DAHOF Top 100 -- #10 Reggie Jackson

My all-time favorite Reggie Jackson quote:

Fans don't boo nobodies.

Love him or hate him, if you were a baseball fan in the 1970's it is hard not have an strong opinion on Reggie. To me he represents all that was great and all that was bad about how the game evolved during the decade.

He was charismatic, confident, and unbelievably talented. He played on some great teams filled with unforgettable characters. He WAS the straw that stirred the drink. During the seven year period from 1972-1978, he was the most significant contributor on five world series winning teams. He sold newspapers and pulled people in the ballpark to watch him play.

Most hard core baseball statisticians believe the concept of clutch is a myth. Almost every study has confirmed that "clutch hitting," in terms of certain players being able to "rise to the occasion" under pressure, is an illusion. You can't argue with a properly constructed statical analysis, but Reggie Jackson's performance during World Series play was absolutely legendary. In 27 career World Series games: he had 35 hits, 10 home runs, 24 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.212. His 3 home run off of 3 different pitcher on 3 straight pitches performance in Game 6 of 1977 World Series sits as one of the greatest moments in the game's history.

I had the opportunity to meet with Reggie about 10 years ago at a small corporate event. He was a hired "spokesman" for a computer memory company and was paid to full rooms of people and build the brand of the company. It was clear that years of fame and adulation had formed a hard outer shell on the man. After everyone left the room, I stuck up a conversation. Once he realized I was not just a guy looking for his autograph and actually knew something about him and shared his love for the game, he transformed into a much different person. He spent 15 or 20 minutes laughing and testing me on my favorite players and I got to witness first hand the charisma that made him one of the most famous athletes in history. When he had to leave, he reached into his bag, took out a pen and signed a brand new baseball.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #11 Jim Abbott

I'm going to post a fairytale today:

Once upon a time, in a far away land called Michigan, there was a little boy born to a lovely couple. Their new arrival was perfect to them in every way possible. However, sadly to the rest of the world he was somewhat less than perfect... because he arrived with an incomplete right arm.

Encouraged by his parents, this special young boy with an incomplete right arm loved sports, especially baseball. With the help of his father he learned how to throw and catch using a unique single hand technique. He practiced day and night throwing the ball against the garage until he wore out the door. As he grew, he developed into a strong and skilled athlete.

Overcoming taunts and stares while seeking no special accommodation, the boy with an incomplete right arm played with "normal" little league teams. First as an outfielder, then as a pitcher where his years of throwing a ball against that garage started to pay off. He tossed a no-hitter in his first start. His first season, he struck out at least 2 batters per inning. Soon he was the first person selected, not the last.

The boy with an incomplete right arm also played on his high school football team, not as a lineman where his missing hand would not be noticed. But as a successful and celebrated quarterback.

However it was baseball that the boy with an incomplete right arm loved. In high school he foiled all attempts to exploit his single handed method by fielding bunts without a trouble. He continued to strike people out and fire no-hitters.

Catching the eyes of big league baseball scouts, the boy with an incomplete right arm decides to decline early professional opportunities to attend college. While in college he faced and overcame the same taunts and challenges as he did in little league and high school. Soon he was honored as the best college baseball player in the land.

Before realizing his lifelong goal as a professional pitcher, the boy with an incomplete right arm was chosen to represent his country in the Olympic Games. He pitched his team to a gold medal.

Following his Olympic gold medal, this boy with an incomplete arm was selected in the first round of the big league draft. He continued to amaze skeptics after made his major league team without ever playing a minor league game.

This fairytale story closes during his big league fourth season. This boy with an incomplete arm pitches a big league no-hitter in the most famous stadium in the land. Now nobody remembers him as the boy with an incomplete right arm, but the man with the completed dream.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #12 Roy Halladay

Every once in a while my house empties out long enough for me to sit and watch a game with no interruptions.

May 29th, 2010 was one of those nights. As I settled into my favorite chair and turned the DirecTV channel to the Phils/Marlins game, I made the quick decision to "keep score" using the new iPad app I had recently acquired. It was the first time I had sat down and tried to score a live game. The results were magical.

Twenty-seven Marlins hitters came to to the plate against Phillies ace Roy Halladay, and twenty-seven were retired. He struck out 11. The offense scratched an unearned run against Josh Johnson and delivered a 1-0 victory, Halladay became the 20th pitcher in Major League history to fire a perfect game.

Over the years, I have seen the final outs of many no-hitters. But outside of a six inning white-washing in one of my little league games, I had never actually witnessed a no-hitter from start to finish. What a rush.

1991 Topps Dick Allen - Dodgers

DA Legacy Card using the 1991 Topps design

DAHOF Top 100 -- #13 Roberto Clemente

I was only six years old when Roberto Clemente's overloaded plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico. I have no memory of ever seeing him play, but his enormous legacy and mark on the game is beyond compare.

The first time I can recall hearing about and seeing highlights of the man was around 1977 in the midst of a long Cubs game rain delay broadcast. This was before cable TV and 10,000 available channels. WGN passed the time by showing old baseball films. The sight of his cannon arm shooting lasers from right field was incredible. I can recall, even as an 11 year old kid, the almost overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss when I learned how and why this great ballplayer had died.

