Creeping toward Cooperstown
Posted on January 12th, 2009 – 8:35 AMBy Howard
Baseball’s Hall of Fame voting results for 2009 will be announced today. Rickey Henderson is likely to make it on his first try and Jim Rice needs to pick up a few more votes on his last chance before going into the “veterans” pool.
And then there’s Bert.
After years of being a middle-of-the-pack candidate, Bert Blyleven took a big jump toward election last year when he went from 47.7 of the vote (in 2007) to 61.9 percent last year. A player needs to be chosen on 75 percent of the ballots to get in.
Fifth all time in strikeouts, ninth in shutouts andf 27th in wins, Bert’s omission from the Hall (and his lack of serious contention in his first years on the ballot) is an oversight that has four more chances to be corrected. Blyleven is on the writers’ ballot until 2012.
The internet is filled with analysis about why Bert should be honored. One of the best compilations is at the dated but data-filled BertBelongs.com, which helps dispel the motion that the Blyleven call is more than a hometown thing. If you need further evidence, spend a couple of minutes on a Google search today. Here’s a link to the Hall of Fame’s yearly voting results and, if you click on Bert’s name, you can track the year-by-year totals since he became eligible.
Bert has expressed varying degrees of frustration and resignation with his plight over the years. Last year, he watched the results come in on TV. This year, he’s being distracted by putting on a uniform and participating in the Twins’ fantasy camp in Fort Myers, where he’ll be brushing back middle-aged guys by day and telling them fart jokes over drinks at night.
Sometimes, the right decisions take a while to be made.
109 Responses to "Creeping toward Cooperstown"
Jim Caple had a pretty good chat on this last week:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=24485
I gotta think he’ll make up some ground this year. I’m guessing he’ll get close to 70%. However I think it will be a year or two before he gets in. He should get in though, at some point.
The Bob Klapisch link is great. I would say being a starter for World Champions in both leagues, 5-1 post season record, 2.47 ERA, seals the deal. Unless the voters are dumb.
He belongs!!
The voters are sportswriters, Briscoe and the fact that it has taken this long for Bert to get even close tells you all you need to know.
Generally, I would agree with Rotoblinders… he gets close this year and over the top next year. But the fact that there are so few “superstars” on the ballot this year might work in his favor. Writers don’t like big HOF classes and it seems like some of them will only vote for 4-5 guys at most, no matter who’s on the ballot. That may work in his favor this year.
A site listed in Howard’s Blogroll posed the question: “What will a Dome Dog be called at Target Field?” Target Dog was mentioned.
I thought we could do better. Suggestions?
I think they should do put two dogs on a bun and call them TwinDogs. Gimmicky, I know… but what the heck.
[…] A Fan’s View – […]
I looked up a synonym for Target and it said “butt mark”. I can’t improve on that, LOL!
one of the reasons maybe the only reason bert has not been elected is his won-lost percentage.my argument for bert is that i recall him losing a large amount of games by 1-0 and 2-1 over the length of his career it would be interesting to see just how many there were. berts won-lost percentage was affected not because he wasnt a dominate pitcher but because on too many occasions he didnt get the nominal run support to win many of his well pitched games. some body checkout his career record of 1-0 and 2-1 losses i bet you would be surprised.
If Rice gets in over Bert that would be wrong he was a good player but not a great player.
Call them “hot dogs”. “Dome Dogs” makes them sound like they are sonething sub-standard to eat - like the Metrodome is a sub-standard place to play.
Bert was a key member of the starting rotations on two different world champions - ‘79 Pirates, ‘87 Twins.
“I’ll have two Butt Marks, hold the mustard.”
That just doesn’t sound right.
Field Franks
I like BC Twin’s idea. Dome Dogs could be changed to Field Franks, to keep the alliteration and reference to the last word of the Stadium name. Or you could just go get a weiner.
Maybe they’ll be “Discount Dogs.” Or “Designer Dogs” because they’ll be created by Michael Graves.
But seriously, Bert belongs. There’s absolutely no doubt. If he had played for a big market like Boston (the reason Jim Rice will unfortunately make it) he’d have been in years ago.
