Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer are the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Each of these players was inducted in front of an audience of 28,000 at the Hall in Cooperstown, NY.

Adrian Beltré played for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers. I saw him play in person at Busch Stadium II in the early 2000s and then watched him again play for the Rangers in the 2011 World Series. I did not score tickets for the games but watched him on TV from home and saw him hit .300 with two home runs in the seven game series. My beloved Cardinals won that series 4-3.  Click here to view Beltré's induction speech.

Todd Helton played his entire career with the Rockies and I was fortunate enough to see him play against the Cardinals a couple of times.  First at Busch II and the second time at Busch III later in his career.  For so many years the Rockies struggled and they were not one of my top choices when I got tickets for Cardinal games. But, I saw him in 2000 (arguably the best year of his career) on a Saturday afternoon in April. I don't remember him having a good day, but in looking the game up on the Internet he did drive in a run on a sacrifice fly. I also saw him later in his career in I believe it was 2011. I don't remember him doing anything special that day, but he always played a great third base as evidenced by his three Gold Gloves.  You may click here to view Helton's induction speech.

Jim Leyland managed the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers.  He was always one of my favorites and I was privileged to see him  manage on many occasions with the Pirates. Leyland won three divisional championships while in Pittsburgh but lost to the Atlanta Braves in 90, 91 & 92. Those were some great Braves teams led by an always awesome pitching staff.  After the Pirates, Leyland managed the then Florida Marlins to a World Series Championship in 1997. He led the Marlins to a seven game win over the then Cleveland Indians. The following year the Marlins were terrible winning only 54 games after the team's ownership traded away all of the club's talent. Leyland left and went to Colorado in 1999 where he managed for one year. Interestingly enough, Leyland managed Todd Helton while he was in Denver.  After his Rockies gig, Leyland went to work for the St. Louis Cardinals as a special scout at the request of fellow Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa. Leyland then went back to managing in 2006 guiding the Tigers to the World Series before losing to the Cardinals. Later in 2011, 2012 & 2013 the Tigers made the post-season.  In 2012 The Tigers under Leyland's guidance made it to the World Series again, only to be swept by the Giants. Please click here to view Leyland's induction speech into the Hall.

Joe Mauer, because he played in the American League, was one of those guys I didn't follow that closely. I only saw him play in person one time on June 16, 2015. I still have the ticket stub to the game hanging on my "wall of tickets".  In that Tuesday afternoon game Mauer went 0-4 and played 1B.  To be honest I was surprised when he was elected to the Hall of Fame. But, he was the top catcher in the American League for over a decade and won the MVP award in 2009.  He had a career lifetime batting average of .306 and a WAR of 55.2. Mauer also played on six American League All-Star teams and won five Silver Slugger awards. When viewed against the numbers of other HOF catchers, Mauer is extremely deserving of his selection to the Hall of Fame.  You may follow this link to see Mauer's induction speech into the Hall of Fame.

All of the induction speeches were good and each is worth watching. Congratulations once again to Mr. Helton, Mr. Beltré, Mr. Leyland and Mr. Mauer!

Scott Rolen Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Former St. Louis Cardinal and Philadelphia Phillie third baseman Scott Rolen has been elected to the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.  He will join Fred McGriff this summer in induction ceremonies at the hall in Cooperstown, NY.  McGriff was selected to the hall by the Contemporary Era Committee.

I had the chance to watch Rolen many times at Busch Stadium II and Busch Stadium III, while he was a member of the Cardinals between 2002 and 2007.  Rolen was a good third baseman offensivly but I didn't think his production would land him in the hall.  However, he is one of the best defensively I've ever seen play the position.  While with the Cards Rolen played on two world series teams.  The Cardinals lost to the Red Sox in 2004 and then won it all against the Detroit Tigers in 2006.  Rolen was an integral part of both teams.

I hope Rolen will go into the Hall with a Cardinal hat on his induction plaque.  He played more years with the Phillies but put up better numbers with the Cardinals and was selected to four All-Star teams during his time in St. Louis.

