A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

hall of fame

An open letter to the Baseball Hall

Dear Baseball Hall of Fame,

When my annual membership comes up soon, I’ll not be reupping for another year.

I know my single membership of $50, or whatever it is, won’t put a massive dent into what the Hall of Fame is, but this is principle now.

Don’t get me wrong — I love the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a whole. It’s a wonderful place to visit. I’ll still probably come up and visit every so often. And, maybe, once the current feeling leaves me, I’ll come back as a member.

But for now, I can’t do it.

See, the most wonderful part of the Baseball Hall of Fame is the hallowed grounds of the plaque gallery. It is there that the plaques of more than 300 men (and women) are enshrined as the best over the history of baseball. Players, managers, executives — you get the idea.

There are people who deserve to be in. There are others who don’t deserve to be there. Usually, I can deal with things (to an extent). It still sits wrong that Buck O’Neil, then still alive, wasn’t elected as part of the special class for Negro Leaguers.

This decision of mine, though, is based on principle.

Come July, during Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, Bud Selig will be inducted with the legends of this game. His plaque will be read and it will talk about his accolades. Don’t get me wrong, everything Selig did for baseball wasn’t bad. He oversaw the expansion of the game in tremendous financial growth (though this, in turn, hurt the average fan in regard to prices) and was commissioner during a time when many aspects of the game have changed to help. Take for example the wild card for the playoffs — it’s been a good thing for the game.

But it’s hard to ignore some glaring items that didn’t seem to be taken into consideration, being that he received 15 of 16 votes from the committee.

Such as he was in charge during the strike that wiped out the 1994 World Series.

Or, how he “transformed” the All-Star game to “mean” something, which really didn’t mean anything because home field for the World Series should never be decided by a mid-season exhibition game. And yes, he was also commissioner during a time when the All-Star game actually had a tie. Yes, blue ribbons all around.

But most of all, Selig was the commissioner during the steroid era. Not just the end when things were “cleaned” up, but during the boom. There is no possible way that Selig didn’t know what was going on as baseball rebounded from that 1994 strike. When Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were trading home runs in 1998 in the chase for the record, Selig had to have known what was going on. It didn’t matter, though. Baseball was coming back and, so it seemed, at any cost. Home runs were king and Selig was the man in charge. Life was good.

Steroids, as we know, helped bring the game back, but it also left an indelible black eye on the game. This era is still showing it’s face. Guaranteed, Selig’s plaque will say something how he helped clean the game. He was in charge as the steroid era was tackled and taken care of.

It won’t say how he was commissioner during the bulk of it as well, turning a blind eye to what was happening because of how the game benefited from it.

If Bud Selig is a Hall of Famer, so are many others. Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens. Mark McGwire. Sammy Sosa. Rafael Palmeiro.

Pete Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame. His work that he did ON the field makes him a Hall of Famer. Alas, Selig let it keep going until current commissioner Rob Manfred actually had the stones to rule on the situation.

I won’t even get into other things he’s done that are arguable about good or bad, such as interleague play.

Yes, baseball became a multi-billion dollar industry while Selig was in office. But it wasn’t without the taint of steroids — just like people like Bonds, Clemens etc. If they aren’t in the Hall, Selig shouldn’t be, either.

You can “clean up the game” all you want, but when you are part of it when it was dirty, you can’t get off without any scrapes and bruises.

Maybe in time, his credentials could be better looked at. But now? No. When George Steinbrenner barely gets a look, then it’s ridiculous. Fewer than five votes? Really? I don’t like the Yankees. I wasn’t a huge fan of Steinbrenner … but come on.

So for this year … I’m out as a member.

Hopefully, in time, the Hall will see to fix how things are done. I realize it happens a bit too often with the “vet committees” but something has to give. We have to remember — it’s the Hall of Fame. If it’s felt Selig is a Hall of Famer, others need to be in, too. Tell the story, Hall of Fame. Start calling your own shots, not just what MLB says.

We can at least hope. But for now, I’ll find other things to spend my membership money on.