Bert should be in. His stats are in line with his peers. He was penalized for playing with the Twins at Met stadium on weak teams in the 1970’s which is unrealistic. Get him in the HOF on this vote.
Bert’t not in the HOF already for two reasons. One, he played for a lot of REALLY bad teams, resulting in mediocre W-L records despite outstanding seasons personally. That leads to the second reason… writers are too stupid to look past “Career Wins” when they evaluate who to vote for among starting pitchers on the ballot. There really isn’t much reason to analyze the question beyond those two factors.
“Twins Tubes”
One of my personal standards in deciding if someone is “Hall”-worthy is: would I pay to see them? Bert - definitely. His curveball was something to marvel at. Jim Rice - surly jerk who was indifferent in the field and never moved over a runner. Rickey Henderson - always a threat whether at the plate or on base. Jack Morris - bulldog-like intensity and winner of the best game I ever saw (Game 7 - 1991. Need I say more?) Alan Trammel? They call it the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Okey-dokey.
Seems obvious to me - if a hotdog in the Metrodome is a Dome Dog, shouldn’t a hotdog in the new stadium be ……a Sky Dog?
Good one, Jonesy. “Twinkie Tubes”, I like that. Although I think Mr. Pohlad could be honored somehow, may he RISP.
Pohlad Porkies?
(ok that was dum)
That should be “RIP”, but everyone knew that. Can’t “rest in scoring position”!
Diarrhea Dogs?
plus if he did Rest in scoring position, there’s close to a 32% chance a Twin would get him home.
The 300-win standard is a travesty and a farce but because it’s been repeated so many times I fear that many voters take it as gospel. Here’s a sampling of HOF pitchers and their win totals from The Baseball Almanac:
Jim Bunning - 224
Dizzy Dean - 150
Don Drysdale - 209
Bob Feller - 266
Whitey Ford - 236
Bob Gibson - 251
Catfish Hunter - 224
Fergie Jenkins - 284
Sandy Koufax - 165
Jim Palmer - 268
Hoyt Wilhem - 143
…and I’ve mostly left out all of the old-timers from the dead ball eras. Who is going to argue that these guys don’t belong in the HOF because they didn’t win 300 games?
VOTE BERT IN!!!
I am a firm believer of Bert being in the Hall of Fame, and even more so after comparing his stats to those of Nolan Ryan. No one would dare say that Nolan doesn’t deserve to be in the HOF, but when you compare careers of the two, they are eerily similar, except for Nolan striking out people at a bigger clip. Nolan played 5 more years than Bert, and yet only won 37 more games. Bert had a better winning percentage, and for those voters who like to see Cy Young’s and MVP’s, Nolan Ryan has none, and finished no higher than 14th in any one year for the MVP and was only 2nd once for Cy Young, with 2 3rd’s, 1 4th, 2 5th’s, and one 8th place finish. Bert had 2 3rd’s, 1 4th, and 1 7th for Cy Young finished and placed as high as 13th for MVP. When you compare the two, they had similar careers, yet only one was a sure fire hall of famer that could throw the heat, while Bert sits in limbo with his nasty curve ball.
Go to Baseball-Reference.com, look up Bert Blyleven & hit Neutralize Stats.
Bert’s record becomes 325-227.
Tommy John’s becomes 289-225.
Nolan Ryan’s becomes 320-259.
Pretty interesting…
How can a pitcher in top 10 in Ks (3rd when he retired) and shutouts not be in the HOF???
Of course, how can another pitcher with more wins than Bert and considered the best fielding pitcher of all-time not be in the HOF after 15 years on the ballot??? (Thats Kaat for those of you too young to remember)
DAM
We’ll discuss Kitty later also, that’s wrong.
Pohlash Sausages?
Maybe members of the BWWA should ask some of the following HOF members what it felt like to have to face Bert and see if they think he belongs in their midst:
Reggie Jackson faced BB 140 times batting 0.214
George Brett faced BB 128 times batting 0.231
Robin Yount faced BB 110 times and batted 0.182
Only Eddie Murray, Yaz and Munson had excellent batting averages against Bert.
