Kingfish Stevens

The fact that anyone would be interested in anything said by Pearl Jam or the Dixie Chicks says a lot about the state of this country. Possibly we could get the learned thoughts of Paris Hilton or Sean Penn.

If she wants to be president it is absolutely our business. We have every right to know what motivates her. As for calling her a fool and a liar, I shouldn't have called her a fool. Many descriptions fit her but "fool" is not one of them.

Of course, the motive behind staying married has some bearing on the issue. Does she do it out of love? Or, does she do it out of calculated political ambition? If she claims it is love, she is, most likely both a liar and a fool. If she admits it is out of carefully scripted political ambition, she is being, at least, honest.

There are a number of thoughtful posts above but now for part two of the query. Most who speak of Heaven do so exhibiting the hope that they will be reunited with loved ones. Many of the above posts express the same sentiment. From my experience, that is most always the overriding theme of discussions of Heaven. Oh, there are always the platitudes in regard to "being with the Lord" and so forth but the overwhelming desire is to see loved ones. I would have to believe that the great majority of you have had the same experience. Now for the question. If, in all honesty, most want to go to Heaven to see loved ones moreso than to see/worship God (and I sincerely believe this is true whether admitted or not), by not putting God first and above all else, are they going to miss their goal?

Agreed.

Many argue for Ken Boyer and/or Ron Santo. However, I would rate Jones over both of them even though he has played in the era of the juiced baseball. If the Braves can win another WS (not likely) if Jones can win a batting title (very possible this year), and if he can have a few more good years, I believe he will be elected to the Hall.

As of now, out. If he hangs around for 5 or 6 more years and does reasonably well, in.

Excellent post. I agree. It is an understatement to say that Rose is his own worst enemy. He really isn't a very sympathetic figure.

Not long ago, I attended a funeral of an avid fisherman. during the service the preacher said he could picture the deceased with a great smile on his face sitting on a river bank in Heaven fishing for the "big ones". Well, that sounded nice to those in attendance and it gave solace to loved ones but the preacher's words were not exactly based on any scripture of which I am aware. On the other hand, the thought of sitting on a cloud playing a harp has, at least to me, little appeal. Therefore, let me solicit from you other BGPers just exactly what you expect. And, please no over generalizations like saying that our human minds cannot comprehend the wonder. That's too easy and really meaningless to our finite minds. What do you expect and upon what do you base your conclusion?

Because I believe the Hall of Fame should admit only the best, I wouldn't vote for anyone on the list. If forced to cast a ballot, I would vote for Jim Kaat with Blyleven second. If longevity is really important, I would think the real shooin is Julio Franco. If he doesn't qualify, I can't see any of the others being seriously considered on the basis of longevity. Actually, though far from great, Franco's numbers look pretty good. Other than the overrated and too common homerun, he compares quite well when stacked up against the others mentioned.

It is true that you cannot fairly compare players from different eras. Therefore, most historians compare how each player stacked up against the other players of his era. We are in a time where many expect a video game. Lots of glitz, fireworks, duds long past their prime hanging on as DHs, juiced balls, overly thin handled bats, etc. We even see ballparks designed to aid not only homeruns but also certain players (ie: Great American Ballpark admittedly set up for Griffey to break Ruth's record). While a lot can be said, one story sums it all. One baseball historian was asked what Ty Cobb would bat if he played today. He responded by stating that Cobb would hit about .325. The questioner was shocked and asked why Cobb wouldn't hit higher. The historian replied, "You must remember that Cobb would be 120 years old." That says it all.

Landmark loss. If Braves don't win today, it could be the turning point in the season. Mayday and Sorryano left a lot to be desired. Cox's loyalty to Sorryano proved again to be a mistake. In the end, don't be surprised if Castillo does more for the Mets than the much heralded "Big Tex" does for the Braves. So far, there seems to be a bit of a trend in that direction.

I think the question should be in regard to how many H of F members should not have been elected. If it is truly a hall for the elite, it should be limited to the absolute best who were ever associated with the game. There are too many "good" players in now. It only dilutes the hall to have players who were elected because they were buddies of many who voted. An earlier veterans committee was notorious for this and we ended up with the Lindstroms, Hermans, Doerrs, Kells, Rizzutos, Ferrells, Newhousers, Lemons, and many more less than "great" performers. We don't need to dilute it any further with Lynn, Murphy, Dawson, Rice, Parker, and the many more who don't really measure up. As for Koufax, anyone who is familiar with his accomplishments would never doubt his inclusion. Unfortunately, injuries shortened his career significantly. Of course, his teammate, Drysdale, is another story as is, among others, Senator Bunning.

