Baseball Quiz: 1) Name the four pitchers who played 25 years
or more at the major league level. 2) Who are the top 3 lifetime
in batting average? [All recognizable names] 3) Who are the
top 3 lifetime in at-bats? [All played some in the 1970s]
Answers below.
Johnny Mac”s Bogus Hall of Famers
Every year, when election time rolls around, we have the usual
arguments over who deserves enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
I count myself as a purist when these arguments arise. To me
the Hall was meant for the likes of Musial and Mays, Johnson
and Mathewson, DiMaggio and Ruth. When I see Rabbit Maranville
and Phil Rizzuto and Jim Bottomley with plaques, I know that
those aren”t the players the Hall was meant to immortalize.
Granted, they were all fine players and have earned their place
in baseball history, but Cooperstown is different. It was intended,
I believe, to enshrine the true greats, not the merely very good.
With this in mind, let me present a list of players whose election
to the Hall, all by the Veterans Committee by the way, still baffles
me.
Chick Hafey: A hard-hitting outfielder who had his most
productive years for the Cardinals, Hafey had his career
cut short by health problems. He had chronic sinus problems
that required numerous surgeries, and a beaning early in his
career affected his vision, causing him to be among the first
major leaguers to wear glasses. He was a decent outfielder
and had a rifle arm, having started his career
on the mound.
But Hafey was a constant source of annoyance to GM Branch
Rickey for his numerous holdouts and salary demands. After
hitting .336 in 1930, he held out for $15,000, which Rickey
refused to pay. Chick then signed for $12,500, but the ever
frugal Rickey fined him $2,100 for being out of shape. So
Hafey responded by winning the batting title in 1931 and then
holding out again.
Rickey, who had Ducky Medwick waiting in the wings, shipped
him to the Reds, where Hafey had some spotty years. He does
have the claim of being the first to get a hit in all-star game
history (1933). Hafey also played in the first night game in
1935 and he realized the dampness of night ball would continue
to aggravate his sinuses. He retired shortly thereafter and
at age 32 was finished as a ballplayer. Although a good hitter,
his career was so short (1283 games) that his lifetime totals
of 164 HR and 833 RBI look sickly when compared to real
Hall of Famers.
Freddie Lindstrom: A favorite of John McGraw, Freddie came
up to the majors as an 18-year-old phenom with the Giants in
1924. The team won the pennant that season and Freddie became
the youngest to play in a World Series. Although he performed
well enough, even collecting four hits in a single game against
Walter Johnson, he is best remembered for misplaying a ball
at third allowing the Series”s winning run to score.
Lindstrom compiled some decent offensive numbers, but remember
his best years came in the late 20s and early 30s. The entire
National League hit .306 in 1930, so you must put his numbers in
perspective. As for his defense, he was such a good third-sacker
that McGraw moved him to the outfield in mid-career.
When Lindstrom didn”t get to succeed McGraw as manager (the
job went to Bill Terry instead), Freddie demanded a trade and
was quickly accommodated. He was basically finished by 1933,
having spent only 9 years as a regular. His career totals of
1,438 games, 103 HR, and 779 RBI are hardly breathtaking and
his defense was less than stellar. I can only assume he had some
drinking buddies on the old-timers committee who elected him in
1976. He was nowhere near the player Ron Santo was, if you need
a modern comparison. [Or Vada Pinson, added the editor.]
Ray Schalk: A gritty, hard-nosed catcher, Schalk is best
remembered as one of the honest Black Sox. He came to blows,
supposedly, with Lefty Williams and has become something of a
martyr in baseball lore. Granted, he was a fine defensive player,
regularly among the league leaders in putouts, assists and fielding
percentage. He is also credited with being the first catcher to
routinely back up plays at first and third base.
Schalk was very durable, ending his career with 1,760 games
caught, a record at the time. But his hitting was another matter.
He routinely batted eighth, a rather dubious fact for a Hall of
Famer. His career totals of 12 (yes, 12) HR and 594 RBI, coupled
with a .253 batting average are hardly eye-popping. He was a fine
base stealer, for a catcher, but catchers are rarely immortalized
for their base-stealing prowess (unless you think John Wathan is
getting in the Hall someday). Schalk was basically Jim Sundberg
with some speed.good, but hardly Hall material.
Vic Willis: A contemporary of Cy Young, Willis came up with
Boston in 1898 and promptly established himself with a 24-win
season. He was durable (300 innings eight times) with a high of
410 in 1902, to go along with 45 complete games. He did win 20
any number of times, but he didn”t have a long career compared
to his counterparts and finished up in 1910 with a career record
of 249-205. [There are different figures for his W-L record,
we”re going by the Official Hall of Fame Yearbook.]
Willis also holds the distinction (!) of setting the modern record
with 29 losses in 1905, after losing 25 the previous year. I don”t
know about you, but my impression of a Hall of Famer doesn”t include
29-loss seasons.
Hack Wilson: Now there was a unique body. He made Kirby Puckett
look like Manute Bol. Packing 200 pounds on a 5”6″ frame, Wilson
had huge shoulders and arms supported by short little legs. His body
sort of tapered off, attested to by his 18 inch neck and size 6 shoes.
Hack was a legendary boozer (the Bar Chat Veterans Committee may
have to look at this aspect more carefully) and that eventually wore
him down. Of course Wilson had one of the great seasons in history
in 1930, smacking a then National League record 56 homers (which
stood for 68 years) while driving in 190 (a record that still stands,
and may remain the benchmark forever). That was also the best
hitting year in league history, but his numbers are overwhelming
nonetheless.