He played a total of 17 years in the big leagues, seven with the Phillies, six with the Cardinals, parts of four years with the Reds and a partial season with the Blue Jays.  His career stats included a .281 batting average, 316 home runs and 1287 RBI.

Rolen and McGriff, who played for the Blue Jays, Braves and Rays, will be inducted into the baseball hall on Sunday July 23rd.

Baseball HOF Class of 2022

Congratulations to the National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees for 2022.  Nine new members joined the hall this afternoon in ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York.

The newest members are:  Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso, Tony Oliva, Buck O'Neil, and David Ortiz.  For a well written article and videos from the induction ceremony, check out this article by Anthony Castrovince written for MLB.com.

I was lucky enough to see four of them play or manage in person during their careers.

Gil Hodges - I did not see Hodges play in person because I was too young as he completed his playing career.  But, I saw him manage the "Miracle Mets" of 1969.  That team won the National League pennant and then went on to upset a highly favored Baltimore Oriole team in the World Series.  I can remember watching a St. Louis Cardinal - New York Mets doubleheader in July and not being impressed so much by Hodges managerial skills, but the amount of talent the Mets had on that team and pitching staff.   But, in looking back, I realize now that team was managed by a man who knew he had talent and managed those young players to an NL Championship over a highly regarded Chicago Cubs club that faded down the stretch in September.  One other thing about Hodges, he died way too  young of a heart attack.

Jim Kaat - I had the opportunity to watch Kaat play with the St. Louis Cardinals for four years at the end of his career and saw him at Busch Stadium II eight or nine times in 1982 when the Cardinals won the World Series.  Kaat was a pitcher at the end of his career.  He craftily changed speeds and locations to keep hitters off balance.  In that 1982 season Kaat was 5-3 with an ERA of 4.08.  In his four years with Cards Kaat was a work horse pitching in 176 games and over 290 innings.  Kaat pitched a total of 25 years and ended his career with 283 wins and a career ERA of 3.45.  His selection is long overdue.

Minnie Miñoso - I believe I saw Miñoso play for St. Louis in 1962.  (I was nine years old and my Dad took me to several games that year, but I can't say for certain it was before Miñoso got injured on May 11, when he collided head first into the concrete left field wall).  His season was cut short by the skull fracture and wrist fracture from trying to chase down that Duke Snider line drive.  He came back later in the season but  got hit in his left arm on August 19th by a pitch from the Mets Craig Anderson.  Two days later while playing left field he had to leave the game with a swollen arm.  X-rays revealed a broken forearm.  It was somewhat ironic that his career in St. Louis ended with being hit by a pitch.  Miñoso had led the American League in being hit-by-pitches for ten years as a member of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians.  Miñoso had a career that started when he was 25 with the Indians and stretched over five decades.  Minnie played a game with the White Sox when he was 56 years old to be able to say he had played in those five decades.  He amassed a total of 2113 hits, 195 homers and 216 stolen bases leading the American League in that category three times.  To say Miñoso was fast during his prime, would be an understatement. He was selected to the Hall by the Old Timers committee.

David Ortiz - There's not much I can say about him that hasn't been written.  I saw him and the Boston Red Sox play in person against the Cardinals in Game Three of the 2013 WorldSeries.  The Redbirds won the game 5-4 on a bizarre play in the bottom of the ninth.  But, Ortiz was on base three of four times he came to the plate.  He had a single and two walks.  In that series he hit .688 with a 1.948 OPS.  It was a small sample but indicative of his whole career.  I was also at Fenway Park on September 9, 2015 while on vacation; Ortiz's second to last active season.  He came up in the third inning and hit a three run home run off of Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchinson.  But, what was more impressive was his show of strength in batting practice.  From my perch on top of the Green Monster, I watched him drive ball after ball into the outfield seats, including one that flew over our heads above the "Monster" and out of Fenway onto Lansdowne Street.  He was a very strong man and a very good baseball player.  He is deserving of his first ballot election.

Congratulations Big Papi!