Less than a month after his death, The Great Clemente was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a special election. He is one of three players (Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig being the others) to be inducted without the mandatory five year wait. On May 13, 1973 he would receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the first baseball player so honored. The very next day, he became the first individual of any description to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, an award newly minted in his honor. The citation read:

All who saw Roberto Clemente in action, whether on the diamond or on the front lines of charitable endeavor, are richer for the experience. He stands with that handful of men whose brilliance has transformed the game of baseball into a showcase of skill and spirit, giving universal delight and inspiration. More than that, his selfless dedication to helping those with two strikes against them in life blessed thousands and set an example for millions. As long as athletes and humanitarians are honored, Roberto Clemente’s memory will live; as long as Citizens Medals are presented, each will mean a little more because this first one went to him.

There are two frames that have hung in my son's bedroom since the day we brought him home from the hospital. One holds one of my long departed grandmother's bank deposit slip signed by Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, Dave Cash, Larry Bowa, and Garry Maddox during a 1976 event at a Hershey area mall. The other is a majestic portrait of Roberto Clemente with his head bowed and his black Pirates hat over his heart.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #14 Ryan Howard

I really need to pick up the pace on this list to make the goal of completing it by opening day. Onward and upward, hopefully with a little more speed.

If it isn't already obvious, I have a soft spot in my heart for power hitting first baseman wearing a red pin striped uniforms. As a Phils fan, it is hard not to compare the career's of Ryan Howard and Dick Allen. Both deliver awe inspiring power and collected Rookie of Year, All Star, HR champ, RBI champ, and MVP awards. Also, unfortunately both have carried the burden of unrealistic expectations and somehow developed into targets of unhappy fans.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Ryan Howard's Dad (Ron) is a big baseball fan. His childhood hero was none other than... Dick Allen. Ron Howard saw DA play in person on several occasions and never forgot a towering homer that Allen hit in 1970 at Busch Stadium, his single season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ryan was the youngest (and smallest) of Ron's four boys and shared that love of baseball with his dad. In Little League he started displaying the awesome power we have come to know and love. In one game, he launched a blast that cleared the fence and a parking lot behind it before smashing into a restaurant. He played well in high school, but didn't draw the attention of scouts or big time college coaches. He walked on at Southwest Missouri State and played well enough to eventually earn a scholarship and in 2001 he was drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round following his junior season.

His march to the big leagues was slow, primarily because the Phils already had Jim Thome entrenched at first base. When he finally got his opportunity to play, he made the most of it capturing the Rookie of the Year and NL MVP in consecutive seasons (2005 & 2006). When Ryan Howard hit his 100th homer in his 325th game in the majors (June 27, 2007) he became the quickest player to reach the 100-home run mark in history. Like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard in 8 season has already established himself as the best Phillies first baseman ever.

I will admit, I get frustrated watching Ryan struggle against lefty's and it kills me to see him strike out so much. It is maddening to see him try to muscle the ball through the over-shift most clubs deploy against him. But when Ryan is in the zone, there isn't a better power hitter in the game. I can always tell when Ryan is getting hot, because you will see him drive outside pitches to left field rather the roll over them trying to pull.

The Phils need Ryan Howard to get healthy and play at his typical level if they want to win a sixth straight division title.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #15 Jimmy Rollins

For me, it is hard to believe Jimmy Rollins has been the Phillies shortstop for over a decade now. In that time he has developed into one of the faces of the franchise and established himself the best player at his position in club history. No one else is even close.

In January of 2007 Jimmy Rollins rolled out:

The Mets had a chance to win the World Series last year. Last year is over. I think we are the team to beat in the NL East, finally. But, that's only on paper.

This quote was widely reported, often without the second part ("only on paper") and it simply enraged New York Mets fans. Supremely confident in himself and the team, Jimmy refused to back down. Things didn't go exactly as planned when the Mets built up a comfortable lead. They were seven games up with 17 left to play. In most circumstances, this would have been more than enough. Expect these magical 2008 Mets went 5-11 and while the Fightin Phils went 12-4 down the stretch. They were tied.

On the last day of the season, Rollins became the fourth player in history to achieve a 20/20/20/20 (doubles, triples, home runs, steals) in one season. His triple on that day capped the 6–1 win over the Washington Nationals that clinched the National League East division championship because the Mets lost again to the Marlins.

For his awesome year, JRoll was awarded the 2007 NL MVP beating out both Matt Holliday and Prince Fielder. He posted career-highs with his .296 batting average, 20 triples, 30 home runs, 41 stolen bases, 94 RBIs and 139 runs scored. In the field, he committed only 11 errors in over 700 chances.

To me, the most endearing moment for Jimmy Rollins wasn't a walk off hit or great play... it happened on June 5th, 2008 against the Reds. In the third inning, JRoll lofted an apparent inning-ending popup to the shortstop. Disappointed he had failed to drive in Carlos Ruiz from second, Rollins slowly jogged down the line only reaching first as Paul Janish dropped the ball for an error. Ruiz scored, but Manager Charlie Manuel took Rollins out of the game for not hustling.

