Where Joe Posnanski Mentions Tony Gwynn

I came across* an extremely long post by Joe Posnanski yesterday, called A Long Hall of Fame Review. A curiously long post as Joe might say. It was so long I still haven't finished it. But the gist was Hall of Fame voting . . .


Pos went back and examined every Hall of Fame vote since 1966. He was basically trying to find a predictor for Jack Morris and whether he was likely to make it into the HOF based on the high percentage of votes he received this year (66.7%) and will need next year (75% for entrance).

He does this cool exercise where he creates all star teams from guys who only survived on the ballot for one year and another team for guys who were on for a couple years. And he argues that these teams would actually destroy teams comprised of the lowest tiered players who did make it into the Hall of Fame.

It was very cool. I only stopped because I came upon this gem:

One thing I have come to believe is that unless a player is a slam-dunk choice like Frank Robinson or Tony Gwynn, the rest of the ballot matters a lot. I don’t think that a player has to be the best choice on the ballot. But I do think that he has to be the best choice IN HIS CATEGORY on the ballot.

In a time where so much talk centers around who is really a Hall of Famer, do they pass the eyeball test or what is it that their statistics really say about them, it is warming to the soul to see that the Sports Writer of The Year acknowledges Tony Gwynn as a slam dunk choice as a HOFer. And perhaps it is equally gratifying to see Tony, as a singles hitter, mentioned in the same sentence as a slugger like Frank Robinson.

In a sad way it often feels like Tony Gwynn is the only thing a Padre fan can really hang their hat. And somehow, because it is Tony, I'm perfectly fine with that distinction.

*(h/t Hardball Talk)

Barry Larkin and Jack Murphy Stadium

Former Cincinnati Red, Barry Larkin was voted into baseball's Hall of Fame, receiving the honor after accumulating 86.4% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Larkin also receives the distinction of entering the Hall of Fame as a player who played his entire career with one club, a feat becoming more rare with each passing year.

How do you remember Barry Larkin*? I thought the occasion called for a not so thorough examination of his numbers when visiting San Diego . . .

 Here's Barry Larkin's slash-line at the time he retired:

.295

.371

.444

.815

He finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs after winning 1 World Series, 1 MVP award, 3 Gold Gloves and 9 Silver Sluggers. It bears mentioning that the Silver Slugger is awarded to the top offensive player at his position as voted on by coaches and managers -- and that Larkin has won more Silver Slugger awards than any short stop to play the game.

Alright, so what did Larkin do while playing at Jack Murphy Stadium / Qualcom Stadium**?

His slash-line in San Diego is as follows:

 .288 / .364 / .420 / .784

Slightly below his career norms but not bad at all.

***
How about his best season at Jack Murphy?

During the 1990 season he absolutely destroyed Padres pitching to the tune of:

.436 / .436 / .641 / 1.077

These were his best numbers at any park in 1990 and if you got yourself out to the Murph that year you witnessed Larkin at his best.

***

Best game at The Murph in 1990?
On July 23rd Larkin went 3 for 5 with 2RBI/2R/ 2*2B in a 9-2 Reds win. He pretty much destroyed the Padres in each game he played that season.

***

Any guesses on the Padres starting line-up on July evening? 
 I'll start you off: hitting 9th was your starting pitcher, lefty Dennis Rasmussen. Deposit your guesses in the comments.

***

Congratulations to Barry Larkin on his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

* I remember Barry Larkin a a fantastic shortstop but to truly appreciate here's a bit of context provided by Jay Jaffe at Baseball Prospectus.
**Barry Larkin only played three games in PETCO Park going 3 for 13.

Tim Sullivan Makes-Up For What The U-T Lacks

A lot of criticism has been heaped upon segments of the San Diego media right here on this site. This past weekend I met up with some friends and when discussing the sources we seek out for information on the Padres the San Diego Union Tribune was not mentioned once.

I do not apologize for the criticism leveled.

In the interest of fairness however I need to find the time to also give praise when it is due. And it's the new year so let's shoot for a little positivity . . .