In the event you missed it, David Ortiz has been elected as the newest member of baseball's Hall of Fame.  Ortiz was named on over 78% of the votes in his first time on the ballot.  75% was needed to win election into the hall.

"Big Papi" as he was known to Boston Red Sox fans and his teammates was a powerful player who slammed 541 career home runs, ranking him 17th in baseball history.  In addition to the 541 HRs, Ortiz ended his career with a .286 lifetime batting average along with 1768 RBI.  And during an era in which PEDs were used extensively, Ortiz was tested frequently and every time was clean.

I was fortunate to see him in person in mid September of 2015 at Fenway Park.  I was on vacation and took a tour of the park early in the afternoon prior to that night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.  During our time on the field I was within about 30 feet of Big Papi and he was enjoying life laughing and joking with his Red Sox teammates.

The tour ended with a trip to the top of the Green Monster in left field while the Sox took batting practice.  I was visiting with some Blue Jay fans when another fan yelled "heads up".  I looked up to see a baseball screaming about ten feet over our heads before departing Fenway and landing across Lansdowne Street.  I knew he was strong but that blast removed any doubt of how much power he really had.  He repeated this two more times while I looked on in awe.

I had a chance to buy tickets to the Jays - Red Sox game that night, but because of having to leave early the next morning and the length of American League games I decided against it.  I should have gone to the game.  That same evening Ortiz slammed a three run homer to deep left center field off of Jay's starter Drew Hutchinson.  I looked it up today and it was his then 32nd homer of the year.  He would go on to hit 37 that season even though he was in the twilight of his career and 39 years old.

Ortiz's WAR was 55.3 which was a little lower than some of his peers in the hall, and I really didn't think he would get elected in the first year he was eligible.  But, I am glad he is the Hall of Fame's newest member.  Congratulations David Ortiz!

Congratulations to the Newest HOF Members!

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker are the two newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  I count myself fortunate to have not just watched both of them play but to have watched them in person.  I saw Walker on a number of occasions at Busch Stadium II in downtown St. Louis and that's where I also watched Jeter play with the New York Yankees against the Cardinals on June 11th, 2005.

#2 Derek Jeter - "The Captain"

Jeter's selection was a given.  The only question I have is who didn't vote for him?  Jeter was one vote away from unanimous selection.  As I write this the identity of the Hall of Fame elector is unknown and what that voter was thinking is even more difficult to comprehend.  Jeter had a career with almost 35 hundred hits in over 11 thousand at bats and a lifetime .310 batting average.  The image of Jeter to the left is from a trip I made to the Bronx two years ago.  The image of him is on the exterior right field wall of Yankee Stadium.  I was standing on River Avenue when I took the photo.

The day I saw Jeter play against the Cardinals in St. Louis he was 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.  In the field he handled five chances flawlessly.  Normally I wouldn't remember one players day from 15 years ago, but I remembered he had a good day and went back to look it up.  "The Captain" was not a favorite of mine at the time, but as the years passed he earned my respect and now I am proud to be able to say I saw him in person and believe him to be one of the best to ever play shortstop in the history of the game.

The Yankees beat the Cardinals 5-0 the day I saw Jeter play.  But, he wasn't the only future Hall of Famer on the Field.  Larry Walker also played that day coming into the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th for Cardinal outfield So Taguchi.  And who you ask was on the hill for the Yankees when Walker came into the game?  Why none other than HOF reliever Mariano Rivera who was elected unanimously to the Hall last  year.

The match up ended up in Rivera's favor with Walker being called out on strikes that afternoon. As it turns out Rivera got a four out save and another Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson, got the win.

Larry Walker playing for the St. Louis Cardinals

Walker was near the end of his career that afternoon, but he had an illustrious one.  Walker had a lifetime average of .313 in 17 seasons with 383 home runs and 230 stolen bases.  He started his career with the Montreal Expos then moved to Colorado to play for the Rockies and ended it with his last two years in St. Louis.  In 2004 Walker was a trade deadline pickup and he helped the Cardinals to the World Series that year against the Boston Red Sox.  Walker hit .293 in the 2004 post season including six home runs with two of them coming against the Red Sox in the World Series.

