Correct answer: They are equally rare, but the combination of the two follows.
To be eligible for Baseball’s Hall of Fame, a player must accomplish many great feats on the field, must not break any major rules off of it, and also, wait five years after retirement before enshrinement. Currently, only 287 people (200 former Major League players, 35 Negro Leaguers, 18 managers, eight umpires, and 26 pioneers, executives, and organizers) have a plaque in Cooperstown, making admission to the Hall of Fame more difficult than earning a Rhodes Scholarship. And soon, two of my all-time favorites should be among those in that exclusive group.
Last week, pitcher Greg Maddux announced he was going to retire after 23 years as a Major Leaguer. Mad Dog, who pitched for the Cubs, Braves, Cubs again, Padres and Dodgers, was the best pitcher of his generation, which so happened to be the generation that I started loving the game of baseball. So as a result, I loved Maddux. Unlike many of his counterparts, #31 didn’t have an upper-90’s MPH fastball or a quirky windup. He just was smarter than everybody else, better at locating his pitches and able to intimidate hitters without himself being intimidating. It was that, and all around talent, that led him to win 355 games, four Cy Young’s, and an insane 18 Gold Gloves. Maddux wasn’t just a pitcher; he was a complete baseball player.
Watching him up close in the back part of his career- his second stint as a Cub was from 2004 through July ’06- could only be described as a gift. Regardless if he had his best stuff or not, fans could count on Maddux to know what he was doing at all times, whether that meant stealing a base, pushing down a bunt, or locating a pitch on the outside corner to strand a runner on third. Every time he pitched, you could count on learning something new about the art of baseball.
I remember watching him strike out batter number 3,000 of his career on a hot July night at Wrigley. The crowd went crazy, giving Maddux a standing-O. His teammates and opponents paused, giving the living legend the respect he deserved. Even the umps were clapping. But Maddux didn’t react. He was just doing his job, getting outs, ready to move on to the next inning.
But away from the spotlight, Maddux was even better. There are tons of stories about his silliness, from organizing March Madness pools in spring training to running on the tarp during rain delays. And then there was his preparation. In some of the tribute columns I’ve read, some of the country’s best writers discussed how smart Maddux was at preparing for games.
From Tom Verducci’s Sports Illustrated column:
Like a grand master in chess, Maddux saw the game on a higher plane than everybody else. Some of his tricks he shared with me, such as knowing how to attack a hitter after watching the hitter take his warmup swings. There was the time he was in the dugout decoding the body language of Jose Hernandez of the Dodgers during an at-bat when he deadpanned to a teammate, "Watch this. The first base coach may be going to the hospital." On the next pitch Hernandez drilled a line drive off the chest of the first-base coach. Well, Maddux was wrong about the hospital part, anyway.
And Gene Wojciechowski’s ESPN piece:
In 1996, just before Maddux and the Atlanta Braves faced the New York Yankees in the World Series, pitching coach Leo Mazzone met with his starters and relievers and read them the detailed scouting reports. Maddux raised his hand after Mazzone read the report on Yankees slugger Bernie Williams.
"That report is not correct," Maddux said. "I've been watching film of Williams for two weeks, and that report is not correct."
"Did everybody hear that?" Mazzone said.
The Braves pitchers nodded.
"Well, then the hell with this report," Mazzone said. "We go with what Mad Dog says."
Williams hit .167 in the Series.
*Sorry, I'm having trouble linking to the articles, but they shouldn't be too hard to find on their respective websites.
Maddux will have to wait until 2013 before he is elected into the Hall. For Ron Santo, the former Cubs third baseman, five years is nothing. He’s been waiting to get the Cooperstown call since 1980. Pretty remarkable for a player who was a nine-time All Star, five-time Gold Glover, hit over 340 home runs and played his entire career with diabetes.
But Santo’s wait could end Monday afternoon. The Veterans Committee, which are all of the living Hall-of-Famers, will be announcing who they have chosen to enter in the Class of 2009. To be inducted, Santo will have to received 75 percent of their votes. He’s been rejected about as many times as Derrick Lee grounded into double-plays last year, which can't be good for Ronny's heart. You combine the standard depression with being a Cubs fans with the letdown of being told you weren't good enough for the Hall, and it's a shock Santo still actually can care anymore.
But any listener to WGN Radio over the summer knows that Santo loves the Cubs more than anybody else in the world. He's as passionate as any broadcaster you'll ever come across, one of the reasons he's so beloved. Seeing him enter the Hall would defiantly be a misty-eyed moment for anybody who bleeds Cubby Blue. We've never seen a pennant, much less a World Series. The least these Vets could do is let #10 in.
Baseball was more fun watching Greg Maddux. It's more fun listening to Ron Santo. Both men are worthy of a plaque in the Hall. In five years, its a lock that we'll see Mad Dogs. Here's to hoping that over the summer, we'll see Ronny's as well.
PROGRAMING NOTE: Due to having finals this week, it doesn’t seem likely that I’ll be able to provide a Monday post. But because the Bears have two important games this week, today vs. Jacksonville and Thursday vs. New Orleans, expect a Wednesday post that is half-recap, half-preview, plus the rest of the weekend’s NFL picks.
PROGRAMMING NOTE 2: Saturday’s Florida-Alabama game was one of the best college football games I’ve seen in a long time, but because of what I mentioned above, a column about it seems unlikely. The good news is there’s plenty of time for a National Title Game preview. Oh yeah, Oklahoma defense, you are now officially Gator Bait.
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