I personally like Tim Sullivan's style of writing. His references are fresh and he always puts together an intelligent piece of writing. I don't always agree with him but I never feel like I read something that was mailed-in. Merely one man's opinion.

He wrote two good columns in the last few days and I'd like to call attention to each as I think they're worth your time.

Padres GM motivated by need vs. cost of deals [January 6th, 2011]

Sullivan brings focus to the Padres actions of the last month noting how nearly every move sought to improve the team sooner than later and each also added payroll, a point that is never lost on fans.

Aside from one comment that appeared to condemn Jed Hoyer for ownership's reluctance to spend money during the last two seasons this is a fair article and worth reading.

On Sunday morning Sullivan wrote of Barry Larkin and what looks to be his sure-fire election to the Hall of Fame.

In a numbers game, Larkin now bound for Hall of Fame [January 7th, 2012]

Sullivan writes*:

In theory, a retired ballplayer does not grow more deserving with the passage of time. Unlike Emily Dickinson or Franz Kafka, his reputation cannot be enhanced by a stash of hits that are discovered posthumously.  

 I've never read Dickinson or Kafka but I understand his point. I do wish Sullivan would have made mention that, while players' stats don't change during their waiting period for potential Hall of Fame enshrinement, often the interpretations of those stats do.

The newer methods of evaluating the worth of a player are evolving and sometimes there is more than what initially meets the eye with what a player accomplished during his career. If a diary written by John F. Kennedy was found it could certainly change the way historians interpreted his presidency. It's similar with baseball, only far less important.

Two good reads by Sullivan.

* He also writes of how he no longer uses his BBWAA vote for the Hall of Fame and why. He has a pretty good point.

A Terrible Trevor Hoffman fan?

So it ends.

After 601 saves Trevor Hoffman hung up his spikes and fans we're left to reflect on a remarkable career. I have begun to think of the successes and failures, but perhaps most importantly, what he has meant to San Diego.

Sorry... but that last one there... I think about it a lot.

As a city without championships San Diegans are often left with little else than the memories of individual players and their place in our community. In that sense the names Gwynn and Hoffman are synonymous; players who enjoyed tremendous on-field success, became trademarks of the Padres organization and pillars of our community---guys who we were proud to call our own.

As I reflected yesterday on the consistency and greatness of Trevor's career I began to sift through and sort his most memorable performances. These were the ones that my mind jigsawed back together:
(click "Read More" to continue)

•  October 20th 1998--After a season of absolute dominance and 53 saved games, Trevor surrendered a lead in game 3 of the World Series when he allowed a 3-run HR to Yankees 3rd baseman, Scott Brosius. The blown save would lead to a game 3 loss that evening and the series would end abruptly the following night (television).

• September 29th, 2007-- (game 161) With an opportunity to clinch the division against the Milwaukee Brewers Trevor could not keep the light hitting Tony Gwynn Jr. from pulling an RBI triple down the line. TGJ's hit sent the game to extra innings where it would end in the 11th with a disheartening Padres loss. The son of the greatest player in the history of the Padres franchise had dashed our hopes while batting against perhaps the second most beloved player (television).

• October 1st, 2007-- (game 163) In the most heartbreaking game in my time as a Padres fan Trevor let open the floodgates against the Colorado Rockies in the 13th inning of game 163. The third, and winning, run scored when Matt Holiday's chin bounced off the Denver dirt and he was ruled safe by home plate umpire Tim McClelland (television).

• June 24th, 2008-- The Padres, mired in a miserable follow-up to the 2007 season, trotted out Trevor Hoffman during the 9th inning of a 1-1 tie. I told my wife that he never does well entering a game in the 8th or with runners on base... or during a tie game. After striking out the first two batters in the top half of the 9th he gave up two HRs in rapid succession. My wife, a calm and reasonable person, became vocal in her displeasure. I did something I rarely ever do... I booed. I booed Trevor Hoffman (attended).

