1. The whole extended family continues to be upright and taking nourishment
2. The lousy economy has so far had a limited impact on my family and parishoners, although we're all thankful we're not retiring right now. Our prayers go out to those who haven't sailed as smoothly.
3. Daughter has passed the 32 week mark in the Grandchild Production Department. That's a significant mile-marker, and I'm grateful.
4. While two of my parishoners are on deployment, one will be home with his family for Thanksgiving. The other has had some remarkable experiences in southern Iraq, like visiting Ur and the traditional site of Abraham's home. And he should be with his family next Thanksgiving.
5. The Red Sox haven't done anything stupid yet in the free agent market.
6. There has been an absolutely wonderful run of books published this fall. Titles include: John Meacham's American Lion; Andrew Bacevich's The Limits of Power; Artie Lange's Too Fat to Fish (not a biography of me, and most certainly R-rated), Kathleen Norris' Acedia and Me; Carlo D'Este's Warlord (a study of Churchill's career in warfare); Detlev Claussen's bio of T.W. Adorno, One Last Genius; Richard Cook's Alfred Kazin; and Ingrid Rowland's Giordano Bruno: Philosopher and Heretic. There are others; those should hold you.
7. Sudoku, Sudoku, Sudoku! (Thanks to the older niece for explaining the darned things to me)
8. New music from John Hiatt, Jackson Browne, Lindsay Buckingham and B.B. King that proved that the old guys have a little something left. And from Jakob Dylan, that reminds this old guy that younger guys have something to say, too.
9. And speaking of old guys and young Dylan, The Return of the Theme Time Radio Hour with your host, Bob Dylan! Season Three seems even better than the first two.
10. The Eagles' latest tour. I'm in good with The Roommate for, probably, two or three months. Thanks, guys!
Since Dave limits himself to a Top 10 every night, I'll stop there. But there could surely be a great deal more. And it's very appropriate to have a little gratitude about life. So, Thanks, Boss!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
What Most Valuable is All About
The Baseball Writers' Association of America did great work that was announced in the last two days: they voted the two leagues' Most Valuable Player Awards to Albert Pujols (NL) and Dustin Pedroia (AL).
Albert Pujols is the guy that kids look up to from coast to coast. He's a great player and a better person. No player in the history of Major League Baseball-not Ted Williams, not Joe DiMaggio, not Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx or Al Simmons-has ever, ever, ever started his career with the performance that Albert has put on the board in his first eight seasons. He is 28 as the 2008 season ended. He has 319 Home Runs, 977 RBIs and over 1,500 hits. And now, his second National League MVP award. The only thing that has prevented him from having four MVPs is Barry Bonds' drug dealer.
Pujols was also named this year's Roberto Clemente Man of the Year in Major League Baseball. That award is given to the player who most personifies the community and charitable spirit of the great Clemente, who gave his life doing relief work after a Nicaraguan earthquake in 1972. A native Dominican, Pujols was in tears when he was named the Clemente winner. Clemente is widely seen as the Jackie Robinson of the Latino community. If I were a betting man, I would wager that Albert holds the Clemente Award dearer than the MVP.
In eight seasons for the Cardinals, Pujols has never been lower than ninth in MVP voting. That is consistency. His placement describes his stardom: 9th in 2007; 4th in 2001; 3rd in 2004; 2nd in 2002, 2003 and 2006; and his wins in 2005 and this year. Yep, that's 5 first or seconds in eight seasons!
Dustin Pedroia isn't big enough. He's listed at 5'9" and that's generous. Try a much more realistic 5'6" and you're a whole lot closer. But much like his second sacker ancestor of 30 years back, Joe Morgan, Dusty doesn't know he's the smallest guy on the field. Or at least, he doesn't care. Pedroia is why baseball is still the greatest game, and always will be. A guy like Petey can still be the MVP in baseball. You don't have to be a beast like in the NFL, or stretched out to freakish proportions like in the NBA. A slightly less than averaged sized man can make it just fine in baseball.
He was Rookie of the Year in the American League last year. This year, he already won the Golden Glove and Silver Slugger. More importantly, he batted all up and down the Red Sox order this year, wherever Tito Francona needed or wanted him. Including the cleanup slot after Manny was traded and Mikey was injured. That's right: all 5'6" of Dustin Pedroia provided the protection for Big Papi in the Red Sox lineup. And while there, he hit like a cleanup hitter! That's because Pedroia has never, ever listened to any of those "experts" who have told him that he wasn't big enough or good enough to be a Major Leaguer. He knew better than they did!
