Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson among players reinstated by MLB

[mauconnfan]

Nobody in the MLB is stopping these guys from being in the HoF. The writers are the voters and the ones doing the grandstanding. The writers are the same ones who didn't need roids to stay interested in the sport, and probably think it a general stain on the game.

But the writers are then very inconsistent in their thoughts. After all they have already allowed other roid users in the HOF as we know. I mean allowing Papi in is because he was nice and smiled at the writers where Bonds wasn’t is all you need to know about these buffoons. I mean Bonds of all the users was going to be a HOFer no matter if he needled up or not others not so much. So let one in let them all in but these guys shouldn’t even have votes.

 

[jibsey]

My dad had several stories about Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin. My dad grew up in Jersey City and his cousin who was much older owned a home right by Mantle in River Edge, NJ. Mantle and Billy Martin would come back to the house hammered and Billy Martin would sleep it off in his car because Mantle's wife wouldn't let him in the house, he would sneak into the basement to shower. My dad and my uncle played catch with Mantle as did other kids in the neighborhood.

Things go full circle and it always revolved around drinking. Fast forward and my dad is an adult who is waiting for a friend in a NYC bar and the guy who sits down next to him at the bar and buys him a beer is Billy Martin and they shoot the breeze over a couple of rounds.

Years after that my dad is working in Waterbury, CT and Mickey Mantle is in town for a function at the Aqua Turf club nearby and Mantle is at a Waterbury bar and he's so drunk cops had to basically carry him out of the bar, put him in the back of their car and take him to his hotel. If memory serves me right I don't think my dad was at the bar that night, his friends were there and told him what happened.

Years after that my dad's friend who made it huge on Wall Street had Mantle flown into Litchfield, CT on his helicopter to play a round of golf with them. Mantle was hammered and my dad said it was really sad. This was his favorite athlete of all-time, someone he idolized and played catch with as a kid out on the street and now he was a bad alcoholic who would show up anywhere for a few bucks and an open bar.

I don’t think anyone can truly understand the fame of Mickey Mantle, ok maybe Michael Jordan.
In the 1950’s and early 60’s he was a baseball God.
Blond hair, blue eyed, he invented the tape measure home run. 565 feet. Nearly hit it out of the Stadium hitting the facade.
He never understood it from his background. And none of the drinking or crude behavior ever surfaced to us kids or anyone for that matter.

 

[temery]

But the writers are then very inconsistent in their thoughts. After all they have already allowed other roid users in the HOF as we know. I mean allowing Papi in is because he was nice and smiled at the writers where Bonds wasn’t is all you need to know about these buffoons. I mean Bonds of all the users was going to be a HOFer no matter if he needled up or not others not so much. So let one in let them all in but these guys shouldn’t even have votes.

I know it's gonna be a good day when my morning starts with a Yankees fan whining about a Red Sox player's success.

Papi had HoF numbers and was well liked. Bonds had HoF numbers, but was a first class jerk.

Worth noting: I believe Barry Bonds should get in to the Hall of Fame eventually. Put him in the cheater's wing.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

He was a big proponent years ago for MORE throwing on off days and less babying of starter's arms. Felt the coddling was making them weaker and more susceptible to injury. The math guys eventually pushed him into the dark on that, but I'm not sure he was 100% off the mark.

Bingo.

I remember a few years back a Baseball reporter (I think it was Kurkjian) talking about an early assignment (still 1980's) where he needed to interview Ryan after the game (Ryan was starting pitcher). He said "Ryan threw around 200 pitches, but I had to interview him while he spent 45 minutes on an excercise bike after the game ended."

Ryan believed in working on the legs regularly and on proper mechanics while pitching. He said many times that a fastball with proper mechanics takes less out of the arm than any other pitch.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

"It's 2-2 bottom of the ninth, bases loaded. Speaking of loaded, I had a cannoli at Mario's last night that was absolutely stuffed. I tell ya, Mario has the best cannoli cream in town. And there's a soft grounder that gets past the drawn in infield and that's the game!"

“……and my daughter Penny wants to have her Wedding reception there”.

 

[uh-no]

But the writers are then very inconsistent in their thoughts. After all they have already allowed other roid users in the HOF as we know. I mean allowing Papi in is because he was nice and smiled at the writers where Bonds wasn’t is all you need to know about these buffoons. I mean Bonds of all the users was going to be a HOFer no matter if he needled up or not others not so much. So let one in let them all in but these guys shouldn’t even have votes.

right...i'm not saying they're not hypocrites....but I can also see why it is how it is, and MLB itself is not the culprit....it can't force the writers to do one thing or the other.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

My dad had several stories about Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin. My dad grew up in Jersey City and his cousin who was much older owned a home right by Mantle in River Edge, NJ. Mantle and Billy Martin would come back to the house hammered and Billy Martin would sleep it off in his car because Mantle's wife wouldn't let him in the house, he would sneak into the basement to shower. My dad and my uncle played catch with Mantle as did other kids in the neighborhood.