Walker retired after the 2005 season and in those two years he became a huge fan favorite in St. Louis.  Walker says he will enter the Hall with a Colorado Rockie hat on his plaque.  Walker will become just the second Canadian to enter the Hall.  He will join former Chicago Cub pitcher Ferguson Jenkins who was inducted in 1991.

Walker and Jeter will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26th along with former Cardinal Ted Simmons and labor leader Marvin Miller who were selected by the Modern Era baseball committe a little over a month ago.

Congratulations to the Hall of Fame class of 2020!

Congratulations Simba!

Photo Courtesy ESPN.com

Former St. Louis Cardinal catcher Ted Simmons is finally in the baseball Hall of Fame.  Simmons was elected to the Hall this past week by the 16 member Modern Baseball Era committee.

Simmons played 21 years in the "show" with 13 of them in St. Louis, five in Milwaukee and the final three years with the Atlanta Braves.  Simmons retired after the 1988 season but was snubbed repeatedly by baseball writers.  But, this past Sunday night Simmons received the recognition he has long deserved.  He played in eight All-Star games during his career and ended up with a .285 lifetime average, 248 homers and 1389 RBI.  Granted those numbers are not overly impressive for outfielders and corner infielders, but for a catcher they are very good and compare favorably with other catchers who have been selected to the Hall of Fame.

I had the chance to watch Simmons in person on numerous occasions during the 70's.  I remember Simmons as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise crappy lineup.  He hit over .300 on five occasions during the decade.  Congratulations Ted Simmons!

Simmons will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2020 in Cooperstown, New York.  In addition Marvin Miller, who was a labor executive in the same era that Simmons played, will also be inducted along with the class of 2020 which will be selected in January.

Congratulations Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2019

Baseball inducted six new members into its Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY this afternoon.  The class is comprised of Mike Mussina, the late Roy Halladay, Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera.

I have written previously of my experiences watching Baines and Smith.  While they did not make it initially on their retirement, they were selected by the Today's Game Era committee in December. Both posted numbers worthy of Hall of Fame induction.  Smith's arrival was delayed for several years because of his role as a closer.  Baines' admission was delayed by the long overdue consideration of designated heroes.

Lee Smith's HOF plaque pictures him in a Chicago Cubs cap.  But, he also spoke fondly of his years with the Cardinals.  He thanked his former manager with the Redbirds, Joe Torre, for the guidance and direction he received while playing in St.Louis.  He also spoke highly of Cardinal fans saying they were always supportive of him during his three and a half years with the Cardinals.

I don't ever recall seeing Mike Mussina pitch in person but I saw him throw on TV many times. I can recall him battling in the World Series against the Diamondbacks in 2001 and the Marlins in 2003. In all Mussina pitched in 16 post season series and won seven games.  That may not be a lot but each of those were big wins for the Yankees. During his long career with the Orioles and Yankees he started 536 games and won 270 of them while striking out over 2800 batters along the way.

Roy Halladay joined the Hall posthumously following his retirement after the 2013 season from the Philadelphia Phillies.  He died an untimely death when the plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico in November 2017.  Halladay's widow Brandy Halladay accepted her late husband's plaque at the induction ceremony.  In an emotional speech she thanked the Hall for voting her husband into baseball immortality.  I had the good fortune to see Halladay pitch in person at Busch Stadium III when he was a Phillie. He gave my beloved Cardinals fits.  But, there were a number of pitching gems when he battled against his former buddy Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals.  The Cardinals managed to win afew times including a classic in the 2011 NLDS.  Halladay posted 203 wins in 16 seasons with the Bluejays and Phils.  He also posted over 21 hundred strikeouts.