And one of these days (which may come very shortly) he very likely could follow Jason Varitek as the Captain of the Boston Red Sox. Petey is made of the very same stuff as Tek. He is strong. He is a leader. He inspires his teammates. And he doesn't put up with any nonsense.
My congratulations, and gratitude, to the BBWAA for seeing past the power totals to recognize that value is measured by far more than how many homers are hit!
Albert Pujols and Dustin Pedroia constitute an awful lot of what is good and right about baseball, and both of them deeply deserve the recognition that they have been extended!
Albert Pujols is the guy that kids look up to from coast to coast. He's a great player and a better person. No player in the history of Major League Baseball-not Ted Williams, not Joe DiMaggio, not Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx or Al Simmons-has ever, ever, ever started his career with the performance that Albert has put on the board in his first eight seasons. He is 28 as the 2008 season ended. He has 319 Home Runs, 977 RBIs and over 1,500 hits. And now, his second National League MVP award. The only thing that has prevented him from having four MVPs is Barry Bonds' drug dealer.
Pujols was also named this year's Roberto Clemente Man of the Year in Major League Baseball. That award is given to the player who most personifies the community and charitable spirit of the great Clemente, who gave his life doing relief work after a Nicaraguan earthquake in 1972. A native Dominican, Pujols was in tears when he was named the Clemente winner. Clemente is widely seen as the Jackie Robinson of the Latino community. If I were a betting man, I would wager that Albert holds the Clemente Award dearer than the MVP.
In eight seasons for the Cardinals, Pujols has never been lower than ninth in MVP voting. That is consistency. His placement describes his stardom: 9th in 2007; 4th in 2001; 3rd in 2004; 2nd in 2002, 2003 and 2006; and his wins in 2005 and this year. Yep, that's 5 first or seconds in eight seasons!
Dustin Pedroia isn't big enough. He's listed at 5'9" and that's generous. Try a much more realistic 5'6" and you're a whole lot closer. But much like his second sacker ancestor of 30 years back, Joe Morgan, Dusty doesn't know he's the smallest guy on the field. Or at least, he doesn't care. Pedroia is why baseball is still the greatest game, and always will be. A guy like Petey can still be the MVP in baseball. You don't have to be a beast like in the NFL, or stretched out to freakish proportions like in the NBA. A slightly less than averaged sized man can make it just fine in baseball.
He was Rookie of the Year in the American League last year. This year, he already won the Golden Glove and Silver Slugger. More importantly, he batted all up and down the Red Sox order this year, wherever Tito Francona needed or wanted him. Including the cleanup slot after Manny was traded and Mikey was injured. That's right: all 5'6" of Dustin Pedroia provided the protection for Big Papi in the Red Sox lineup. And while there, he hit like a cleanup hitter! That's because Pedroia has never, ever listened to any of those "experts" who have told him that he wasn't big enough or good enough to be a Major Leaguer. He knew better than they did!
And one of these days (which may come very shortly) he very likely could follow Jason Varitek as the Captain of the Boston Red Sox. Petey is made of the very same stuff as Tek. He is strong. He is a leader. He inspires his teammates. And he doesn't put up with any nonsense.
My congratulations, and gratitude, to the BBWAA for seeing past the power totals to recognize that value is measured by far more than how many homers are hit!
Albert Pujols and Dustin Pedroia constitute an awful lot of what is good and right about baseball, and both of them deeply deserve the recognition that they have been extended!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Hard to Get Behind This One
"On behalf of Manny Ramirez, we will, for the first time, begin accepting serious financial offers on Friday." Agent Scott Boras, Nov. 13, 2008
I have been with the players in every single labor negotiation and work stoppage in my baseball watching life. Even as a kid, the Reserve Clause always seemed downright un-American to me. (If that term is not familiar to you, every Major League baseball player's contract-until the mid-1970's-contained a clause that said, in essence, that if you signed this year's contract, you were granting your team the right to retain your services next year, in perpetuity. You were "Reserved" by the team that signed you. Forever. And with no recourse, you ultimately had no bargaining power, whatsoever. Curt Flood gave up his career to fight this monstrosity, God Bless him!)
