One of the baseball organizations I am most proud to be a member of is the Baseball Reliquary. It is an organization truly dedicated to the character and characters of baseball – from the fans’ point of view. With its passionate, but sometimes irreverent approach to the national pastime, BBRT likes to think of the Reliquary as “Mardi Gras” for baseball fans. Each year, the Baseball Reliquary selects inductees to its Shrine of the Eternals, the Reliquary’s version of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A few of the Reliquary’s diverse list of past inductees include: National Baseball Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Robert Clemente; fierce competitor Dock Ellis (who once threw a no-hitter while on LSD); maverick owner Bill Veeck, Jr.; Tommy John surgery pioneer Dr. Frank Jobe; and the San Diego Chicken. This week, the Baseball Reliquary announced it 2014 Shrine of the Eternals electees. That follows is the official press release – as well as some closing comments noting non-elected nominees that BBRT voted for (and why). For more on the Baseball Reliquary click here. I think you’ll enjoy the read.
DIZZY DEAN, DON ZIMMER, AND RACHEL ROBINSON
ELECTED TO THE SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS FOR 2014
The Board of Directors of the Baseball Reliquary, Inc., a Southern California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history, is pleased to announce the sixteenth class of electees to the Shrine of the Eternals. The Shrine of the Eternals is the national organization’s equivalent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dizzy Dean, Don Zimmer, and Rachel Robinson were elected upon receiving the highest number of votes in balloting conducted during the month of April 2014 by the membership of the Baseball Reliquary. The three electees will be formally inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals in a public ceremony on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at the Donald R. Wright Auditorium in the Pasadena Central Library, Pasadena, California.
Of the fifty eligible candidates on the 2014 ballot, Dizzy Dean received the highest voting percentage, being named on 37% of the ballots returned. Following Dean were Don Zimmer with 33% and Rachel Robinson with 31%. Runners-up in this year’s election included Bo Jackson (29%), Glenn Burke (27%), Sy Berger (26%), Effa Manley (25%), Charlie Brown (24%), Bob Costas (24%), Ernie Harwell (24%), Steve Bilko (23%), and Rocky Colavito (23%).
DIZZY DEAN
Elected to the Shrine of the Eternals in his fourteenth year on the ballot, hurler, free-spirit, and malapropster extraordinaire, Dizzy Dean (1910-1974), had a long and eventful life in baseball, both as a pitcher and a broadcaster. The son of an Arkansas sharecropper, Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean signed in 1930 with the St. Louis Cardinals and spent the next two seasons in the minors, peaking with Houston in the Texas League in 1931. Promoted to the big club permanently in 1932, the boastful Dean quickly became the cornerstone of the Cardinals’ rotation. The rough and tumble Depression-era Cardinals (dubbed “The Gashouse Gang”) rode Diz’s tongue and golden arm (30-7, 2.65 ERA) to the NL pennant in 1934, besting the Tigers in a memorable seven-game World Series. Between 1932 and 1936, Dean averaged 25 victories per season and seemed destined to become one of the National League’s winningest pitchers ever until struck on the toe by a line drive during the 1937 All-Star Game. The injury forced Dean to alter his pitching motion, leading to arm problems which nipped his career in the bud.
After retiring in 1941, Dean immediately moved to the broadcast booth, where he earned a huge local following as the radio voice of the St. Louis Browns, peppering play-by-play with his colorful reinventions of the English language. To the dismay of English teachers everywhere, Dean became hugely popular with national audiences in the 1950s as the primary broadcaster for network television’s Game of the Week. The subject of a Hollywood bio-pic (The Pride of St. Louis) and numerous biographies, Ol’ Diz was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953.
DON ZIMMER
Elected to the Shrine of the Eternals in his tenth year on the ballot, Don Zimmer (born 1931) is part of a vanishing breed – the baseball lifer. Now in his eleventh year as a senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays (serving as a coach/advisor during spring training and for pregame practices at home games, as well as assisting the Rays in the area of community affairs), Zimmer wears the number 66, representing his 66th year in professional baseball. He has noted often, and proudly, that every paycheck he’s ever gotten came from baseball, and has never held a job in any other profession. Zimmer was told his playing days were over after a disastrous beaning in the minor leagues in 1953, but he made it to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954, beginning a twelve-year big league career as an infielder. After the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Championship season in 1959, Zimmer bounced around with a series of truly bad teams, including the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, before retiring as a major leaguer with the Washington Senators in 1965.
In 1971, he began a long tenure as a coach and manager for major league teams all over North America, including the Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Colorado Rockies. Zimmer served three coaching stints for the New York Yankees, the last one finding him dispensing his baseball wisdom as bench coach/yogi from 1996-2003, during which time the team won four World Series titles under the helm of Joe Torre. Zimmer is often remembered for his “brawl” with Pedro Martinez during the 2003 AL Championship series, when he ran at and was thrown to the ground by the Red Sox pitcher. Nicknamed “Popeye” for his facial resemblance to the cartoon character, Zimmer is still a warrior at age 83. He has written two autobiographies, Zim: A Baseball Life and The Zen of Zim, and serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping former players through financial and medical difficulties.
