Top Guy
1) Pete Rose
I can’t write about this rationally. So I’ll just argue that if a drunken womanizer (Babe Ruth) and a drunken racist (Ty Cobb) are hall worthy, then the all-time hits leader should get the call despite his many troubles.
2) Marvin Miller
As the first head of the player’s union, Miller ended the reserve clause, created free agency and arbitration, and ushered in baseball’s modern era. Of course, he upset so many people in the establishment that he’ll probably never get a call from the hall.
3) Dr. James Andrews
It could be argued that few have contributed as much to the game of baseball as Andrews. He never swung a bat in the majors, never pitched a no-hitter or (as far as I know) even attended a major league game. But he did invent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery, in which a ligament in the elbow is replaced by a tendon from somewhere else in the body. It’s better known as Tommy John surgery—John was the first professional pitcher to successfully undergo the surgery—and it has saved the careers of literally hundreds of pitchers.
1) Pete Rose
I can’t write about this rationally. So I’ll just argue that if a drunken womanizer (Babe Ruth) and a drunken racist (Ty Cobb) are hall worthy, then the all-time hits leader should get the call despite his many troubles.
2) Marvin Miller
As the first head of the player’s union, Miller ended the reserve clause, created free agency and arbitration, and ushered in baseball’s modern era. Of course, he upset so many people in the establishment that he’ll probably never get a call from the hall.
3) Dr. James Andrews
It could be argued that few have contributed as much to the game of baseball as Andrews. He never swung a bat in the majors, never pitched a no-hitter or (as far as I know) even attended a major league game. But he did invent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery, in which a ligament in the elbow is replaced by a tendon from somewhere else in the body. It’s better known as Tommy John surgery—John was the first professional pitcher to successfully undergo the surgery—and it has saved the careers of literally hundreds of pitchers.
4) Eddie Gaedel
He’s the only player in the history of baseball to have a perfect on-base percentage. In 1951, Gaedel drew a walk in his first and only at bat for the St. Louis Browns. Sure, the 3-foot-7-inch midget was just a publicity stunt by Browns owner Bill Veeck, but his walk-to-at-bat ratio puts Kevin “The Greek God of Walks” Youkilis to shame.
5) Mark McGwire
McGwire had the unfortunate distinction of being the first big-time slugger from the steroids era to come up for a hall vote. He didn’t even come close to being elected despite hitting 583 home runs and being named to the All-Century Team in 1999. Put him in (and Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, etc.), make a mention of the steroids suspicions on the plaque and get over it.
Top Lady
1) Willie McGee
OK, it’s probably not realistic, but what kind of St. Louisan would I be if I didn’t put Willie at the top of the list? Now that Ozzie is in, he’s our next best prospect until Pujols retires or McGwire comes out of his cave.
2) Bill James
Bill James is baseball’s Galileo; and seeing as baseball owners are willing to shift their thinking at about the same speed as the Catholic Church, he probably won’t get in until after he dies, or until after everyone who thinks sabermetrics is a crock dies. But he will. Also, can someone explain sabermetrics to me again?
3) Keith Hernandez
Aside from having great seasons with the Mets and the Cardinals, Keith gave us one of the best two-episode Seinfelds of all time. Who does this guy think he is? He’s Keith Hernandez.
4) Horace Wilson
I don’t know much about Horace Wilson, except that he was an American professor who introduced baseball to Japan in the 1870’s. 138 years later, the fruits of his labor include Hideo Nomo, Suzuki Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, So Taguchi, the Nippon Ham Fighters, and Mr. Baseball.
5) Bob Uecker
OK, I have no idea who else should be in the Hall of Fame who isn’t right now, so I’m just going to throw out Bob Uecker, because he played on the ’64 World Series Cardinals team, and then went on to be on Mr. Belvedere and in Major League. Also, he calls himself Mr. Baseball.
p.s. I just spent the last hour looking at baseball nicknames on Wikipedia. Awesome.
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