I was with the players in the 1973 when they struck over the pension program. The lockouts in 1973 and 1976 were inconsequential to fans, as they occurred during Spring Training. I understood in 1980, when the season's start was delayed a week over free agent pay, and again in 1981, when the same issue took out the middle third of the season. 1985 was almost like a long weekend in August over salary arbitration, and the 1990 lockout was, again, early in Spring Training. 1994 was about the attempt to put in a salary cap and revenue sharing. Der Kommissar ultimately cancelled the World Series, which not even Hitler could manage, but I was still right there with the workers. Yes, by then, many of the players were millionaires, but it was now a choice between millionaires and billionaires, where it had been working men vs. billionaires in earlier instances. I am always for the guy with the smaller bank balance.
But now? Thank God it's not about a strike. If my buddy Bud gets credit for anything, it is moving through the last negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement without strike or lockout. But it's getting harder-much, much harder-to hang with the players.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had offered Manny Ramirez a two year contract for $22.5 million per year, with a club option for a third that would have brought the total value to $60 million. To quote Lewis Black, I'm going to pause for a moment to let that sink in............
Manny took the Dodgers to the NLCS this year, for sure. But Manny will be 37 years old a third of the way into the 2009 season. He is unreliable at best, and a real problem at worst. In his prime, his focus could disappear for weeks at a time. And the Dodgers are in the National League, which means, of course, that he will have to play the outfield. Need I mention, that isn't Manny's best thing?
Scott Boras, spawn of Satan, didn't just turn down the Dodgers offer. He declared, per the quote above, that $60 million for a 37 year old, tantrum pitching, clubhouse killing, spoiled brat isn't even a serious offer. He presumably issued the press release with a straight face.
I love Manny. I still believe that a determined Ramirez in the middle of the Red Sox lineup would have meant a third World Series title in five years. But there is no defense for this demand.
I hope Frank McCourt doesn't raise his offer. I hope Artie Moreno says that he can't go higher than his cross-town rivals offered. I hope for some semblance of sanity to break upon Hal Steinbrenner just long enough to opt out of any higher bidding for Manny. They certainly shouldn't discuss things amongst themselves (can you say "collusion?"), but these men-well, McCourt and Moreno-didn't have things handed to them in life. They had to perform and demonstrate responsible judgement to acquire the fortunes that enabled them to buy the Dodgers and Angels, respectively. Use your judgement, boys. He's old. He's difficult. He's unreliable.
And he's not worth $60 million. He for darned sure ain't worth a dollar more!
I have been with the players in every single labor negotiation and work stoppage in my baseball watching life. Even as a kid, the Reserve Clause always seemed downright un-American to me. (If that term is not familiar to you, every Major League baseball player's contract-until the mid-1970's-contained a clause that said, in essence, that if you signed this year's contract, you were granting your team the right to retain your services next year, in perpetuity. You were "Reserved" by the team that signed you. Forever. And with no recourse, you ultimately had no bargaining power, whatsoever. Curt Flood gave up his career to fight this monstrosity, God Bless him!)
I was with the players in the 1973 when they struck over the pension program. The lockouts in 1973 and 1976 were inconsequential to fans, as they occurred during Spring Training. I understood in 1980, when the season's start was delayed a week over free agent pay, and again in 1981, when the same issue took out the middle third of the season. 1985 was almost like a long weekend in August over salary arbitration, and the 1990 lockout was, again, early in Spring Training. 1994 was about the attempt to put in a salary cap and revenue sharing. Der Kommissar ultimately cancelled the World Series, which not even Hitler could manage, but I was still right there with the workers. Yes, by then, many of the players were millionaires, but it was now a choice between millionaires and billionaires, where it had been working men vs. billionaires in earlier instances. I am always for the guy with the smaller bank balance.
But now? Thank God it's not about a strike. If my buddy Bud gets credit for anything, it is moving through the last negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement without strike or lockout. But it's getting harder-much, much harder-to hang with the players.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had offered Manny Ramirez a two year contract for $22.5 million per year, with a club option for a third that would have brought the total value to $60 million. To quote Lewis Black, I'm going to pause for a moment to let that sink in............
Manny took the Dodgers to the NLCS this year, for sure. But Manny will be 37 years old a third of the way into the 2009 season. He is unreliable at best, and a real problem at worst. In his prime, his focus could disappear for weeks at a time. And the Dodgers are in the National League, which means, of course, that he will have to play the outfield. Need I mention, that isn't Manny's best thing?
