BBTF.org/m/history : Grantland: MLB Opens Its Vault To Destroy Your Productivity

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

2013 Results: Bonds, Clemens, Piazza and Biggio are elected to the Hall of Merit!

(bbtf)

posted on December 12, 2012 at 10:14 PM by Joe Dimino to history | 61 comment(s)

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio have been elected to the Hall of Merit!

The timing for our first year electing 4 candidates could not have worked out better, since class of 2013 is the strongest in terms of electees that we’ve ever had. The top of the 1934 ballot included Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Pop Lloyd, Smokey Joe Williams and Cristobal Torriente, but only 2 were elected.

Bonds and Clemens were each unanimous at 1 and 2. I believe that’s the first ...

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 2 pages 1 2 >

1. Moe Greene posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:55 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Just watched the Ray Knight-Eric Davis fight.

Knight is such an ass.

2. Dock Ellis on Acid

posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:27 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm not leaving the house all weekend.

3. Mike A posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:27 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

So, Jonah Keri says Pedro Martinez would never hit Reggie Sanders with a perfect game going. But Pedro said 90% of the batters he hit were on purpose.

What to believe...what to believe...

4. Dock Ellis on Acid

posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:30 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Seriously, Moe. Knight just ####### punched him in the face?

5. Robert in Manhattan Beach posted on February 23, 2013 at 06:14 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Crap, that Manny bomb off Carpenter would have gone like 800 feet. And then I stumble across Glen Allen Hill hitting one over the street and onto the rooftop at Wrigley on a cold windy day (Warning, contains Chip Carey. Makes sure your volume is off). Wow.

Still no sign of one of my favortie highlights, Francisco Cabrera's game tying ninth inning three run bomb against Rob Dibble that caused Dibble to lose his #### and start ripping off his uniform top as he's walking off the field. He had a three run lead with nobody on and two out in the ninth. Ah, no big deal. I've only been looking for it for 10+ years. It's pretty awesome, good thing MLB keeps anyone for ever seeing it. The game. A simpler time. The managers used Mike Stanton and Randy Myers for three innings each. I pretty sure if you tried that now, the union would file a grievance.

6. Robert in Manhattan Beach posted on February 23, 2013 at 06:50 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

At least they got this covered: "5/1/96: Jeff Nelson uses the fake third-to-first throw to pick off Manny Alexander at second". Featuring the always confused Manny Alexander pinch running for Cal Ripken and immediately getting picked off on a play that never works. He goes back to the dugout and sits right next to Ripken who somehow pulls off an expression that is equal parts amused and disgusted.

7. Blastin posted on February 23, 2013 at 07:36 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I watched a bunch of the 3,000th hits after I posted this. It's amazing how many of them were bloops and dribblers since most of the hitters were riiiight at the end by then.

8. Flynn posted on February 23, 2013 at 08:41 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

They've got the Rick Camp game!!!!!

9. SoSH U at work posted on February 23, 2013 at 10:37 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Here's my favorite.

The set-up: tie score, two outs in tne ninth, runner on second...

The play.

10. YR Misses Reggie Bars posted on February 23, 2013 at 10:45 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Seriously, Moe. Knight just ####### punched him in the face?

Didn't Knight have some sort of boxing background? I won't fault him for the shoddy footwork here, he's in cleats.

11. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 10:56 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

@8-I watched the Rick Camp game live. The Mets were my stepchildren at that point, until they ripped my heart out.

12. Dale Sams posted on February 23, 2013 at 11:10 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

@8-I watched the Rick Camp game live. The Mets were my stepchildren at that point, until they ripped my heart out.

Ditto. God bless TBS.

13. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 11:14 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

IIRC, didn't the tiny yet bombastic John Sterling have some connection the Rick Camp game?

14. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on February 23, 2013 at 11:18 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Great that they let this stuff go and I understand the need to pay the bills but the ads make it unwatchable. To watch a 5-10 second clip of someone hitting a home run I have to sit through a 30 second ad for Ameritrade or some such thing?

Look, I'm not anti-ad (well I am but I get the business aspect of it) but there HAS to be a better way. Maybe a banner at the bottom of the screen or something that stays there during the video. I'd watch a LOT more videos in such a format and by extension see a lot more advertising with such an approach.

15. Russlan is fond of Dillon Gee posted on February 23, 2013 at 11:35 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

You can try ad blockers to avoid the ads.

16. Into the Void posted on February 23, 2013 at 12:44 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The play.

Heh. I like the fan screaming "Hey Paul get your head out of your ass!" when they are showing the replay.