Player PA AVG
Reggie Jackson 140 0.214
George Brett 128 0.231
Robin Yount 110 0.182
Paul Molitor 80 0.257
Cal Ripken 78 0.284
Carlton Fisk 70 0.270
C.Yastrzemski 65 0.328
Eddie Murray 62 0.414
Ricky Henderson 59 0.306
Thurman Munson 57 0.365
Rod Carew 53 0.260
David Winfield 53 0.250
Brooks Robinson 50 0.234
Otis,
“Can’t “rest in scoring position”"
You can, if Punto is batting.
If the dogs were named after Pohlad, would that mean they would be made out of Spam? At least they wouldn’t have to reheat the ones from yesterdays game, they could just open up another can.
Thurman Munson is not a hall-of-famer
At Busch II in St Louis, the hot dogs were made by Hunter; they also had all-beef hot dogs. The girl behind the counter was surprised when I asked for “Four Hunter Hot Dogs” during McGwire’s pursuit of 70. (How many? she asked)
Just under an hour until the results are announced.
300 wins will have to go by the wayside as an HOF threshold. There are maybe 4 more left to make it - Glavine, Maddox, R. Johnson, Clemens (depening on the steroid backlash). Then what happens? Given today’s 5 man rotations and specialists (no to mention injuries), it is very difficult to even get 20 years one year. Then that has to be done for 15 years? This might give some hope for BB. Plus, the ever-increasing vote total he gets helps as well. It will happen, but doubtful this year.
The writers are a bunch of jerks. Many operate on an agenda, which is just unfair to the players, the fans and a disgrace to the game.
Bert should have been in a long time ago. It’s amazing how everyone seems to believe he should be in the Hall, but he’s not. Makes no sense.
johnw,
Different MLB cities have their own favorite HOF candidates (Jim Rice, Jim Kaat, etc) and although its easy for their voter to say that Bert (and others) belong in the HOF, they often vote only for their own guy at Bert’s (and other’s) expense.
Maybe they could do a deep fried Twinkie with a hot dog and cream filling in the middle and call it the
“Twinkie Dog” I bet fans will really
“Get After It”
Hey BBWAA,
Circle BERT for Cooperstown!
5th ALL TIME in strike outs and he is not in the hall of fame???I’m sure if he were a member of an east coast team he would have been voted in years ago. What a JOKE! ITs time for the baseball writers to vote him in!
I remember Kaat being a pinch runner many times, he hit well, fielded his position as one of the best all time, great broadcaster, humble etc. Good luck to both of them I am glad they played the bulk of their careers here. In Kaat’s last season, (he pitched in 4 decades), he pitched 6 shut out innings in relief.I am sure both could make comebacks if we need them. PS Punto is a great player, plays like Pete Rose if you remember him.
Henderson and Rice just announced in the hall. No Bert AGAIN!!!!
62.7% of the votes for Bert
Bert gets screwed over again.
Player Total Votes Percentage
Rickey Henderson 511 94.8%
Jim Rice 412 76.4%
Andre Dawson 361 67.0%
Bert Blyleven 338 62.7%
Lee Smith 240 44.5%
Jack Morris 237 44.0%
Tommy John 171 31.7%
Tim Raines 122 22.6%
Mark McGwire 118 21.9%
Alan Trammell 94 17.4%
Dave Parker 81 15.0%
Don Mattingly 64 11.9%
Dale Murphy 62 11.5%
Harold Baines 32 5.9%
Mark Grace 22 4.1%
David Cone 21 3.9%
Matt Williams 7 1.3%
Mo Vaughn 6 1.1%
Jay Bell 2 0.4%
Jesse Orosco 1 0.2%
Ron Gant 0 0%
Dan Plesac 0 0%
Greg Vaughn 0 0%
That’s a travesty what sports writer in their right mind would put Rice ahead of Bert or the Hawk it’s ridiculous.
A Yankee and a Red Sox.
Like GP4400 said, I’m sure if he were a member of an East Coast team, he would have been voted in years ago. Henderson even was a Met AND a Red Sox.