Scott Boras, spawn of Satan, didn't just turn down the Dodgers offer. He declared, per the quote above, that $60 million for a 37 year old, tantrum pitching, clubhouse killing, spoiled brat isn't even a serious offer. He presumably issued the press release with a straight face.
I love Manny. I still believe that a determined Ramirez in the middle of the Red Sox lineup would have meant a third World Series title in five years. But there is no defense for this demand.
I hope Frank McCourt doesn't raise his offer. I hope Artie Moreno says that he can't go higher than his cross-town rivals offered. I hope for some semblance of sanity to break upon Hal Steinbrenner just long enough to opt out of any higher bidding for Manny. They certainly shouldn't discuss things amongst themselves (can you say "collusion?"), but these men-well, McCourt and Moreno-didn't have things handed to them in life. They had to perform and demonstrate responsible judgement to acquire the fortunes that enabled them to buy the Dodgers and Angels, respectively. Use your judgement, boys. He's old. He's difficult. He's unreliable.
And he's not worth $60 million. He for darned sure ain't worth a dollar more!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Time For this Semi-Old Man to Dream a Dream
"Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28
I have dreamed all my life (well, at least since 1984, when the event started) of going to the Chicago Blues Festival. I'm one of those southern white boys who needed Eric Clapton and Robert Plant to share the gospel about our own music. And when Clapton talked in Rolling Stone about the legendary Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings as the Holy Grail of sound, I was immediately off to Sounds of Music (Later, Sounza Musik) in Jackson to get my hands on a copy. They didn't have it. But Peaches in Memphis sure did. From the first notes of Kindhearted Woman Blues, I was hooked. By Sweet Home Chicago, Cross Road Blues and Love in Vain, it was over. I already knew disco sucked, but there was something in this music that made the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John seem like first-year music students.
Later came John Lee Hooker, Son House, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf (Sam Phillips felt that the Wolf's music was the most important work ever to come out of Sun Records), Charlie Patton, Honeyboy Edwards, Sleepy John Estes, Mississippi John Hurt and all the rest. Those records had something going on that the stuff on the radio just couldn't deliver. The Blues are real, raw and powerful. They shame every other music in my ear, heart and head. They gave birth to all American music that came after them.
The roommate and I have calculated, thought and even prayed a little. We've still got two in college, a granddaughter coming in January, a future son-in-law we're trying to help, and a teacher's salary and a church that's still not close to doing what was promised four years ago. Still, we've decided: we're going to Chicago next summer. There's no place I'd rather vacation anyway. But next summer, we're going early. Right after Annual Conference. And the Cubs' and White Sox' schedules aren't the primary ingredient for this trip.
We're going to the Chicago Blues Festival.
Roomy will be a certified antique in a month. I got my AARP membership card today, courtesy of her upcoming birthday. This, and a grandchild on the way, adds up to a great big "let's get on with it!" And I absolutely cannot wait. Everybody who's anybody on the stages. More people in Grant Park than showed up for Barack Obama's victory speech. In my favorite city in the world. With my companion of choice. It just doesn't get any better than that!
And I'll be listening and looking for the ghosts. Robert Johnson will be there, and Hooker and Muddy and the Wolf; Son and Leadbelly and Luther Allison will be hanging around, too. I miss you guys, but I'll see you in Chicago come June!
"Back to that land of California; Sweet home Chicago." Robert Johnson (Hey, he was a Bluesman, not a geographer!)
I have dreamed all my life (well, at least since 1984, when the event started) of going to the Chicago Blues Festival. I'm one of those southern white boys who needed Eric Clapton and Robert Plant to share the gospel about our own music. And when Clapton talked in Rolling Stone about the legendary Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings as the Holy Grail of sound, I was immediately off to Sounds of Music (Later, Sounza Musik) in Jackson to get my hands on a copy. They didn't have it. But Peaches in Memphis sure did. From the first notes of Kindhearted Woman Blues, I was hooked. By Sweet Home Chicago, Cross Road Blues and Love in Vain, it was over. I already knew disco sucked, but there was something in this music that made the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John seem like first-year music students.
Later came John Lee Hooker, Son House, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf (Sam Phillips felt that the Wolf's music was the most important work ever to come out of Sun Records), Charlie Patton, Honeyboy Edwards, Sleepy John Estes, Mississippi John Hurt and all the rest. Those records had something going on that the stuff on the radio just couldn't deliver. The Blues are real, raw and powerful. They shame every other music in my ear, heart and head. They gave birth to all American music that came after them.
