Results tagged ‘ mark mcgwire ’
BIG MAC
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun…OR…maybe just one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Yeah…ok…I was just faking you all out. I could care less about McDonalds’ famous and delicious burger. It has not made headlines since that Supersize Me movie. Mark McGwire, on the other hand, is making headlines. Today, McGwire ‘fessed up to taking hgh and steroids. I know, I know…huge suprise. I wasn’t suprised either.
What I do find a little suprising and reprehensible is the reaction that this gets from baseball nation. How dare people call Mark McGwire a liar? I do not understand this. McGwire merely stated that he did not want to talk about the past. And I am sure he didn’t. I would not have wanted to talk about the past either. However, he is not a liar. He never stated that he did not take steroids. At the time it was not even against the rules of major league baseball. In fact, they turned a blind eye to the whole epidemic of PEDs in baseball because players were producing well on the field.
What McGwire did do was to help bring excitement back to the game after many disillusioned fans swore off the game because of the strike. A nation (actually, being Canadian, I have to say at least two nations) came back to baseball and re-embraced it during the race between Mark “Big Mac” McGwire and “Slammin’” Sammy Sosa for the Homerun Title in 1998. Recently, we have decided to turn our backs on these two desrving HOFers.
Who is to blame for this. Is it Mark McGwire? Is it the MLB? Is it Jose Canseco? Yes, all of these entities share some blame. McGwire did take steroids (as he finally admitted). The MLB did turn a blind eye to the situation. Jose Canseco was the whistle blower in this whole steroids scandal.
I believe that there is another entity that needs to take some share of the blame in the shame of the game. (Who liked that poetic rhyming thingy I just did?) I believe that the media needs to take some responsibility in this mess too. Who are they to point their fingers at individuals? I find it difficult to believe that everyone in the press was ignorant to the fact that steroids was a growing problem in baseball. If they were, indeed, ignorant then they really weren’t very good at their jobs. They probably ignored it the same way that the mlb and the individual teams ignored it.
Now, who points the finger? The media. Who took advantage of the power display that McGwire and Sosa showcased for the world? The media. One minute these guys are the toast of the town…the next they are being thrown under the bus by the same people that rode the bus. THIS IS BUNK.
It’s time to let bygones be bygones. It’s time for us to drop the blame game. It’s time for the media to drop it’s superiority complex. Baseball players are human. They make mistakes. There is already an era labelled as the steroid era. We all know what went down. There are now measures in place to prevent history from repeating itself. Let’s all take a deep, cleansing breath…and….release.
I know…a whole bunch of guys did steroids. Did that make the ballgame less entertaining? Did that make the ballplayers horrible monsters? Did that turn me away from the game? My answer to all of those questions is NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s move on people. There are worse problems in the world than what happened in the ’90s. The MLB is trying to ensure that all of it’s players are clean. The 2010 season is right around the corner. Let’s get it on.
The BBWAA Is Making Our Hall of Fame a Joke
The Baseball Writer’s Association of America are responsible for voting in the members of the Hall of Fame. I know that being a writer is probably a very difficult job and that they probably receive a lot more criticism than they deserve. Sometimes you have to write things that just get a reaction out of people. However, when voting for the HOF, these writers should not be looking to get a reaction, to make a point, or to be pushing some sort of personal agenda. The BBWAA needs to be looking at a ball player’s body of work and judging whether or not that player is deseving of enshrinement.
I find it incredibly odd that Alomar is judged to be unworthy of enshrinement at this time due to his unfortunate spitting incident. Being, quite possibly, the greatest player to man second base EVER should guarantee being a shoe in for first ballot success. Apparently not.
I find it distressing that the man who sits in 8th place on the all time homerun list can’t find his way to the podium to make his acceptance speech for his enshrinement because the BBWAA has decided to become judge and jury on whether or not McGwire broke any of the (at the time) non-existent rules of baseball and the use of hgh.
