Yesterday, the Committee on Veterans elected 6 new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In chronological order:
* John "Bud" Fowler, a multi-position player who is the 1st member of the Hall who ever actually lived in the town where it is located, Cooperstown, New York. In 1877, he is known to have played for a professional baseball team, the 1st black player known to have done so. He eventually played for the Cuban Giants, an all-black team that would play in the Negro National League once that was established. His last known game was in 1898.
Born in 1858, Fowler died in 1913, never knowing that the Negro Leagues or the Baseball Hall of Fame would be founded, 6 years before the birth of Jackie Robinson.
* John "Buck" O'Neil, 1st baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, starring for them in the 1940s and managing them in the 1950s. In 1962, the Chicago Cubs made him the 1st black member of any major league team's coaching staff. He later scouted for the Kansas City Royals and helped found the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
He is best known for his interview for Ken Burns' 1994 baseball miniseries, introducing him to fans not old enough to remember the Negro Leagues, like me. The reason we didn't know about him is that he was not already in the Hall of Fame, as a few Negro League stars were. He died in 2006, still not a member. He is one now.
* Gil Hodges, the slugging, fine-fielding 1st baseman for the Dodgers, helping them win the World Series in Brooklyn in 1955 and in Los Angeles in 1959. He went on to manage the Mets to win the 1969 World Series, although the Hall doesn't combine playing and managing achievements. If they did, he might have been elected long ago. He died while still the Mets' manager in 1972, not quite 48 years old.
* Saturnino "Minnie" Miñoso, left fielder who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. In 1949, with the Cleveland Indians, he became the 1st black Hispanic player in the major leagues. He lasted in the majors until 1964, then became a coach with the White Sox.
White Sox owner Bill Veeck brought him back briefly in 1976, and got a hit in 8 at-bats. At the time, it was believed that he was 53 years old, making him the oldest player to get a hit in a major league game. As it turned out, he was 50, so he was the 4th-oldest. Veeck brought him back once more in 1980, pinch-hitting twice without a hit at 54, making him the 4th-oldest player ever, and 1 of 2 to play in 5 different decades. (The other was also a coach re-activated for publicity reasons, and 1 of the 3 who was older: Nick Altrock.)
He remained on the White Sox payroll, becoming known as Mr. White Sox, until his death in 2015.
* Jim Kaat, pitcher who debuted in 1959 with the "old" Washington Senators, and turned out to be the last active player from that team. He helped the Minnesota Twins win the 1965 American League Pennant. He later reached the Playoffs with the Philadelphia Phillies, and won 16 Gold Gloves for fielding the position of pitcher.
He pitched a season and a half for the Yankees, and finally won a World Series in 1982, with the St. Louis Cardinals, at age 43. He pitched 1 more season, finishing with 283 wins, and became one of the most respected broadcasters in the sport. He could have been elected to the Hall as a player, or been awarded its Ford Frick Award for broadcasters, but never was, until finally being elected now, at age 83.
* Tony Oliva, right fielder for the Minnesota Twins, an 8-time All-Star, a 3-time AL batting champion, and a Gold Glove winner in 1966. He was Kaat's teammate on the Twins''65 Pennant winners and '69 and '70 Division titlists. Injuries cut his career short, forcing him to retire a couple of years sooner than he might ordinarily have had to, thus preventing him from boosting his career statistics to where his Hall election shouldn't have been an issue. He became a coach for the Twins, and if Miñoso was Mr. White Sox, then Oliva is Mr. Twin.
Falling 1 vote short of election was Dick Allen, who starred with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1960s and the White Sox in the 1970s. One of the most feared sluggers of his era, he was also its most misunderstood player. He died last year (not from COVID), shortly after the COVID-induced postponement of the vote that was held yesterday. That he didn't get in this time, either, reduces the apparent injustice of his not getting in during his lifetime, but not by much. Like Kaat, he is finally honored at age 83.
But Fowler, O'Neil, Hodges, Miñoso, Kaat and Oliva are in. So the question could be asked: "If these men are worthy now, why weren't they worthy before?" Fowler last played 121 years ago; O'Neil, 66; Hodges, 58; Miñoso, 41; Oliva, 45; and Kaat, 38. None of them has faced, or thrown, a pitch in a game that counts in all that time. None of them has seen his career statistics change in all that time, not even due to a previously unknown error. What made them worthy now, if they weren't before?
They were always worthy. But there are different people voting on them now. Different people have different opinions. And as many people, some of the nasty bigots, will tell us, you can't think less of someone because they have a different opinion than you.
Of course you can. Some opinions are smart, and some opinions are stupid. And anybody whose opinion was that these men were not worthy of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame was just plain stupid.
*
Hours until the next Arsenal game: 1, at 3:00 this afternoon, New York time, away to Everton, the blue team of Liverpool.
Days until the New Jersey Devils again play a local rival: 2, this Wednesday night, home to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Days until the next game of the U.S. National Soccer Team: 12, on Saturday, December 18, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, a friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina (that's 1 country), at Dignity Health Sports Park, in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, home of MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy.
Days until the next North London Derby: 41, on Sunday, January 16, 2022, at 11:30 AM New York time, at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Under 6 weeks. It had been scheduled for the day before, but TV programming moved it back.
Days until the 1st Baseball Hall of Fame election for which Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz will be eligible, and we will know for sure whether steroid use keeps a player out, or if it's only being a Yankee who's accused of it that does: 50, on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. About 7 weeks.
Days until the next Winter Olympics open in Beijing, China: 60, on Friday, February 4, 2022. Just 2 months.
Days until the next New York Red Bulls game: 82, on February 26, 2022, away to the San Jose Sharks. Under 3 months. As is usually the case, MLS has released the 1st 3 games of each team's next season schedule, before the full schedule.
Days until the Red Bulls again play a nearby rival: As yet unknown. None of the 1st 3 games are against New York City F.C., or the Philadelphia Union, or D.C. United, or the New England Revolution.
Days until the Yankees play another game that counts: 115, on March 31, 2022, away to the Texas Rangers. Under 4 months.
Days until the Yankees' home opener: 122, on Thursday, April 7, 2022, against the Boston Red Sox.
Days until the next Yankees series against the Boston Red Sox begins: See the previous answer.
Days until the next Rutgers University football game: 271, on Saturday, September 3, 2022, away to Boston College.
Days until the next East Brunswick High School football game: 277, on Friday, September 9, at 7:00 PM, against arch-rival Old Bridge. Hopefully, our home field, under renovation through the entire 2021 season, will be ready, so we don't have to go back to the purple pit.
Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge football game: See the previous answer.
Days until the next elections for Congress and for Governor of most States, including New York and Pennsylvania: 337, on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. A little under a year.
Days until the next World Cup opens: 350, on Friday, November 21, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. Under a year.
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 355, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 26, at 12:00 noon, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Under a year.
Days until the next Women's World Cup opens: 581, on Friday, July 10, 2023, jointly held in the neighboring nations of Australia and New Zealand. A little over a year and a half.
Days until the next Summer Olympic Games: 963, on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. A little over 2 and a half years.
Days until the next Presidential election: 1,065, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Under 3 years.
Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey and Mayor of New York City: 1,429, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Under 4 years.