From the sounds of the induction ceremony there were a large number of fans from the Pacific Northwest who traveled across the country to Cooperstown to see Edgar Martinez go into the Hall.  I was fortunate to see Martinez play in person for the Mariners in the old King Dome in Seattle when visiting friends who lived there in the early 90's.  Martinez had one of the sweetest swings I ever saw and he drove the ball with authority.  Combined with his speed he led the American League in doubles twice.  Once in 1992 and again in 1995.  But, his best year may have been 2000 when he drove in an amazing 145 runs. I also remember seeing two of the most exciting players in the same lineup when he and Ken Griffey, Jr. played together for over ten years.  Junior is already a member of the Hall having been inducted in 2016.

And last but not least the Hall inducted Mariano Rivera this afternoon.  I got to see Rivera play one time in person against the Cardinals but oh what a performance it was. In June 2005 the Yankees were at Busch Stadium II.  At the time I was not a fan of inter-league play.  To be honest I am still not a fan of it.  But, I was fortunate because I saw two future Hall of Famers pitch for the Yankees that afternoon.  Randy Johnson, who was inducted in 2015, pitched the first 7 innings before giving way to Tom "Flash" Gordon in the eighth.  Gordon allowed two runners and with two out Rivera came in for a four out save opportunity.  He struck out Larry Walker to end the inning.  In the 9th he got future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols to foul out to first and then struck out Reggie Sanders and Mark Grudzielanek to record his 14th save of the season.  In his speech this afternoon Rivera also gave thanks to his former manager Joe Torre.  One final note Rivera is the only player to be elected to the Hall unanimously on the first ballot.

Congratulations to all six 2019 Hall of Famers and their families!

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Congratulations Harold Baines and Lee Smith

Harold Baines, who played for five major league baseball teams in a 22 year career and Lee Smith who played for eight over 18 years, have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I had the opportunity to watch Smith pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 90s while I was still a season ticket holder.  If the Cards had the lead going into the 9th inning, it was as good as a win with Smith on the hill.  Smith had 47 saves in 91, another 43 saves in 92 and 43 saves with the Redbirds before he was traded to the Yankees late in 1993.  Smith and Baines will go into the Hall of Fame on July 21st.

I don't think I ever got to see Baines play in person but I knew he was good in his years with the White Sox, Rangers, A's, Orioles and Indians.  He ended up with a .289 batting average in that 22 year career.  The fact that Baines lasted 22 years in "The Show" speaks volumes.  He came up just short of three thousand hits and 400 home runs.

This past week also saw the selection of Al Helfer as the 2019 Ford Frick award winner to the broadcasters wing and the selection of Jayson Stark as winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink award to the writer's wing in the Hall of Fame.  Helfer was a legendary broadcaster with Mutual radio and Stark is known for his work with ESPN and the MLB Network.

The selection of recently retired players to the class of 2019 will be announced on January 21st.

Farewell Red Schoendienst

Copyright Baseball Hall of Fame

This past week one of my St. Louis Cardinal childhood favorites passed away at the age of 95.  Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst was nearing the end of his career when I first saw him play as an eight year old in 1961 at Busch Stadium I.  I wasn't old enough at the time to realize I was seeing a Hall-of-Fame second basemen.  Schoendienst had a long distinguished career including four years with the Milwaukee Braves in the late 1950's,  During that period the Braves went to the World Series twice and won it in 1957.  Red was recognized as one of the best second basemen of his era for his hands and range.

Later in his career he managed the Cardinals to the 1967 and 1968 National League pennants.  In 1967 the Birds won it all beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games.  Schoendienst worked and consulted with the Cardinals until earlier this year.  RIP in Red.

I have been a frequent critic of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but not this weekend.  Writer Rick Hummel, who is also in the Hall-of-Fame in the writers wing, wrote the following article looking back at how Mr. Schoendienst was remembered by those with he whom he came into contact.  The copyright on the following article is with the Post-Dispatch.  Here is the link to the article.

2017 Hall of Fame - Baseball

Congratulations to the newest inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.  John Schuerholz, Bud Selig, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez are the newest members of the Hall.  I was fortunate to have seen this class play in person or see the game they had touched.