It should be up to the people that play the game! Writers are far too biased.
Ummm, how did Jesse Orosco get on that list? Wasn’t he playing for the Twins about 5 years ago? I don’t remember him being that good…
You’d think Bert would improve his chances over the next two years, with very few “big names” becoming eligible, but to have him pick up only 2 votes over last year is pretty sad.
Here’s who becomes eligible the next couple of years:
2010: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Andy Ashby, Ellis Burks, Dave Burba, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Mark McLemore, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Robin Ventura, Fernando Vina, Todd Zeile
2011: Wilson Alvarez, Carlos Baerga, Jeff Bagwell, Bret Boone, Kevin Brown, Cal Eldred, John Franco, Juan Gonzalez, Marquis Grissom, Bobby Higginson, Charles Johnson, Al Leiter, Tino Martinez, Raul Mondesi, Jose Offerman, John Olerud, Rafael Palmeiro, Paul Quantrill, Steve Reed, Kirk Rueter, Rey Sanchez, Benito Santiago, B.J. Surhoff, Ugueth Urbina, Ismael Valdez, Larry Walker, Dan Wilson
Man it gets worse for former Twins’ pitchers-how does Jesse Orosco not make it?
ok i just want to know if any of the old timers on this blog would take Rice over Dawson?
JimCrikket,
NO to all listed. Nobody’s even close.
Dawson gets the shaft for having played in Montreal most of his career.
BC of ND,
Oldtimers?
The proper term is chronologically challenged!
I’d take Dawson AND Raines AND Big Lee Smith over Jim Rice.
Ugueth Urbina… Isn’t he in a Venezuelan prison?
What happened to Richie Dick Allen? Does he go to the Veteran’s Committee now? He is way, way ahead of Rice in my book.
How come they let writers, most of whom are not considered Hall of Famers in their chosen profession, decide who gets in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Let them stand in the batter’s box and try to make contact against Bert in his prime. Just my humble opinion.
WJ,
Dick Allen was not the sportswriters’ favorite player.
Heyman is an idiot. I don’t know if any of you were watching MLB network but he should have his vote revoked. Morris should get in because he was dominant in the postseason and he was a “winner.” Blyleven shouldn’t get in because he is all numbers but he only got voted to the all star game 2 times. What the hell is that? His postseason numbers are better than Morris’ so that doesn’t fly. Bert’s numbers are LEAGUES beyond Morris’. And to say he shouldn’t be in because he wasn’t a “winner” is insane. Bert took the ball and finished what he started it isn’t his fault writers and fans didn’t recognize him and his team didn’t give him the support he deserved. I love Morris and would love to see him get in but I wouldn’t vote for him and to vote for him over Bert should result in a lifetime ban from baseball. RANT OVER
Skips, I am watching and can’t stand to listen to that idiot talk.
On top of that Rice gets in because he was “feared.” You can’t tell me players weren’t afraid of that kneebuckler. I would LOVE to see these writers jump in their against Bert in his prime and try not to fall on his *** when he sees that curveball start at his fat head and than snaps back over the inside corner.
I am all for keeping the bar high for HOF induction. The NHL is the other extreme.
But, there must be more than two players with HOF numbers in a given year (and some years less).
For some time my opinion is that some of the voters, let the power of their vote go to their heads. They are simply power drunk.
Also, if Tony O were inducted, his numbers would not be the worst in the Hall either.
Bert should get in on his curveball alone, not even counting his stats! People still compare curves to his. I might be wrong here, but wouldn’t that mean his was the BEST? Aren’t the Best in the Hall? Idiots!!!
Last post NHL should be NFL.
The veterans committee has been plenty stingy with their inductions too.
Wheneve people try to justify Bert’s not being inducted it always comes back to wins which is just absurd. Heyman had the audacity to say he watched Bert and he didn’t “look” like a hall of famer. What kind of argument is that. When it comes to the things Bert could control he is absolutely a hall of famer. But to say Morris is a hall of famer because hes a “winner” and Bert isn’t is just infuriating. The numbers say he is a hall of famer. And when h threw that curveball that started at he hitters head and buckled his knees he sure as hell “looked” like one. Its sad that if his teams had scored him a few more runs and he had picked up 13 more wins we wouldn’t be having this discussion because he would have been in years ago. Hell if he had played a few years for Boston he would have been in years ago.