Things go full circle and it always revolved around drinking. Fast forward and my dad is an adult who is waiting for a friend in a NYC bar and the guy who sits down next to him at the bar and buys him a beer is Billy Martin and they shoot the breeze over a couple of rounds.

Years after that my dad is working in Waterbury, CT and Mickey Mantle is in town for a function at the Aqua Turf club nearby and Mantle is at a Waterbury bar and he's so drunk cops had to basically carry him out of the bar, put him in the back of their car and take him to his hotel. If memory serves me right I don't think my dad was at the bar that night, his friends were there and told him what happened.

Years after that my dad's friend who made it huge on Wall Street had Mantle flown into Litchfield, CT on his helicopter to play a round of golf with them. Mantle was hammered and my dad said it was really sad. This was his favorite athlete of all-time, someone he idolized and played catch with as a kid out on the street and now he was a bad alcoholic who would show up anywhere for a few bucks and an open bar.

The true story about Mantle taking Martin hunting for the first time in upstate New York on a farmer friends spread is a classic.

They drive upstate to the farmers place, and it’s late, about 9pm. They pull in and Mantle says to Billy “wait here I’ll walk up and tell him we’re here”. Mantle rings the doorbell and they exchanged pleasantries but the farmer asks Mantle to do him a favor, the farmer had a sick horse that’s on it’s last legs and is in some pain, he asks Mantle to go up to the barn and put the horse out of it’s misery, the farmer doesn’t have the heart to do it himself. So Mantle goes back to the car to get his rifle, and says to Martin….”that SOB farmer just told me we can’t hunt because the neighbors are complaining, well I’ll show him”……so Mantle goes up to the barn and shoots the horse “boom” “boom”. As he’s walking back to the farmers front door to tell him the deed is in done, he hear’s “boom boom boom boom” and he sees Martin running back to the car. Martin says “let’s get outta here I just shot two of his cows too.”

Mantle of course paid the farmer for the mistake. Lol

 

[Lafayette]

Bingo.

I remember a few years back a Baseball reporter (I think it was Kurkjian) talking about an early assignment (still 1980's) where he needed to interview Ryan after the game (Ryan was starting pitcher). He said "Ryan threw around 200 pitches, but I had to interview him while he spent 45 minutes on an excercise bike after the game ended."

Ryan believed in working on the legs regularly and on proper mechanics while pitching. He said many times that a fastball with proper mechanics takes less out of the arm than any other pitch.

Ryan is my all time favorite baseball player. Signed jerseys from the Angels, Rockets, and Rangers.

Best quotes about him:

• Reggie Jackson: "Ryan is the only guy who puts fear in me. Not because he can get you out but because he can kill you."
• Norm Cash (struck out 3x already, comes to plate with a table leg): ""I can't hit him anyway".

 

[mauconnfan]

I know it's gonna be a good day when my morning starts with a Yankees fan whining about a Red Sox player's success.

Papi had HoF numbers and was well liked. Bonds had HoF numbers, but was a first class jerk.

Worth noting: I believe Barry Bonds should get in to the Hall of Fame eventually. Put him in the cheater's wing.

I’m doing nothing but stating facts sir and if you’re ignorant enough to believe he’s not on the Mitchell report good for you. No whining here but he has less right to be in the Hall than Barry who already was a great player prior to diving in. He wasn’t a .270 hitter averaging about 17 and 60 a year before meeting Manny Ramirez. Pretty simple Tom follow the arrows.

And by the way the Yankees had their own success marred by cheating I will admit this for sure.

 

[temery]

I’m doing nothing but stating facts sir and if you’re ignorant enough to believe he’s not on the Mitchell report good for you. No whining here but he has less right to be in the Hall than Barry who already was a great player prior to diving in. He wasn’t a .270 hitter averaging about 17 and 60 a year before meeting Manny Ramirez. Pretty simple Tom follow the arrows.

And by the way the Yankees had their own success marred by cheating I will admit this for sure.

You didn't state one single fact. Your post was 100% opinion. Maybe if bond was just a little bit nicer, and a better human being...

 

[Lafayette]

You didn't state one single fact. Your post was 100% opinion. Maybe if bond was just a little bit nicer, and a better human being...

Fair point on fact vs opinion, but on "was just a little bit nicer..." - they said they same things about Ted Williams.

 

[dennismenace]

I don’t think anyone can truly understand the fame of Mickey Mantle, ok maybe Michael Jordan.
In the 1950’s and early 60’s he was a baseball God.
Blond hair, blue eyed, he invented the tape measure home run. 565 feet. Nearly hit it out of the Stadium hitting the facade.
He never understood it from his background. And none of the drinking or crude behavior ever surfaced to us kids or anyone for that matter.

