Mistake of the Week

Sports are filled with people who have no clue what they are doing. This week it is the Baseball Veteran committee. They vote every two years on candidates who have passed their eligibility with the BBWAA. This years ballot included many names of baseballs storied past. I'm a firm believer of the Hall being selective. After all, it is the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good. That being said, these Veterans have continually embarrassed the great game.

Last year, when a special election was made for former Negro League stars, the committee left out Buck O'Neal. Yeah, one of the best Negro league players ever, a man who spoke out for the inclusion of blacks in the HOF, a man who became the oldest man ever to play in a professional baseball game. He is dead now. He should have had the honor of walking across the stage, up to the podium, and delivering his acceptance speech. He was an excellent orator who could tell amazing tales. He is a man who watched Ruth play, who batted against Satchel Paige, who lived through 8 decades of baseball!! And we are all robbed by this injustice.

This year was the third time the committee has voted on players. And for the third time, not a single person was elected. As I said, I'm glad they aren't putting everyone in, but in three votes, you found no one eligible?!?! What about the great Ron Santo? It blows me away that he can't make it. Let's examine his stats and see how he stacks up against other HOF's.

There are only 13 hot corner's in the Hall of Fame. Santo should be number 14, but the Hall of Fame has a blind spot when it comes to that position. Santo was a 9 time All-Star, won 5 Gold Gloves, and led the National League in walks four times. During a 13-year period he averaged 25 home runs, 96 RBIs and 156 games. He was the cleanup hitter in a lineup that featured future Hall of Famer's Ernie Banks and Billy Williams. He finished his career with a .277 batting average, 1,331 RBIs and 342 homers. Santo played with diabetes and yet he still had 2,254 hits and batted .300 or better four times. Bill James, the famous sabermetrician said of Santo: "To me it is clear and unequivocal that Santo is a Hall of Famer. ... Putting guys like George Kell, Freddy Lindstrom, and Tony Lazzeri in the Hall of Fame while you leave out Ron Santo is like putting Dalmatians, Palominos, and Siamese in the zoo while you let the lions roam the streets." James has also said that "Santo's numbers are comparable to some HOF outfielders and first baseman.

Santo continually battles diabetes. He has lost both of his lower legs to the disease. If Santo is passed up continually till he dies, it will be a travesty much like O'Neal.

A second player who deserves to be in the Hall is Curt Flood. Flood doesn't have the numbers typically associated with someone deserving of enshrinement. However, he didn't have the longevity to put up the numbers. So, he wasn't durable you say? No, he was extremely durable. He never missed more than 6 games in a year. His decision to challenge baseball's reserve clause and open up the door for free agency prohibited him from continuing his brilliant career. And it was very brilliant. Taking away his first two years when he played for the Cards (he only played in 8 games) and his comeback year of '71 in which he only played in 13 games gives flood 12 years of service. In those 12 years he compiled over 1,850 hits, 271 doubles and a .293 career batting average. He was a 3-time All-star and won the Gold Glove award 7 times. He was a superb athlete with amazing speed and instincts. His fielding was likened to that of Willie Mays. And I've yet to even talk about his contributions off the field.

A discussion of Flood can't be complete without his contributions to baseball off the field. His lawsuit in 1970 challenging the reserve clause in baseball changed the face of all sports, not just his. It paved the way for modern free agency, and ended the virtual 'slavery' of players. His choice to forgo his career for the better of others can't be overlooked when considering his merits for the Hall.

Both Flood and Santo deserve to be in the Hall. End of discussion. Let's fix this injustice. I encourage everyone to either e-mail the Veteran's committee at: http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/veterans/contact.htm.
Or write them at:
Hall of Fame Veterans Committee
25 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326.