Winter, who was once introduced at the famed Fillmore East as the “baddest mother fucker” delighted crowds with the rapid speed in which he played the guitar, yet was still rooted in the Blues and had the soul and fluidity of the Blues legends he grew up on. He also sang with an earnest and intense growl, in a voice that could only match the way he played. Perhaps the crowning achievement of Johnny Winter’s career was when he was able to produce his childhood idol’s album. In 1977, Winter produced Muddy Waters’ albums, which he also played on. The collaboration not only revitalized Waters’ career but also earned three Grammy Awards. We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Johnny Winter at this time.
Read more...
Pete Rose is in the news again, specifically saying that the admission of PED users into the Baseball Hall of Fame will enhance his chances to the Hall of Fame. In a series of radio interviews Rose had the following to say: “I wish it would happen, If someway that would happen, it would increase my opportunities.” In an interview with us two years ago, Rose added that the Hall of Fame “is not filled with choir boys”, indicating that the character of many of the inductees can certainly be questioned. The one thing that can be said about Pete Rose over the past few years is that he is blunt. Rose said in previous interviews (including with us) that it was not his place to challenge the PED users who threatened the Home Run record, as it was not his. He has also stated that it is Hank Aaron who should speak out against it, should he feel so inclined. Rose is correct in assuming that the induction of players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa would have to aid him by default. However, as we know (and so does Pete), the voting from the Baseball Hall of Fame Committee does not indicate that any known PED users will be entering Cooperstown anytime soon. Rose continued to talk about another reason that he was excluded in the first place: “I think Faye Vincent (the man who succeeded Bart Giamatti) thinks I killed Bart Giamatti. Not the fact that he smoked five packs of cigaretted a day, nor the fact that he was 70 pounds overweight. It was the stress he went through when he had to battle with me.” The feud between Faye Vincent and Pate Rose has been well documented in the past and this comment is nothing new. Regular visitors here at Notinhalloffame.com know that we are supporters of the “Hit King” entering the Baseball Hall of Fame. Do his comments make sense to you, or does this sound like the ranting of a hypocrite? Either way, we would love to hear your thoughts!
Read more...
The Michigan State Athletic Hall of Fame has announced their latest class and its headliner is former Offensive Tackle, Flozell Adams, who played there from 1994 to 1998. Adams was an All-American in his senior year and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He would go on to have a successful career in the NFL most notably with the Dallas Cowboys. Another former football player, Buck Nystrom who played there in the 1950’s, joins Adams. The other four inductees this year are Amateur Wrestler, Greg Johnson, Softball and Women’s Basketball standout, Kathy Strahan, Tennis Player, Sue Selke and Gymnast, Dave Thor. This group will be officially inducted on September 18th and another ceremony will take place on the 20th when the Spartans football team host Eastern Michigan. We would like to congratulate the latest class at this time.
Read more...