I saw several Schuerholz teams in person namely the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s.  As a St. Louis Cardinal fan I was disappointed in 1985 when the Royals came back from a three to one World Series game deficit to beat the Cardinals.  I lived in Central Missouri at the time and the Royals were my favorite American League team and I had seen them play five or six games that season at Kauffman Stadium.  But, when the Royals beat the Cards, especially in game six, it was a tough day.

I also saw Schuerholz teams that knocked the Cardinals out of the playoffs on several occasions in the late 90s. The thing I remember about those Braves teams was the pitching of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.  All three of them are now enshrined in the Hall at Cooperstown.

I was never a fan of Bud Selig but ultimately he does belong in the Hall of Fame because of the labor peace that existed after the strike of 1994.  He told those in attendance at his induction speech that was the toughest fall he has ever had.  I am still critical of Selig for letting the greed of owners and players cancel something that neither World War One or Two could terminate.  Selig will also be remembered and have to bear the responsibility for presiding over the games PED scandals of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Jeff  Bagwell was always a thorn in the side of the Cardinals.  It seemed as if each time the Houston Astros had runners in scoring position, Bagwell was coming to the plate at Busch Stadium.  There was a period in the mid 2000's when the Cards and Astros were rivals and seemed to run into each other each post season.  And one of the reasons the Astros were there was because of Bagwell.

I consider myself fortunate to have seen Tim Raines play against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium II on many occasions when the Montreal Expos came to town.  Having watched Lou Brock in his prime I always enjoyed seeing the role that speed played in manufacturing runs.  Raines was one of the best having stole over 800 bases in his career and having a success rate of stealing over 84 percent.  He was a switch hitter and had power from both sides of the plate.  I know because I saw him homer off Cardinal pitchers from both sides of the plate when he played against the Redbirds.

Ivan Rodriguez was one of the best catchers I ever got to see play in person. I did not see him as often as Raines and Bagwell because he played most of his career in the American League.  But, there was one afternoon in 1996 when I was travelling and in Milwaukee.  The Brewers played a day game at old Milwaukee County Stadium against the Texas Rangers and Rodriguez in early July.  Let's just say  "Pudge" owned the day.  He homered in the first inning on a blast into the left field stands and then came back and homered again in the sixth inning and drove in three more runs in what turned into a blowout.  To top it off Rodriguez also threw out a would be Milwaukee base thief and showed off that marvelous cannon of an arm that he owned.  That day made me a fan of Rodriguez for the rest of his career.

A Look Back at 2015 - What a Year

I hope this finds you well and that you all had a nice Christmas.

My 2015 was good with the highlight coming in September.  I made a journey through 13 states and drove 3,000 miles to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, the Green Mountains of Vermont, Boston and its Freedom Trail and Fenway Park and then up the coast of New Hampshire to Maine.  I had a blast visiting places I had only read about previously.  The Hall of Fame  was awesome and I've attached a photo of the plaque of my favorite player as a child.  The plaque of Stan Musial.

Boston was nicer than I expected and the Freedom Trail brought the Revolutionary War to life as I visited the likes of Paul Revere's home, the Old North Church, the USS Constitution, Bunker Hill, the site of the Boston Massacre and Boston Common.  I was impressed with most of what I saw there, but the USS Constitution (in dry dock) was a highlight of walking the Freedom Trail.  On my way back to the burbs (where I stayed because Boston hotels are too darn expensive) I visited Fenway Park and took a tour of the facility.  I got down on the field while the Red Sox were taking batting practice, got to touch the Green Monster and then got to sit in the seats on top of it.  It is old but to me was in better shape than Chicago's Wrigley Field.   (It also doesn't smell like urine as does Wrigley).