5

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Foto Friday: Baseball Hall ages through Hipstamatic

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown is a storied institution.

The Babe is all over the Hall of Fame. (Film: BlacKeys Supergrain; lens: Helga Viking)

Being local to the Hall — and covering it as part of the baseball beat for several years at the local daily — I’ve been through, in and around the Hall for much of my life. I’ve seen it change through the years, expanding and growing. I’ve watched Induction Ceremonies, saw players visiting and had a chance to get to know many people who help make it run.

I’ve researched in the library, too, which is one of the most wonderful tools available to those who are working on things in regard to baseball history.

And each year, I try to visit the Hall a few times.

Part of that is being a member. Though I haven’t been the past few years, I recently re-upped because they offered me an excellent deal and one I could afford. Being a member gets me admission throughout the year, whenever I feel like going.

That’s pretty sweet.

What that does is makes it possible for me to go check out new exhibits and then leave, if I want. It usually doesn’t turn out that way, though.

A couple of weekends ago, I decided to visit the Hall, with this little idea in mind. I wanted to take many photos throughout the Hall, using Hipstamatic.

For those who don’t know, Hipstamatic is a really cool photo app for the iPhone/iPad/iPod. It gives you the ability to switch films and lenses to get old and crazy film looks. If you use flash, there are many flashes to choose from, too. Basically, it gives you some “old’school” looking images.

I’m a fan, usually, of this app. The last few updates have been frustrating as it seems to crash in odd times, sometimes losing photos (it happened to me while doing the Hall shots). Basically, each shot needs time to “develop” and if something happens in that amount of time, you lose the photos.

Still, the idea was to see the Hall through the eyes of Hipstamatic, using as many films and lenses as I could to get a different look at things. Those of you who follow the blog may remember I did the same thing this past July when I did a post about shooting pro wrestling with Hipstamatic.

Balls from 1863. (Film: DC; lens: James M).

I figured I’d zip through the hall, snapping photos and getting out of there within about an hour.

By now, I should know better.

I spent about two hours and change in the Hall, looking over things I had seen many times before. There weren’t many people there, so I had time to look, snap shots and enjoy the afternoon. I pretty much zapped my iPhone battery with the amount of shots I took. But, it’s all good.

And I got some cool Hipstamatic shots.

I think the one cool thing is being able to check some of those shots and get that old feel — almost like it really captures the history of baseball.

The Hall is a magical place to visit, no matter what you use for a camera. But if you visit, try it through the eyes of Hipstamatic — it really gives awesome results.

More of the images from that day are below.

Old catcher’s equipment. (Film: Ina’s 1969; lens: Lucas AB2)

 

Abner Doubleday. (Film: Alfred Infared; Lens: Roboto Glitter)

 

There’s no crying in baseball! (Film: Sugar; lens: Salvador 84)

The Phytin’ Phils. (Film: W40; lens: Foxy)

Some of the Phillies best. (Film: Pistil; lens: Melodie)

Pete Rose’s hat. (Film: BlacKeys B&W; lens: GSQUAD)

Eddie Gaedel’s uniform. (Film: Alfred Infared; lens: Melodie)

John Fogerty’s guitar for “Centerfield.” (Film: Dylan; lens: Lucas AB2)

The Babe and Teddy Ballgame in the Plaque Gallery. (Film: Alfred Infared; lens: Wonder).

The original class. (Film: BlacKeys Supergrain)

 

Jackie Robinson. (Film: RTV; lens: Tejas)

One of my favorite Hall of Famers. (Film: Sugar; lens: Kaimal Mark II)

Another of my favorite Hall of Famers. (Film: W40; lens: Melodie)

The infamous Barry Bonds ball. (Film: D-Type Plate; lens: Americana)

Hammering Hank. (Film: Cano Cafenol; lens: Buckhorst H1)

The Mick. (Film: D-Type Plate; lens: Watts)

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Pro Wrestling Hall fun for a visit, but lacks “special” feel

Though it was a fun visit, the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame felt a little more like a memorabilia shop than a hall of fame. Even the plaque gallery, just kind of mixes in with everything else. See part of it to the right of this photo.