If you want to see an example of why the writers should not be allowed anywhere near the ballots for the HOF, just go to mlb.com and read the article announcing the vote, written by Barry Bloom. For the second time in less than a week (including his “preview” post a few days ago), Bloom spells Blyleven’s firt name “Burt”.
If the geniuses who make up the BBWA can’t even spell the guy’s name right, what chance is there that they can intelligently evaluate his credentials?
None.
“first name”
sorry
“How come they let writers, most of whom are not considered Hall of Famers in their chosen profession, decide who gets in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Let them stand in the batter’s box and try to make contact against Bert in his prime. Just my humble opinion.”
if that was the lone criterion, jesse orosco (and ron davis, for that matter) would be hall of fame bound…
On second look, Jim Rice’s three best years stats-wise are better than Dick Allen’s three best years.
WJ,
Dick Allen didn’t play at Fenway.
Look at Rice’s numbers away from Fenway. He has no business being in he hall. He hits 50 points higher in fenway, OBP is 40 points higher, and he slugs damn near 100 points higher in fenway. In his MVP year he hit 80 points higher at home, obp was 90 points higher, and slugged 350 POINTS HIGHER. 350! By all means hitting better at home is ok but Rice was a product of Fenway.
BC, as an old-timer, I’d say yes… I’d vote Dawson over Rice. I don’t have strong objections to Rice being voted in except for the fact that I believe he’s benefiting from playing in a major east coast market. Oliva deserved the HOF every bit as much as Rice, imo.
The people who never saw Bert pitch have missed out on seeing a master at work. It was so much fun to watch him throw that “Big Deuce” and watch the reaction of the batter - priceless! The baseball writers like Heyman should be brought to task for voting for Rice over Blyleven and to keep him out of the HOF because he didn’t get 300 wins is ridiculous. Bert’s the best curve ball pitcher I’ve ever seen.
Just curious, but why do people care who is in the Hall? I’m not trolling, I just can’t get worked about it one way or the other.
mike, I think it’s because in baseball we tend to get attached to our players and their stats. Because of this attachment, fans feel slighted when their players get slighted. I think it hones back to the sanctity of the game and how we see history.
I find this to be a fascinating thing. This goes along with the venom spewed at steroid users. Writers feel they disrespected the game, and in turn guys like Clemens, Bonds, and McGwire may never get in.
What’s so fascinating about this, is how this isn’t the case in other sports. Football players have been caught cheating, and nobody really flinches. The entire Panthers SB team a few years back was linked to steroids, but there wasn’t a major fuss over the issue. A guy like Merriman gets suspended for steroids use, but still wins defensive player of the year. In baseball, the Mitchell report comes out and suddenly congress is looming over the game.
So I think it comes down to reverence. We want reverence for the players we cheer for and put in our time to support. That’s why Minnesotans continue to push for guys like Oliva, Bert, and Morris and eventually Santana, Mauer, and Morneau.
mike: good question.
roto: good answer.
Could be, but I know plenty of people attached to Moss and Culpepper and Randle and McDaniel and Peterson and, and, and….plenty of people still love those players (or love AP now).
Lots of people were up in arms over Chris Carter or Randall McDaniel not making it last year (like the best OG in football shouldn’t be in, just because only 5 can get in in a year).
One of the things I’ve noticed more and more, is that it is truly the Hall of FAME, not the Hall of Most Excellent Players (especially in football, where QBs vastly outnumber OLmen in the Hall….).
mike, I think it’s for the same reason people care about who wins a game or a championship. For the same reason they keep score at all.
It’s a measurement of the value of a player’s career.
From the player’s standpoint, it’s to achieve validation that he belongs among the most elite group that have ever played the game.
From the fan’s perspective, it’s a subjective evaluation of the entirety of players’ careers.
Is it among the most important things in life? Certainly not. But I can empathize with a player, whether a favorite of mine or not, feeling like his efforts and accomplishments were recognized by those who watched him play the game.