Rollins reaction was not one what we have grown to expect from a millionaire star ballplayer, certainly not what you would expect from the league's reigning MVP. But Jimmy Rollins isn't just anyone. Instead of getting angry, causing a problem with the manager and the team, he accepted it.

He has two rules -- be on time and hustle; and I broke one of them today, I know better. Sometimes the manager gets you. I just have to go out there and make sure I don't do it again. It's something you learn from.

He may be more injury prone and may have lost a step... but there isn't many other ballplayers I would rather have playing short for my team than Jimmy Rollins.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #16 Morgan Ensberg

As is the case with several of my "favorite 100 players" I first met Morgan Ensberg when he played for my local minor league team, the Round Rock Express. Morgan was the first Express position player to land a regular major league job. He was not a highly regarded prospect after two minor league seasons (182 games) and a .236 batting average. At that time, Morgan was best known as one of the Astros minor league players assaulted and robbed in their hotel by two gunmen at spring training in March.

That 2000 season, after facing death, Morgan Ensberg came alive. He batted .300 with 28 homers and 90 RBIs leading his team to the Texas League title. In an area long starved of professional baseball, he and his teammates were adored and returned that affection to the fans all summer long. As the team celebrated their championship at the Dell Diamond, someone grabbed and pulled him toward home plate. The PA announcer hushed the crowd then and revealed that both Ensberg and teammate Keith Ginter were 'called up' by the Astros. That night I walked to my car in the season ticket parking lot with Astros owner Drayton McLean. He smiled and told me that was one of the most enjoyable baseball experiences he had ever had.

Ensberg went from walk–on to All American at USC. In 1998 he was the MVP of the last Trojan team to win College World Series. In the championship game, he stole home in the top of the 7th, in one of the most memorable plays in CWS history. He is the only player in USC history to have 20 HRs and 20 SBs in a season. He left USC at the #3 spot in career home runs behind Geoff Jenkins and Mark McGwire. He can be found among the top-10 in 15 offensive categories in USC’s record book

After big league cameo appearances in 2000 & 2002, Morgan became the Astros’ full-time third baseman in 2003, hitting .291 with 25 homers and 60 RBIs.

His best season in the majors was 2005 when he helped drive the Astros to their only World Series appearance and finished fourth in the NL MVP voting. He posted career-highs with 149 hits, 86 runs, 30 doubles, 36 home runs and 101 RBI over 150 games.. In July, he was added to the NL All-Star team at the last minute, replacing the injured Scott Rolen. He also took home the Silver Slugger award as the best offensive 3B in the league.

Things started going downhill in 2006 after diving for a bunt and hurting his rotator cuff. He could barely lift his right arm after that, and he developed biceps tendinitis, but he played through it. His production plummeted and he was traded to San Diego in 2007, where he homered twice in his Padres debut. But the end of his playing career was near, playing his last 28 games in the majors with the 2008 Yankees.

After he left the game, Morgan has started a baseball focused blog and has worked in broadcasting and is a coach at Division II power UC=San Diego.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #17 Jim Thome

The seasons following Joe Carter's 1993 World Series walkoff were not kind to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 1994 team was in 5th place by April 23rd and spent the rest of that unfinished season facing a double digit hill to climb. When the strike ended, it was clear the one-hit wonder team of Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, and Darren Daulton were not coming back. The next six seasons the Phils finished 21, 29, 33, 31, 26, and 30 games behind the NL East champion Atlanta Braves. Things got a little better in 2001 with Larry Bowa at the helm (finished in 2nd place, only 2 games out); only to slide back into abyss with a 21.5 game deficit in 2002.

Factor in the increasingly pathetic conditions of the "Vet" and the very public fiasco's involving JD Drew (1997), Curt Schilling (2000) and Scott Rolen (2002)... there really wasn't much to be excited about as a Phillies fan.

Then along came Jim Thome. For some reason (I still don't understand how or why) the club was able to convince this popular coveted star free-agent to join my left for dead team in December of 2002. He arrived when the franchise needed a star and he delivered.

Thome was a hard-working throwback ballplayer that made it easy for Philadelphia baseball fans to re-emerge from their decade long hibernation. I truly believe, this single decsion and stroke of fortune laid the foundation for the golden era of Phillies baseball we are experiencing now. Along the way he led the NL in Home Runs, helped close the Vet and open Citizens Bank Park, made an All Star team and memorably blasted career home run #400.

He even helped when he departed to the White Sox via trade, because he opened the door for a ready-to-dominate Ryan Howard. If you are still not convinced: look at it this way... if it wasn't for Jim Thome the Phillies would have never considered hiring Charlie Manuel. Take away Charlie and you don't have five consecutive NL East titles, two NL pennants, and a World Series ring.

I will end my Jim Thome stump speech with this... at this moment in the long and glorious history of baseball there have been 8 players "credited" with hitting 600 home runs.

Barry Bonds - 762*

Hank Aaron - 755

Babe Ruth - 714

Willie Mays - 660

Ken Griffey Jr. - 630

Alex Rodriguez - 629*

Sammy Sosa - 609*

Jim Thome - 604

Bonds, Rodriguez, and Sosa's totals are each tainted by performance drug usage. That means Jim Thome is standing in the company of Aaron, Ruth, Mays, and Griffey. That is pretty darn good company.

