2022 HOF Inductees
I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) in Cooperstown, NY, almost twenty years ago. Yeah, I was that guy who spent parts of three days in the Museum reading all of the plaques and visiting, often twice, the numerous exhibits. I recall thinking how much an honor it was to be in the Hall since only a handful of players were inducted each year. Yet, there was a part of baseball history that was clearly missing, the Negro Leagues and the early days of the game. Since then, baseball has tried to make amends with the creation of its Golden Days Era and Early Baseball Era Committees. Last Sunday, Cooperstown welcomed seven honorees into the halls of HOF. Let’s recognize the inductees (in alphabetical order):
Bud Fowler (Early Baseball Era Committee). He was born “John W. Jackson” in 1858, but was nicknamed “Bud” since that’s the name he called other players. Bud’s roots were actually in Cooperstown where he excelled as a youth baseball player. Fowler, who was black, got his start professionally on an all-white team in New Castle, PA, when he was 14 years old. He played for many teams comprised of mostly white players, often leaving the teams due to rampant racism. Fowler finally found his way into the Negro Leagues in 1895, starring for the Page Fence Giants. He was indeed a visionary, imagining the Negro Leagues long before it was formed.
Gil Hodges (Golden Days Era Committee). If you are a Dodgers fan, you remember Gil as your first baseman for most of 18 seasons in the late 1940s through the early 1960s. Hodges, an 8-time All-Star, led the Dodgers to two World Series championships (1955 and 1959) and six NL pennants. He excelled at the plate (hitting 4 home runs in a game in 1950) and on the field (winning three Gold Gloves). Other baseball fans mostly remember Hodges for doing the impossible, managing the “Miracle Mets” to a world championship in 1969 over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. Prior to the ’69 season, the Mets had never won more than 66 games in any season.
Jim Kaat (Golden Days Era Committee). Longetivity is the word that best describes Kaat. A left handed pitcher, he played in 25 MLB seasons for five teams and spanning four decades (1959-1983). His best years were the first fifteen, as he took the mound as a starter every four days for the Senators (who became the Twins). 1966 was his season to remember – Kaat led the American League with 25 wins and 19 complete games, and helped the Twins win the AL. Unfortunately, his Twins ran into a buzzsaw in the World Series, the Dodgers and their star lefty, all-time best, Sandy Koufax. Kaat will forever be known as one of the greatest fielding pitchers, winning 16 Gold Gloves! After his playing days, Jim also starred as a broadcaster.
Minnie Minoso (Golden Days Era Committee). The Minoso family and the City of Chicago waited much too long for this induction. Nicknamed the “Cuban Comet” and “Mr. White Sox”, Minnie started in the Negro Leagues in 1946 and last played in an MLB game in 1980. As a Cleveland Indian in 1948, Minoso broke the AL color line as the first Afro-Latino. He was the first black White Sox player in 1951, and played in the All-Star Game that same year. Minoso was a speedster, often leading the American League in triples and stolen bases. Many say that Willie Mays and Minoso were the two key players to bring speed to baseball offense. Chicagoans know him as the leader of the “Go-Go” White Sox of the 1950s and 1960s. After an absence from the game, Mimoso returned as a pinch-hitter for the Sox in 1980 at the age of 54.
Tony Oliva (Golden Days Era Committee). Oliva starred as a right fielder and designated hitter for the Twins in his 15-year MLB career. Tony was a pure hitter, winning the AL batting championship in three seasons (1964, 1965, and 1971) and leading the league in hits in five seasons. An eight-time All-Star, Oliva paved the way for other Cuban players in the game. One of the great stories of the HOF induction ceremonies last weekend was Oliva reuniting with his brother, Juan Carlos. The Twins and Senator Amy Klobuchar arranged for Juan Carlos, who lives in Cuba, to obtain a visa so he could travel to Cooperstown. The brothers had not seen each other in the U.S. since 2009.
Buck O’Neil (Early Baseball Era Committee). O’Neill starred as a first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American Leagues (NAL). In 1946 he led the NAL with a .353 batting average. Two years later, in 1948, he became player manager of the Monarchs, leading them to NAL championships in 1953 and 1955. After his retirement he became the leading advocate for NAL’s place in baseball history, playing a central role in the establishment of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO. Buck was the first African American coach in the MLB. The Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 2008, is a testament to his place in the game of baseball.
David Ortiz (First Ballot Hall of Famer). Affectionately known as “Big Papi”, Ortiz’ career started off slowly, playing for six seasons with the Twins. From the moment he donned a Red Sox uniform in 2003, his place in baseball as one of the great DHs and clutch hitters became clear. David had ten straight seasons of 100 + RBIs and was in the top 5 of MVP voting from 2003-2007. In 2004 Big Papi helped his Red Sox break the “Curse of the Zambino” (the 1918 trade of Babe Ruth to the Yankees) by garnering 3 HRs, 11 RBIs and two walk-off hits in Boston’s seven-game, comeback win over New York in the ALCS. The Red Sox went on to win the 2004 World Series, its first world championship in decades. During his career Ortiz recorded 11 walk-off home runs in the regular season and two in the playoffs. His colorful personality helped him launch an MLB commentator role after his retirement from baseball.
It's always good to remember.
Until next Monday,
your Baseball Bench Coach