Displaying items by tag: Hall of Fame

Keith Hernandez should be the next former New York Mets player to be selected to the Hall of Fame. I would love to understand the reasoning behind the disrespect of his candidacy. What’s behind it?

There are not many New York Mets who really deserved to go into the Hall of Fame as Mets. Tom Seaver was the no-brainer…the one true Met regardless of any other team he played for. Mike Piazza, even though he went into the Hall as a Met, I’m pretty sure he had his best days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gary Carter…he too had better days elsewhere with the Montreal Expos. Billy Wagner, Roberto Alomar, Jeff Kent…all one-time Mets...made their marks as Hall of Famers with other teams as well. But Keith Hernandez, while he rose to prominence with the St. Louis Cardinals, he made his career and put the stamp on it as a New York Met. And Hernandez is certainly deserving of being a Mets player in that Hall of Fame.

Jeff Kent is proof that the Mets were not always the best home for a Hall of Famer to be. Kent finally got his due by being elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee but, truth be told, there were a number of other second basemen who saw their careers come to a screeching halt in Queens.

Think Juan Samuel, Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar.

During the 1992 campaign, suffering with the worst team money could buy, GM Gerry Hunsicker traded his best asset, ace David Cone, to get a couple of young prospects - infielder Jeff Kent and outfielder Ryan Thompson.

Let’s make one thing clear…Pete Rose was NOT the “best hitter in the game.” Not even close. I don't understand how fans can even view him as such.

The one thing that is true is that Pete Rose accumulated the most base hits (4,256) while playing in the Major Leagues.

And here are some other things that are true that will contribute to that one truth that has everyone believing something that is NOT true – Pete Rose also played in more games than any other player in Major League history (3,562), had more plate appearances than any other player in Major League history (15,890), and had more at bats than any other player in Major League history (14,053).

Pete Rose with those 4,256 base hits ONLY hit for an average of .303.

Pete Rose was always an arch nemesis in the eyes of New York Mets fans. It goes back more than 50 years. They never forgave him.

And now Major League Baseball has decided to forgive him and reinstate him, posthumously. They also reinstated members of the Chicago White Sox…rather…Black Sox as they were called…as well as some other players who gambled their careers away.

As a lover of baseball, and lover of history, I always was intrigued by the stories about those Sox players who were banned by the very first commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Regardless that those players were never found guilty in a court of law, they were acquitted, Landis banned them. For life.

Two men who are loved by New York Mets fans, enjoyed similar successes, and suffered similar frustrations. But each, eventually, received the respect and adoration that they so very much deserved.

Ralph Kiner and Gil Hodges crossed paths many times on the ballfields of Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn and Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, as teammates on the National League All Star team, and then both playing significant roles in New York Mets lore.

The Hall of Fame will be announcing the class of 2016 at 6 p.m. Just wanted to chime in with who I would have voted for this year: Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Piazza, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines, and Jeff Kent.

Griffey, in my mind, should be an absolute unanimous selection. He is the epitome of what baseball is, or should be, all about. He was always like a young kid playing in the school yard having fun. He carried himself well, professionally and modestly, and never seemed to be in the middle of any controversy.