The roommate and I have calculated, thought and even prayed a little. We've still got two in college, a granddaughter coming in January, a future son-in-law we're trying to help, and a teacher's salary and a church that's still not close to doing what was promised four years ago. Still, we've decided: we're going to Chicago next summer. There's no place I'd rather vacation anyway. But next summer, we're going early. Right after Annual Conference. And the Cubs' and White Sox' schedules aren't the primary ingredient for this trip.
We're going to the Chicago Blues Festival.
Roomy will be a certified antique in a month. I got my AARP membership card today, courtesy of her upcoming birthday. This, and a grandchild on the way, adds up to a great big "let's get on with it!" And I absolutely cannot wait. Everybody who's anybody on the stages. More people in Grant Park than showed up for Barack Obama's victory speech. In my favorite city in the world. With my companion of choice. It just doesn't get any better than that!
And I'll be listening and looking for the ghosts. Robert Johnson will be there, and Hooker and Muddy and the Wolf; Son and Leadbelly and Luther Allison will be hanging around, too. I miss you guys, but I'll see you in Chicago come June!
"Back to that land of California; Sweet home Chicago." Robert Johnson (Hey, he was a Bluesman, not a geographer!)
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Vote Santo Into the Hall...Now! Redux
This post is a repeat from 2007. This year's Veterans' Committee vote will be announced in one month (Dec. 8). Attention, Hall of Famers: Correct this injustice NOW! You will regret this error if you fool around and let Ron die before you vote him into his rightful place in the Hall.
Tomorrow the ballot of the Veterans' Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be announced. The odds are overwhelming that if anyone is elected it will be Ron Santo and/or Gil Hodges. I'm not a Dodger guy, but honesty compels me to say that Hodges doesn't cut it among first basemen in the Hall. There are 18 players identified as first basemen in the Hall's accounting-leaving out those such as Aaron, Banks and Musial who spent time there, but are pricipally identified with other positions. There are three others who played in the Negro Leagues, which, tragically, means that their statistical records are incomplete, and therefore cannot be used in a comparison like this. Hodges doesn't stack up. Sorry. Good man, great leader, pretty good manager. Not a Hall of Famer.
But then there is Ron Santo.
Santo is said to fail the Hall test due to his .277 lifetime batting average. Let's take a look at the numbers. There are 10 players in the Hall identified as Major League third basemen. It's a pretty darned impressive group: (in no particular order) Brooks Robinson, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, Pie Traynor, George Kell, Jimmy Collins, Frank "Home Run" Baker, and Freddie Lindstrom. (For the sake of brevity, I will speak as though Ron is in.)
Games Played: Ron comes in sixth of the eleven;
At Bats: again, sixth of eleven;
Runs Scored: Ron lands seventh;
Hits: sixth;
Doubles: seventh;
Triples: eighth;
Home Runs: Ron is third-and most of his were hit during the best pitching years of the modern era;
RBI: fifth-see the previous comment about the 1960's;
Batting Average: eighth;
Slugging Percentage: fourth;
OPS: fifth;
Ron, not surprisingly, trails Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, George Brett and Wade Boggs in most offensive categories, although Ron leaves Boggs in the dust in the power categories. Santo is comparable, offensively, to Brooks Robinson, and bests Robinson by ten batting average points. In fact, Ron's BA is better than Brooks', Schmidt's and Mathews'. And, again, batting average is the primary issue cited against voting him in. Once more, Santo was batting against Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA, Sandy Koufax' no-hitters, Don Drysdale's brushbacks, Juan Marichal's kick and toughness, and all of them and more throwing from the higher mound. None of the third basemen in the Hall had to take most of their career ABs between 1960 and 1968, and Santo STILL put up those numbers! Remember, Yaz won the AL batting title in 1968 with a .301 average.
Santo beats Kell, Traynor, Collins, Baker and Lindstrom in most all of the categories.
Oh yeah, there's one more measure: defense.
The Gold Glove award isn't perfect, but it certainly is one standard. Only four of these eleven men won multiple Gold Gloves. Brooks Robinson, of course, is the gold standard with 16. Michael Jack Schmidt claimed 10. But then it's Ron Santo next, with 5. (Wade Boggs won 2).