RACHEL ROBINSON
Elected to the Shrine of the Eternals in her first year on the ballot, Rachel Robinson (born 1922) is arguably the most important woman in baseball history, as the widow of baseball and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson. Rachel met Jackie while they were students at UCLA and they were married in 1946, the year before Jackie broke major league baseball’s color barrier and changed America forever. Rachel counseled, consoled, and supported Jackie throughout his career, giving him strength when his will faltered, and she endured with him countless affronts to their dignity. Jackie often attested, without his wife, he could never have withstood the intense pressures of being the first African American in the major leagues.
Once described by Dodger baseball executive Branch Rickey as Jackie’s “tower to lean on,” Rachel kept her husband’s legacy alive after his premature death in 1972 by founding the New York-based Jackie Robinson Foundation, a nonprofit with the mandate of providing college scholarships and leadership training to promising and talented young people. “As a nurse [Robinson] has devoted her life to caring for others,” writes Albert Kilchesty, the Baseball Reliquary’s Archivist and Historian. “She has been honored and celebrated in and out of baseball, and has always been gracious when being acknowledged for her husband’s courage and determination. But she is more than deserving of applause and recognition on her own merits. I have never met her. I have never spoken to her. Yet I have more admiration and respect for her than nearly any other woman in public life. She has never played the game – she is the game.”
Dizzy Dean, Don Zimmer, and Rachel Robinson will join 45 other baseball luminaries who have been inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals since elections began in 1999, including, in alphabetical order, Jim Abbott, Dick Allen, Roger Angell, Emmett Ashford, Moe Berg, Yogi Berra, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Jim Brosnan, Bill Buckner, Roberto Clemente, Steve Dalkowski, Rod Dedeaux, Jim Eisenreich, Dock Ellis, Eddie Feigner, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Ted Giannoulas, Josh Gibson, Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Pete Gray, William “Dummy” Hoy, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill James, Dr. Frank Jobe, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Roger Maris, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Manny Mota, Lefty O’Doul, Buck O’Neil, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, Jackie Robinson, Lester Rodney, Pete Rose, Casey Stengel, Luis Tiant, Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Veeck, Jr., Maury Wills, and Kenichi Zenimura.
In the coming weeks, leading up to the Shrine of the Eternals Induction Day on Sunday, July 20, 2014, further details will be announced, including the recipients of the 2014 Hilda Award (named in memory of Hilda Chester and honoring a baseball fan’s exceptional devotion to the game) and the 2014 Tony Salin Memorial Award (presented annually to an individual dedicated to the preservation of baseball history).
Paul Dickson, the prolific author and historian, and former recipient of the Tony Salin Memorial Award (2011), will be the keynote speaker for the Shrine of the Eternals 2014 Induction Day. Dickson’s books include the award-winning Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick and the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to baseball terminology ever compiled, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary.
BBRT’S SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS BALLOT
Now, here’s a look a BBRT’s ballot. I did vote for 2014 honorees Dizzy Dean and Rachel Robinson,whose contributions are described in the Baseball Reliquary’s release. Here’s a look at the “who and why” of my remaining votes (* indicates still living):
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson (1934 – *)
Johnson was one of three females to play for the Indianapolis Clowns during the declining days of the Negro Leagues. Johnson took the mound to the Clowns for three seasons (1953-55), running up a 33-8 record. Her exploits are chronicled in the children’s book A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut Johnson, by Michelle Y. Green.
Rube Waddell (1876-1914)
Rube Waddell is pretty much granted the title of the zaniest player in MLB history – but he was also one of the best (at least when he was focused on the game). Waddell was known to wrestle alligators, leave a ball game to chase a fire engine, miss a game he was scheduled to start because he was fishing or playing marbles with neighborhood kids, bring his outfielders in to sit on the grass and then proceed to fan the side – and frequently do battle with owners and managers. Waddell, who had an issue with alcohol consumption, was more interested in the freedom to do things his way than money. But, when Waddell was on his game, he was arguably the best pitcher of his time. The 6’1”, 195-lb. lefty led the AL in strikeouts six consecutive seasons (1902-1907) – by a wide margin.
How good was Waddell? In 1902, he joined the Philadelphia Athletics in June – making his first start on June 26 (with just 86 games left in the season.) Waddell proceeded to win 24 games (the league’s second-highest total) against seven losses, with a 2.05 ERA. Perhaps more telling is that, despite his shortened season, he led the AL with 210 strikeouts, fifty more than the runner-up (none other than Cy Young, who had 16 more starts than Waddell). In 1904, Waddell set a modern (post-1900) MLB record with 349 strikeouts that stood until 1965. In 1904, Jack Chesbro finished second in the AL in strikeouts – 110 behind Waddell – while NL leader Christy Mathewson trailed Waddell by 137 Ks. Rube Waddell, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, finished with a 193-143, 2.16 line – leading the AL in strikeouts six times, ERA twice, wins once and complete games once. For more on Waddell, BBRT suggests: Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist, by Allan Howard Levy and Just a Big Kid: The Life and Times of Rube Waddell, by Paul Proia.