But 1930 would be the pinnacle of a short career, and Wilson had
the most precipitous drop-off in history. He finished 1931 with
just 13 HR and 61 RBI. Then Hack was traded by the Cubs the
following season, never approaching greatness again. His career
totals of 1,348 games played with 244 HR and 1,062 RBI hardly
qualify him for immortality. Although not a liability in the field,
he wasn”t Paul Blair, either. The old-timers committee selected
Wilson in 1979, based mostly on that one season I would imagine.
Overall, he was no better than Jimmy Wynn.
Eppa Jephtha Rixey: Now there”s a mouthful, huh? Rixey was an
anomaly in his day, an educated, refined gentleman. He starred in
basketball (a towering 6”5″) as well as baseball at the University
of Virginia, circa 1912. Eppa went straight from college to the
pros, never spending a day in the minors. He had a long career,
all of it in the National League with the Phillies and Reds, retiring
as the winningest lefty in league history with 266. But he was also
the biggest loser with 251 (leading the league on a few occasions),
and his career ERA of 3.15 is very ordinary, especially since he
pitched for many years in the dead ball era.
Rixey had value due to his durability and demeanor, but it”s hard
to see where he was better than, say, Tommy John or Jim Kaat,
who are still awaiting their turn for the Hall.
Elmer Flick: A largely forgotten man, Elmer was a pretty good
outfielder around the turn of the century. He was small, 5”6″,
but swung perhaps the heaviest bat in history, a thick-handled
model weighing in at 54 ounces! That allowed him to solidly hit
inside pitches and Flick hit enough of them to win a batting title
in 1905. His .306 average, however, was the lowest to win the
title until Carl Yastrzemski”s .301 in 1968.
Flick was fast enough, leading the league a few times in triples
and steals and consistently hitting .300. But compared to
contemporaries like Nap Lajoie, Honus Wagner, and Ty Cobb, his
career totals of 47 HR and 756 RBI, coupled with a .315 average,
just doesn”t stack up.
One little anecdote. just to prove some franchises are forever
jinxed. Elmer was a 32-year-old in 1907 when his team (Cleveland)
was approached by Detroit manager Hughie Jennings. Seems like
old Hughie had a 21-year-old hotshot outfielder who, despite
winning a batting title that year, was despised by Jennings and
most of his players. He offered the young star to Cleveland, even
up for Flick. Cleveland declined, so Ty Cobb remained a Tiger.
Flick came down shortly thereafter with a stomach ailment that
limited him to 99 games over the next three unproductive seasons.
He was another good player, no doubt, but his short career and lack
of power make his Cooperstown address more than a little dubious.
There are numerous other players in the Hall for accomplishments
other than their raw numbers. Candy Cummings, an early pitcher,
is historically credited with inventing the curve ball for instance.
Roger Bresnahan invented much of the catching gear we now take
for granted, like shin guards and a decent facemask. Tommy McCarthy
reinvented outfield play, coming up with the cutoff play in addition
to the hit and run. Others, like Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and
Frank Chance, had the good fortune of appearing in a poem. I”m sure
you have a list of your own, so feel free to take umbrage with mine
and discuss amongst yourselves.
Top R&B Hits for the 1970s
[Ranked, first, by number of weeks at #1, then weeks in the Top Ten,
and lastly weeks in the Top 40. Compiled by Billboard and Joel Whitburn.
Some of this will surprise you.]
1. Let”s Stay Together – Al Green
2. Serpentine Fire – Earth, Wind & Fire.only hit #13 on the
overall Billboard chart!
3. One Nation Under A Groove / Part I – Funkadelic
4. Float On – The Floaters…awright, ba-bee! “Leo, and my
name is Larry”
5. Good Times – Chic
6. Disco Lady – Johnnie Taylor
7. The Love You Save – The Jackson 5
8. Let”s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
9. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I”m Yours – Stevie Wonder…gag.
10. I”ll Be There – The Jackson 5
11. It”s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me – Barry
White…hmmm
12. Use Ta Be My Girl – The O”Jays
13. Don”t Stop ”Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
14. I”ve Got Love On My Mind – Natalie Cole. “This Will Be”
is a superior song.
15. Le Freak – Chic
16. Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight
17. Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1) – Marvin Gaye
18. What”s Going On – Marvin Gaye…should be #1.
19. I Wish – Stevie Wonder
20. Love On A Two-Way Street – The Moments
21. Ring My Bell – Anita Ward…awful.
22. Feel Like Makin” Love – Roberta Flack.go for it, Roberta.
23. Family Affair – Sly & The Family Stone
24. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & The
Family Stone. “Everyday People” and “Hot Fun In The
Summertime” were from 1969, in case you were wondering.
25. I”ll Be Around – The Spinners
Top 3 songs for the week 2/23/74: #1 “The Way We Were”
(Barbra Streisand) #2 “Seasons In The Sun” (Terry Jacks)
#3 “Until You Come Back To Me (That”s What I”m Gonna Do)
(Aretha Franklin).
Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) Pitchers to play 25 years or more –
Nolan Ryan (27), Tommy John (26), Jim Kaat and Charlie Hough (25).
2) Top 3 lifetime BA – Ty Cobb, .367; Rogers Hornsby, .358
Shoeless Joe Jackson, .356. 3) Top 3 lifetime at- bats –
Pete Rose, 14,053; Hank Aaron, 12,364; Carl Yastrzemski, 11,988.
Cobb is 4th.
Next Bar Chat, Monday…back to the regular schedule.