17. The Clarence Thomas of BBTF (scott) posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:08 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was at the Tony Gwynn 3000th hit game. Family was in Montreal for a vacation, Gwynn had gotten to 2999 the game before, and we changed up our plans to see him go for 3000. He didn't make us wait.

I was also at the Mo Vaughn game in the archives where he hit a 505 foot bomb. That was the longest shot I've seen in person.

18. Into the Void posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Will Clark singles up the middle off of Mitch Williams: video. As a 12 year old I was ecstatic.

19. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

This is the greatest thing ever. I'm surprised that this thread hasn't reached a thousand posts by now.

One question about the Fielder homer that's highlighted in the article. Why was Tigers Stadium so packed and why was the crowd so loud?

20. Davo Mastroianni posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Andy Hawkins' no-hit loss

Oh, I've read about that so many times, but have never seen it before. That's hilarious!

21. Jonah Keri posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:48 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

@Mike A: Wouldn't it be fair to say that having thrown 7 1/3 perfect innings would qualify as one of those 10% times that Pedro wouldn't try to hit a batter?

22. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:25 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Yeah, as Jonah says, those actually aren't contradictory statements in any way. Both can be true without any real difficulty.

God this is fun.

-Turner Ward (remember him?) goes through the outfield wall
-Gary Matthews Jr over-the-shoulder wall climb to save a homer (I didn't remember this, and it needs to be on the best catches ever list)
-George Brett ALCS homer off Goose Gossage in Yankee Stadium (notable not so much for the homer as for Brett's world-class slow trot, he might have moonwalked around second - these guys legit hated each other)
-The Mother's Day Miracle at Fenway (my wife was at this game with her family, they all left early, she stayed on her own and was properly rewarded)

23. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:37 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The Turner Ward one is a bit frightening. He gets up thinking he broke his right arm, after unexpectedly landing on it when he thought all his weight would be going toward his left..

24. Dale Sams posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:43 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The Mother's Day Miracle is that much sweeter of course because it was part of a championship season.

25. Rough Carrigan

posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:45 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

MCA. Re: Brett's home run trot, as a young Red Sox fan of that time who'd followed them through the '78 season, I'm sure I felt as though it went by all too quickly.

26. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:47 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was at the Griffey's first hit game and I remember seeing the Raines first game back after collusion game on NBC and weeping inside that the A's or Giants didn't sign him.

27. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:48 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sean McDonough's call
Skip Caray's

they're both the anti-Joe Buck

28. cardsfanboy

posted on February 23, 2013 at 02:58 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

(I didn't remember this, and it needs to be on the best catches ever list)

Really? That play alone made him 50mil, in what I considered at the time to be the worse signing in baseball history(and still do)

I agree that it's probably the greatest catch in baseball history though, or at least on the very short list.

29. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:07 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I agree that it's probably the greatest catch in baseball history though, or at least on the very short list.

I think its the best catch I've ever seen. Its just nuts...the twist of the glove to snare the ball is...just nuts,

30. Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

-George Brett ALCS homer off Goose Gossage in Yankee Stadium (notable not so much for the homer as for Brett's world-class slow trot, he might have moonwalked around second - these guys legit hated each other)

Jeez, yes.
Even now - when everything about baseball games seems slower - a 28-second home-run trot is pretty dang slow.

31. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:17 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Ya know...I think George guessed "fastball". Bang. Zoom. Goose's head snaps back in reaction upon contact and liftoff. Beautiful all around.

32. SoSH U at work posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:23 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was disappointed they didn't have the clip of Neifi scoring on an infield fly against a confused Expos infield defense. Frank Robinson's reaction is priceless.

33. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:28 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm disappointed they don't have Big Unit v. the poor bird

34. Mike A posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:32 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

@Mike A: Wouldn't it be fair to say that having thrown 7 1/3 perfect innings would qualify as one of those 10% times that Pedro wouldn't try to hit a batter?

Probably, I was playing around a bit with my statement in #3. My guess is Pedro was trying to brush Sanders back, but let a pitch slightly get away from him. It was an 0-2 pitch, so there was likely a bit of a message to it, with Martinez letting the rookie know he can't dig in on him.

That said, Pedro had already brushed Sanders back twice that game when he was ahead in the count (both times near his head), so I'm not sure it was *completely* unjustified for Sanders to charge the mound. Pedro had a headhunter reputation at the time (a claim that now seems at least somewhat true by Pedro's own admissions) and according to Davey Johnson had been up around the chin of other batters that game. Sanders, with all of 9 games under his belt, make a rookie decision... but one that I can somewhat understand.