Pete Reiser (1919-81)
Combine Willie Mays’ skill set (younger folks, think Mike Trout) with Pete Rose’s hustle and Yasiel Puig’s on-field abandon and you have Pete Reiser. In his first MLB full season (CF, Dodgers), a 22-year-old Reiser dazzled defensively and led the NL in runs scored (117), doubles (39), triples (17), batting average (.343), total bases (299) and hit by pitch (11) – tossing in 14 home runs and 76 RBI for good measure. Unfortunately, unpadded outfield walls, helmet-less at bats (the fiery Reiser was a frequent target) and aggressiveness on the base paths (Reiser twice led the NL in stolen bases) took their toll. In his ten-season career, Reiser endured five skull fractures, a brain injury, a dislocated shoulder and a damaged knee. He was carted off the field 11 times during his career (six times unconscious) and once actually given last rites at the stadium – and he played on. The three-time All Star retired as a player with a .295 career average, playing in 861 games over ten seasons. No telling what he might have done with padded outfield walls and batting helmets. Pete Reiser was a true – and talented – gamer. For more on Reiser, try Pete Reiser: The Rough and Tumble Career of the Perfect Ballplayer, by Sidney Jacobson.
Denny McLain (1944- * )
MLB’s last 30-game winner (31-6 for the Tigers in 1968), BBRT views McLain as the Pitcher of the Year in what baseball analysts often refer to as the Year of the Pitcher. And, he wasn’t a one- year wonder. McLain won 20 or more games three times, captured two Cy Young Awards (1968-69) and one AL MVP Award (1968). McLain, who ran up a 131-91, 3.39 record in ten MLB seasons, was a colorful and complex a character off the field and on. He life experience provides a tale of ups and downs – from being selected the 1968 Associate Press Male Athlete of the Year and Sporting News Major League Player of the Year to a six-year prison stint. McLain is likely the only former major leaguer whose bio includes such varied terminology as MVP, Cy Young Award, All Star game starting pitcher, World Series opening game starter – as well as pilot, Capitol Records recording artist, talk show host, author and ex-con. McLain’s story gives baseball fans plenty to talk about – and you can learn more by reading I Told You I Wasn’t Perfect, by Denny McLain and Eli Zaret. Oh, and just one more bit on Denny McLain. He started the 1966 All Star game (vs. Sandy Koufax) and retired all nine batters he faced (Mays, Clemente, Aaron, McCovey, Santo, J. Torre, Lefebvre, Cardenas, Flood) on just 28 pitches –striking out Mays, Aaron and Torre. That alone justifies consideration for the Shrine of the Eternals.
Glenn Burke – (1952-95)
An outfielder for the Dodgers and the Athletics from 1976 to 1979, Burke was the first major league ball player to admit he was gay. Much like the first African-American players, Burke had to face prejudice on and off field, both overt and covert. Burke should be honored for the courage to announce his sexual preference in this environment.
In four trying MLB seasons, Burke appeared in 226 games, going .237-2-38, with 35 steals. In August 2013, Burke was among the first class selected to the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. A documentary film: Out: The Glenn Burke Story was released in 2010. In addition, Burke co-authored (with Erik Sherman) Out at Home: The Glenn Burke Story.
In a less significant event, Burke is credited with teaming up with Dusty Baker to create the “high five.” In the final game of the 1977 season, Baker rapped his 30th home run of the year (making the Dodgers the first team to boast four players with 30 home runs in the same season). When Burke ran onto the field to congratulate Baker he raised his hands over his head. Not sure how to respond, Baker chose to slap one of Burke’s hands and – legend has it – the high five was born.
Effa Manley (1900-81)
The first woman enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, during the 1930s and 1940s, Manley ran the day-to-day operations of the Negro National League Newark Eagles (owned by her husband Abe Manley) – at a time when baseball, on the field and in the executive offices, was considered a “man’s domain.” Effa, often thought of as a light-skinned black, was actually white. She, however, grew up with a black stepfather and mixed race siblings and was active in the New Jersey branch of the NAACP and Citizen’s League for Fair Play. Effa Manley deserves recognition for overcoming both racial and sexual barriers as she exercised leadership in the national pastime.
David Mullany (1908-90)
David Mullany was the inventor of the Wiffle® Ball (1953), which ultimately changed backyard baseball for millions of young (and old) players and fans. I know I loved my white perforated plastic ball and yellow plastic bat – and played more then one backyard World Series opener with them (without shattering a single window). Today, there are Wiffle Ball fields, leagues and tournaments. The company is still operated by the Mullany family and you can learn more by visiting their website (www.wiffle.com)