Of course, the only real difference between a Baptist and a Catholic is that the Catholic will speak to you as he leaves the liquor store.

Excellent example.

No.

Bonds has hit more homeruns in his major career than has any other player. For that he should be lauded. Official At Bats: Ruth 8,398 Aaron 12,364 Bonds 9,774 Homeruns: Ruth 714 Aaron 755 Bonds 756 Batting Average Ruth .342 Aaron .305 Bonds .298 Bonds and Aaron are/were among the best hitters to ever play the game. Bonds, in particular, hit most of his homeruns in an era when the longball is far too common. Ruth, on the other hand, often hit more home runs than did entire opposing teams. You must put all of these records into context and, when you do, Ruth is still at the head of the class by a great margin. The same argument can be easily made for Cobb over Rose but that is a subject for another thread. Still, Bonds deserves credit for what he accomplished.

I would have to agree that Baptists are not elitists. I've heard them called many uncomplimentary things but certainly never elitists.

There haven't been very many second basemen who have put up the offensive numbers of Kent. Defensively there have been and almost endless number who were better. Since the voters seem to be offensive minded, Kent will probably make it sooner or later. The Hall of Fame is like a lot of groups in that it has its heirarchy and its many lesser members. Kent will join Kell, Doerr, Rizzuto, Herman, Boudreau, and many others at the lowest rung of the group.

With Scott Boros as his agent, greenbacks will be the deciding factor. Loyalty and integrity in baseball disappeared with free agency- for the players and for management.

He certainly did although it was after the game was long ago decided. He also struck out twice and drove in a run (bases loaded walk) without taking his bat off of his shoulder. Dotel even pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning- with the score 12-3. Of course, one robin doesn't necessarily denote the arrival of spring. The short term success of the changes will not be known until the first week of October. The long term ramifications may not be known for many years- ie Alexander for Smoltz.

Excellent rebuttal. I stand corrected. Detroit lost in the LCS to Minnesota. However, they would not have won their division without Alexander's 9-0 record after coming to Detroit. As for Andrus, we shall see (he will turn 19 a week before the end of the season so you are splitting hairs). Same is true for the others. I do think your knowledge of the Carolina League in general and CFF in particular is somewhat lacking. However, some things are fairly certain. Dotel will be there two months. Teixeira will be there, at most, fourteen months. Mahay will not peform as well as would McBride. And, Royce Ring will take that natural name onto the revival trail. Finally, Texeira will not lead the team to the playoffs as did McGriff. People should remember that, when McGriff came, the Braves had four potential twenty game winners in their rotation including three future HoFers in their absolute prime. That does somehow make a difference, don't you think? You are also quite correct in your assessment of Schuerholz, the organization, and many Braves fans. They, and I was one of them going clear back to Milwaukee, do tend to be unbearable. Oh well. I still have my MB Pelicans- assuming they have enough left to field a team. And, the organization still has Schuerholz's son who, though he can't hit or field, is a very likeable young man.

For better or worse, the trade has been made. It was a shortsighted and selfish trade but that is another story. My problem is that, now that these prospects are no longer in the Braves organization, efforts are made to downplay their ability and potential. All of a sudden, Saltalamacchia doesn't have star potential, Andrus can't hit, Harrison is an above average prospect with arm trouble, and Beau Jones is no more than a throw in. It is one matter to deplete your farm system of its top three prospects and its 14th rated prospect (some have Jones as #8) but it is quite another thing to bad-mouth them on the way out. Andrus will probably never be Jeter. Of course, playing in New York enhances Jeter's image. Andrus is only 18 (not 19 as several have posted), leads Carolina League shortstops in fielding, and has a batting average that has been on a steady rise. He is the youngest player in the Carolina League. Those who are actually familiar with the Carolina League know that it is well known as a pitchers league. Coastal Federal Field is a pitcher's park. This trade could be much like the Alexander for Smoltz trade. Doyle Alexander led the Tigers to the world championship whereas the 19 year old Smoltz blossomed into a hall of fame pitcher. While it is unlikely that these prospects will end up as hall of famers, it is also unlikely that Teixeira will lead the Braves to a world championship.

Do you suppose there is any significance to the fact that Teixeira can be a free agent after 2008 (he would like to return to his home area and play for Baltimore) and Schuerholz's contract expires after the 2008 season? I certainly do.

Gametime knows what he is talking about.