Most of all I find it frustrating that Bert Blyleven, a man who didn’t have any issues with spitting on umpires or using banned substances, is entering into his 14th year of HOF eligibility. For whatever reason the writers figure that being 5th all time in strikeouts, 27th all time in wins, and 9th all time in shutouts just makes him a good ball player.
The BBWAA is wrong on all accounts. 5th all time in Ks, 27th all time in victories, and 9th all time in shutouts makes you a HOFer. 583 dongs makes you a HOFer. Being the best (or at least being in the conversation as one of the best) at your position makes you a HOFer.
It’s funny because in order to get into the Hall you have to overcome all obstacles and make the big leagues. Then you have to crack the starting lineup or rotation. After that you need excel at your position to the point where people actually think that you are one of the best that has ever played the game. In order to vote someone into the Hall all you have to do is be a member of the BBWAA for ten years. I am sure that there is a process to becoming a member and you probably have to be a respected member of the press but I hardly think that gives the right to keep obvious choices out of the HOF, especially if the reasons revolve around personal biases.
On a complete side note. I understand that there has never been a unanimous Hall of Famer. That got me to thinking…who would be most likely to be the first unanimous HOFer? It wouldn’t be Bonds…he is linked to the ‘roids like no one else. It won’t be A-Rod…he had to come clean for his PED usage. Who could it be? It would have to be someone who is one of the greatest of all time. It would need to be a person who is universally well liked. This player would have to be loved by his teammates and those who played against him.
The first unanimous HOFer will be none other than Junior (five years after he retires, of course.) Unless the BBWAA completely drops the ball….AGAIN.
Hopefully, this will be my last blog about this year’s Hall of Fame vote. There are only 88 more days until the season begins. I am more than ready.
Happy New Hall of Fame Voting
Happy New Year…blah blah blah. Let’s get into some baseball. I am done thinking about last year and the title bought by the Yankees. I am ready to move on to what is currently happening. Okay…not much is going on but next Wednesday they will be announcing the Hall of Fame balloting results.
I know…I know. It’s a flawed system. It is up to members of the BBWAA to vote for who they deem worthy of making it into the Hall. These members of the media vote based on their own biases and (sometimes) on whether or not they care for the players personally or not. I am not going to get into all of that kind of junk.
I am going to pick who I would vote for, and the reasons why, if I was a member of the BBWAA. Each member gets up to a maximum of ten votes. This year there are 26 names on the ballot. There are eight players who I feel are no-brainers to make it in but I will cast ten votes just because it is so much fun.
1. My top HOF pick goes to one of my all time favorites,
Barry Larkin. He was a complete ballplayer at one of the more difficult positions in baseball. He had enough power to not be taken for granted and enough speed that he was always a threat on the basepaths. His defense was overshadowed by Ozzie Smith but he won three gold gloves. To go along with his gold gloves in his trophy case he also has an MVP award and was in the discussion five other times. Barry was also a 12 time all star. He definitely gets into the Hall of Fame.
2. My second selection is none other than Roberto Alomar. Unfortunately, his career is marred by his spitting incident but this another complete player who did it all. He could go yard at any time and he was feared on the basepaths as well. On top of his offensive accomplishments he was also known as one of the best defensive secondbasemen to ever play the game. He never won an MVP award (he received votes in seven years) but he did garner ten gold glove awards and was chosen for 12 all-star games. He was probably the most dominant secondbaseman of his era and most certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
3. The third guy selected on my ballot is Mark
“Big Mac” McGwire. How is this guy not already in? It is beyond me. 583…that is all I have to say…583. This man has hit more homeruns than Reggie Jackson or Harmon Killebrew who are both in the HOF based on their power numbers. McGwire is currently in 8th place on the all time homerun list. I know what people say…steroids…yadayadayada. He did not break any baseball rules that existed while he was playing. I also think that baseball owes players like McGwire and Slammin’ Sammy thanks for what they did for the game. These guys put baseball back on the map and they did it with smiles on their faces. McGwire needs to be in the Hall. Come on people: let’s make it happen.
