"...and my nickname was, 'Snake Hips'."
Posted on 11/29/2005 8:34:24 AM PST by Rodney King
Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record _ the baseball draft, that is, admitting that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City A's in 1966 was untrue.
For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics.
The claim was included in a brief biography released when Richardson successfully ran for Congress in 1982. A White House news release in 1997 mentioned it when he was about to be named U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. And several news organizations, including The Associated Press, have reported it as fact over the years.
But an investigation by the Albuquerque Journal found no record of Richardson being drafted by the A's, who have since moved to Oakland, or any other team.
Informed by the newspaper of its findings, the governor acknowledged the error in a story in Thursday's editions.
"After being notified of the situation and after researching the matter ... I came to the conclusion that I was not drafted by the A's," he said.
Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos declined to comment when reached by the AP on Thursday.
Richardson, a right-handed pitcher who played at Tufts University, said he was actively scouted by several major league teams in the 1960s.
He insisted his name appeared on "a draft list of some kind" created by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He named team scouts, whom he said told him that he "would or could" be drafted. The scouts have since died.
Richardson later developed arm trouble, eliminating any possible pro career.
In the summer of 1967, he played for the amateur Cape Cod League's Cotuit (Mass.) Kettleers. The words "Drafted by K.C." appear next to his name on a faded team program, the Journal reported.
"When I saw that program in 1967, I was convinced I was drafted," Richardson said. "And it stayed with me all these years."
Then-general manager Arnold Mycock said the biographical information was supplied by players or their college coaches.
On a biographical sheet Richardson completed for Tufts in his junior year, he wrote, "Drafted by Kansas City (1966), LA (1968)." He said he wrote those words because he believed they were true.
"I never tried to embellish this," he said. "I never tried to mask it."
Richardson, elected governor in 2002, is seeking a second term next year.
Game Show Host (John Cleese): Good evening and welcome to Stake Your Claim.
First this evening we have Mr Norman Voles of
Gravesend who claims he wrote all Shakespeare's
works. Mr Voles, I understand you claim that
you wrote all those plays normally attributed to
Shakespeare?
Voles (Michael Palin): That is correct. I wrote all his plays and my wife and I
wrote his sonnets.
Host: Mr Voles, these plays are known to have been performed in the
early 17th century. How old are you, Mr Voles?
Voles: 43.
Host: Well, how is it possible for you to have written plays
performed over 300 years before you were born?
Voles: Ah well. This is where my claim falls to the ground.
Host: Ah!
Voles: There's no possible way of answering that argument, I'm
afraid. I was only hoping you would not make that particular
point, but I can see you're more than a match for me!
Host: Mr Voles, thank you very much for coming along.
Voles: My pleasure.
His position was left wing catcher...........
I wasn't drafted by the Kansas City A's???? Hmmm... My mistake. I meant I was drafted by the New York Knicks.
My thoughts exactly.If the Dodgers had made him an offer, it's likely to have been more appealing than anything that the First Infantry Division would have offered.
that sounds like a clinton explanation - LOL
More lying from a fellow DIM Kerry:
"[John] Kerry acknowledged that some voters in Massachusetts, the nation's most Irish-American state, may have had the impression that he had Irish roots. He said that he knew of no Irish ancestry and that he had always tried to correct misstatements whenever he learned about them.
"Numerous publications, including the Globe, have stated that Kerry is Irish-American.
"'I'm sure some people see the name and say, "Hey, I think it's this or that," but I've been clear as a bell,' Kerry said. 'I've always been absolutely straight up front about it.'
[...]
"Kerry 'has never indicated to anyone that he was Irish and corrected people over the years who assumed he was,' [spokeswoman Kelly] Benander said."
-- Michael Kranish, "Search for Kerry's Roots Finds Surprising History," in the Feb. 2 Boston Globe.
''For those of us who are fortunate to share an Irish ancestry, we take great pride in the contributions that Irish-Americans ..."
-- Senate floor statement by John Kerry, March 18, 1986, as quoted in Frank Phillips' and Brian C. Mooney's "1986 Statement Counters Kerry's Stand on Heritage," in the March 6 Boston Globe.
"As some of you may know, I am part-English and part-Irish. And when my Kerry ancestors first came over to Massachusetts from the old country to find work in the New World, it was my English ancestors who refused to hire them."
-- Draft remarks prepared for Kerry in 1984, quoted by Phillips and Mooney in the March 6 Globe. Kerry was lieutenant governor of Massachusetts at the time.
"[I]n 1982, at the state Democratic convention in Springfield, his campaign gave his convention floor workers emerald-green T-shirts and hats featuring the logo, 'Up Kerry' -- a takeoff on the rallying cry for the first president of the Republic of Ireland, Eamon de Valera, whose supporters cried, 'Up de Valera!' "
-- Phillips and Mooney in the March 6 Globe.
I agree. If the A's HAD drafted him, wouldn't they contact him TO SIGN A CONTRACT????????
Richardson is getting rid of an obvious lie so that it won't be brought up if he decides to run for higher office.
Maybe I didn't get drafted???!!! Ha! What a hoot! Maybe I'm not a princess!!!
Guys who look like John Belushi don't get elected President.
I was claiming to be president of the United States about a year ago, and some well-informed FReepers told me it was not so. I did some research, and after researching the matter I came to the conclusion that I am not the president of the United States.
I believed it to be true, and I'm sorry for that.
/sarcasm
Its a little like the Tom Harkin "toe to toe with North Viet Migs" story. Bogus.
"...and my nickname was, 'Snake Hips'."
Do baseball teams normally draft people without officially notifying them? I'd better check, because I might have been drafted, too.
Interesting.
A couple of decades ago I worked for a candidate who had been a college football star. He was actually signed with the Redskins (and paid by them, we had the proof). But he never played in a regular season game. Still his resume said he was a former Redskin.
When he announced for statewide office, reporters called the Skins who said "we never heard of him."
This in spite of the fact that he's mentioned in Lombardi's book and like I said, we had the contract and pay stubs from the Skins.
It dogged him the whole campaign. It wasn't the only reason we lost, but it was pretty damaging.
Of course, he was a Republican.
Great photo -- maybe Bill Richardson thinks he's really Fernando Valenzuela.
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