1992 Topps Dick Allen - White Sox

DA Legacy Card using the 1992 Topps design

DAHOF Top 100 -- #18 Hank Aaron

I am blessed. I've been lucky to be able share my love for the game of baseball with my son. Wondrously, during the hundreds of games we have attended and watched together I've been able to witness him fall in love with the game too. In a way, I am jealous of him because he has literally has grown up going to the ballpark. His is an era where availability and access to the game was unheard of in my day.

At the same time, I also feel bad for him. His generation has seen the once proud role of "power hitter" turn into something to be chemically brewed and ultimately distrusted. For my son, the Major League Home Run Kings are mutated narcissistic brutes named Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. I feel sorry for them because these kids never had the pleasure of witnessing Hank Aaron honorably climb to the top of 'round-trip' mountain. They never had the humble example of Hank Aaron confidently and quietly carrying the crown as 'King of the Game'.

I had the good fortune of being an 8 year old baseball nut when Hank passed Babe Ruth on April 8th, 1974. I had the advantage of growing up in an era where power-hitters were heroes that could be trusted and liked.

In 2007, as Bonds approached Hank's mark of 755, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci eloquently wrote:

They called him Hammerin' Hank, an encomium to his bluntly effective hitting but one that works just as well as a tribute to his overall ethos. Hammering is the life's work of commoners, not kings. It is generally not a pursuit to which heroic movies, elegiac poems or, apparently, magazine covers are dedicated. (Aaron appeared on three Sports Illustrated covers in his 23-year career.) In hammering as in Aaron, however, there is an understated nobility that only the passage of time adequately reveals.

For instance, not one of Aaron's single-season home run totals is among the 68 highest of all time, yet he pounded more in his career than any other player in history--and without suspicion of chemical enhancement. None of his single-season RBI totals rank among the top 100 of all time, but he's the career leader in that category as well. His best season for extra-base hits cannot be found in the top 40 alltime, but he leads that career list too. What he did was build the Egyptian pyramids of a baseball career, the finished product a monument as much to man's persistence as to his reach.

Aaron was such a masterly hitter that he would have passed 3,000 hits even if he had never hit a home run. Pick any star who ever played the game and give him 180 additional homers, and Aaron still would have more total bases. He won three Gold Gloves, received MVP votes for 19 straight years and stole bases at a 76% success rate. He did as much for the racial integration of the sport as any man who followed Jackie Robinson. Yet Aaron, in the pantheon of baseball gods and in the fabric of American culture, is an underrated and underappreciated presence. It must have been the monotony of all that hammering.

God Bless Hank Aaron. Still the Home Run King.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #19 Steve Garvey

As a skinny white kid from rural Michigan, it didn't take long for me to realize: I wasn't going to be as cool as Dick Allen. I just didn't possess the raw materials (namely... talent and style) plus I failed to develop the natural appetite to be different. When Dick Allen disappeared from the game in the middle of the 1977 season, I looked to find someone that I could connect with. During a three year period between 1977 & 1979 Steve Garvey was that guy for me.

Looking back almost 25 years later, the opposing spectrum's Steve Garvey & Dick Allen represent is a pretty darn funny. But for me... somehow... it worked. Maybe it was the position, I played first base. Maybe it was the uniform, my little league team wore blue & white. Perhaps it was his batting stance and approach at the plate, I certainly did not have his Popeye forearms. There was no doubt Steve Garvey had the popularity, temperament and consistency I needed at the time.

One thing is for sure, he was one heck of a player. Garvey appeared in ten All-Star Games, on the winning side in all of them. In 1974, he was voted a starter as a write-in candidate and won the game's MVP. He was awarded four Gold Gloves. From 1974 to 1980, he hit.300, collected 200 hits and drove in 100 runs every year. From 1975 to 1983, he played in a National League record 1,207 consecutive games.

He played on Dodger championship teams in 1974, 1977, 1978, and won the World Series in 1981. Later, in a shocking change of attire, he helped class up the taco brown uniform and drove the 1984 San Diego Padres to the World Series. Garvey was often mentioned as a potential candidate for elected office after he retired, but the revelation that he had fathered several illegitimate children eliminated any political ambitions.

Many fans (including me) assumed that Steve Garvey would be elected quickly to the Hall of Fame, simply because he was so famous. This has not happened. According to the similarity scores method, the most similar player is Al Oliver. Of the top 10, only Orlando Cepeda is actually in the Hall of Fame. Others include Bill Buckner and Cecil Cooper, 1970's first basemen featuring high batting average and RBIs from the middle of a line-up. He has exhausted his 15 years of eligibility for HoF voting by the BWAA, having received around 40% of the vote in the first few years and closer to 25% of the vote in the last few years.

1993 Topps Dick Allen - White Sox

DA Legacy Card using the 1993 Topps design

DAHOF Top 100 -- #20 Royce Huffman

Of the 100 ballplayers that made my Top 100 list, only one has never played a game in the major leagues. I've included him here because of all the ballplayers I have met and talked to over the years... no one has been as genuine or sincere about their love of the game than Royce Huffman.