A couple of months ago, I had the chance to finally visit the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

It was a very cool place for those interested in the sport or sports history. In fact, within a few hours of me, there are several Hall of Fames. The closest being the Baseball Hall in Cooperstown. There’s also the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. (about three hours from me), which I haven’t been to.

Then there’s the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, located in downtown Amsterdam, NY.

The Hulkster’s Hall of Fame plaque.

As a fan of pro wrestling, I’ve long wanted to check this place out. It’s not a far drive from me and I always wanted to see what it was about. I finally got that chance last weekend when two of us took a jaunt up to visit. The Hall is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, so we went up on a cold Saturday afternoon.

Now, take into account a few things — this Hall is free to enter, is run by volunteers and isn’t that old, compared to other Halls. Therefore, I wouldn’t hold it on the same pedestal as say Cooperstown.

Still, one thing a Hall of Fame should do is tell a story. When you wander through the Baseball Hall, or Boxing Hall — or even when it was still open, the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta — you got a story. The development of the sport, the early days on through to the present. You see artifacts that help tell the story in an organized way.

I didn’t get that as much at the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Don’t get me wrong — I fully enjoyed the visit. And I really understand that this Hall isn’t backed by anything major (say, World Wrestling Entertainment) and it’s likely much harder to get wrestling items to show off.

I still want the story.

The Pro Wrestling Hall is a two-story building in a quaint part of Amsterdam. Surrounding spots look run-down or abandoned, giving the feel of old-time wrestling. The one disappointing part is the two of us had to travel to another part of Amsterdam to find a quick lunch. We had been hoping to find a place near the Pro Wrestling Hall, but we didn’t find anything open.

Once we entered the Hall, we went and signed in. Though no charge, they ask people to sign in.

There are some amazing artifacts at the Pro Wrestling Hall, but the placement doesn’t help tell the story and the history.

The first floor was a potpourri of wrestling items. From things like outfits and a belt won by the Fabulous Moolah to turnbuckles eaten by George “The Animal” Steele to outfits and handwritten manuscripts of Mick Foley. The “plaque gallery” of Hall of Famers is also on the first floor, stuck in a back corner and surrounded by memorabilia and jammed in with everything else.

It was a bit hard to move around in that the aisles aren’t wide. It was almost like a sports card store, where you are looking to buy something for your collection. Items weren’t all in cases, and those that were often had other items on top of the cases, so it’s hard to capture a good photo if you’re looking to do so.

Too, things weren’t really grouped in any certain order. A small thing about the Fabulous Freebirds was atop a case and across from many of the women’s wrestling things. Then there were a few cases of things you could pick up at a retail store, such as fake championship belts. Believe me, I feel toys are a massive part of recent wrestling history. The figures and toys kids get are all about brand placement and help the sport. But they shouldn’t be placed with legit wrestling items.

One thing I truly was disappointed about was the lack of championship belts on display. Now, I’m sure these are not easy to procure. But the handful that they do have, are not displayed well enough to allow photos or people to get a feel of them. One — an AWF championship, was in a case about knee level. The case, of course, had other things on top of it.

Robes, shirts and such were out free, in the elements. Some of the things that I thought would be cool to see — such as the shorts Mick Foley wore in his first pro match — were out of the main view and were covered up, for the most part, by an over-sized framed piece of paper telling you what they were. And you couldn’t see much from the top because, well, there were things on top of the case.

The cases many Hall of Fames use are specialty cases. They help the artifacts in regard to air and all the bad things that can age or damage said pieces.

So many things here are left out in the open or in regular cases.

Paul Orndorff’s robe and boots on display, but out in the open.

The upstairs was more spread out, but filled with framed 8×10 promotional photos, some outfits, promotional posters and a few really cool artifacts. Alas, the story isn’t fully told, so it seems more like a memorabilia store. I was left wondering about some things and how they fit in with the history of pro wrestling.