The end of an era was marked as the last surviving member of the original lineup of the Ramones, Drummer, Tommy Ramone passed away following a bout with bile duct cancer. He was 65 years old. Born Thomas Erdelyi in Budapest, Hungary, he would immigrate to the New York City as a child and would soon find himself attracted to the music scene. Erdelyi would become friends with his High School Classmate, Johnny Cummings and form a garage band named the Tangerine Puppets in the late 1960’s. The duo would later meet Douglas Colvin and Jeffrey Hyman, and the foursome that would eventually become the Ramones had become entrenched in each other’s lives. Cummings, Colvin and Hyman would form a band, with Colvin inspired by a Paul McCartney pseudonym during the “Silver Beatles” period, adopted the stage name of Dee Dee Ramone. Colvin convinced the others to adopt the fake last name and Hyman and Cummings became Joey and Johnny Ramone respectively. Thomas Erdelyi was not initially part of the band and only intended to be the group’s manager but as fate often intervenes in Rock and Roll, that would not be how the story would play out. Dee Dee Ramone, who was the initial drummer, quickly came to the conclusion that singing and playing the drums simultaneously wouldn’t work, not with the rapid pace that was required with what was to be the Ramones sound. Erdelyi, still associated with the trio, and set to take place as the band’s manager, was on hand to teach prospective drummers the pacing and style required, though nobody was able to match what Erdelyi could do. He would forego his spot as the band’s manager and assume his new name of Tommy Ramone, the band’s new drummer. The Ramones would be at the forefront and were considered the leaders of a new musical movement that was called, Punk. Their songs were brief, their tempo was rapid fire and nobody had ever heard anything like it before. They would hit the scene officially in 1974, and become a staple of CBGB’s, the place associated with new and upcoming music in New York City. They would release their debut album in 1976 and though the Ramones were never a commercial success, their impact was undeniable and they would develop a legacy that has rendered them as one of the most influential bands of all time. Tommy Ramone was the drummer on that album, and would also perform on their next two. Additionally, Tommy would be the co-producer on those first three efforts. Tommy Ramone would step down as the band’s drummer and would be replaced by Marky Ramone (Mark Bell) who would stay with the group for fifteen years. Tommy would remain on as the co-producer on the fourth album, and as the band’s manager. He would also return to produce their eight album. Tommy was also responsible for writing the bulk of “Blitzkrieg Bop” which is arguably their most recognizable song. Tommy had been sick for some time prior to his passing, living in hospice care for the past few months. We offer our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Tommy Ramone and we here at Notinhalloffame.com are going to take the Rocket to Russia in two minute bursts.
Read more...
For those you have been regular followers here at Notinhalloffame.com, you already know that we will be unveiling a look at the big four North American Sports franchises and how they retire numbers and/or honor former players/contributors with their respective Halls of Fame. It stands to reason that this practice will eventually work its way to the major American College programs. With that in mind, we will now begin reporting on when a significant college admits someone into their Hall of Fame or retire a number. Today, the University of Southern California has announced their latest Hall of Fame Class, with former Football Coach, Pete Carroll as the perceived headliner. Carroll brought the Trojans Football tea back to national prominence and won the National Championship in 2003 and 2004, and also won six BCS Bowl Games. He was criticized for leaving USC shortly before the University faced sanctions due to violations of the NCAA code, mostly centered around former Running Back, Reggie Bush. Still, Carroll’s impact at USC can not be denied. Fifteen other people join Pete Carroll. Jack Del Rio, who played both Baseball and Football at USC from 1981 to 1985. Del Rio was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in Baseball, and starred as a Catcher, batting well over .300. He would be regarded as a bigger star in Football, winning the Rose Bowl MVP in ’85 and was an All-American Linebacker. Mark Prior was also chosen. The Pitcher was a major star at USC, winning the Dick Howser Trophy, Golden Spikes Award, and Rotary Smith Award in 2001. His incredible performance led him to being the second player over all in the MLB Draft. Another highly regarded Football player joins the Hall, with Quarterback, Jimmy Jones, who was one of the first African-American pivots of note. The trailblazing Jones went 22-8-3 as a Starter at USC. The sport of Basketball is also represented with Harold Miner, a slam dunk aficionado who was the Pac-10 Player of the Year and Consensus All-American in 1992. That year, Miner led USC to a number #2 ranking prior to the NCAA Tournament. Jamaican born Track and Field Star and 1976 200 Meter Olympic Gold Medalist, Don Quarrie was also selected. The remaining inductees are Linebacker, Tim Rossovich, Rhodesia born Tennis player, Byron Black, Phillipine born and former NCAA Champion, Jennifer Rosales, Canadian born women’s soccer player, Isabelle Harvey, longtime Assistant Football Coach, Dave Levy, Hungarian born Water Polo star, Aniko Pelle, Sportswriter, Joe Jares, Swimmer, Kristine Quance, Volleyball star, Bob Yoder and John Hamilton who is recognized as a contributor. We would like to congratulate this year’s Class to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Read more...
Subscribe to this RSS feed
