What my fine readers are saying…

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“Scumbag” sells Deadspin a Hall of Fame vote. 

A few readers took issue with me calling the person a “scumbug.”

Shawn: Are we so sure this person is a “scumbag”? We may want to wait to hear that person’s side of the story before judging.

It’s possible the sale price was $1, or that the money will be donated to charity. The voter’s argument could be that he wanted to turn his vote over to the fans.

There are numerous flaws with the Baseball HOF voting process. It’s very likely a few writers won’t vote for Maddox because they believe no one should get 100% of the vote. Writers have so many personal biases, odd views about first ballot, suspected steroid user, that it is a very tainted system. A writer who says he wants the fans to decide isn’t that far off.

KT: Tell us how you really feel, Ed. So who SHOULD be voting for the Hall of Fame? Random people? Fans? Other players?

Tell me who the writers have gotten wrong – colossally wrong – over the years. Yes, you have your Corky Simpsons, but they are on the fringes of the bell curve and their delusional votes are largely obscured by the vast majority of voters who take it seriously.

Are there childish vendettas? Absolutely there are. Is it silly to make guys wait for whatever reason? Yes. Is it silly to think, “No one can be a unanimous choice,” or “that guy can’t be a first ballot guy” or “I’m going to get back at him because he was mean to the media?” Yes, yes and yes.

GC: If there’s one site that’s all about scumbags, it’s Deadspin.

Rob: So if it’s not right in your mind that the journos be the voters, that makes the process itself wrong/bad, so why is he such a scumbag for making a mockery of a bad thing? Why such respect for the HoF vote if you don’t think it’s done correctly anyways?

A S Sumpton: Pretty big assumption to think that this individual is going to pocket the money. It’s a safe bet that the money will be donated.

Meanwhile, it’s not an assumption to think that the BBWAA are a gaggle of holier than thou, pompous asses who feel they’re “entitled” to some level of respect that most haven’t earned in the least… Except for the one writer who evidently is seeing this for what it is.

Alessandro: If you’re angrier about this than about the inevitable asshole who will leave Greg Maddux off his ballot because “nobody deserves to get in on his first ballot,” then you’re pretty dumb.

Big Al: You are right, Mr. Sherman. The HOF voting system isn’t perfect, but its been pretty good since it started. The reasoning that fans should vote is pure horseshit. Baseball fans shouldn’t be allowed to cast All-Star game votes, let alone HOF.

Oddibe McDowell’s Water Bill: Well, SOMEONE’S got to vote for me to get into the Hall of Fame.

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Dino Costa

Weeks after his dismissal from SiriusXM, I’m still getting comments about Dino.

Rodney: This guy was a hack. Always self promoting, putting down Russo and Mad Dog Radio at every turn. I remember tuning in for the first time and getting so frustrated that I called in. He didn’t like what I had to say so he cut me off. He would always make these statements like he had some kind of inside knowledge about a situation, I thought maybe he used to play or was writer and had connections to people inside sports. When I looked him up, his last job before joining Sirius was mr fixit guy. He drove a Van around NY doing odd jobs. That kinda tells me what I need to know. My guess is , unless he changes his whole thing, he will never make another dime in this business.

Bob: Like most people I believe this was a bad move. Dino was one guy that would have held me in as a lifetime subscriber after Howard Stern leaves. Now this move, coupled with the fact that we are paying all this money and there are still millions of commercials on SiriusXM, makes me confident that I will be cancelling both our subscriptions when Howard hangs it up. I for one would be willing to stay with your company if you brought Dino back.

Scott C: Seriously Xtreme Mistake. Will miss you Dino.

Ted: I agree. Why in the hell did Sirius take so much crap from this guy? I would fired this guy years ago. I would rather listen to Scott who does the weekend sports shows on Mad dog radio over Dino any day. I don’t think the radio guys have to toe the company line but I also don’t see any reason for the daily ranting and raving that Dino insisted in showcasing, all for his own benefit. Any one can be an asshole but it takes a real talent to be thoughtful,entertaining, and engaging even with those who may not see eye to eye with him.

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Francesa’s interview with ARod

Rich: Sounds to me for some crazy reason he’s kissing up to the cheater! Of course he’s from NY so he has to stay on good terms with the Yanks .

