Some Closing Thoughts on HOF Weekend

Due to a variety of travel issues, I haven't been able to weigh in with a few thoughts from HOF induction weekend before now. (In case you missed it, I posted a ton of pictures from the Parade of Legends here, and I'll try to put up the rest on Flickr this weekend.)

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Travel problems coming and going to Cooperstown over the weekend did not detract from the main event. And the baseball gods answered the prayers of Astros fans everywhere on Sunday, granting us good weather for the induction ceremony. [Note to self: Be careful what you wish for! The sun was blazing hot and your intrepid correspondent thought she might pass out before Randy Johnson finished his speech.]

I don't care what the crowd estimates said. I personally thought that there were more people at the ceremony on Sunday than there were at last year's induction, based solely on my eyeball estimates of how many people were sitting on the hill last year versus this year, but in any event, it was at least a comparable number. But one thing cannot be disputed. Astros fans were well in the majority of those who attended. Everywhere you looked ...

Young fans

And not so young fans

And although there was a lot of orange, there was also a wide variety of Astros plumage in evidence ...

There were some very familiar faces in the crowd as well ...

Bill Brown

Tal Smith

Rex Jones

And one VERY familiar head of hair ...

Alyson Footer

The ceremony itself, honoring Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, was wonderful. The chants of B-G-O were robust. The tears were flowing. And the Astros faithful were ecstatic to see their adopted son of Houston enshrined in the Hall as the first player to sport an Astros cap on his plaque.

  

There was one theme that kept emerging throughout the weekend. Everywhere that my sister and I went we looked for Astros merchandise. Outside of the Hall of Fame gift store, there were very few stores that carried ANY Astros gear other than a few dusty brick red open star hats. Those that did carry Astros gear sold out quickly. You might be able to find a few small size T-shirts here and there, but that was about it.

Everyone seemed to have been surprised by the number of Astros fans who descended upon Cooperstown for the weekend. Everyone ... shopkeepers, organizers and media alike ... seemed to have underestimated the Astros fan base. Similarly, everyone seems to be underestimating the team that is currently playing in Minute Maid Park.

Those shopkeepers haven't been paying attention and they weren't prepared for what was to come. The AL West teams are starting to figure it out, though. Underestimate the 2015 Astros at your own risk. This team may not get as far as fans hope they will this year. But, again, they just might. In any event, the Astros system is poised to remain in contention for a very long time. That should no longer come as a surprise to anyone.

One final note .... with the news that the Hall of Fame has finally culled their voting rolls of those writers who haven't covered baseball in more than a decade, I am suddenly much more optimistic as to Jeff Bagwell's chances to get into the Hall and to do so quickly. Those dinosaurs who hadn't covered a baseball game in years and who relied upon unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo in order to make their decisions will soon give way to writers who are actually engaged in watching baseball every single day during the season and who might actually have some informed insight into these things.

Which brings me to this. Shortly before heading to the airport on Monday, my sister and I had lunch at the Doubleday Cafe on Main Street in Cooperstown. This sign was in the restroom. When I left, I thought sadly that I probably wouldn't be back next year because Bagwell wouldn't be likely to get in for another year or two. Now my hopes have surged that the writing on this chalkboard was a happy omen.

I hope to be back in Cooperstown again next year and I hope to see another adopted son of our City become immortalized. I also hope to see another sea of orange in the crowds and in the shops. Do not ever underestimate the Astros faithful again, Cooperstown. We are a force to be reckoned with. Our team is a force to be reckoned with. It's no longer a secret and it should no longer be a surprise to anyone.

Tweets of the Day

"In baseball, tomorrow is never guaranteed, and I tried to play every game like it was gonna be my last." -Craig Biggio

— Jack Mayfield (@jackmayfield8) July 26, 2015

So happy for Biggio! Can't believe it's finally happening!! B-G-O #HOF @astros

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) July 26, 2015

A Day in Cooperstown

Well, the first day in Cooperstown was a resounding success. What started as a sunny day ended up with just enough cloud cover to keep things comfortable and a few scattered raindrops later during the ceremony awarding the J.G. Taylor Spink Award honoring long-time Detroit writer Tom Gage and the Ford C. Frick Award honoring Broadcaster Dick Enberg.

The sun returned for the Parade of Legends which takes place after the Awards Ceremony on Saturday of Hall of Fame weekend and is always one of the highlights of the weekend. Seeing so many Hall of Famers in one place is truly something to behold ...

Dave Winfield looking back at us

George Brett says "Hey"

Carlton Fisk with a big thumbs up

Orlando Cepeda

Rollie Fingers twirling that famous 'stache

Tom Glavine and I having a moment

I see why they called Frank Thomas "The Big Hurt"

Johnny Bench working the crowd

Ricky Henderson

Hank Freaking Aaron!!!