I did enjoy many of the items, such as “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff’s ring attire, as well as the attire (and rope) from Stan “The Lariat” Hanson. some of the posters and promotional photos were very cool.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what this place would be like if a story was told. The plaque gallery in the small room in the back of the upstairs wing — all by themselves. A history of the sport spread out throughout the building, starting from the early days to the present. Having the women’s section (which to be fair, they did have pretty much all together), in another section, showing the history of ladies in wrestling.

Again, I realize doing something like this requires money. I hope, one day, the money is there and the vision is to transform that Hall of Fame into something fully special. I was there on a Saturday afternoon and saw three other people the whole time we were there. It is the winter, though, so that’s understandable.

In the end, I’m really glad I went. And, I’m sure, I’ll visit again some day. But I still left thirsting for more of the Hall of Fame experience — wanting the story told and knowing I left understanding why each artifact was on display and how it meshed with the history of pro wrestling. I didn’t leave there with that feeling.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

The Baseball Hall needs to shake up its election process

Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations.

That’s the motto of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The Hall is a not-for-profit entity that is independent of Major League Baseball.

Well, so it goes.

For many years, I covered the Hall of Fame. I know many of the employees and the countless hours they put into everything that makes the Hall one of the most wonderful places in the world, especially if you are a fan of baseball history.

As a paying member of the Hall, I get free entry all year, so I can come and go as I please. It’s nice to go escape and look at the history of the game. I spend hours there, even when I plan on just checking a few things out. I’ve also spent time in the research library, looking up players for the HooHaa 9.

One thing with the Hall, though, is it seemingly has no say in who is enshrined there.

Though the Hall decides the veteran committees, the main election is done by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. On Wednesday, those writers decided nobody would be elected to the Hall this year.

I could spout number after number about the players I think should be elected. Or about how certain players were dominant for a generation. But let’s call it as it is — the steroid era is what did this election in.

What I have issue with is the fact that voters seem to treat the Hall like it’s the Hall of Perfection. It’s not. There are a lot of scumbags in the Hall. There are a lot of people with low moral character. And I guarantee there are cheaters in the Hall.

The ball Barry Bonds hit to become the all-time home run king is showcased in the Hall of Fame, though if the writers will likely continue to make sure he’ll never be enshrined.

Again, the ones who decide who goes into the Hall are writers. That’s needs to be changed. I don’t think players should be in total control. I’m all for writers having a say, but the process needs to be changed.

Let’s do a history lesson. In 1994, baseball went into a labor war, which ended up canceling the World Series. In the meantime, it was the beginning of the end for the Montreal Expos, who arguably had the best team in baseball that season.

Once it returned the next season, baseball slowly worked back into the hearts of people. But what really did it? The Mark McGwire vs. Sammy Sosa home run race in 1998.

Remember “Chicks dig the long ball?”

Steroids were rampant in the game that time. I find it hard to believe people didn’t know about it. But nobody cared. Money was flowing. The game was back and people were slamming home runs, which the crowds loves.

Then it all started to fold.

Steroids became the worst thing. Reports came out. People admitted guilt. Moral objections flew all over the place. Then came the “cleaning” of the game.

I’m all for cleaning up the game. I don’t like performance-enhancing drugs. I’m not a supporter of drug use. I want to see the game pure, just like anybody else. That being said, it was an era of the game, so people like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds should be in the Hall.

It’s part of baseball history.

This game has gone through time. It hasn’t always been great. There’s been racism, drug use, cheating and anything else you can come up with. Ask some of those old timers about greenies. How about the amount of players who did — and still do — cheat on their wives? There’s been many other illegal drug uses. Talk about morality.

There might already be someone in the Hall who used steroids. I have no clue who, but Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins confirmed there has been “talk” among some Hall of Famers that there’s suspicion of one person as being a user.

Everyone in the steroid era is under suspicion though, and apparently that’s enough to keep people out.