The ocean in New England was different than anywhere else I have been. I drove through Seabrook and Portsmouth, NH and then into Maine.  The rock on the beach looks like lava.  The beach was rugged but beautiful in its own way.  After leaving Maine I made it home in two days.  The day I started back was 9/11 and it took me about four hours to get around the suburbs of New York City.  I made it as far as Hershey, PA.  (Somehow I had never heard of this place before arriving there late that night.. What a pleasant surprise!)  The next day I drove 850 miles and got home late evening.  After sleeping in hotels and motels for a week it was nice to sleep in my own bed.  It was a lot of miles and time in the car but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

This past football season was unlike any I have ever seen in almost 50 years of watching Mizzou.  As  you know the football team joined campus protests which ultimately led to the resignation of the University President and Chancellor.  And head coach Gary Pinkel resigned at the end of the season because he is battling a form of Leukemia.  On top of this throw in the starting QB getting suspended mid season and then being suspended for the rest of the year after he got into a fight while being heckled at the Fieldhouse the night after he was initially re-instated.  Maty Mauk has now been re-instated to the team by new coach Barry Odom.  My guess is Mauk won't be back to Columbia.  While, Mizzou's offense struggled, the new QB true freshman Drew Lock learned under fire in the SEC.  His offensive line was not very good and his receivers dropped passes they should have caught.  In reality the Tigers were lucky to go 5-7.  I am glad they made the decision not to pursue a bowl berth because they would have just embarrassed themselves.  Still, I am glad to have my season tickets and have a lot of good times going back to tailgate each week

In my spare time I followed the Cardinals and Rams, who are apparently not long for St. Louis.  I also hacked around on the golf course when time allowed and I watch the kids play tournaments on travelling teams in the summer time.  One is 14 and the other is 12.  I also spent a lot of time visiting craft breweries when I could.  I have developed a liking for craft beers after drinking the pee water that came out of the AB plant in St. Louis for the first 40 years of my life and now know there are a lot more styles and flavor to choose from.  I live in an area that now has about 35 breweries and I have to support the local economy..

Well reader. I have told you more than you probably care to know and did not mean for this to become such a long post.  I hope 2016 brings you peace, health and prosperity!

Congratulations to the 2014 Class of the Baseball Hall of Fame

There were a total of six individuals inducted into the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame today.  In addition to the former Cardinal managers Torre and La Russa, manager Bobby Cox also made it into the Hall along with two of his pitching aces in the 90s;  Greg Maddux and TomGlavine.  They are joined by former Chicago White Sox star  Frank Thomas.

I'm proud to say I was able to see each of these managers and players in person at Busch Stadium II or other ballparks around the country. For that I am grateful.

Bobby Cox won 15 consecutive division titles with the Atlanta Braves in the 90's and early 2000's.  Sure, you might say he had tons of pitching and it was easy to win.  But, still he had to handle his pitchers and manage 25 individuals for six months each of those seasons.  Cox won one World Series over the Indians in 1995.

Greg Maddux was one of the few pitchers I would pay to see pitch. After the strike of 1994 I stopped buying tickets to Cardinals games. I said I would not buy any more tickets because the greed of players and owners had cancelled the 1994 World Series.  That's something two World Wars never stopped.  But, in April 1996 Maddux and the Braves came to Busch Stadium II and I did in fact pay to see him play.  Maddux beat the Cardinals 7-2 that afternoon.  For Maddux it was a routine outing, but he dominated the Redbirds that afternoon.

Tom Glavine was a workhorse. He wasn't overpowering but he had outstanding control and changed speed effectively.  Those two attributes led to his winning 305 games. I remember watching him dominate the Cardinals on more than one occasion.

And last but certainly not least, "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas went into the Hall earlier this afternoon. I remember Thomas playing the Royals in Kansas City a few years after he came up to the majors.  As I recall it was 1992. I don't remember who the Royals had on the mound that day but Thomas got hold of a fastball and drove it to left center field and in the directions of the fountains.  It was one of the longest home runs I have witnessed in person and for all I know the ball still hasn't come down.

Congratulations Tony La Russa and Joe Torre

As you are probably aware if you read this blog regularly, I am a big St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan.

So with that in mind let me say congratulations to two former Cardinal managers, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre who were inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this afternoon.  I wasn't always a fan of La Russa's, especially when he decided to bat the pitcher eight, but I do respect what he did and what he has done for the game of baseball.  La Russa won three World Series.  He won one of the Series with Oakland in '89 and the other two with the Cardinals in '06 and '11.

