I am not a baseball fan– I suck at the game, and it’s boring as hell on tv– but I can’t help noticing occasional bits of baseball news. such as, for example, yesterday’s announcement of the Hall of Fame voting, which prompts the post title. Eight writers did not vote for Cal Ripken to get into the Hall of fame.
Let me say that again, in bold: Eight writers did not vote for Cal Ripken.
This has to be one of the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Leave aside for the moment that Ripken holds what may be the most impressive record in the sport, playing in 2,632 consecutive games. And forget the fact that Ripken was the epitome of class through the whole thing. The only thing that matters is this: Cal Ripken saved baseball.
Or, let me put it another way: Without Cal Ripken, baseball is the NHL. The year he broke Gehrig’s record, baseball was coming off a strike-shortened season that cancelled the World Series, and alienated huge numbers of fans. Ripken’s streak brought people back– hell, he got me to watch baseball that summer, and the ovation he received when his record-breaking game became official was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in any sport, ever.
And eight writers didn’t vote for him to be in the Hall of Fame. Morons is too kind.