Also loved by his teammates because he was in constant pain from osteomylitis from high school as well as knee injuries and never begged out. His father was a minor league player and did not want him to play football in HS. But football is a religion in Oklahoma and that is when he injured his leg and developed the osteo (inflamation of the marrow of the bone - incurable). He pretty much was in pain throughout his career.

 

[dennismenace]

And it's a slippery slope, players in the 70s and 80s used greenies openly in the clubhouse and now they're banned. Why are those guys allowed in?

That right! "Bennies (benzedrene) were put out on a table by the clubhouse guys before every game. A favorite of the test taking "all nighters" in college.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I’m doing nothing but stating facts sir and if you’re ignorant enough to believe he’s not on the Mitchell report good for you. No whining here but he has less right to be in the Hall than Barry who already was a great player prior to diving in. He wasn’t a .270 hitter averaging about 17 and 60 a year before meeting Manny Ramirez. Pretty simple Tom follow the arrows.

And by the way the Yankees had their own success marred by cheating I will admit this for sure.

Don’t even bother man, Sox fans are delusional sometimes esp when it comes to their hero Papi. You can count on one hand how many MLB players truly raked into their late 30’s/early 40’s but only one was clean apparently. The tea leaves are all there but it’s simply denial of the obvious. Like saying college players aren’t being paid directly. I don’t care who gets in as long as A-Rod never does…

 

[boog204]

Also loved by his teammates because he was in constant pain from osteomylitis from high school as well as knee injuries and never begged out. His father was a minor league player and did not want him to play football in HS. But football is a religion in Oklahoma and that is when he injured his leg and developed the osteo (inflamation of the marrow of the bone - incurable). He pretty much was in pain throughout his career.

Kind of nuts to think that Mantle tore his ACL and other stuff on that drain in 1951. But he never had the ACL repaired. So he played his entire career with a torn ACL. Ridiculous the #'s he put up given all of the injuries - self-inflicted or otherwise.

 

[Edward Sargent]

So as long as we are going all kumbaya with Rose and Jackson how about we return Lance Armstrong's 7 Tour de France wins?

 

[boog204]

So as long as we are going all kumbaya with Rose and Jackson how about we return Lance Armstrong's 7 Tour de France wins?

I'm good with Jackson. I think he was railroaded. I personally think Rose should not be reinstated. He had 90093020 chances to come clean and he went tool instead. I'm probably in the minority, but the roid guys "crimes" are less than Rose's.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

So as long as we are going all kumbaya with Rose and Jackson how about we return Lance Armstrong's 7 Tour de France wins?

Bring back Bart Giamatti too.

 

[mauconnfan]

You didn't state one single fact. Your post was 100% opinion. Maybe if bond was just a little bit nicer, and a better human being...

Oh yeah I did and you’re the bitter Sox fan believing what you want, that’s the absolute hysterical thing. But by all means that’s you’re opinion

 

[UconnU]

Here’s a good question. Who made it into the HOF that you suspect was on performance enhancers?

We know some of the pitchers were using them to recover from injury. Because after it came out that Petite was doing it, a number of players came out and said that it was common practice.

 

[Fishy]

Why do you wave away that MLB was good with roids, until they weren't?

That doesn’t make any sense as an argument.

Something is either against the rules or it’s not. There is a very clear distinction and I am doing the opposite of trying to erase it.

 

[navery12]

That doesn’t make any sense as an argument.

Something is either against the rules or it’s not. There is a very clear distinction and I am doing the opposite of trying to erase it.

Correct, and while it was suggested players stop using steroids in 1991, there was no testing or repercussions until 2004. Which is why we're saying punishing those guys for what baseball implicitly approved of is wrong

 

[temery]

Oh yeah I did and you’re the bitter Sox fan believing what you want, that’s the absolute hysterical thing. But by all means that’s you’re opinion

My guy was well like and elected to the Hall of Fame. Your guy wasn't.

 

[Lafayette]

I don’t think anyone can truly understand the fame of Mickey Mantle, ok maybe Michael Jordan.
In the 1950’s and early 60’s he was a baseball God.
Blond hair, blue eyed, he invented the tape measure home run. 565 feet. Nearly hit it out of the Stadium hitting the facade.
He never understood it from his background. And none of the drinking or crude behavior ever surfaced to us kids or anyone for that matter.

To be perfectly fair and honest I am not a Red Sox nor Yankees fan. I am an Angels fan.

But Ted Williams was a better hitter than Mantle but almost all accounts.

Mantle could hit the long ball but Williams could put it any where he damn wanted to.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Bring back Bart Giamatti too.

And give the All Valley title to the rightful owner, Johnny Lawrence, now that we know Daniel’s crane kick was illegal…