Joe Torre played for and managed the Cardinals during his career. He played third base for the Redbirds in the early 70's and in 1971 won the National League MVP award for the monstrous year he had at the plate. As a teenager I can remember going to Busch Stadium and knowing that Torre would be hitting wicked line drives against whomever the opponent sent out.  Torre, as he stated in his induction speech, was elected to the Hall of Fame for one reason; he won four World Series while managing the New York Yankees. But, he also managed the Cardinals in the early to mid '90s.  Those teams weren't very good and Torre didn't have much talent to manage.  Still, I always liked the way he handled his pitching staff and his regulars.

Again, congratulations Joe Torre and Tony La Russa!

Tony LaRussa

Since, I last posted, former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.  Congratulations to you Mr. LaRussa on your selection.  I was not a big fan of yours while you managed the Cardinals.  In fact I publically was critical of some of your moves such as hitting the pitcher eighth.  But, I do respect you and what you accomplished in Saint Louis by winning two World Series championships.

I wish you had chosen the Cardinals hat on your HOF plaque, but again I respect your decision in not wanting to short the fans of Oakland where you also managed a World Series champion and the Chicago White Sox where you got your start as a big league skipper.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Better Late....

This is about a week old but congratulations to Whitey Herzog on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Herzog was gracious and humorous in his acceptance speech and gave thanks to his mentor the late Casey Stengel. Stengel managed Herzog with the Yankees and Herzog said he thought he had been treated so well because Stengel thought he was the grandson of Casey's former teammate Buck Herzog.

In addition to Herzog, Andre Dawson of the Expos and Cubs and National League umpire Doug Harvey were also inducted last Sunday afternoon. The writers and broadcast wings also got new members with Bill Madden and Jon Miller of ESPN joining their respective groups.

Herzog managed the St. Louis Cardinals during the 80s when the team won the 1982 World Series and league championships in 1985 and 1987. I spent many enjoyable days and nights at the old Busch Stadium watching the Cardinals play "Whitey Ball". Those teams were always fun to watch and won a lot of games. So, here's to you Whitey Herzog!

Self Righteous Baseball Writers

Since Mark McGwire admitted his use of PEDs (see the post below this one), several nationally prominent members of the Baseball Writers Association of America have taken it upon themselves to criticize McGwire and say they will not vote for him to gain entry to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Peter Gammons, Thomas Boswell and several of the twits on the MLB Network need to quit posturing. McGwire told Bob Costas on Monday he is apologizing to get past the hurt he has been feeling for years and claims he played baseball for the love of the game. He did not say he wants to be in the Hall of Fame. Yet, now Boswell and Gammons say they won't vote for McGwire. Really!

None of these holier than thou types would have voted for McGwire anyway. McGwire's support on the Hall of Fame ballot has continued to decline and his candidacy is dead. So, why now when the man makes a seemingly heartfelt apology do they feel the need to run their mouths about a mute point? Maybe I should write I won't be hitting clean-up for the Cardinals this coming season and the team doesn't need to pay me $15 million dollars per year.

White Rat Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

I spent a lot of time in the '80s at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. I mean a LOT of time. One of the reasons was the St. Louis Cardinals were always competitive and won three National League championships and a World Series in 1982.

The man who ran those teams, White Herzog, has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown by the so called "Old Timers Committee". And it certainly has been a long time in coming. The "White Rat" as he is still affectionately referred to by Cardinal fans, tailored his team for the cavernous Busch Stadium I. (Well, Busch Stadium as it was know while he ran the Red Birds).

Herzog used speed, defense and timely hitting to win ball games and that style of ball came to be known as "Whitey Ball" a term used for a team that manufactured many of it's runs. I can remember seeing Vince Coleman reach on an infield hit, steal second and then get moved over to third base on a ground ball to the right side of the infield. That would bring up the third spot hitter who would then hit a sacrifice fly and put the Cardinals on the board. With the team's pitching and tight defense the Cards won numerous one run games that led to those three pennants.

So here's to you Whitey Herzog. Congratulations on becoming the newest member of the Hall of Fame!