It would be pretty brazen of Pedro to drill someone with a perfect game going. Though there are a few pitchers I could see doing it.

35. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:34 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

They have Pedro ringing-up 17 NYY's in 1999. Awesomeness in abundance. Pedro was/is too cool.

36. tfbg9 posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Probably. My guess is Pedro was trying to brush Sanders back, but let a pitch slightly get away from him. It was an 0-2 pitch, so there was likely a bit of a message to it, with Martinez letting the rookie know he can't dig in on him.

Pedro's reaction after the pitch seems to back up this assessment. I agree.

37. Misirlou is bad, he's nationwide posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:36 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Heh. I like the fan screaming "Hey Paul get your head out of your ass!" when they are showing the replay.

I looked up the boxscore for that game. Jeltz ended up scoring on a passed ball to win the game.

38. Blastin posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

They have Pedro ringing-up 17 NYY's in 1999. Awesomeness in abundance. Pedro was/is too cool.

I was at this game. Close game, even though Pedro was absurd. I told my dad, "Well, we might still come back and time the game." Dad said, "Nope." I said, "We can score off the closer." Dad said, "Tonight, he's the closer."

39. spike posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:40 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Anything from the Dock Ellis no no?

40. SoSH U at work posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:42 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I looked up the boxscore for that game. Jeltz ended up scoring on a passed ball to win the game.

Yeah, my dad and I were watching it live. We didn't have a rooting interest in the game, but that PB was such a letdown anyway.

41. Lassus posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:42 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm disappointed they don't have Big Unit v. the poor bird.

He probably threatened to choke someone until their head popped off unless those tapes were all erased. He was REALLY pissed off when asked about it afterwards.

I was disappointed they didn't have the clip of Neifi scoring on an infield fly against a confused Expos infield defense. Frank Robinson's reaction is priceless.

This is definitely up somewhere, I watched the clip less than a year ago.

42. SoSH U at work posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:49 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

This is definitely up somewhere, I watched the clip less than a year ago.

You might have seen it on YouTube. It's still on there. But none of the likely key words struck paydirt on the search feature at MLB.com.

43. JJ1986 posted on February 23, 2013 at 03:51 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

You might have seen it on YouTube. It's still on there. But none of the likely key words struck paydirt on the search feature at MLB.com.

I've seen it on mlb.com within the last few years too, but I think it's gone now.

44. Gonfalon Bubble posted on February 23, 2013 at 04:00 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was at the Brett/Gossage game, way out in the bleachers. What I remember best is the decibel level of Yankee Stadium instantly dropping from 200 to 1 with the approximate speed of Cool Papa Bell's light switch. From the other side of the stadium, you could distinctly hear a pitter-pat of applause and faint cheers from the small cluster of Royals wives or front office staff.

My only other startlingly instant Cone of Silence shutdown experience was being there for Terry Pendleton's home run with two outs in the 9th against the onrushing 1987 Mets. But that quiet quickly turned into communal rage.

45. David Nieporent (now, with children) posted on February 23, 2013 at 04:34 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

-The Mother's Day Miracle at Fenway (my wife was at this game with her family, they all left early, she stayed on her own and was properly rewarded)

You are mistaken; this is actually called the Mother's Day Massacre.

46. asinwreck posted on February 23, 2013 at 04:50 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Andy Hawkins' no-hit loss

By far the most improbable part of this game was the fact that Ozzie Guillen walked.

47. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish posted on February 23, 2013 at 05:07 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

But none of the likely key words struck paydirt on the search feature at MLB.com.

I tried "jim creighton", "1862", "fatal home run" and even "brooklyn atlantics", but got nothing.

48. Ray (RDP)

posted on February 23, 2013 at 05:11 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Try "paydirt."

49. Pat Rapper's Delight posted on February 23, 2013 at 05:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Re: the GMJr catch. MLB Network did a Countdown show of the top 75 greatest catches, and they ranked it #3 behind The Willie Mays Catch and The Jim Edmonds Catch.

50. Davo Mastroianni posted on February 23, 2013 at 05:44 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was disappointed they didn't have the clip of Neifi scoring on an infield fly against a confused Expos infield defense. Frank Robinson's reaction is priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbuv96a26qU

Page 1 of 2 pages 1 2 >

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

/m/history

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

2013 Results: Bonds, Clemens, Piazza and Biggio are elected to the Hall of Merit!

Reader Comments and Retorts

History Think Factory