Hall Call and Road Unis

 

(Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

A few baseball things happened today.

The more important thing is the announcement of the three new members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton will join Jim Leyland in Cooperstown in July. Leyland was elected via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee while the others were selected by the BBWAA.

The moaning, debates, and discussion about this keep the Hall of Fame relevant but we also know that the process is flawed.

Look, the fact of the matter is that regardless of who votes on the members there will always be human errors. We can say that the process is unbiased but the reality is emotion does play into it. Frankly, some writers hold grudges and whatever other logic they come up with.

To that end, had David Ortiz not been so likable he wouldn't have received a pass to Cooperstown considering the suspicion of steroid usage. That again brings up the point that we know that there are several "suspected" steroid users in Cooperstown.

Gary Sheffield didn't get that same courtesy even though he could flat-out mash the ball.

I hate that there's the "character clause" that allows voters a "get out of the jail free card" when it comes to their votes. It also allows for the condemnation of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, and other suspected steroid users.

I'll stay away from discussing Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, except to say Joe Jackson has been dead for 72 years. It's time.

My point is the players can't be judged by their on-field play alone. I'd rather what they did on the field be the important thing without the other factors. We already know there are myriad guys who were hardly "Boy Scouts" in the Hall and I know two wrongs don't make a right but let's stop being holier than thou.

As I've often said, my Hall of Fame would be small. I want it to be the elites. I want the true immortals.

Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Mays, Aaron, Williams, Cobb, Johnson (Walter and Randy, plus Ban and Judy), Koufax, Seaver (see! I included a Met), Robinson, and so on. 

To me, it's always been an eye test combined with statistics. But I think analytics combined with those pesky personal preferences have become the go-to voting method for the baseball writers.

I still think there's a way to tell the story and still acknowledge the players, warts and all.

If you were, for instance, to induct he-who-wore-number-14-for-the-Cincinnati-Reds, put it on the plaque that he (Pete Rose) was banned from baseball for gambling in 1989. Don't let him deliver a speech. I think baseball is actually waiting for Pete to, bluntly, pass before ever allowing that.

I know, it's a basic concept and likely flawed but I think there are ways to do this right.

As for who didn't get in tonight, well, Billy Wagner will likely make it next year and is possibly hurt in that he pitched in the same era as a certain Mr. Rivera. Thus everyone is number two after Mo. But Trevor Hoffman is already in the Hall so what's the problem?

Andruw Jones was the definitive defensive center fielder of his time and had over 400 home runs. Put some respect on his name.

Oh, and with Joe Mauer getting in, can we take another look at Jorge Posada? He begins looking better all the time.

For me, there are other sticky names, such as Thurman Munson and Donald Arthur Baseball Mattingly. Mattingly, especially, is being seen in a different light but did his career feature too short of a dominant stretch?

And then there's the painful "will if he's in then my guy should be in" stuff. We've all done it. I know I'm guilty. In most cases, it's irrelevant. 

If Mattingly makes the call, there will be howling (aka whining) from another fan base about a St. Louis Cardinals first baseman who also played somewhere else. Well, he played in Cleveland but he was also, of course, a Met.

And Jerry Seinfeld's one-time friend on TV.

I loved watching the players receive that iconic phone call tonight, telling them they are legends officially. The joy as they hugged their loved ones was palpable.

I'm not even a Hall of Famer in my own son's eyes (I'm not cool) so I watch it all with wonder.

And I love the discussion. Sort of.

Congratulations to a worthy class of inductees.

Welcome to Cooperstown.

*****

Oh, that other piece of baseball news really isn't that important. It's just the Yankees are supposedly making a change to their road uniform.

This, if you don't know, is very rare.

The letters and numbers on the road jersey have had a white outline since 1973. Apparently, that is going away.

I know, I know. Change is difficult. I heard the gripes and I get it. I'm very willing to take the wait-and-see approach. However, if it looks like this then I will likely be in favor.

Regardless, I'll never be happy until they remove the Nike swoosh from the front and that's not happening anytime soon.

It's all about money.

But it was a good day for baseball. It was nice to have some hot stove chatter. 

Pitchers and catchers are only a few weeks away.