"Poetry in Motion"
Posted on 07/06/2002 4:48:42 AM PDT by krodriguesdc
"Poetry in Motion"
Umpire: Dang, there's that burning bat smell again.
No doubt Pete was a great player, but he knew what the rules were, and he broke them. Does he belong in the HoF? No, but only because of what he did off the field. Does he have my respect as a player who perhaps got more from his abilities than any other (a trait I greatly admire) yes.
I believe in the rule of law, and the law of rules, so please don't compare what Pete did to Babe, or Cobb, or any other player in the HoF. Some of what they did was lousy, but did not rise to the level of what Pete did BASED ON THE RULES OF BASEBALL.
Just maybe there is still a little bit of honor within Major League Baseball. Pete Rose is being made an example of in the hopes that players and fans will remember that there are rules in baseball that mean something.
his walking twice as often as Rose. Walks do not count as an AB. Bottom line: Williams hit for tremendous power and average while Rose played a long time and collected many hits.
4 RBI crowns
6 batting titles
8 time AL slugging leader
9th highest all time average
12th all time in RBI
14th all time in runs
12th all time in HR
All considering his 5 missed years. Wow.
LOL. At the rate things are going, he'll eventually be joined in his 'haunting venture' by Yaz, Rice, and Fisk...(I know he was a White Slug longer, but I'll always think of him as a Bosox).
Happy Landings Ted.
Nobody said you had to be a good guy to make it into the HOF, but you can't bet on baseball. Rose knew the rules, yet he chose to break them. It's his own fault he's not in the hall.
All Time-Record for losing money on games: $1,230,547.75
Great response!
In 1941, when he was 22-23, Ted Williams hit .406 with 37 home runs, a .551 on-base percentage, and a .735 slugging percentage. He led the major leagues in all those categories. And he struck out 27 times in 456 at-bats.
In 1957, when he was 38-39, Williams hit .388 with 38 home runs, a .526 on-base percentage, and a .731 slugging percentage. He led the major leagues in all those categories, except home runs. And he struck out 43 times in 420 at-bats.
He did not play at all in 1943, 1944, and 1945, when he was 24-27. He played only a little bit in 1952 and 1953, when he was 33-35. So he missed almost five full seasons (all due to military service) in the prime of his career, when his numbers would have been at their highest.
What a hitter.
If Ted had played at Yankee stadium and never served in the military, he would have had 900 career homeruns, 4 or 5 Triple Crowns, 6 MVPs, etc... imo.
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