Phil Neikro being coy

Robbie Alomar

Rod Carew was the epitome of cool

The honorees came last ...

John Smoltz with a thumbs up

Pedro Martinez never stopped dancing

Randy Johnson never put down the camera phone

And Craig Biggio never quit grinning

The B-G-O chant for Craig was very, very loud and the Astros were well represented in the crowd, rivaled only by Red Sox fans cheering for Pedro, but I still think we outnumbered them and most of us came from much further! I met many people that I know from twitter and hope to meet a few more today before all is said and done.

As I write this it's raining in Cooperstown and the forecast is not good for induction time, but I'm hoping and praying that the baseball gods will smile upon us and the sun will shine as brightly as Biggio's smile.

ALL PHOTOS BY JAYNE HANSEN

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Hall of Fame Weekend, Part II

A couple of clarifications to the guide that I posted on Sunday regarding the Hall of Fame experience ...

The forecast still shows a 60% chance of scattered thunderstorms on Sunday (0% chance of rain on Saturday). In the event of rain, the ceremony won't necessarily be moved to the Clark Sports Center (with only invited guests allowed in), but it will be moved if there is lightning in the area. That is understandable because there will be thousands and thousands of people out in an open field with no shelter available. However, if there is just rain with no lightning, the show will go on. So you may want to add a rain poncho or a big garbage bag to your list of items to bring. Umbrellas weren't allowed in the reserved section last year, but you can probably get away with those in the open seating areas.

I saw that shuttles would be leaving from Doubleday Field on the day of the induction. But there will probably be long lines; if you are able to walk to the Clark Sports Center, I would recommend it.

Bonus Tweet of the Day

From one Astro(naut) to another ~

Congrats to Craig Biggio #HOF2015 #Houston @Astros pic.twitter.com/1PZe7qWAuW
— Terry W. Virts (@AstroTerry) January 6, 2015

That's Baseball

I didn't think that I would be this nervous today. I'm confident that Biggio will be elected to the Hall of Fame, but the waiting is starting to get to me. So I'm pretending to work and checking in on twitter every few minutes to share the tension with my cyber friends.

I don't think that anyone outside of Houston (except for the expatriate Astros fans scattered around the globe) understands just what this means to us. Finally, finally, we will have someone enshrined in the Hall wearing an Astros cap. Those of us who have watched the Astros for decades, those who go back to the Colt .45s days, those who remember Buff Stadium, those who fell in love with the Astros in 1986, those who fell in love with them in the 90's watching Bagwell and Biggio playing side by side, those who have unconditionally loved Richard, Ryan, Thon, Bass, Dierker, Scott, Doran, Morgan, Cedeno, Wynn, Cruz, Berkman, Oswalt, Hatcher, Caminiti, Lidge, Wagner and a hundred other names ..... all of us will finally have someone we can call our own representing all of those memories from all of those years.

And not just anyone. Biggio was Houston baseball for 20 years. He played the game the right way. He became a part of the community. His name is still synonymous with The Sunshine Kids. He did it all quietly and without complaint, moving wherever he was asked, doing whatever was asked of him. Simply put, he is one of the good guys. And he will represent us, the fans, and give us something to point to with pride.

I was remembering an article that came out shortly before Biggio retired and I managed to find it here. Please read it, but keep a tissue handy. It states beautifully what all of us in Houston, all of us who watched Biggio play, already know about what he brought to the game of baseball and what he brought to the City of Houston.

Unfortunately, it looks unlikely that Bagwell will join him this time around, but join him he will, as he should ... eventually. But today is about Biggio and about Houston and about the Astros faithful who have laughed and cried and cheered and cursed for 50-some years. It's our turn.

Tweets of the Day

You gotta be kidding me
— Brady Rodgers (@Rodgers20) January 8, 2014

Wow .2% away for biggio. Hall of famer in my book. Great player better person.
— Jarred Cosart (@JarredCosart) January 8, 2014

.2%?!? Wow.
— Jiovanni Mier (@JioMier) January 8, 2014

74.8? Don't most people just round up these days? #BiggioHOF
— Daniel Minor (@DMinor91) January 8, 2014

How did Biggio not make it in to the hall of fame?!! That's absurd and wrong
— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) January 8, 2014

Third time is the charm #StillProud
— Conor Biggio (@GETBIGgio10) January 8, 2014

Nobody's Perfect

Nobody is perfect. At least that's what I've heard. Players aren't perfect. Fans aren't perfect. And the voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America sure as heck aren't perfect.

I came across two terrific articles that I had read when they were first published quite some time ago, but both were well worth re-reading. The first was from Jayson Stark and should be titled, "It's a Museum, Not a Cathedral." The second goes back in time and erases all the flawed players who are currently enshrined in Cooperstown because of that pesky little old character clause.

