Henderson became the latest first-ballot Hall of Famer this year.
What a day May 1, 1991 was: Henderson becomes the all-time stlen base cham, and Nolan Ryan tosses his seventh and final no-hiter. Henderson took some criticism because of his “I-am-the-greatest” boast, while Ryan quietly accepted the accolades for his accomplishment.
You just know a new bio of Rickey is in the offing. In the meantime, there are lots of Henderson items you can get for your bookshelf.
Sports Crackle Pop, “an independent sports blog with a focus on the sports world in relation to pop culture,” posted this interview with the author of a new book about the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The new Eight Men Out, according to the NY Daily News (out of Hall of Fame consideratio, that is):
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will recognize the twin traditions of baseball and film when it hosts a the third annual Baseball Film Festival in Cooperstown, Sept. 19-21.
The event kicks off with a salute to the 20th anniversary of the release of Bull Durham, featuring appearances at the Museum by the film’s director-writer Ron Shelton, along with Tim (“Nuke LaLoosh”) Robbins, Susan (“Annie Savoy”) Sarandon, and Robert (“Larry Hockett”) Wuhl at 7 p.m. in the Museum’s Grandstand Theater, hosted by nationally renowned movie critic Jeffrey Lyons.
Tickets for the Friday evening Bull Durham salute will first be available to Museum members beginning Monday, August 25 at $10 for adults, $5 for children and can be purchased in person at the Museum’s membership desk or by phone at 607-547-0397. Should any tickets remain following the Members only purchase period, the general public will be able to purchase tickets for the discussion beginning Monday, Sept. 15.
Several films will be screened on Saturday and Sunday, as filmmakers compete for two awards given at the conclusion of the festival: Best Film and the Award for Baseball Excellence. A complete list of the films to be screened and competing for top honors during the weekend include:
Gandhi at the Bat, by Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm, based on an original short story by Chet WilliamsonTickets for the screening of FilmFest entries are free of charge to members, but limited and must be reserved by calling the Membership department at 607-547-0397, beginning August 25. Any remaining seats will open to the general public on site beginning Friday, Sept. 19. Museum guests can then reserve tickets by visiting the Membership Desk located in the Main Lobby of the Museum.
The Hall continues to celebrate baseball in film in 2009 with a 25th anniversary salute to the epic film based on Bernard Malamud’s novel, The Natural. The Museum has previously saluted such Hollywood classics as A League of Their Own and Pride of the Yankees, featuring appearances by actors from both films.
Author’s Day to Feature Look at Baseball in the 1940s and 1950s
(COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.) Four noted baseball authors will present works about baseball in the 1940s and 1950s starting at 1 p.m. Thursday, August 14, in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Bullpen Theater.
The Author’s Day presentation on Baseball’s Golden Era features Fred Glueckstein, Lee Lowenfish, Gary Moore, and Kadir Nelson.
Following the four 25-minute presentations, the authors will hold a book signing in the Library Atrium.
The program is included with Museum admission and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit our baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.
From Onlyinhouston.org.
There are players — such as the Astros’ perennial favorite — who have magnificent careers, do all the right things, etc., but fail to put up those lofty numbers that Hall of Famers achieve. So should he be a candidate? Where does he fit in? Jeff Kent, for example, is a former MVP who has cracked the top 50 in career RBI, the top 25 in career doubles. According to Baseball-Reference.com, his “Hall of Fame Standards” for batting is 51.9; the average Hall of Famer is about 50. The “Hall of Fame Monitor is 121.5; the Web site puts likely Hall of Famers at great than 100. So this would seem indicate that Kent will get into Cooperstown. Does that seem “right?” Hard to tell. He has quietly put together such a career that demands attention.
From the OttawaCitizen.com:
Longtime baseball writer and former Ottawa Citizen staff writer Bob
Elliott is a nominee for induction into the writers’ wing of the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. According to the London Free Press,
”Elliott is one of three writers nominated for the J.G. Taylor Spink
Award and induction into the writers’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2009.” Elliott, 58, is the author of The Northern Game: Baseball
The Canadian Way. The other nominees are Nick Peters of the Sacramento
Bee and Dave Van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. The winner will be
announced in December.
This article from the Miami Herald heralds the Baseball Reliquary, a California-based organization “that trumpets itself as a ‘traveling museum of baseball curiosities and wonderments.”
ESPN.com uses this language for its headline of the Associated Press story on the Petroskey resignation:
The reader will note the quote marks around fiduciary.
The Hall did not detail Petroskey’s actions. Spokesman Brad Horn said the executive committee believed they weren’t criminal and that he did not benefit personally from them.
Of course, if this was the Bizzaro world, (or an episode of Seinfeld), that remark would mean the opposite.
I kinda feel bad for Petroskey. You know people are going to raise an eyebrow when they read that.
Former Pirate second baseman Bill Mazeroski is elected by the Veterans’ Committee into the Hall of Fame along. His walk-off home run in the 1960 World Series is still ranked as one of the most dramatic moments in the game. (Thanks to NationalPastime.com.)
The Amazon Report:
Twin Killing: The Bill Mazeroski Story
In my "day job," I'm the features and sports editor for a weekly New Jersey newspaper. I'm also the editor of the Bibliography Committee Newsletter for the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
I did a piece on the award-winning cartoonist and he was nice enough to "immortalize" me.
What I'm reading now:
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between
What I just read:
Paul McCarthey: A Life:, by Peter Ames Carlin
Grade: B. Pleasant enough; no sensational material. McCartney could be a right bastard at times, but aren't we all?
What's next:
L'Époque Glorieuse des Expos, by Alain Usereau
My article on the later biographies of Babe Ruth appears in
My article on the Mets' 1969 post-season appears in
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