And I care if I feel someone’s career is being unfairly misjudged.
Name them after the announcers:
Bert’s Bratwurst and Dick’s Dog’s
Maybe. It could be the same irrational thing behind why they care, but I’m not sure if it is the same thing. But, it could be. You just pick people or teams to root for, Hall or in games.
I care about the games. I don’t care about the Hall, and I certainly don’t care about that “we get no respect” thing that some fans care about.
I get why a player would care, I totall get that (not that they necessarily should, but I get it).
It’s fun to remember the Twins greats and their great teams.
Blyleven not being the Hall is ridiculous.
Don’t worry Bert, God’s on your side.
Ladies and germs:
A change of subject on this blustery day. Reports are that Orlando Hudson could be signed for a one-year, incentive laden deal. (Linke below). Should the Twins get in on this? All this would cost is a 1st round pick…no roster caliber players such as would be required to land M Young. What say you?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/baseball-insider/2009/01/monday_t
ray,
Too bad the Twins won’t give up that pick.
Of course the Twins don’t realize for every Joe Mauer they draft they get Adam Johnson, BJ Garbe, and Ryan Mills.
It all depends what the HOF should be all about…
If it should only include the dominant players of an ERA, Bert does not belong.
He lead the league in a dominating category once (WHIP, 1977) and only participated in 2 All Star games. He also led the league in home runs allowed twice (1986 and 1987) and in earned runs allowed once (1998).
That said, there are a lot of less than dominating players in the HOF today. Rice is an example of that, being a very good player but never a feared player. If a HOF selection is a livetime achievement award, yes Bert should be in and so should Tommy John and Jim Kaat (who btw has 16 gold gloves and 3 All Star appearances)
Consistency by the voters is important but the voters are not consistent. A handful of idiots on a power trip did not vote for Rickey Henderson… Also, Rice in and McGuire out does not make much sense either. Unless someone is officially banned from baseball, the writers should get off their high horses and vote based on production and not allegations. Last time I checked, in this country one is innocent until proven guilty.
Personally, I believe that only dominating players (i.e players who were consistently on the top 5 of the league in several categories for a decade or so) should be in the hall, and from that list only Henderson and McGuire will qualify…
Orlando Hudson
Decent average, low power, great glove, switch hitting second baseman is not what the Twins need right now…
ray, I would prefer Hudson to Young given the (probable) huge cost differential both in terms of personnel and money. However, my thinking and the Twins’s thinking haven’t coincided in recent years and I think Shaus is right about the club being unwilling to give up a pick.
Hudson’s had an .800+ OPS for something like 3-4 years in a row now, right? Not bad.
Sure, I’d like to see someone with more RH power (his RH/LH splits weren’t good last year), but it would be an interesting move.
I don’t think the Twins should be afraid to sign a Type A at this point. It’s one thing if you have to pay a premium AND give up the pick… but if you can get a solid ballplayer who will help your team right now and for a few years to come at a discount price, why the heck wouldn’t you be willing to give up a #1 choice to do that? It’s not like #1s are guaranteed to ever reach the MLB level so most years you pay a big signing bonus for a guy that is, at best, years away from producing.
Now, whether or not Hudson is a guy that would be a difference-maker worthy of that #1 pick is open to reasonable debate.
Thry, I would argue that the Twins need upgrades wherever they can get them. Even on the downside of his career, Hudson is a fine player. That being said, he is not the middle-of-the-order that should be the club’s priority. However, the Twins abhor power and spending money, so they’re not likely to pursue that middle-of-the-order guy or anyone else for that matter.
Yep, I am generally not keen on giving up picks, especially the Twins. But face the facts folks: they will not have a high #1 this year..they will not be drafting another Joe Mauer in the mid-20’s. It would be as if they are trading the 21st(whatever # they are in the draft order) for Hudson. Give him a year, incentives if needed, and let him walk next season if he has a great year. Casilla moves to SS, Punto becomes the suber-sub that solidifies the infield, and possibly a 3rd base platoon, freeing up Harris or Buscher for potential trade packages. I really like O-Hud’s defense, strengthening the D up the middle, which will only help the pitchers in the long run. It makes too much sense. He would give superb OPB at the top of the order. I could see ODog and Span making a dynamic 1-2 punch at the top, however you wanted to stack them. Casilla/Gomez at the bottom would add speed and run potential at the top and bottom of the order. What happens in the middle…who knows.
Realistically, I know there is no way in hell the Twins would ever consider doing something like this. But it’s nice to dream. Nothing else going in this most BORING of all Cold Stove League seasons.!
Dick Allen didn’t play at Fenway.
Not only that, but his prime years came in the 60’s.
HEY….Game 7 of the ‘91 series is being broadcast right now in ESPNCL.
Does this mean we have to endure another season of Dick Bremer grilling Blyleven every game, about who he (Bert)thinks should (or shouldn’t) be in the HOF?
Please deliver us from this agony!
romer,
I thought you were renouncing your Twins addiction in favor of selling Buddy Holly tickets.
sane: I don’t know what romer’s doing back…but there’s also a chance that one of our local trolls did their thing and posted under their name.
It happens a lot more than it should around here.
What kind of argument is that.
If you don’t look at them, how else are you going to be able to tell if they’re wearing a Yankees jersey or not.
I appreciate it, T. But those were in fact my posts yesterday stating an almost total “I quite”.
My caveat remains Buscher’s D. If that comes through — or if the Twins get a good 3rd basman — I’m back.
I just am not going to dedicate hundreds of hours on the Twins only to be given little turdies for breakfast. Reusse is absolutely right on this one — Smith is MIA this offseason.
BTW, new Twins trivia Q&A:
What song was playing as Larkin stepped to the plate in Game 7, ‘91 WS? “These Boots Are Made For Walking” sung by Nancy Sinatra.
(’Cos Puck and Herbie had just been walked (intentionally). Ironically, it should be attached to Larkin as he could walk a lot better than he could run at that wonderful moment when he got the WS-winning RBI).
And boys, think of all the sex I’m gonna get this summer instead of watching the total average defense and HR-producing of the Twins!
almost total “I quit”.
Lastly, Howard……
Why don’t you start a new blog, making your total, 2 blogs. After Pohlad could be “AP”. That’s this current blog. The other blog (the new one) would be BAP (Before AP).
All content would be allowed on AP, including BAP. But BAP would have to be policed to stricty restrict its content, so as to not offend decent thinking Twins fans.
Think of it sort of as a creation of a Homeland Security Dept. You have to add bureacracy as the threatening problems of the world evolve. Otherwise, there’s just too much insecurity.
My thanks in advance.
From Tom Verducci of SI:
“Bert Blyleven and Andre Dawson: Don’t worry. The magic number for enshrinement is not 75 percent. It is 60 percent. Every candidate who has hit that mark was eventually enshrined — with one cruel exception: Gil Hodges. The next three ballots might not have a single first-ballot Hall of Famer. The best of the bunch are Roberto Alomar, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff (2010), Jeff Bagwell (2011) and Bernie Williams (2012). Dawson (67 percent this year) and Blyleven (62.7) are likely to sneak in during that three-year window.”
Good luck, Bert! You deserve to be in the HoF.
TARGET TUBE STEAKS
Big Whiskey, you just won.
In honor of Dan Ford, the biggest hot dog we’ve ever had - Disco Dogs
romer,
“And boys, think of all the sex I’m gonna get this summer instead of watching the total average defense and HR-producing of the Twins!”
If you have been foregoing sex to watch the Twins, your credibility and your judgement is now very suspect.
That also explains your obvious frustration level.
Fortunately, it sounds like you are planning to take the appropriate corrective action this year.
right sane. sounds like romer is really gonna “get after it”
Thank you for your guidance, sane!
We have a pristine lake place with beach and all down here on the prairie. Blogging and watching the Twins definitely keeps me away from there too much. (No TV there….)
The choice is obvious — Buscher v. the good life at the Lake.
You only live once…….
romer is lucky he’s gonna get after it and work his tail
off