Royce Huffman is a winner. He is not a marginal athlete, just looking to hold on. He teamed with Dodgers 1B James Loney to win the Texas 5A Baseball state championship at national high school power Fort Bend Elkins in 1995. He was a two sport star at Texas Christian University (TCU). He had an outstanding football career with the Frogs, selected as an All-WAC punter, punt returner, and kick returner. He also competed on the TCU baseball team where he was a three-time All-American before being drafted by the Houston Astros in 1999. Royce left TCU as the career leader in at-bats (793), hits (317), RBIs (225), doubles (59), homeruns (44), total bases (528), and walks (158).

I first met Royce Huffman in the late summer of 2000. He earned a late season promotion up to "AA" Round Rock and spent the last few weeks watching older and more experienced Astros prospects capture the Texas League Championship. The next two summers in Round Rock, where played third (2001) and first base (2002) while delivering what would become his typical superior offensive production. By 2003 (age 26) he had earned a promotion to the Astros "AAA" team in New Orleans, starting his long palteau only one step away from his dream.

He logged almost 900 games at the AAA level, stopping at New Orleans, Portland, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, and again in Round Rock. Through out it all, Royce kept hitting (career OPS of .800) and kept hoping he'd finally get rewarded with a callup to the major leagues. He came close to being called up by the Astros during the 2004 and 2006 seasons. In'04, he was a Pacific Coast League All-Star, leading the league in games and ranking second in hits. But the Astros needed a middle infielder, and he was a corner infielder. In '06 the Astros reportedly considered calling him up, but Royce broke his left hand six days after the All-Star break, missing another chance.

From a 2009 MiLB.com story:

Obviously I love playing the game. Obviously I'd like to make it to the major leagues, but I just love the game. I love coming out here with the guys and having a good time. Playing to have fun and playing for my teammates, I just think the bigger things will fall into place.

Having no big league time,it's just one of those things where I don't want to say I'm frustrated because all I can do is control what I'm doing on the field. A lot has to do with being in the right place at the right time and having luck on your side.

Unfortunately, it hasn't gone that way for me in my career. But would I do anything different? No, not a chance. The people I've met and the people I've played with, those are the reasons why I keep playing.

I have no idea what's going to happen, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. As long as I've got a uniform on, there's still a chance.

It never happened. At the end of the 2009 season, after 11 seasons of pro baseball and a seven straight years in Triple-A, Royce Huffman packed up his bat and glove and stepped into the next stage of his life. He may not have ever logged a plate appearance in the big leagues, but I have never met a better professional baseball man in my life.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #21 Tug McGraw

On October 21st, 1980 Tug McGraw threw a waist high fastball past an overmatched Willie Wilson delivering the first World Series title to the the Philadelphia Phillies after 97 years of trying. The win was the exclamation point on a six year process of remaking an organization from perennial losers to champions.

I've replayed that moment so many times, I can close my eyes and see it unfold frame by frame, always ending with Tug waiting for Mike Schmidt to arrive for their pre-planned celebration.

I've come to realize you can't really write something about Tug McGraw without a couple of funny stories and a smile.

In four days the Phillies will wear special green uniforms, in honor of Tug's favorite holiday: St. Patrick's Day. They may as well call them their "Tug McGraw specials" because it was Tug that showed up at the Phils spring training game in Clearwater on March 17th, 1981 wearing a uniform he had dyed green. When questioned by the umpires, he told them it was his teammates that were out of uniform.

Early in his career he went to 2 World Series with the Mets. At the time McGraw was asked how he planned to spend his World Series share, Tug replied: "Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish whiskey. The other 10 percent I'll probably waste."

While his most effective pitch was appropriately the screwball, he actually had names for his various versions of his fastball: Peggy Lee ("Is that all there is?"); Bo Derek ("A nice little tail"); the Cutty Sark ("It sailed") and the Titanic (a sinker).

Tug died in December of 2003 from brain cancer. He put up a gallant fight, returning to Philadelphia for the closing ceremonies at Veterans Stadium. Ever the showman he re-enacted his famous victory celebration on the mound. Near the end of his life he shared he "had no regrets" adding many players front load their contracts; he front-loaded his life.

1994 Topps Dick Allen - White Sox

DA Legacy Card using the 1994 Topps design

DAHOF Top 100 -- #22 Tony Gwynn

In the early 1990's, I was was a young Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, which is located about 45 minutes from San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium. It was during this time I developed the habit of arriving at the ballpark early enough to enjoy batting practice.

If you recall the initial days of the juiced era, big league batting practice often erupted into a powerful display of one deep majestic drive after another. But gawking at Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield launching 500 foot home runs  wasn't the reason I sped down I-5... The real reason I was there was to observe Tony Gwynn take batting practice. It is a rare treat when you realize in the moment you are witnessing someone very special do something better than everyone else on the planet. Watching Tony slash line drive after line drive into left center field hours before the game started was a study in repetitive muscle memory and single minded dedication.

From George Will's 1990 book Men at Work:

Early in the 1989 season Tony Gwynn hit home runs in consecutive games and was even more displeased with his hitting than he generally is. The second home run came after an afternoon spent toiling to remove flaws in the way he had swung the bat in the game in which he hit the first one. He knew the flaws were there. In fact, the home run was evidence that he was not hitting the pitches he wanted to hit in the way he wanted to hit them. So the afternoon before the night when he hit the second home run , he went to work early, several hours before the game.

The previous night he had hit two balls hard. One pleased him, the other distressed him. The pleasing one was an out, the distressing one was a home run. When he hit the ball hard for an out, as he started his stride forward his hands moved in the opposite direction. They came back so he could keep the bat backlog enough to "inside out" the ball to left field, lashing a line drive that was caught by the left fielder. To "inside out" is to sweep the bat through the strike zone at a slight angle, from the back inside portion of the plate toward the outside front portion. When a left handed hitter does that, he has power to the left side of the diamond.

On the home run swing, his hands came forward too soon. That is what he means by being "out in front". He drive the ball to right field. Sure, it went over the fence, but he knows that over the course of the long season, hitting the ball that way is a recipe for the sort of frustration he experienced in 1988. 

DAHOF Top 100 -- #23 Larry Bowa

Of all the memorable players from the 1980 World Champs, Larry Bowa most epitomized the determination and fiery passion of the Philadelphia fans. Undrafted and largely ignored as a college player, Bowa almost blew his only chance to sign as a professional. The Phillies were the only team interested and sent a local scout to watch him play, only the witness Bowa ejected for arguing. He eventually got scouted and signed for a $2,000 bonus in 1965.

After four minor league seasons where he further developed his signature soft hands and strong arm; Bowa took over as the Phils shortstop (from Don Money) in 1970. In his second season, he recorded the first ever hit at the newly minted Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971. Never a serious offensive threat, it was his defense that initially kept him in the lineup. When he did get on base he used his speed and stole more than 30 bases three times. In 1974 he actually stole more bases than the number of runners he drove in.

Grinding it out on last place teams in the first four big league seasons, Larry Bowa helped reverse the losing trajectory of the franchise while laying the foundation for the club's divisional titles in 1976, '77 and '78 and capped it off with a World Series ring in 1980. He was also a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. Through it all, he gave everything he had to the team, hustling, stealing bases, diving for balls, and calling out anyone who dared to not work as hard as he did.

His trade to the Cubs following the 1981 season is best remembered by Phillies fans not for delivering the younger Ivan DeJesus, but for tossing in future Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. In 1984, Bowa and Sandberg helped deliver the Cubs first playoff appearance in 39 seasons.

When he finished his playing career following the 1985 season (he spent his last 14 games in what had to be a humiliating Mets uniform) he held the NL record for games played at shortstop (2,222), years leading NL shortstops in fielding (6), and for fewest errors in a season of 150 or more games (9). He also held the ML record for highest fielding percentage for a career (.980) and for a season of over 100 games (.991).

DAHOF Top 100 -- #24 Huston Street

Huston Street is from my current hometown of Austin, Texas. He graduated from the same high school my children. His Dad is somewhat of a local legend, because he was the QB of the 1969 National Championship Texas football team and also pitched for the Longhorns in the College World Series. As an undersized Texas 5A high school football player, Huston gutted out 17 tackles in a losing effort at the state championship game, most of them against future NFL running back Cedric Benson.

As a college baseball player at Texas, Huston Street is widely regarded as one of the best collegiate closers of all time. Street helped his team earn a trip to Omaha and the College World Series (winning the title in 2002) and was named as an All-American every season he was at Texas. His freshman season he set a CWS record for the most saves and won the CWS Most Outstanding Player honors for his amazing work as a closer.

Drafted in the first round by Billy Beane and the Oakland A's, Street only spent a few months in the minor leagues. At the start of the 2005 season, less than a year after being drafted, he became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel went down in May with an elbow injury. He went on to become the AL's Rookie of the Year.

Like most stoppers, He has had some infamous moments: In 2006 he gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the 2006 ALCS that ended the A's postseason. In 2009, as a member of the Colorado Rockies In Game 4 of the NLDS, he lost a 4–2 lead, allowing three runs for a Phillies 5–4 win and a series victory.

During this off-season he was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he hopefully will fall into the long line of great Padres closers... Heath Bell, Trevor Hoffman, Rich Gossage, and Rollie Fingers.

Personally, I've had the pleasure of watching and photographing Huston since he was a freshman at Texas. I've also had the opportunity to meet and talk with him many times. On each occasion, he has been nothing but a humble and respectful kid that clearly understands and appreciates how blessed his life has been. Want proof? Read this quote from a 2005 ESPN Magazine article about him:

"People talk about a grind, but I don't get it," he says. "This is my favorite place to be in the whole world. I love the game. I love baseball. How lucky am I, that I get to come out and run around a big field of green, perfectly cut grass? I get to shag balls, I get to play catch, then I get to go in and eat as much food as I want to eat. I mean, people say this job is pressure? The way I see it, I've got nothing to worry about."

DAHOF Top 100 -- #25 Steve Carlton

On February 25th, 1972 the St. Louis Cardinals traded lefthander Steve Carlton for Phillies righthanded starter Rick Wise. Both pitchers were All Stars, Carlton won 20 in 1971 and Wise was coming off a 17 win season with the Phils.