As I took stock of my fanhood and recalled the most lucid moments in Trevor Hoffman's career I came to the only logical conclusion: I am a terrible Trevor Hoffman fan.

I beat myself up over it. How could a player who exhibited such greatness serve only as the tragic punchline to my most memorable pains as a Padres fan?

I sat and thought and was left with little reward for the effort. I could come up with no specific performances of greatness by Trevor. Sure, I could remember change-ups that dropped off the table leaving hitters baffled but there was no 1-2-3 inning requiring a mere 3 pitches. There was no 9 pitch inning of 3 batters coaxed into flailing swings at the famous change-up. Nor could I recall some great defensive stab whereupon Trevor wielded to second base for an inning ending double play.

There had to be something. While the Padres could never claim that memorable World Series moment where everyone mobbed the closer like the Mets did to Jesse Orosco* in the 1986 WS, there had to be something about a Trevor appearance that stood out...

And then the cobwebs began to clear from the deepest recesses of my mind and a smile appeared on my face. I began to remember.

In fact I began to remember every game I attended where Trevor Hoffman pitched... and then I began to remember his appearances I watched on television... and there was a similar artistry to them all. I had not forgotten a thing.

My memory was not limited to the scars that were produced so many years before. I recalled the rhythm to each and every one of Trevor's entrances. They were remarkably consistent in both appearance and performance.

As a fan I realized that I didn't need to remember anything more specific than the sound of Hells Bells playing over the PA or my imagination of the tune being played during the commercial break of a telecast watched at home. It didn't matter that Hells Bells was not played when Trevor had a save opportunity on the road.... because it automatically became my mind's soundtrack each and every time. 

 

If Hells Bells was played it meant Trevor Time... and if Trevor made his late inning appearance it was near certain the Padres would walk off the field with a win.

Trevor Hoffman walked off the field a winner almost 9 out of 10 times during his career... and for me, wins aren't too bad of a memory.

Thanks Trevor.

* The final out of the '86 series is one of my favorites. Jesse Orosco flipped his glove high into the New York sky after the final out of game 7; it was an action I would often imitate amongst friends at the ball field. Orosco would go on to pitch for another 20 years or so and during the latter stretch of his career he would go trick or treating at my parent's house. Actually he accompanied his children to my house on Halloween. Jesse Orosco was my neighbor for a short time here in San Diego but I never mustered the nerve to ask him to recreate that October night in 1986. That would have been cool.

The Long Awaited Trip To Cooperstown

I completely blew it in 2007.

I was so consumed by hatred for the New England Patriots and a trip to Foxborough, MA to see the Chargers play that I never considered the only true touring option for 2007; a trip to Cooperstown, NY to see Tony Gwynn's induction into baseball's HOF*.

Like I said... I blew it.

So here's my chance (and yours) for atonement.

Assuming by the year 2016, HOF voters will have come around to the idea of electing Closers in to The Hall on the first ballot, Padres fans will have the opportunity to travel to New York and see Trevor Hoffman's induction.

It's never to early to start planning.

*I should really contact Tony Gwynn and apologize. He deserved to have all of San Diego there in New York to see his HOF induction, considering the sacrifices he made to spend his entire career here. A little support... is it too much to ask for?

Enshrinement at Cooperstown: Humans Yes/Machines and Cyborgs No

This is a Treatise on the Acceptance of Machines/Cyborgs as Entertainers on the Baseball Diamond with Strict Assurances that they be Prohibited from Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Cooperstown Under the Fundamental Premise that their Records were Scientifically Attained.

If Albert Pujols is in fact a machine how will we, as fans, react?

Even though they are described as some of the most knowledgeable fans in the game, I know how Cardinal fans will react. They will claim him as their own, much like Dodger fans have given unwavering support to Manny Ramirez despite the fact that he was guilty of cheating. If Pujols is a construct of steel and wires then clearly this is a breach of Major League Baseball's rules.........or perhaps the Players' Association cleverly negotiated some sort of exemption into the collective bargaining agreement for cases where a player is driven by wattage and a flux capacitor.

