My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports):
People have asked me how I feel about Roberto Alomar’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today. Let’s just say I’m very happy for Pat Gillick and Dave Van Horne. I’ll say this about Alomar: nobody was more thrilling as a player and more disappointing in retirement. There’s no question the Jays second baseman is a Hall of Fame player, but he’s not a Hall of Fame guy. If you want to debate me on this, I suggest you read this article first: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5765281
Somewhere Jays legend Dave Stieb is stomping around his pitcher’s mound and glaring at his second baseman. If Alomar’s number is going to be retired, why not Stieb’s as well?
The Blue Jays do a lot of things right and I have a lot of respect for many in the organization – especially Paul Beeston – but I still can’t comprehend why Tom Henke and Carlos Delgado are not on the Blue Jays Level of Excellence.
From the things I’d forgotten file: Deion Sanders spent a month in the Jays organization in 2001. In 25 games with Triple-A Syracuse that season, he hit .252 with six RBIs before being released.
You think it’s tough for players to get in the National Baseball Hall of Fame today? Harmon Killebrew, the author of 573 home runs, wasn’t voted into the Cooperstown shrine until 1984, his fourth year on the ballot.
Reports have surfaced that Pat Gillick may join the Chicago Cubs in a senior executive capacity. I hope this doesn’t happen. Going to Wrigley could stain an otherwise sterling resume. It’s reminds me of Glen Sather leaving the Edmonton Oilers for the New York Rangers.
I hope to talk to former Montreal Expo, Ray Burris, tomorrow. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was dominant for the Expos in the 1981 NLCS, hurling a shutout in Game 2 and holding the Dodgers to one run in eight innings on Blue Monday, before being replaced by Steve Rogers in the ninth.
It seems fitting that Dave Van Horne will be honoured with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick award for broadcasting excellence in the same week as the 20th anniversary of Dennis Martinez’s perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On July 28, 1991, the Expos right-hander (nicknamed El Presidente) retired 27 straight Dodgers, inspiring one of Van Horne’s most famous calls “El Presidente . . . El Perfecto.”
If the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates are battling for the National League Central title with their current lineup of no-names, imagine where they would be with Jose Bautista in the middle of their lineup. The Bucs traded Bautista to the Jays for Robinzon Diaz in August 2008.
I really enjoyed reading all your comments and agree with most of them. Unquestionably, a person’s character should at least be “on a par” with athleticism–I say no more right now.
Just wondering why it would be so bad for Gillick to go to Chicago?
Thanks for your comment. Gillick is in his 70s now and a Hall of Famer. Like Glen Sather was with the Oilers, he has been a trailblazer in his profession. But after Sather moved to the big budget New York Rangers, many think he has tainted his legacy. I fear the same for Gillick if he went to the Cubs, a franchise that seems to invent new ways to lose every year.
While I usually agree with your viewpoints, I disagree about Alomar. The Hall of Fame is not filled with saints. Many players were rotten people in their personal lives. Mickey Mantle is a prime example. He was a boozer and womanizer, and people that I know that met him in person say what a jerk he was. Same with Reggie Jackson. Not defending Alomar’s actions, we didn’t have to live with the guy. But on the other side of the coin, we didn’t have to life with his wife either…
I certainly respect your viewpoint and you’re right. But I’m not saying Alomar doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, he does. I’m just saying I’m not excited about him going in.
I think one day Delgado and Halladay will be on the Jays wall of excellence. Like Cooperstown the Jays aren’t showing their love for closers!
Neon Dion was fast, but was OUT in the WS with Gruber tagged him!
I was at the ceremony. Alomar definitely deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I wrote an article on it: http://egcg.ca/?p=543