BCoring: This comes down to personal bias. Russo should listen to his embarrassing conversation with the Commish last Spring Training when he figuratively was sitting in Bud’s lab with the slo-pitch questions he asked. Having said that, A Rod’s taking the usual “never failed a drug test” route and Francesa appears to be willing to go along with this because of his avarice towards the Commissioner. Note: I only read parts of the interview. Makes for a great story, though. “Dog Bites Fran” I love it.

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Ernie Banks, Mr. White Sox?

After my post noting a NPR reporter said Banks played with the White Sox, Mark Liptak, a noted historian of Sox history for the Chicago Baseball Museum and elsewhere, filed this observation:

Mark: Ironically Banks almost DID play for the White Sox. From my “What If?” story on the Sox going over some of the biggest things that almost happened to the franchise:

“MR. CUB” BECOMES “MR. WHITE SOX”

Here’s something that’ll make a Cub fan choke… if not for circumstances, Ernie Banks, the famed “Mr. Cub,” might never have played a game for the North Side. Instead Banks might have spent his career on the South Side and consequently gotten into a World Series…or two.

As to why Banks didn’t become a member of the Sox, details are unclear but some facts are known and it appears the main reason was because of the personalities of two of the leading Sox members of the 1950′s, Frank “Trader” Lane and Paul Richards
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As G.M., Lane executed several brilliant deals netting the Sox All Star performers like Billy Pierce, Nellie Fox, “Minnie” Minoso and Sherm Lollar. Richards, the field manager from 1951 through late 1954, was a brilliant tactician and a tremendous teacher. He had a mind like a chess master, always thinking one or two moves ahead of his opponent. Pierce said he was the best manager he ever had. But both men were strong willed, and had big egos and that would come into play.

By 1952 Lane was earning 35,000 a season plus a ‘nickel a head’ bonus based on attendance that added an additional 41,000 thousand dollars. Richards who had authored three very good seasons was getting 25,000 thousand and a ‘nickel a head’ for anything over 900,000 in paid admissions.

By August 1954 Richards was looking elsewhere. He couldn’t get a raise from Sox ownership and he couldn’t get a multi-year contract from the team. He was looking for a three year package worth 40,000 thousand and was turned down. On September 13, Richards accepted the role of both field and general manager for the Baltimore Orioles.

So how does Banks come into play?

Fast forward to May 21, 1956. By now Richards is still with the Orioles, Lane is the G.M. of the Cardinals. On this day the Sox, led by co G.M.’s, Chuck Comiskey and John Rigney traded George Kell to the Orioles for Dave Philley and Yankee killer Jim Wilson. When Lane heard about the deal he told the press, “Comiskey got the best of Richards” When Richards heard the comment he exploded, “if you leave Lane alone, he’ll trade a first place club into a sixth place club.” He ripped Lane for every ill advised deal he ever made dating back to the trade of fleet footed outfielder Jim Busby. The he dropped a bombshell.

Richards told the press that the Sox had a chance to sign Banks, whom their scouts had followed extensively, but that Lane wasn’t interested in looking at him! Richards knew about Ernie and pushed for the club to get him but at that time the two men weren’t on good terms and Lane basically ignored most of Richards recommendations.

What if the Sox signed Banks and he spent his Hall Of Fame career on the South Side?

There are some interesting scenarios here.

Banks broke into the big leagues in 1953. He wouldn’t have produced the same power numbers playing in Comiskey Park as opposed to Wrigley Field, but there’s no question he would have hit enough to supply that missing dimension from the Sox lineups throughout the 1950′s and 1960′s. He certainly could have been the difference in the 1964 and 1967 pennant races and he might have enabled strong White Sox teams in 1955 and 1957 to win the pennant also.

There’s also something else to consider….if Banks signed and was the regular shortstop, do the White Sox even bother signing Luis Aparicio?

Think about how the ‘Go-Go Sox’ would have looked without the fastest man on the team.

Aparicio signed with the Sox in 1954, that same season Banks hit .275 with 19 home runs for the Cubs. Luis became Rookie of the Year in 1956. Of course had the Sox signed both they might have moved Ernie to a different position, say first base, which would have really solved an issue on the club that had been lacking for long time.