Jeff Bagwell is close, but not in. Mike Piazza was fully looked over this year. Craig Biggio — and his 3,000 hits — were left out this year. Though some people might question Bagwell and Piazza, they haven’t truly been connected to any steroids scandal.

Heck, people like Clemens and Bonds never failed a drug test. Though there’s not likely many people on this planet that don’t suspect steroid use for the two, the facts are the facts — no drug tests have been failed.

My favorite is the first-ballot setup, where it’s some special honor to be in right away. That’s silly, too. You’re a Hall of Famer or you’re not — it’s as simple as that. In the 15 years it took for Jim Rice to get into the Hall, his statistics never changed. Never. He didn’t get any more homers or hits.

This is the power trip for the writers.

Let’s remember, too, that I spent much of my career as a sports writer. I covered the Hall. Though the minor leagues, I covered pro baseball.

But I never understood why covering baseball meant somebody should be able to decide who is in or out of the Hall of Fame.

I still can’t figure out why Jack Morris isn’t in the Hall. Or why Dale Murphy didn’t get more of a look. Heck, Fred McGriff, who I don’t ever think I heard in the steroid discussion, hit 493 home runs and garnered a whopping 20.7 percent of the vote this year.

Now, to be fair, I’m not against players of this era having it being noted on their plaque. But it would have to be everybody. As far as I’m concerned, everybody is possibly guilty.

For heaven’s sake, Andy Pettitte admitted using PEDs at one point during his career.

It’s time for a change to the system. The Hall needs to stick to its mantra and start preserving history. Players like “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Pete Rose should be in the Hall. Should it be noted on their plaque what happened? Absolutely. But they are Hall of Famers.

So are Clemens and Bonds. And others who are in the steroid era. Eventually Alex Rodriguez, who has admitted use, will be up for election. I don’t like A-Rod and his moral character goes beyond steroids. But is he a Hall of Famer? Yes.

Unfortunately, things aren’t going to change. The Hall won’t sever ties or start a war like this to take control of it. You risk a lot by doing that, without a doubt. And I understand their spot. Still, something should be done. Because to let a bunch of writers who are preaching morality decide who is in or isn’t in the Hall is not working anymore, plain and simple.

I don’t mind a morality clause for gaining induction, but it needs to consider many things. This is a full era of the game we are talking about. Players are going to go into the Hall who may have used but never been suspected.

Plus, it would appear that the writers are also punishing those who aren’t directly connected to the steroid scandal, anyway. Otherwise Morris and Lee Smith would already be in. And players like Curt Schilling would have been much closer this year, if not in.

But hey, you have to protect that first-ballot status.

I still love the Hall of Fame. I love the history. I love the game. And I realize steroids are an extremely important part to the history — now and in the future. You can’t tell the story of baseball without them.

Leaving these players out might make some living Hall of Famers happy and allow the voting contingent to feel like they are doing the right thing, but in the end, they are trying to ignore history.

It’s time for the Hall to step in and start work on a new way so it can be honestly looked at in more than just a morality clause.

Until then, this will continue for at least the next 15 years, if not longer.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Let’s get ready to rumble! A trip inside boxing history

One of the championship belts of Carmen Basilio.

The area in which I live is quite known for one thing — the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I live about 40 minutes from it. The city where I used to work is about 20 minutes from it. So over the course of my time at the newspaper, I covered the Hall quite a bit, from regular stories to Induction Weekends.

For a time, the National Soccer Hall of Fame was also in the area. Alas, it didn’t make money, wasn’t run the best and eventually had to shut down. The biggest thing it was known for was having a larger-than-life soccer ball blasting out of the side of the building. It didn’t get much traffic though, outside the year Mia Hamm and a few others were inducted in front of a record crowd of about 5,000.

There are other Hall of Fames, of course. I’ve not really ever checked out any of them. The Hockey Hall is in Toronto, the Basketball Hall in Springfield, Mass., and the Football Hall is, of course, in Canton, Ohio.

