Fun Hall of Fame trivia

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

My buddy Will and I were speculating today that if Roberto Alomar gets elected to the Hall, which cap he'd be wearing on the plaque. He suggested O's, I thought Blue Jays -- since he's be the first Jays cap in there. We know from the Carter discussion that the Hall would like to have all the teams represented, if possible and defendable.

So we were trying to figure out which teams currently aren't represented on a HoF plaque, and what their potential is to have that changed anytime soon. There are a couple obvious ones -- including one that could end today, but more likely in a few years and most certainly five years after Ken Jr. hangs 'em up. But when we started checking, we were surprised at one team's lack of representation.

Can you guess which team has existed the longest without a player wearing its logo on a HoF plaque?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Angels?

(total guess)

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Rastros?

[metsmarathon]

astros

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Wow! Two minutes and over!

I thought Carew might be wearing an Angels cap, but upon checking it was the Twins. Ryan hosed them in favor of the Rangers. And really, I don't see them gaining someone anytime soon. Should Blyleven get in, I suppose he'd be a Twin.

Others without:

Astros - though Biggio and Bagwell will end that.
D-backs -- Maybe randy Johnson
Blue Jays -- Maybe Alomar
Mariners -- Junior or Edgar
Rockies -- no one I can think of on the horizon
Marlins -- Sheffield?
Rays -- McGriff?
Nats -- Way too early

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ryan (and the Hall) hosed the Angels and the Astros, who would have been the more preferable second choice.

Aren't we living under the threat of Roger Clemens being the first human to willfully boycott his own Hall of Fame induction if he doesn't get the insignia he wants?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I really doubt that Clemens will ever be elected.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I thought Carew might be wearing an Angels cap, but upon checking it was the Twins. Ryan hosed them in favor of the Rangers.[/quote:33ert5k3]

To be fair, though, it's the HOF committee itself that makes the call, no?

Alomar should probably be a Jay, Griffey a Mariner. I was about to rebut that the Big Mullet will likely go in as a Mariner, but his D-back years... and DAMN (7 seasons in 2 stints, 4 legit CYs/1 2nd-place finish). Do you blank-hat the guy?

I would put a Vegas-longshot bet on Longoria being the first Rays HOFer.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I thought Carew might be wearing an Angels cap, but upon checking it was the Twins. Ryan hosed them in favor of the Rangers.[/quote:12cfy1yx]

To be fair, though, it's the HOF committee itself that makes the call, no?[/quote:12cfy1yx]

The HOF has the final word on the cap/plaque issue -- but only since 2001.

More HOF cap/plaque trivia. Which modern (Post WWII) Hall of Famer chose to go logo-less on his cap/plaque?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Catfish Hunter.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Catfish Hunter.[/quote:rlatfg1j]

Correct.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Wow! Two minutes and over!

I wish it was my knowledge of HOFers and not newness of franchises which was key to my guess.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I think the rule came about after the Devil Rays wrote into contracts for Boggs and maybe Canseco that they'd wear Rays logos on their plaques if elected.

Fingers' cap is kind of a mess. I think the sculptor worked off a Padres photo and used the A's logo -- but included the lines for the different-colored panel on the cap, which was a feature of the Padres' cap.

[Frayed Knot]

Aren't we living under the threat of Roger Clemens being the first human to willfully boycott his own Hall of Fame induction if he doesn't get the insignia he wants?[/quote:135a15u1]

Roger would love just to get to the position where he can decide whether or not to boycott.

Heard a story one time from someone I consider a reliable source about how Roger got his U-Texas number retired. He got to U-Texas only after a year in JuCo and Greg Swindell, who followed him by a few years, actually pitched there longer and better as #22.
Clemens obviously went on the become the bigger ML star (although Swindell had a more than decent career himself) and wanted the honor from his Longhorns who apparently had a policy against retiring numbers*. But Roger promised the program major bucks in exchange for the number and the AD agreed in what was considered a slap in the face to both the previous good players who weren't offered the honor and specifically to Swidell.
Then the upshot of the whole matter was that, after the ceremony, he was slow to own up to his promised donations and may never have given the full amount - but even then he wanted to call all the shots.





* Since tossed aside for QB Vince Young and maybe one or two others.

[G-Fafif]

but even then he wanted to call all the shots.[/quote:1q2emcfk]

Isn't that what Brian McNamee claims?

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I can think of a logo for Clemens cap.

My buddy thinks Vlad Guerrero might have a shot to be the first Angel.

[stevejrogers]

I think the rule came about after the Devil Rays wrote into contracts for Boggs and maybe Canseco that they'd wear Rays logos on their plaques if elected.
[/quote:aj8ji571]

The Boggs contract was part of it, but IIRC there were rumors of shennanigans going on with Dave Winfield choosing the Padres as his cap that was the final nail in the "player chooses cap" coffin.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

but even then he wanted to call all the shots.[/quote:3q5go217]

Isn't that what Brian McNamee claims?[/quote:3q5go217]

Duck! It's a BOC!

[Frayed Knot]

I think Pagan is going to be the first Angel in the HoF




And, fwiw, the HoF has claimed it's always been their call as to what goes on the plaque's cap, but they obviously got a bit loose in enforcing that for a time until rumors of supposed side-deals involving Boggs & Winfield woke them up.

[Gwreck]

D-backs -- Maybe randy Johnson
Rockies -- no one I can think of on the horizon[/quote:3kh6a7gt]

I'd think Todd Helton has a decent chance of getting in, particularly if he gets 3000 hits.

Randy Johnson is an interesting choice. He played longer in Seattle but won 4 of his 5 Cy Young Awards (plus a WS) in Arizona.

[Guest attgig]

randy'll go in as a dback, i'm pretty sure. and the mariner's won't be too heartbroken knowing that griffey will be going to the hall only a year, maybe two after with the mariners cap.

[Valadius]

Rockies -- no one I can think of on the horizon[/quote:23owewvs]

You're kidding, right? The name Larry Walker doesn't ring a bell?

[nymr83]

Rockies -- no one I can think of on the horizon

[seawolf17]

There is no way Larry Walker is a HOFer. Nice player, but he will not get enough votes.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I have to agree. A very nice player. But if he's in, then the door opens a lot wider for people with similar careers.

[nymr83]

I have to agree. A very nice player. But if he's in, then the door opens a lot wider for people with similar careers.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And Dick Allen was one of your more poisonously dickish guys in recent memory. Albert Belle probably wasn't quite in his league. Though Milton Bradley maybe has been.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And Dick Allen was one of your more poisonously dickish guys in recent memory. Albert Belle probably wasn't quite in his league. Though Milton Bradley maybe has been.[/quote:1o5i6htq]

The batteries, fruit and racial epithets hurled at him throughout his tenure in Philly-- along with the whole Dick/Richie thing with the FO/broadcasters (a little before my time, but smells more than a little like Cassius/Muhammad from a temporal distance)-- might have had something to do with the attitude, no? Some guys turn the other cheek. Others take a swing at Frank Thomas when he comes at them with bats.

His managers always spoke well of him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Oh, I'm certain it had more than a little to do with it. (I don't know if you recall it, but what precipitated him attacking Thomas was Thomas calling him "Muhammed Clay.") Nonetheless, there are more than a few reports that suggest he was a serious drain on morale. That's got to factor in to the list above. Certainly Bill James thought so.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I'd heard it started with Thomas crowing "boy" at a black rookie. If it's the Muhammad thing... that's kind of funny, considering my word choice. (Odd, not ha-ha, of course.)