Going by the current Hall of Fame votes which have been made public, it looks as though Craig Biggio has a good (but not certain) chance of being inducted this year, but barring a miracle, Jeff Bagwell will have to wait for another year. But that's OK. They will both be inducted eventually because they both earned it no matter what some of the oh-so-imperfect BBWAA members have to say about it.

And eventually, things will change with the who and how and why of Hall of Fame voting. Eventually, Baseball will drag the process kicking and screaming into the 21st century. And eventually, the Hall of Fame will go back to being a museum for the fans, representing the best players who ever played the game. Even if those players weren't all perfect. Eventually.

Of course, I could be totally wrong because, you know, I'm not exactly perfect either.

To watch the announcement live, tune in to MLB Network or MLB.com at 1:00 CST on Wednesday.

In Defense of Reality

My friend Andy of the Houston Sports Counterplot is a very passionate individual. He often indulges in over-the-top rhetoric in order to make a point. However, he gave a magnificent, reasoned response to the recent denigration of Craig Biggio's good name by a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America in conjunction with said writer's Hall of Fame vote.

Andy's post from Saturday, if you missed it (as I did) can be found here. It brilliantly warns against the danger of (false) perception becoming reality.

"... the Hall of Fame discussion has inched away from the sport, and the spotlight shines directly on the key holders who believe their Hall of Fame vote is bigger than the candidate and bigger than the sport."

I highly recommend reading it if you have not already done so! 

Tomorrow is Another Day

Yesterday was a tough day for Astros fans as the BBWAA, in its infinite wisdom (or lack thereof), failed to do what is right and, in my mind, inevitable by giving Craig Biggio the requisite 75% of the vote necessary to be enshrined in Cooperstown. It didn't help matters when it was announced shortly thereafter that Astros top prospect 1B Jon Singleton was suspended 50 games for using a "substance of abuse," which substance was widely reported to be marijuana.

First things first. I'll admit that even though I didn't expect Biggio to make it on the first ballot after reading all the reports of hang-wringing and angst among many of the so-called "Keepers of the Purity of Cooperstown," I was disappointed that he wasn't closer. He led all vote-getters with 68.2%, but I had really hoped and expected to see him get slightly higher. But ultimately only 39 votes separated him from a trip to Cooperstown this summer.

Many people who are much smarter and more eloquent about these matters have written reams about the problems with the BBWAA and the candidacies of all of the players who were snubbed this year, including our own Jeff Bagwell who inched slightly closer in the voting, but seems destined to be slow-walked into the Hall. I will leave it to them to opine on those things, but I do hope that more people who follow baseball for a living are given the opportunity to vote on these things eventually.

But I have learned in life that worrying about things over which I personally have no control is not healthy or productive. I will vent my anger and then I will move on. I may be totally misguided, but I have faith that enough members of the BBWAA will do the right thing next year, even if they are shamed into doing so by their peers, that I went ahead and put down a deposit for a Cooperstown bed and breakfast for July 2014 as I cancelled a different reservation for this year.

I want to see Biggio go in to the Hall of Fame because for us Houstonians he is Mr. Baseball. He has given us so many wonderful memories and given so much back to the community. And as trite as it may sound, Biggio really did play the game "the right way." I would love to see Biggio and Bagwell go in to the Hall of Fame together, but I really don't see that happening. If Biggio becomes the first player wearing an Astros cap to be inducted, that will feel right.

The second piece of news from yesterday about Singleton's suspension was met with moans and groans (and a few bad jokes) by Astros fans. Yes, it is unfortunate, but Jonathan Mayo wrote this piece that should keep Astros fans from jumping off any cliffs. The worst part is that Singleton tested positive twice which shows a real lapse in judgment.

Singleton is young, though. He only turned 21 in September. Sometimes people need to see real consequences to their actions to wake up and face up to their responsibilities. This whole episode can eventually become a distant, unpleasant memory. That is up to Singleton. There was another player for the Astros who did something very stupid when he was a young man, much stupider than what Singleton just did and he turned out OK.

An Astros Hall of Famer

No, it's not Jeff Bagwell or Craig Biggio .... yet.  It is none other than Le Grand Orange himself, Rusty Staub.  Rusty Staub, a Colt 45's and Astros player from 1963 to 1968 will be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame this summer.  As a popular player for the Montreal Expos expansion team, Staub earned the love and respect of the Canadian people as he helped popularize baseball in Canada.  The Montreal Gazette explains:


"He went out of his way to become the leading ambassador for baseball in Canada. And in Quebec, fans embraced him as he toured the province each winter, addressing small-town crowds in halting French."


Congratulations to Rusty Staub.  He and Gold Medal winner Jimmy VanOstrand will be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame on June 23rd.