Thursday, July 17, 2008
Steinbrenner In The Hall Of Fame?
Please. What an idiotic, short-sighted suggestion from Joe Buck. Yes, Steinbrenner (along with other owners) should definitely be featured and mentioned in the Cooperstown history of baseball -- he's a signal figure. But someone who brought disgrace to the game and was banned from the sport for years and whose major claim to fame (other than making tons of money) was having a dynasty built by other people when he was barred from walking in the door of Yankee Stadium by law does NOT deserve to be officially selected for the Hall Of Fame. He's a loud, blustery, unforgettable figure in the sport. But a Hall of Famer? Only if you think Barry Bonds should be in there too. NOTE: THIS POST IS MICHAEL'S NOT PETE'S.
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5 comments:
Joe Buck is a moron. I'd put Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and anyone else that actually contributed the the game of baseball while also bringing shame to themselves long before I voted for Steinbrenner, who is only associated with the latter.
We agree! Huzzah! Pete, break out the champagne!!
Haha. I'd actually vote to put him in. My criteria has always been to elect people who had a significant impact on the sport for an extended period of time. That would have to be longer for owners than players since they can be involved for a longer timeframe, but Steinbrenner definitely left his mark on the game (for better or worse). And to say that his "major claim to fame (other than making tons of money) was having a dynasty built by other people when he was barred from walking in the door of Yankee Stadium by law" completely dismisses the 1977 and 1978 championships which were built in the classic Steinbrenner model.
Having your career documented in the Hall is one thing since it is a part of baseball history...being honored with an official induction ceremony is quite another. Steinbrenner qualifies for the former, not the latter, in my mind.
Yes, Joe, exactly. Pete, the Hall of Fame is supposed to be the best of the best -- the people you want to HONOR. Germany's history museum includes Hitler. The hall of fame of great Germans you want to honor? Not so much. Steinbrenner -- like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe and eventually Bonds and Giambi -- will DEFINITELY be exhibited and discussed and covered at great length at Cooperstown. They are all part of baseball history. But they are NOT the people you want to hold up as exemplars and heroes for your kids to emulate. That's the whole point: the Hall of Fame is for the good guys, not just people who had an impact but people who had a positive impact on the game.
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