07-18-2009, 10:29 PM
1. In 9 days, the Hall will induct Rickey Henderson, Joe Gordon and Jim Rice. They have a bunch of events tied to the ceremony, and one includes a book signing by Fergie Jenkins.
I met Fergie at a ST game last year, and found him to be a personable, thoughtful man.
Obviously, as a Cub fan, any HOF talk is a burr in the side because of the inexplicable omission of Ron Santo. Even Bill James, probably baseball's premier historian, (and the author of two books about the Hall) has gone on record saying that the exclusion of Santo is BY FAR the biggest voting sin at Cooperstown.
Still, Ryno, Ernie, Billy Williams, Fergie and a number of other Cub greats have plaques.
2. How many of you have been there? What were your thoughts on the experience?
Here are mine: It was far, far better than I thought it would be. As a baseball fan, it's a truly incredible place. Even the city of Cooperstown is idyllic, (very Mayberry), and inviting. The surrounding area is possibly the most beautiful geographic place on earth.
Although it is in the middle of nowhere, and is hard to get to, I think that it is thoroughly worth the trip.
3. For most of Rickey's career, I disliked him. He seemed full of himself, arrogant beyond belief, and a dick. With the advent of the internet, a whole slew of stories have come about about him, and he comes off well in about 90% of them. I now view him as perhaps the most funny and interesting character since Yogi Berra. I also now realize that, on the field, he was far better than I thought he was at the time; you could make a solid case that he's one of the 25 or 30 best players who ever lived.
His absurdist self-confidence, unreal mangling of the English language, and penchant for coming up with outlandish quotes make me absolutely <i>pine</i> for hearing his induction speech. I wish I could go.
Anyway, it's a cool place. If you haven't gone, I think it should be on your bucket list, as a baseball fan.
I met Fergie at a ST game last year, and found him to be a personable, thoughtful man.
Obviously, as a Cub fan, any HOF talk is a burr in the side because of the inexplicable omission of Ron Santo. Even Bill James, probably baseball's premier historian, (and the author of two books about the Hall) has gone on record saying that the exclusion of Santo is BY FAR the biggest voting sin at Cooperstown.
Still, Ryno, Ernie, Billy Williams, Fergie and a number of other Cub greats have plaques.
2. How many of you have been there? What were your thoughts on the experience?
Here are mine: It was far, far better than I thought it would be. As a baseball fan, it's a truly incredible place. Even the city of Cooperstown is idyllic, (very Mayberry), and inviting. The surrounding area is possibly the most beautiful geographic place on earth.
Although it is in the middle of nowhere, and is hard to get to, I think that it is thoroughly worth the trip.
3. For most of Rickey's career, I disliked him. He seemed full of himself, arrogant beyond belief, and a dick. With the advent of the internet, a whole slew of stories have come about about him, and he comes off well in about 90% of them. I now view him as perhaps the most funny and interesting character since Yogi Berra. I also now realize that, on the field, he was far better than I thought he was at the time; you could make a solid case that he's one of the 25 or 30 best players who ever lived.
His absurdist self-confidence, unreal mangling of the English language, and penchant for coming up with outlandish quotes make me absolutely <i>pine</i> for hearing his induction speech. I wish I could go.
Anyway, it's a cool place. If you haven't gone, I think it should be on your bucket list, as a baseball fan.
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance