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MERLE T WILER

An old Jewish socialist fogey
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Member Since: 5/2008

Rickey races into Hall, Rice finally slugs way in

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Steals king is considered by many as most dangerous leadoff hitter ever

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{"commentId":4779198,"authorDomain":"ncsujags"}

Glad they both got it!

{"commentId":4779198,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"ncsujags"}
    Reply#1 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:29 PM EST
    {"commentId":4779299,"authorDomain":"CAChris"}

    Hey it was good fun for Padres fans when Rickey was here running the bags! Congrats to him-hope he goes in as a Padre!

    {"commentId":4779299,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"CAChris"}
      Reply#2 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:35 PM EST
      {"commentId":4779426,"authorDomain":"merle2"}

      Rickey played for my team, the Mariners, for a short time if what's left of my memory serves me right and he was a blast to watch!

      {"commentId":4779426,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"merle2"}
        Reply#3 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:41 PM EST
        {"commentId":4780397,"authorDomain":"jframe"}

        Diehard A's fan! Happy for Rickey, has to go in as an Athletic!! Hmmmm, no Giants players this year? Kudos to Rice, what took so long for the voters to get with it? His numbers are there, I think he was a feared as Rickey!!

        {"commentId":4780397,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"jframe"}
          Reply#4 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:30 PM EST
          {"commentId":4780667,"authorDomain":"memzoo48"}

          Congratulations to Rickey and to A's fans everywhere.  I had the pleasure of living in Alameda, California in the '90s.  I saw dozens of A's games, and Rickey was the ultimate lead off hitter!  So great to see him recognized for his amazing talent.

          {"commentId":4780667,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"memzoo48"}
            Reply#5 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:46 PM EST
            {"commentId":4780776,"authorDomain":"cjrosland"}

            Had the pleasure of seeing both play in Milwaukee.  Henderson set the stolen base mark at County Stadium.  Always liked the way Rice played the game, and would say that his 1978 numbers were the best offensive performance of the decade:  213 hits and a .315 BA, 121 runs scored and 139 batted in, 15 triples, 46 HR, a slugging avg of .600 and 406 total bases, which to me was the most impressive.  No one has had 400 or more in the AL since then.  Not that one year makes a hall of famer, but that was a year on a par with what Aaron or Musial did in other decades.  Glad he made it.

            {"commentId":4780776,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"cjrosland"}
              Reply#6 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:53 PM EST
              {"commentId":4781241,"authorDomain":"jim-81"}

              How can Blyleven not be in?

              {"commentId":4781241,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"jim-81"}
                #6.1 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:19 PM EST
                Reply
                {"commentId":4781638,"authorDomain":"johnarank"}

                Same arguement for Jack Morris?  World Series Gems, Most wins for the decade of the eighties!

                {"commentId":4781638,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"johnarank"}
                • 1 vote
                Reply#7 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:44 PM EST
                {"commentId":4782788,"authorDomain":"mikepan"}

                How can Alan Trammell be denied HOF?? He has better stats than every SS currently in the HOF besides Ripken. He played SS for 20 seasons, '84 World Series MVP, 3 Gold Gloves and 2nd in voting (got ripped off) for AL MVP in '87 batting .343 as a SS. What more do you need to do to be in the HOF? A loudmouth from a major market maybe!!

                {"commentId":4782788,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"mikepan"}
                  Reply#8 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:04 PM EST
                  {"commentId":4783531,"authorDomain":"tanutuva"}

                  I can understand why Blyleven and Morris have their champions, but did  you really make it a point to never miss those guys play, they you might have with Koufax, Seaver, Henderson, or Reggie? I was never a Reggie fan, but I don't know anyone who missed an at bat if they had a chance. That to me is the big criteria. Would you put Eva Mendes on hold to catch a Reggie or Aaron at bat, or a Koufax or Seaver game?

                  {"commentId":4783531,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"tanutuva"}
                    Reply#9 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:59 PM EST
                    {"commentId":4784604,"authorDomain":"stephen-young"}

                    Why not Andre Dawson, a man among men?   Led the NL in homers despite being pitched around on an awful Cubs team.   If Rice deserves it, so does Dawson.   Ryne Sandberg remarked at his HOF induction speech that Dawson was the best player he ever saw.  

                    {"commentId":4784604,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"stephen-young"}
                      Reply#10 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:32 PM EST
                      {"commentId":4786708,"authorDomain":"kountryking"}

                      Hooray for Ricky and Rice.  The guy who keeps getting screwed is my all-time hero, Gil Hodges.  I refuse to die until he gets in with Pee Wee, Jackie, Campy, and the Duke.

                      {"commentId":4786708,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"kountryking"}
                        Reply#11 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:32 AM EST
                        {"commentId":4786816,"authorDomain":"kountryking"}

                        How can Blyleven not be in?  Kirk Gibson!

                        {"commentId":4786816,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"kountryking"}
                          Reply#12 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:51 AM EST
                          {"commentId":4790648,"authorDomain":"billop"}

                          Who are those approximately 5% of voters who didn't vote Ricky in?  What planet are they living on?

                          {"commentId":4790648,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"billop"}
                          • 1 vote
                          Reply#13 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:54 AM EST
                          {"commentId":4790874,"authorDomain":"rbini"}

                          I have two comments:

                          1) To all of you writers who didn't vote for Ricky Henderson - you should never be allowed to vote for the Hall of Fame again. Let writers who know and understand the game do the voting, as you obviously do NOT!!!

                          2) I've been a rabid Yankee Fan since the mid 1950's. There are a few hitters that no matter what or when they stepped ot the plate  against the Yankees, you knew that they were going to kill you... WIlliams, Yastremski, RICE, Ramirez.... None of those people played during the Rice era. He had the same effect against virtually any team. It is a travesty that it's taken this long to recognize him as one of the dominant forces of his era. COnratulations, Jim Rice... FINALLY!!!

                          {"commentId":4790874,"threadId":"468244","contentId":"2303184","authorDomain":"rbini"}
                            Reply#14 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:09 PM EST
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