The 1972 Philadelphia Phillies were a terrible team. They had the second-worst offense in the National League, scoring 3.22 runs per game. Only two players hit .280 with 200 or more at bats for the team. Only four players with 200+ at bats had an on base percentage above .300. Catcher John Bateman was the one regular position player over the age of 30. They would lose 97 games, scoring 503 runs while allowing 635 runs.

There was one bright spot....In what could be considered one of the best single season pitching performances ever, Steve Carlton had a season for the ages. Lefty started 41 games, completed thirty of them, and had eight shutouts. He struck out 310 batters and walked only 87 in 346 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was a phenomenal 1.97 and his WHIP was a minuscule 0.993. He won 27 games, lost 10, and easily took home the Cy Young Award after the season.

Consider that for a moment: Steve Carlton won 27 games on a team that only won 59 games. He won 45.8% of his team's games. He is one of only ten pitchers since 1901 to win more than 40% of his team's games in a season and the only one to do so since 1922.

Happy Dick Allen Day

Born on March 8th, 1942 in Wampum, Pa.

1995 Topps Dick Allen - Phillies

DA Legacy Card using the 1995 Topps design

DAHOF Top 100 -- #26 Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan holds a very special place in my heart, surprisingly enough it has nothing to do with something he did on the mound during his Hall of Fame pitching career. In 1999 he led a group of investors that purchased the "AA" Jackson Generals and moved the minor league franchise to Central Texas, just minutes from my home. I have been a fan and supporter of the Round Rock Express for over a decade thanks to Nolan and his family.

When Nolan Ryan threw his final pitch on September 22, 1993 at the Seattle Kingdome, he concluded an amazing 27-year major league career in which he recorded a record 5,714 strikeouts while playing longer than anyone in major league history. Randy Johnson ranks #2 in career strikeouts... only 839 behind Nolan. He recorded 10-or-more strikeouts in a game 215 times and he fanned 19 batters four times, three of those in extra innings. In 1973 he struck out 383 American Leaguers, the most Ks in a single season since 1886.

He has 324 wins, including over 100 in each league. He surpassed the 20 win season mark twice during his career. He recorded a win in 31 of the 35 major league ballparks in which he pitched throughout his career.

As a major league pitcher Nolan is best known as the guy who threw a record 7 no-hitters, three more than the next closest pitcher, Sandy Koufax. He was the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter first on June 11th, 1990 at Oakland and then again on May 1, 1991 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Additionally, Nolan lost five no-hitters in the 9th inning and finished his career with an amazing 12 one-hitters, only matched by the great Bob Feller.

Most importantly he brought pride and dignity to the awesome Astros tequila sunrise uniforms.

Happy Willie Stargell Day

Now I know why they boo Richie all the time.

When he hits a home run, there's no souvenir...

Spring Training 1970

DAHOF Top 100 -- #27 Dave Parker

During the summer of 1978, I had the good fortune of discovering another kid at my school with the same unnatural obsession with baseball as me. We spent many hours each day discussing the important topics of the day... things the rising cost of a pack of baseball cards, the amazing taste of a Reggie bar, and if Pete Rose could break DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak.

At some point, unaware of strat-o-matic or any other similar games, we created a simple dice based baseball game using our expansive collection of baseball cards. Our little game developed into a fantasy draft and an eight team fantasy league complete with rosters and lineups. We even created team names and logos. I named my team the Houston Stars, accompanied by the Astrodome's Home Run spectacular featured in the second Bad News Bears movie.

About halfway through our schedule, hovering around .500 (which would make sense, considering the game was based on totally random numbers from rolling dice) -- I decided I really needed to shake-up my team. One morning I woke up 100% convinced the only player that could possibly make the difference for my lineup was NL batting champ Dave Parker. I was determined to get him, no matter the cost. I ended up packaging 5 or 6 players to persuade my friend to allow Parker join the Houston Stars.

In the end, Parker's performance met my expectations and "the Cobra" graphics looked great on my imaginary Astrodome scoreboard. He and Steve Garvey got hot and propelled my team into our fantasy playoffs... where I predictably suffered a humiliating defeat to a lesser team. In this case, fantasy was just a little to close to reality.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #28 Cliff Lee

I got an early Christmas present on December 14, 2010. Here is what the New York Times had to say at the time:

All along, the Yankees knew they were fighting the Texas Rangers for Cliff Lee. But they also had a sense of dread, a feeling that a stealth team might steal the latest pitcher of their dreams. They had reason to be worried.

The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to terms late Monday night with Lee, the prized left-hander who pitched for them in the 2009 World Series, according to a baseball executive told of the deal. The executive was granted anonymity so he could speak freely about a contract that was not completed.

The contract is believed to be for five years and $120 million (or $24 million a year) with a vesting option for a sixth year based on innings pitched. The baseball executive said the Yankees initially offered Lee six years for $138 million (or $23 million a year), then extended the offer to seven years at $148 million...

Lee also had a strong offer from the Rangers, although it was not as lavish as either the bid from the Yankees or the Phillies.

It was Lee’s agent, Darek Braunecker, who informed the Yankees that Lee was headed to Philadelphia, where he never wanted to leave after his dominant 2009 postseason run.

