Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
The Baseball Reliquary Shrine of the Eternals released its 2007 ballot this week. How many of these names do you recall with fondness, and how many make you realize you still have more to learn about the game's history?
Hank Aguirre
Lee Allen
Emmett Ashford
Eliot Asinof
Billy Bean
Yogi Berra
Zeke Bonura
Chet Brewer
Rocky Bridges
Jim Brosnan
Bill Buckner
Helen Callaghan
Charles M. Conlon
Steve Dalkowski
Darren Daulton
Dizzy Dean
Ed Delahanty
Eddie Feigner
Lisa Fernandez
Rube Foster
Ted Giannoulas
Jim "Mudcat" Grant
Pete Gray
Ernie Harwell
Willie Horton
Bill James
Dr. Frank Jobe
Sherry Magee
Effa Manley
Oliver Marcelle
Roger Maris
Dr. Mike Marshall
Gene Mauch
Tug McGraw
"Nuf Ced" McGreevey
Fred Merkle
Bobo Newsom
Phil Pote
Dan Quisenberry
Ted Radcliffe
J.R. Richard
Hal Richman
Johnny Sain
Rusty Staub
Casey Stengel
Luis Tiant
Fay Vincent
Rube Waddell
Sol White
Don Zimmer
I tell you, of all the names on that list, the one that still gets to me the most is J.R. Richard. I don't think I ever felt more hopeless for Dodger bats than when they faced J.R. at his peak.
Pete Gray, for me, will always call to mind "Strange But True Baseball Stories," which I read and re-read constantly as a kid.
Mostly, it's just a fun list, one that you can just enjoy rather than hassle over.
Follow this link to photos from the 2006 induction, and read this excerpt below from the press release for more information about the Shrine.
The Shrine of the Eternals is similar in concept to the annual elections held at the Baseball Hall of Fame, but differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not a criterion for election. Rather, the Shrine's annual ballot is comprised of individuals – from the obscure to the well known – who have altered the baseball world in ways that supersede statistics.
On a procedural level, the Shrine of the Eternals differs significantly from the Baseball Hall of Fame in the manner by which electees are chosen. While the Baseball Hall of Fame's electees are chosen in voting conducted by a closed group of sportswriters or committees, the Baseball Reliquary chooses its enshrined by a vote open to public membership. A screening committee appointed by the Reliquary's Board of Directors prepares an annual ballot consisting of fifty candidates, on which the membership votes annually. The three candidates receiving the highest percentage of votes gain automatic election.
JR Richard, the pitcher that I would least like to experience what it would be like to see pitches from the batter's box.
Even he didn't know if he was going to throw to second or pitch it to the catcher until he ws perched on one leg and had to do one or the other or fall down.
backtobard.blogspot.com
Ugh. I say we ban together, and fight this in court. Maybe Steve or LAT would be willing to help out, pro bono...Actually, who am I kidding. Steve would probably be on Wal-Mart's side.
I've purchased one item at Wal-Mart in my life. Back in 1991, a Wal-Mart (before anyone really knew what Wal-Mart was) came to my town. I bought a watch there. It broke a month later. I never went back.
Yeah, sounds like good ole' American Capitalism to me. The Invisible Hand is picking your pocket without you even knowing it. Our Founding Fathers would be proud. It's a beautiful thing.
PS: I also don't own a cell phone.
PSS: Moral of the story - Don't shop at Wal-Mart, and don't own a cell phone.
I just checked and legal aid isn't free to me because I make more than 18K a year. However, I didn't last year because I was in college... maybe that is good enough.
I guess I'll let it slide this time...
Makes we want a cigar.
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