Ron says that he doesn't want to be elected to the Hall of Fame because he's a great guy and a legitimate inspiration, having played his entire career as an insulin dependent diabetic, who has now lost the lower portions of both legs to this vicious disease. My wife has been an insulin dependent diabetic from about the same age as Ron. It is a challenge for diabetics to make it through each day with the balancing of food, exercise and insulin, much less perform as a top-flight professional athlete while doing all of that. And this isn't even to mention that Santo is one of the genuinely tremendous human beings on the planet. He routinely, without cameras and microphones, make calls and visits to children who are newly diagnosed with diabetes, and hosts them and their families in the WGN radio booth at Wrigley. Because he wants those strangers to know they are not alone in their fight, and that they can persevere and realize their dreams, because he did.
Ron Santo doesn't need a sympathy vote to get into the Hall. He doesn't need a hero's respect to get in. Ron DESERVES, on the merits of his career, to be voted into the Hall of Fame. The problem with the new Veterans' Committee procedure is that giving the vote to the living HOFers encourages them to see themselves above anyone not elected by the BBWAA. They want Cooperstown to be exclusive, because the more exclusive the club is, the better they must have been to have gotten in. To quote the legendary Col. Sherman Potter, "Horse Hockey!" It doesn't demean George Kell or Frank Baker or even Mike Schmidt to give Ron Santo what he earned on the field.
And I have no doubt that Ron Santo will one day be elected. If his disease and personality play any role in this consideration, it is that it would be a crime to wait until Ron has passed from the scene to induct him. The Hall of Fame is poorer for Ron's absence. And that should be corrected when the vote is announced on Tuesday. Don't take the chance of leaving it to the next Veterans' ballot in 2009. Take care of this injustice now!
Tomorrow the ballot of the Veterans' Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be announced. The odds are overwhelming that if anyone is elected it will be Ron Santo and/or Gil Hodges. I'm not a Dodger guy, but honesty compels me to say that Hodges doesn't cut it among first basemen in the Hall. There are 18 players identified as first basemen in the Hall's accounting-leaving out those such as Aaron, Banks and Musial who spent time there, but are pricipally identified with other positions. There are three others who played in the Negro Leagues, which, tragically, means that their statistical records are incomplete, and therefore cannot be used in a comparison like this. Hodges doesn't stack up. Sorry. Good man, great leader, pretty good manager. Not a Hall of Famer.
But then there is Ron Santo.
Santo is said to fail the Hall test due to his .277 lifetime batting average. Let's take a look at the numbers. There are 10 players in the Hall identified as Major League third basemen. It's a pretty darned impressive group: (in no particular order) Brooks Robinson, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, Pie Traynor, George Kell, Jimmy Collins, Frank "Home Run" Baker, and Freddie Lindstrom. (For the sake of brevity, I will speak as though Ron is in.)
Games Played: Ron comes in sixth of the eleven;
At Bats: again, sixth of eleven;
Runs Scored: Ron lands seventh;
Hits: sixth;
Doubles: seventh;
Triples: eighth;
Home Runs: Ron is third-and most of his were hit during the best pitching years of the modern era;
RBI: fifth-see the previous comment about the 1960's;
Batting Average: eighth;
Slugging Percentage: fourth;
OPS: fifth;
Ron, not surprisingly, trails Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, George Brett and Wade Boggs in most offensive categories, although Ron leaves Boggs in the dust in the power categories. Santo is comparable, offensively, to Brooks Robinson, and bests Robinson by ten batting average points. In fact, Ron's BA is better than Brooks', Schmidt's and Mathews'. And, again, batting average is the primary issue cited against voting him in. Once more, Santo was batting against Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA, Sandy Koufax' no-hitters, Don Drysdale's brushbacks, Juan Marichal's kick and toughness, and all of them and more throwing from the higher mound. None of the third basemen in the Hall had to take most of their career ABs between 1960 and 1968, and Santo STILL put up those numbers! Remember, Yaz won the AL batting title in 1968 with a .301 average.
Santo beats Kell, Traynor, Collins, Baker and Lindstrom in most all of the categories.
Oh yeah, there's one more measure: defense.
The Gold Glove award isn't perfect, but it certainly is one standard. Only four of these eleven men won multiple Gold Gloves. Brooks Robinson, of course, is the gold standard with 16. Michael Jack Schmidt claimed 10. But then it's Ron Santo next, with 5. (Wade Boggs won 2).
Ron says that he doesn't want to be elected to the Hall of Fame because he's a great guy and a legitimate inspiration, having played his entire career as an insulin dependent diabetic, who has now lost the lower portions of both legs to this vicious disease. My wife has been an insulin dependent diabetic from about the same age as Ron. It is a challenge for diabetics to make it through each day with the balancing of food, exercise and insulin, much less perform as a top-flight professional athlete while doing all of that. And this isn't even to mention that Santo is one of the genuinely tremendous human beings on the planet. He routinely, without cameras and microphones, make calls and visits to children who are newly diagnosed with diabetes, and hosts them and their families in the WGN radio booth at Wrigley. Because he wants those strangers to know they are not alone in their fight, and that they can persevere and realize their dreams, because he did.
Ron Santo doesn't need a sympathy vote to get into the Hall. He doesn't need a hero's respect to get in. Ron DESERVES, on the merits of his career, to be voted into the Hall of Fame. The problem with the new Veterans' Committee procedure is that giving the vote to the living HOFers encourages them to see themselves above anyone not elected by the BBWAA. They want Cooperstown to be exclusive, because the more exclusive the club is, the better they must have been to have gotten in. To quote the legendary Col. Sherman Potter, "Horse Hockey!" It doesn't demean George Kell or Frank Baker or even Mike Schmidt to give Ron Santo what he earned on the field.
And I have no doubt that Ron Santo will one day be elected. If his disease and personality play any role in this consideration, it is that it would be a crime to wait until Ron has passed from the scene to induct him. The Hall of Fame is poorer for Ron's absence. And that should be corrected when the vote is announced on Tuesday. Don't take the chance of leaving it to the next Veterans' ballot in 2009. Take care of this injustice now!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Another Apparent "Gotcha!"
Another colleague has been bitten. I have a good deal of respect for him, and identify with him to a fair degree due to our similarity of family circumstance. So I sympathize with him over his latest blog post.
Seems he has become the object of rumor as pertains to appointments.
This is THE primary sport of preachers, at least in my conference in my denomination. I don't know about anyone or anything beyond that, and don't really care to. I feel sometimes that we are so limited in our interests as a group that we just don't know enough about anything else to talk about. So we play with people's lives and work.
It's not entertaining to me.
I had the great privilege to spend seven years in a previous appointment serving one of our conference's agencies. I was out of the loop for seven years. By the time I came out of that work (totally against my will), I didn't even know where everyone was serving, much less where they might be going next. And didn't care.
I have done everything I can to maintain that stance as I have served three appointments since coming back to regular work. I'm not proud of this particular one, but when an issue arose about my uncle's work, I had to ask what appointment it was that he was serving.
I don't like to hang out with preachers.
Yes, I typically exempt my family from that position. After all, I have a father, two uncles and two cousins of one degree of closeness or another who are all clergy in this conference. And one of the friends that I mentioned a few posts ago is a pastor in the conference, and my wife and I are absolutely much happier when he and his wife are appointed in closer proximity to where we are. But that's about it.
My world is a little bit bigger than who's making what salary and panting after what church. I just don't really care.
I'd much rather study up on the Red Sox' OPS, ERA and runs per game than the Memphis Conference Salary Sheet. I'd much rather inquire about where Preston Shannon or Eric Hughes will be playing the blues next week than where Pastor X, Y or Z will be preaching next year.
It isn't fun to me to speculate on people's lives in that way. I've been there. I know what it feels like to be the topic of such attention. I prefer to be left alone, so I don't play the game with others' lives.
Boys and girls, the world is a big, beautiful, exciting place! Every once in a while, think about something else, go somewhere else, learn about something you don't know. And shut the hell up when it comes to your colleagues' careers. It's just so small and petty and stupid when you consider what you could be spending your down time doing or thinking about.
My colleague said in his post that if he can find out where the crap about him started, he will bring proceedings against that source. Go get 'em, pal! That's the only way that garbage will ever be stopped.
Seems he has become the object of rumor as pertains to appointments.
This is THE primary sport of preachers, at least in my conference in my denomination. I don't know about anyone or anything beyond that, and don't really care to. I feel sometimes that we are so limited in our interests as a group that we just don't know enough about anything else to talk about. So we play with people's lives and work.
It's not entertaining to me.
