How to honor a hall of famer (and how to make unfunny fat jokes)

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 11:39 AM PDT in News

I'll be honest with you. I'm offended by headlines like To Gwynn, Hall was worth the weight and Through thick, thin, Gwynn's a champ. We get it. Gwynn gained weight. He's fat. That's ummm... good stuff, I guess. Real in-depth reporting. Sky, blue. Gwynn, fat.

But then I read this article by Josh Smith from the Frederick News Post, where he truly tributes Gwynn with lines like...

Gwynn used a puny bat, which he wielded with the accuracy of a diamond cutter. He studied video of his plate appearances, had a friendship with the legendary Ted Williams and made his living by slapping singles through the five-and-a-half hole (between the third baseman and shortstop).

And...

I guess people around here are more excited about Cal Ripken's induction than Gwynn's. I'm preparing for a week-long love fest with countless Odes to The Iron Man.

It's going to be a strange day for me. Folks around here will be blabbering on about Cal, when all I want to hear about is Gwynn, Mr. San Diego Padre.

It's something that jbox and I have talked about often on the blog. Cal Ripken is great in the same way that people who live to 114 are great. Well done. You're still here. Congratulations for being around and ummm... not dying, I guess. What's your secret? Clean living, huh. Never took any chances? Oh that's good. Oh, and I guess you're pleasant enough to look at... YAAAAAAAWN.

Tony Gwynn is great in the way that truly great things are great. Eight batting titles. Gold gloves. Hit after hit.

Unfortunately, some just see the weight and judge Tony to be the anomaly.

"Oh look at that fat guy. He's a hall of famer? That's remarkable because he's fat."

When really, it should be the other way around.

"Oh look at that guy. He's a hall of famer? That's remarkable, because all he did was show up every day for like 50 years."

Still, Ripken deserves the Hall of Fame, but Gwynn doesn't deserve to be mocked for his weight.

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3000 hit club

= Hall of Fame for Cal.

I find it depressing to see Gwynn gain all that weight. I agree the comments get old.

Padres fan since '76

by kev on Jul 20, 2007 11:55 AM PDT 0 recs

great take Dex

You bring up some good points. It's always bothered me how Ripken was viewed as better than Gwynn by the national media. Like the last year they were playing and the AL manager said he would put Ripken on the team no matter what, yet no one suggested that Gwynn be put on the NL team to honor him.

Ripken's career batting average was lower than about 10 guys that were on the first-time ballot with him last year. While Gwynn has always simply been the man.

by jwood on Jul 20, 2007 12:50 PM PDT 0 recs

Agreed

This is exactly why I was disappointed that they would be inducted in the same year. All the attention will be on Cal.

by Drama on Jul 20, 2007 1:13 PM PDT 0 recs

This Year

I'm just glad Big Mac didn't get in this year. I remember following the 2001 season, there was a good chance Big Mac, Ricky, Cal and T would have all been going in together.

by Jonny Dub on Jul 20, 2007 1:21 PM PDT up 0 recs

Even so

This has to be one of the classiest classes in years. Cal and Tony both played the game the right way and were great role models. You can't say that every year.

And I agree, having Big Mac in this class would've ruined it for everyone.

by thenerdhater on Jul 20, 2007 2:25 PM PDT 0 recs

Agreed

Cal Ripken is a class act and I'm probably too hard on him, but not nearly as hard as everybody in the media is about Tony Gwynn and his weight. Basically, the way I downplayed Cal Ripken's accomplishments and focused on something kinda lame and relatively boring is the way I think people have been viewing Tony Gwynn.

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 3:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

Cal Ripken

Cal Ripken is the second-best power hitting shortstop of all time (after Alex Rodriguez). He wasn't a great OBP guy, but he scored the 31st-most runs in MLB history, only 100 behind fellow shortstop Honus Wagner (who played until he was 43!). He's 20th on the all-time RBI list, 13th on the career doubles list. Any way you slice it, Ripken is one of the best three or four players at his position in history. Everyone loves to mention the games streak, but he would easily be one of the best players to ever play the game if that had never happened.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Jul 20, 2007 3:20 PM PDT 0 recs

I know that

My point is, Cal Ripken is likely one of the top 5 shortstops ever. Tony Gwynn might be one of the top 5 right fielders ever. What does the media focus on? Ironman record and fatboy.

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 3:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

Just to expand on my point

When I'm talking top 5 right fielders ever, I mean that Tony Gwynn should be associated with Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. If Gwynn had played in the AL, 4,000 hits would not have been unlikely. His hitting puts him in a class to compare with Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb.

And somehow... I keep reading about how fat he is. It's a damn shame.

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 3:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

well

I don't think Tony Gwynn is one of the top 5 right fielders ever. Top 10, sure. I can't take him over Ruth, Aaron, Robinson, Ott, Clemente. But he's in the next group, with Kaline, Heillmann, Waner, Reggie Jackson. He's still my favorite player ever, of course.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Jul 20, 2007 4:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

Also

Babe Ruth was pretty fat.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Jul 20, 2007 4:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

I'd put him above Clemente

But that's obviously a difficult comparison considering the end of Clemente's career.

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 4:36 PM PDT up 0 recs

Looking at Bill James...

He has Gwynn at 6 behind Ruth, Aaron, Robinson, Ott and Pete Rose (which I don't think is fair considering his move after he got slow). Gwynn comes in just front of Reggie Jackson and Clemente.

Why don't we settle on one of the best ever and arguably in the top 5. ;)

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 4:39 PM PDT up 0 recs

well

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Jul 20, 2007 4:31 PM PDT 0 recs

whoops

I meant this to be in response to dex.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Jul 20, 2007 4:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

Fat

Not to bring this down. Tony is great, my favorite player of all time. But, if Tony could have kept those pounds off he might have been real close to 4000 hits and he would have hit .400 in '94. Beating out a couple infield hits in '94 would have made the difference.

by Jonny Dub on Jul 20, 2007 4:33 PM PDT 0 recs

The difference in 94

He could've done it if it wasn't a strike season. Getting to .400 in the middle of August would've had an asterisk anyway.

by Dex on Jul 20, 2007 4:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

Incredible

I was just having some fun looking at Tony's numbers over the years... all I can say is WOW!

I would kill to have a guy hitting like that on our team right now. That '97 season is insane. His strikeout totals are incredible too. Too bad we couldn't get him a world series ring. That guy was pretty incredible.

by fairweather on Jul 20, 2007 4:50 PM PDT 0 recs

All said and done

Tony bashing does get old. Tony and Cal will always be TOPS in my book, Tony over Cal of course. I let the facts of their accomplishments speak for themselves.

by sqrunt on Jul 20, 2007 4:52 PM PDT 0 recs

Nerd alert

In 7th grade I gave a presentation on the awesomeness of Tony Gwynn. Made a poster, passed around the autographed ball, totally got an A, too.

by matto619 on Jul 20, 2007 4:55 PM PDT 0 recs

that is weird

I did the same thing in middle school, but it was 88 and I lived in NY. Everyone ask why I hated Darrly Strawberry.

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

by Ron Mexico on Jul 20, 2007 5:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

How about Denny?

I've been in many arguments defending why Gwynn should receive/have received more votes for the HOF than Ripken. Gwynn's the most qualifed HOF candidate since 1999 (George Brett).

This HOF induction will be special for me as well. Royals radio announcer Denny Matthews will be inducted into the HOF that day. It is well-deserved. Denny's been here since day one back in 1969. IMO, the true test of the talent of a baseball announcer is when you listen to other announcers & you catch their mistakes and omissions.

by RoyalsFan on Jul 21, 2007 9:37 PM PDT 0 recs