In any case, Albert Pujols being of cyborg ancestry is of little consequence to this fan enjoying a game of baseball. However because he is not real I am not compelled to acknowledge his accomplishments as real.........and under the above hypothetical he would be precluded from entering the Hall of Fame.......because, you know, the HOF is for Human Beings who have accomplished milestones with legitimacy. It would be troublesome to celebrate something that surpassed all of the legends in the history of our great game when it was done in a fashion that was enhanced through revolutionary science.....that's just me, though.

We must also discuss the very real possibility that Albert the Pujols may eliminate Adrian Gonzalez in next week's All Star Game Home Run Derby........at which point we would have to file a complaint with the commissioner's office on the grounds that a human should rightfully hold the Derby Trophy aloft.

Discuss amongst yourselves. Is this manifesto to harsh as it relates to the impact science has on the record books?

Editor's Note:
I think this commercial is hilarious and had no intention of going in this direction as I merely wanted to post the commercial. However I think it is an extraordinarily witty* way of examining questions about Hall of Fame Induction.....questions that The Baseball Writer's Association has tried to answer recently.

*deftly idiotic

Rodney Harrison Retires/David Tyree Still Holding Ball

From the UT's Kevin Acee:

Rodney Harrison made it official Wednesday, that 15 years as the one of the game's most ferocious and instinctive defenders was coming to an end.

“I am done, and I am very much so at peace with that,” the now-former strong safety said in a conference call with reporters. “Football has been good to me. I've worked hard; I've played hard. I've done some things that I never dreamt I could do, and now it's time to move forward to the next phase of my life.”

Charger's recall playing with- and against - Rodney Harrison ~by Kevin Acee

The current debate revolves around weather or not Rodney Harrison belongs in Canton now that he's called it a day and moved on to Sunday Night Football.

Does he? I'm not sure. There aren't too many safeties in the HOF and Rodney's hampered by his HGH
suspension, a reputation for dirty play, and legitimate arguments that he wasn't the best amongst his peers (Polamalu/Dawkins/Reed).

He does, however, have two Lombardi Trophies and that goes a long way in HOF voting.....look at the '70s Steelers.....isn't every player from those Steel City teams in the hall? He also has a lot of sacks and interceptions.....for a safety. Nor does it hurt to have the backing of some of the great coaches such as Shanahan/Gruden/Belichick....even if they are dick-heads.

I'll always remember Rodney's last season with the Chargers in 2002 when he had the opportunity to clean Jerry Rice's clock as he ran a crossing route into the end zone. Rodney had a big fine not too long before this particular play so the question was: Would he take the hit? Are you kidding? It's Rodney Harrison! He blew-Jerry-Rice-the-fuck-up!!! It was beautiful....but then he was fined a gazillion dollars.....and we stopped seeing him pull the trigger like we were used to each Sunday (we didn't get Monday Night games back then). From there on out the hits seemed to be more docile (if that's possible with RH) and then he became hampered with a groin injury which ultimately led to the Chargers releasing him. At least we held on to Marcellus Wiley.

Here's how UT readers are polling:

(Updated Poll-Friday June 5th---Results have changed big time! Approximately 2000 more people have voted since I initially posted UT poll results.....with smaller sample most voters were saying, 42%, that Rodney deserved the HOF and he would go in as a Charger. The worm has turned as it appears that nearly 40 % don't even think he's worthy----click poll for a less fuzzy view.)

I don't know.....if he does go into the Hall he won't be wearing Lightning Bolts. It'll be that other helmet he used to spear guys with, while winning two Trophies.

Either way I don't really care.....my only concern is that he was unable to make the play on the David Tyree jump ball. It led to a river of tears in Boston and that's all right with us. Not too many strings of numbers better than 18-1. What ever your thoughts on Rodney I think most would concede the following points:

1. You hated to play against the dirty bastard.
2. You wished the dirty bastard was on your team.
3. He sure was fun to watch play even when wearing that Pat's jersey.

Enjoy a little You Tube tribute where he unfortunately is seen in more than just Bolts......