4. My next player is The Crime Dog, Fred McGriff. There was a period of eight years where McGriff was one of the most feared hitters in the game. From the period of 1988 to 1995 he received votes for MVP. Although he never received the award, he was in the top ten for SLG, OPS, and Homeruns in each year from ’88 to ’94. He also was in the top ten for OBP four times within that period. He has 493 career homers and 1550 career RBI. On top of his HOF type statistics and period of league dominance he is also recognized by former teammates and coaches as being one of the great team players that they had ever played with. McGriff was known for doing what it takes to win and helping all of those who played with him to perform at their best as well. The Crime Dog gets my vote.
5. This was a tough one but my number pick is Edgar Martinez. This was difficult for me and, at first, he did not make my list. The fact that he was a DH for most of his career hurt his chances in my eyes. However, after listening to some discussion on mlb radio, I have decided that he makes it. The DH is a part of the game (whether or not I like it) and Edgar Martinez was one of the best hitters in the game. I think that he also changed the way that people used the DH. Most of the time when I think of the designated hitter I think of the power hitter who strikes out a lot. Although Martinez could hit the long ball and he generally flirted with 80 or 90 Ks per year, he was a pure hitter. His career BA is .312 and his career OBP is .418. It’s hard to keep a guy like that out of the Hall.
6. Bert Blyleven has the honor of being the first pitcher to make my ballot for this year.
He has to be one of the most underappreciated pitchers of all time. He was only selected to two all-star games but is 5th all time with 3701 strikeouts. He is 9th all time with 60 shutouts. He is 27th all time with 287 wins. There are only two players with more wins that have been eligible to make the HOF who are not in the Hall. Of the top 20 shutout leaders Blyleven is the only pitcher not to be in the Hall of Fame. Of all the strikeout leaders who have made it to HOF eligibility, no one comes close to Blyleven. What does this guy have to do to earn the writers’ respect. He needs to be in the Hall of Fame and there is no reasonable excuse as to why he is not already there.
7. How is the Hawk not in? Andre Dawson
is my next maker-of-the-ballot. Eight gold gloves, an MVP, and a ROY award highlight Andre’s career. He also came second in MVP voting twice and received votes in six other seasons. He has over 400 dongs and over 300 swiped bags. Andre Dawson was the complete package. He was a great defensive player who played with power and speed. I think that his compilation of awards and his eight selections to the all-star team cement him as one of the most dominant players of his era. The Hall of Fame is supposed to celebrate players like Dawson. He not only put up the numbers but was a class act. He receives my vote.
8. My next name played along side of Andre Dawson for many years and was one of the most feared men on the basepaths of all time. His name, of course, is Tim Raines. He ended his career 5th overall with 808 stolen bases. Next to Rickey “I am the Greatest” Henderson, Raines was the premier on base threat of the Eighties. He also scored 1571 runs in his career…good for 50th overall and if you look at the all time runs scored list you will see that he is in excellent Hall of Fame company. Raines made seven all-star games in a row for his ability to get on base and his ability to take the next base on his own. He also received MVP votes in seven different seasons. I base my vote on the fact that he was a game changer in every way. Tim Raines deserves induction.
9. My next pitcher is one of the baddest 
relievers of all time. Lee Smith gets my
vote for his ability to close out games. His 478 saves are good for third all time. I know that the writers don’t like voting for closers because it is a relatively new invention in baseball but, just like the designated hitter, closers are a part of the game. When he retired he went out on top of the saves leader board. He was dominant and, although he was a closer, he received MVP votes four times and Cy Young votes four times as well. He should not be punished just because he is a closer. Lee Smith gets my vote.
And last but not least.
10. My number ten pick is purely sentimental and I really don’t know how much of a chance he has but he was my favorite player when I was a kid. He was and is an excellent role model who never touched steroids. He had a phenomenal career which included back-to-back MVP awards. He compiled almost 400 homeruns and is just a stand up guy and my childhood hero. His name is Dale Murphy.
That’s it. These are the guys that I would be going with if I was part of the BBWAA. So let’s hope that the writers get it right and get some of these guys in the Hall of Fame.
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