One of my favorite items at the Boxing Hall — Bert Sugar’s typewriter.

Two other Hall of Fames are closer to me and I’ve never gone — the International Boxing Hall of Fame (Canastota) and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (Amsterdam).

I can scratch the Boxing Hall off the list.

I went to the Canastota area Thursday to meet up with two people — including 2010 world champion Eric McCabe — to play a round of disc golf. I have been to that area many times, but never stopped at the Hall. I figured this day was as good as any.

The grounds of the Hall are quite nice. There’s two buildings — the Hall and a bigger space which houses the historic ring from Madison Square Garden, which the arena used from 1925-2007. That building also houses the gift shop and many signed items, which one can purchase. (Some signed gloves were only $35! I was hoping to find somebody I really liked … alas, the first one I saw was Mickey Ward and it was $85. I had to skip it this day.)

For those who have been to places like the Baseball Hall of Fame, get that out of your mind if coming to Canastota. While the artifacts are amazing, the size of the Hall is immensely smaller. There is one large space and a smaller second room and that’s the Hall. You can be through it in 10 minutes if you don’t look at artifacts too long.

But if you are going to zip through something with this much sports history, save your $9.50. However, if you are going to take your time and look things over and take in the history of the sport, then the entry fee is well worth every penny.

I’m a sports history buff, so I knew I’d be here a little while, no matter the size of the place. The first thing that drew my eye were the championship belts. I’ve always been fascinated with title belts — whether it’s in boxing or wrestling or whatever else. The craftmanship that goes into making these items is amazing.

Some newer-style title belts.

They had newer-style belts and one from eras long gone by. It’s almost a look at the evolution of championship belts in boxing.

Beyond that, there’s so much more.

Robes. Gloves. Tape from hands. Boots. Trunks.

There was a pair of some of the great trunks that Hector “Macho” Camacho used to wear, next to his boots, which in comparison were quite tame!

The robe from Arturo “Thunder” Gatti was incredible to see. He was always one of my favorite boxers.

There were molds of the fists of many boxers. Primo Carnera’s fist was huge!

Being someone who has worked in the sports writing field, one of my favorite pieces was Bert Sugar’s typewriter (photo above). Sugar, an amazing sports historian, is highly regarded as one of the best boxing writers in the history of the sport.

The Hall plaques are much smaller than ones you’ll see at a Baseball Hall. Still, I took time to go through many of them and look them over. It’s quite the who’s who of boxing, that’s for sure.

Rocky’s in the Hall!

And, as a Rocky fan, it’s nice to see Sylvester Stallone inducted. He was inducted as an “observer” and I think it would be hard for anyone to not realize Stallone’s place in boxing history.

I’ve always said I wanted to attend one of the induction ceremonies at the Boxing Hall. I should have gone the year Stallone was there. That class also included Julio Cesar Chavez (one of my all-time favorites), Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson (another of my favorites), Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain and referee Joe Cortez.

Alas, I didn’t go. Maybe sometime in the future, I’ll get up there and see a ceremony.

Overall, the trip to the Hall was well worth the time and the entry fee. I’m not sure if I’d go back, because I don’t know if they rotate items, such as done at the Baseball Hall. If they don’t rotate the artifacts, it’s a “been there, done that” sort of thing. That being said, if I was with others who wanted to go, I wouldn’t have an issue going in again.

For those of you who are sports fans, if you’re ever in the Canastota area, I would highly encourage you to stop. History buffs, especially. The Hall is small, but it packs a major punch with the artifacts and items to see. There are films as well (which, to be fair, I don’t usually watch when I visit Hall of Fames), if you are into things like that.

The history of the sport is on display in Canastota. And it’s well worth stopping in to see.

More photos from my visit are below:

Chomp, chomp!

The championship belt and gloves of Carlos Palomino.

A Jack Dempsey fight ticket.

Sugar Ray Leonard’s fist mold.

The original ring from Madison Square Garden.

Another older championship belt.

You can see the rest of the photos I took in this set on my Flickr account.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!