HALL OF FAME TIME AGAIN FOR BASEBALL

The Baseball Writer's Association of America (BBWAA) is releasing today (Monday) the names to be considered for election into the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame.  Some of the names are old ones, ones that probably have little chance of ever making it.  And then there are the ones that should make it...and others whose fate will hang with a jury for a long time, I'm afraid.  Remember, every year now, the discussion will no doubt focus on PED (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and whether that player was an abuser or not.

Results of the balloting is expected in early January of 2013 for selection into the Hall on July 28th in Cooperstown, New York

One of the greatest thief's of all-time.....Tim Raines

The players back for another run this year are Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Alan Trammel, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Mark McGwire, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro and Bernie Williams.  Of those, Morris received 66% of the votes needed last year, Bagwell  got 56%, Smith had 51% and Raines grabbed 49%.  75% is needed for selection.

Will this be the year for Morris, the former ace who won 254 games in his big league career?  He's making his 14th run at the honor and he'll probably get in.  Bagwell is another that deserves a shot, although, despite hitting 449 home runs in his career...there has been some question about potential steroid use.  The most deserving might be reliever Lee Smith, who once held the record for most life-time saves until Trevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres bested his mark in 2006.  Smith ranks second on the all-time list with 478 saves.

At Bruce Sutter's Hall of Fame induction in 2006, Smith talked with reporters about his chances for election.  Like many others, he commented that he was puzzled that he had not yet been selected.  "This confuses the hell out of me.  But I've always been baffled by it", he said.  Hopefully, 2013 will be different for the 7-time All-Star and former Chicago Cub.

And now for the  new names to the ballot for 2013.  Let's begin with the players with the most name identification.  Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Kenny Lofton, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa.  Several of these players could have been first-time selections, but again, PED's are in play.  Despite being baseball's all-time home run leader, Bonds, will have a difficult time of convincing the writers of his drug innocence.   Same goes for Clemens, Sosa and Piazza.  And that's a shame.  They were all big contributors to the Game during their times.  

The other first timers are:
Antonio Alfonseca, Sandy Alomar, Jr., Tony Batista, Mark Bellhorn, Hector Carrasco, Alberto Castillo, Jeff Cirillo, Royce Clayton, Jeff Conine, Rheal Cormier, Juan Encarnacion, Robert Fick, Steve Finley, Julio Franco, Shawn Green, Roberto Hernandez, Ryan Klesko, Steve Kline, Ricky Ledee, Mike Lieberthal, John Mabry, Tom Martin, Doug Mirabelli, Mike Myers, Jose Mesa, Orlando Palmeiro, Neifi Perez, Desi Relaford, Reggie Sanders, Aaron Sele, Mke Stanton, Kelly Stinnett, John Thomson, Jose Valentin, Todd Walker, John Wasdin, David Wells, Rich White, Rondell White, Bob Wickman, Woody Williams, Preston Wilson, Jay Witasick and Jaret Wright.


So, who gets in 2013.  I think Jack Morris and Jeff Bagwell.  Smith most likely will have to wait for the Veterans vote...and the big loser, is in my estimation, Tim Raines.  Raines is the fourth all-time base stealer behind, Rickey Henderson,  Lou Brock and Ty Cobb.  He was also estimated to be the 40th greatest non-pitcher in major league history by Bill James.  And he only played 23 seasons. The guy could flat out ball
 
Thanks for reading.

John  

DAYS OF WINE AND NO ROSES FOR HAWKS

It's been 22 years since the University of Iowa football program has sniffed Roses. And for Hawkeye fans, that's too long, far too long.  The man that led Iowa to its last Rose Bowl game (a 46-34 loss to Washington) was Hayden Fry and he's been gone since 1999 when he turned things over to current head man, Kirk Ferentz.

In the first 18 years at Iowa, Fry was 133-76.  He turned around a program that had been in the dumps making Iowa a factor in the Big Ten race each year.  But then things started getting ugly. In 1997, Iowa was expected to challenge for the Big Ten Championship but settled for a 7-5 season.  Then came 1998, the worst season ever for Fry at Iowa, 3-8.   "Spoiled" Hawk fans grew restless.  They'd been used to being a player in the conference race and a perennial bowl team.  I remember these times looking around for a team that I could root for, other than Iowa......that was competitive each and every year.  I was fed up with the football product and became apathetic to what was going on in Iowa City.  That's how frustrated I'd become.  And I wasn't alone.  Specifically, the biggest concern of the fan base was that the game had passed Fry by.  Not only was he being out-recruited, he was being out-coached.

What have you done for the Iowa fan-base lately?

Fast forward to 2012 and the scenario is looking much the same.  Ferentz takes over for Fry and leads the Hawkeyes back to the land of promise.......then things start getting ugly.  Since the 2010 Orange Bowl, which Iowa won by beating Georgia Tech 24-14, the Hawkeyes have won only 10 Big Ten games.  Fans expect more.  And they should considering the salary Ferentz now commands as the sixth highest paid coach in college football, $3.875 a year.

Not only is there criticism and concern within Hawkeye Nation, the outside world is well aware of Iowa's situation.  Adam Jacobi of the Bleacher Reports says, "the real killer for Iowa, however, is a buyout for Ferentz is set at 75% of his remaining salary, paid monthly.  So if Iowa wants to go another route for its head coach, that's fine.  It'll just owe Ferentz about a quarter a million dollars a month.

Every month.

Until January of 2020".  

Headed into this weekend's game with Purdue, Iowa stands 4-5.  Then follows games at Michigan and at home against Nebraska. One win is possible, two highly unlikely and three would be a miracle. Apathy is growing.  The product is boring and far too conservative.  Many fans are looking to the basketball season which opens this Friday for their athletic appetite.

A posting from a Iowa fan website page speaks of the home finale against Nebraska.

"I don't hold it against anybody if they want to sell their tickets to the highest bidder-Husker fan or not.  Just because you don't want to sell their tickets to a Husker fan-doesn't mean they won't end up with them if your buyer sells them for profit.  Loyalty is one thing-money another.

None of us wants to see Kinnick in red but it is what it is.  Win and this crap would not be happening.  This is not going to be much of a rivalry if we don't win sometime soon.  TV may not even want to put it on Black Friday if we don't step it up".

Iowa Athletic Director, Gary Barta negotiated Ferentz's current contract after the 2010 Orange Bowl victory.  He says today, he'd still do it.

"When you sit down with a coach, you take a look at their body of work", Barta said.  "There are different environments that you're evaluating.  In Kirk's case, back in 2009, I think we finished seventh in the country.  If you look at what he had done competitively, academically, value, integrity and fit, all those things, obviously I put together a package that I felt fit the person and the situation.

Glad I did it and still glad I did it".

Those remarks came several days ago when asked about his belief in the head coach.  Barta fixed his wagon to Kirk several years ago with that long-term deal.....a move that was highly questioned at the time.

In looking back at the season thus far and see losses to Central Michigan and Indiana (did you see the crowd size in Bloomington?  disgustingly small) there should be raised eyebrows.  Heck, the once highly competitive Iowa State-Iowa match-up is clearly in the Cyclones favor.  What's that tell you about a rivalry the Hawks dominated for years.

So where is this headed?    

The earlier remark from the fan about tickets might indicate more wisdom than we know when he said, "loyalty is one thing-money another".

Regardless, it's going to take a lot of BOTH......no matter which way this goes.

Thanks for reading,

John