Once again the Veterans Committee for the National Baseball Hall of Fame voted and elected no one to the Hall of Fame. (Boy, am I glad that committee was formed!)
Once again Ron Santo just missed being able to write H.O.F. after his name.
He was 5 votes shy. 5 votes. If this were an US election, we would have requested a recall. Hell, we probably would've gotten a judge to deem him elected - even when the numbers didn't match.
But in baseball, numbers are everything and it seems that people are saying his numbers don’t add up.
I wonder about that. Here is a guy who played the game with his heart and soul. He had consistent career numbers and some banner years, including 5 Gold Gloves and 9 All-Star Team appearances.
He has devoted his life to not only the game, but also to bringing awareness to and raising money for an important cause - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The fact that Santo played for the Cubs for 11 years before publicly disclosing that he had diabetes is amazing. The fact that he even played at all is inspiring.
It seems to me that Santo has the athletic story that we all love to embrace. He is a lovable guy, who lives and breathes the game and surmounts the challenges he faces with grace and dignity. He is approachable, emotional and devoted to the good will of the game.
And so, I wonder why baseball doesn’t want him. Why (once again) he was passed over?
Instead of celebrating, he will spend another summer answering questions about just missing the Hall. Of course, he will also be championing the Cubs (living and dying by their successes and failures) and his beloved JDRF.
And it will be a bittersweet summer, if you ask me, since this summer we will watch Barry Bonds break Hank Aaron’s Career Home Run record – ensuring his spot in the Hall of Fame.
Ironic. One man’s numbers aren’t enough and the other’s certainly shouldn’t add up.
No comments:
Post a Comment