Meanwhile, Jon Daniels, the Rangers’ general manager, told MLB.com that Lee was the one who called him to deliver the bad news. Lee helped the Rangers reach their first World Series in October, but now he is gone.

“People rag on players for following that last dollar,” Daniels said. “Cliff didn’t do that. I have a lot of respect for him."

DAHOF Top 100 -- #29 Don Baylor

October 12, 1986. Anaheim, California. Angel Stadium.

It was Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series. The Angels held a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Red Sox. In previous seasons, that would have been enough to send them to the World Series, but starting in 1985 the League Championship Series was expanded from the 'best of 5' to the 'best of 7' games.

In the game, California looked like they were heading to their first-ever trip to a World Series after Bobby Grich homered (off of Dave Henderson's glove) in the sixth to give the Angels a 3–2 lead. Pinch hitter Rob Wilfong appeared to put the final nail in the Red Sox coffin with an RBI double in the seventh, extending the Angels lead to 5–2 headed into the ninth.

Starter Mike Witt allowed a Bill Buckner single to start the top of the ninth, but after he struck out Jim Rice, it looked as if he was going to notch his second complete game victory of the series. Up strolled former Angel AL MVP, Don Baylor who worked the count full before smashing a dramatic home run into left center field. Suddenly it was a 5-4 game.

The Red Sox & Angels added more dramatics and the Sox eventually won Game 5. They went on to win the Series, only to lose in similar fashion to the Mets. For Don Baylor, he had to wait for a World Series ring with Twins the next season. However, 1986 was the first of three straight World Series appearances, each with a different team.

DAHOF Top 100 -- #30 Andre Dawson

All you ever wanted to know about Andre Dawson is in his Hall of Fame speech from July 2010:

I didn't play this game with this goal in my mind, but I'm living proof that if you love this game, the game will love you back.

And I am proof that any young person who can hear my voice right now can be standing here, as I am. Like most of us up here, by the age of eight, I was using a busted broom handle for a bat and using rocks as a ball and by then I knew I was born to play this game. I dabbled in other sports, sure -- my knees are proof of that -- but baseball was my love. And baseball is where I belonged. And I found out quickly that if you love this game, the game will love you back.

It's still a great game, too. It bothers me when I hear people knock the game. There's nothing wrong with the game of baseball. Baseball will from time to time, and like anything else in life, fall victim to the mistakes that people make. It's not pleasant and it's not right. Those mistakes have hurt the game and taken a toll on all of us. Individuals have chosen the wrong road and have chosen that as their legacy. Others still have a chance to choose theirs. Do not be lured to the dark side. It's a stain on the game, a stain gradually being removed.

But that's the people, not the game. There's nothing wrong with the game. Never has been. I think people just forget why we ever got involved in the game in the first place. When we were nine and ten years old, we just loved playing the game. What we found was that if you put your heart into this game, if you love this game, the game will love you back.

That's why I made it here and anyone who can hear my voice right now can be standing here, as I am.

Look at me and these incredible men who make up the Hall of Fame. They are proof of that. There are many of us up here who had nothing, who came from nothing, who wondered if nothing was all there ever was. But look at us. There is hope. But you can't get here by skipping school or disrespecting your parents or your teachers or your coaches.

And you can't get here by dropping out of society. You can't get here if you believe you have nothing to lose out on the streets. You have everything to lose. But in this game you have everything to gain. A lot of kids feel abandoned, and I understand that. Some of us know what that feels like. It's a tough road and it's unfair. But feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to save you. Baseball can. Baseball can be your salvation. I am proof of that. And if you can hear my voice today, you can stand here, just as I am today.

As my grandmother used to say, "Take God with you. Get on your knees and believe it. Be thankful of the blessings before you receive them. If you can get left behind or you can get on board."

Love this game and the game will love you back.

Media Day 2012

Welcome to the ballclub Jonathan & Dontrelle

DAHOF Top 100 -- #31 Rod Carew

Rod Carew was born in a train in the Panama Canal Zone to Panamanian parents, who named him after the delivering doctor - Rodney Cline. He became one of the most prolific hitters of his generation. For me, he was my muse... after going hitless as a 10 year old, it wasn't until the next season, when I lowered the bat head in the batters box (imitating Rod Carew) that I finally broke thru and collected a hit in little league baseball.

Rod Carew bunted and slapped his way to 3,053 career hits. He used a variety of batting stances, sometimes changing in the middle of an at bat, to hit over .300 in 15 consecutive seasons with the Minnesota Twins and California Angels. He won the AL Batting Title seven times while achieving a .328 lifetime batting average. He was honored as American League Rookie of the Year in 1967 and won the league MVP Award in 1977. He was named to 18 straight All-Star teams, only missing the honor in his final, 1985 season.

Carew stole home 17 times in his career. He completed the feat 7 times in 1969, second to only Ty Cobb. His number 29 is retired by both the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. In 1991, his first year of eligibility, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In his Book Heart of the Order, Tom Boswell described his swing...

Thus Carew has invented a swing that incorporates almost every advantage that a contact hitter could want. He can wait until the last instant to commit his wristy, inside out swing. He's snake quick because he uses little body movement and relies on reflexes, not muscle. His bunting and unique knack for hitting smashes past a drawn-in left side complement each other.