I had the great privilege to spend seven years in a previous appointment serving one of our conference's agencies. I was out of the loop for seven years. By the time I came out of that work (totally against my will), I didn't even know where everyone was serving, much less where they might be going next. And didn't care.
I have done everything I can to maintain that stance as I have served three appointments since coming back to regular work. I'm not proud of this particular one, but when an issue arose about my uncle's work, I had to ask what appointment it was that he was serving.
I don't like to hang out with preachers.
Yes, I typically exempt my family from that position. After all, I have a father, two uncles and two cousins of one degree of closeness or another who are all clergy in this conference. And one of the friends that I mentioned a few posts ago is a pastor in the conference, and my wife and I are absolutely much happier when he and his wife are appointed in closer proximity to where we are. But that's about it.
My world is a little bit bigger than who's making what salary and panting after what church. I just don't really care.
I'd much rather study up on the Red Sox' OPS, ERA and runs per game than the Memphis Conference Salary Sheet. I'd much rather inquire about where Preston Shannon or Eric Hughes will be playing the blues next week than where Pastor X, Y or Z will be preaching next year.
It isn't fun to me to speculate on people's lives in that way. I've been there. I know what it feels like to be the topic of such attention. I prefer to be left alone, so I don't play the game with others' lives.
Boys and girls, the world is a big, beautiful, exciting place! Every once in a while, think about something else, go somewhere else, learn about something you don't know. And shut the hell up when it comes to your colleagues' careers. It's just so small and petty and stupid when you consider what you could be spending your down time doing or thinking about.
My colleague said in his post that if he can find out where the crap about him started, he will bring proceedings against that source. Go get 'em, pal! That's the only way that garbage will ever be stopped.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Finally...
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
And tonight, November 4, 2008, these sacred words apply to all of us. Every last one!
I Really Like My Numbers Now!
May I point out that my forecast was published at 9:28 on Monday night?
Nate Silver (a professional) at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ posted exactly the same electoral vote prediction at 12:16 pm today!
349-189. I like the sound of that!
Nate Silver (a professional) at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ posted exactly the same electoral vote prediction at 12:16 pm today!
349-189. I like the sound of that!
Monday, November 03, 2008
At Long Last, Here's the Call
My crystal ball says...Obama 52%, McCain 46% in the national popular vote.
In the Electoral College: Obama gets 27 states plus the District of Columbia for 349 electoral votes.
(CA-55, NY-31, FL-27, PA-21, IL-21, OH-20,MI-17, NJ-15, VA-13, MA-12, IN-11, WA-11, MD-10, WI-10, MN-10, CO-9, CT-7, IA-7, OR-7, NM-5, NV-5, HI-4, ME-4, NH-4, RI-4, VT-3,
DE-3, DC-3)
McCain gets 23 states for 189 electoral votes.
(TX-34, GA-15, NC-15, TN-11, MO-11, AZ-10, AL-9, LA-9, KY-8, SC-8, OK-7, AR-6, MS-6, KS-6, NE-5, UT-5, WV-5, ID-4, AK-3, MT-3, ND-3, SD-3, WY-3)
This is what is known in presidential politics as a mandate.
And, besides, the National League won the World Series, and the Washington Redskins' last home game before the election was a loss. Look it up; it matters, I kid you not!
Have fun watching, and, for goodness sake, whether you're casting your ballot correctly or not, go vote!
In the Electoral College: Obama gets 27 states plus the District of Columbia for 349 electoral votes.
(CA-55, NY-31, FL-27, PA-21, IL-21, OH-20,MI-17, NJ-15, VA-13, MA-12, IN-11, WA-11, MD-10, WI-10, MN-10, CO-9, CT-7, IA-7, OR-7, NM-5, NV-5, HI-4, ME-4, NH-4, RI-4, VT-3,
DE-3, DC-3)
McCain gets 23 states for 189 electoral votes.
(TX-34, GA-15, NC-15, TN-11, MO-11, AZ-10, AL-9, LA-9, KY-8, SC-8, OK-7, AR-6, MS-6, KS-6, NE-5, UT-5, WV-5, ID-4, AK-3, MT-3, ND-3, SD-3, WY-3)
This is what is known in presidential politics as a mandate.
And, besides, the National League won the World Series, and the Washington Redskins' last home game before the election was a loss. Look it up; it matters, I kid you not!
Have fun watching, and, for goodness sake, whether you're casting your ballot correctly or not, go vote!
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