Go Expos Go!

[Guest Low Roller]

I might still be interested in baseball if the strike of 1994 never happened. That was the year that the Expos would have won it all. But now it's 2009 and I don't care about baseball. Doesn't mean I can't reminisce about it. Let's talk about the Expos!

Andres Galarraga, Tim Raines, and Andre Dawson are all up for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame! The results will be unveiled on January 7th.

Anyone notice all the new Expos caps appearing in stores? With throwbacks being so popular, there is a MASSIVE resurgence in Expos related paraphernalia, notably these crazy pastel coloured caps:

[Guest Low Roller]

Andre Dawson was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today!

[Booche]

NICE!

I loved the Hawk.

[Northern Wish]

Everytime I see an Expos hat it reminds me of Del....

[Kanada Kev]

I hate flat-brim caps

Douchebag headware

[Jaimoe]

Will you still love Dawson if he chooses to go into the Hall as a Cub? He's gotta choose and I'm hoping he doesn't pick the other team. His Expos years were far more prolific than the ones he had with the Cubbies. If "Lights" can go into the Hall as an Expo, then let's hope Dawson does the same. He's a class act regardless.

[ollie]

Didn't they force Carter to go in as an Expo against his will? Anyway, obviously I hope Andre goes in as one too. Hopefully Tim Raines joins them next year.

[Jaimoe]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable, but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him. Jack Morris will never get in and he should have been a first-year eligible shoo-in.

[Kanada Kev]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable, but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him. Jack Morris will never get in and he should have been a first-year eligible shoo-in.

I've heard similar. Also the fact that the majority of east coast sports writers remember him more from the spit, and from his lackluster tenure with the Mets. Too bad. I hope he makes it. Arguably in the top few Jays of all time (gotta put Doc up there with him).

[ollie]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable, but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him. Jack Morris will never get in and he should have been a first-year eligible shoo-in.

Was that on Bob McCown's show? Jack somebody or other? What a MAJOR ass. I'm pissed that Stephen Brunt gave up his HOF vote, if only to balance out jerks like that.

[Jaimoe]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable' date=' but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him. Jack Morris will never get in and he should have been a first-year eligible shoo-in.[/quote']

Was that on Bob McCown's show? Jack somebody or other? What a MAJOR ass. I'm pissed that Stephen Brunt gave up his HOF vote, if only to balance out jerks like that.

I think the guy was on Off The Record, although I think several Canadian media outlets have been calling out baseball writers. I hate that Morris gets passed over. Morris is still a jerk to the baseball media, but normally not to the fans. Should personality weigh-in as to whether you get votes? It does, and it shouldn't. The media likes to shape or even dictate opinion. Morris was arguably the best AL pitcher of his era (along with The Rocket), which included Dave Stieb and Dave Stewart.

[Booche]

Should personality weigh-in as to whether you get votes?

Nope. That's why I wont be pissed if the Hawk goes in as a Cub. He earned the right to make his choice.

As for Alomar, I think what he did afterwards to ammend truly says how sorry he was for that incident. Have baseball writers forgot about that? None the less, Alomar will get in, I promise you that, but he should have been a first-ballot selection.

[ollie]

Have baseball writers forgot about that?

The writer I mentioned above basically said to that question, "Well I haven't forgiven him." He sounded like an overgrown child.

[TheSloth]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable, but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him.

No he won't. He was 9 votes shy on his first ballot, he receieved the most votes ever for a 1st year participant to just miss, he'll most likely be in next year.

[Jaimoe]

Good to hear.

[Schwa.]

I was listening to a baseball Hall voter from the US and he won't vote for Alomar because he finds his spitting incident dishonourable' date=' but he had no problem voting for McGuire. With idiots like this, Alomar will have his work cut out for him.[/quote']

No he won't. He was 9 votes shy on his first ballot, he receieved the most votes ever for a 1st year participant to just miss, he'll most likely be in next year.

Off The Record had an all-star panel a few weeks back (anyone remember?) but Rollie Fingers as well as a few other prominent former players were there and they all agreed that Alomar was the most dominant 2nd baseman that any of them had faced. Next year is a shoe in, I think.

[Jaimoe]

Morris isn't in because he refused to talk to the media for much of his career. Fuck the thin-skinned writers.

[TheSloth]

Alomar was a twelve time allstar with ten gold gloves and two world series rings, he definitely got a good share of "punishment" no votes this time around but I'm sure at least nine of those voters will come around after making their point.

[Northern Wish]

Have baseball writers forgot about that?

The writer I mentioned above basically said to that question' date=' "Well I haven't forgiven him." He sounded like an overgrown child.

[/quote']

Yup. If the umpire who face was spat upon has accepted his apology its time for the voters to let it go........

[Jaimoe]

Have baseball writers forgot about that?

The writer I mentioned above basically said to that question' date=' "Well I haven't forgiven him." He sounded like an overgrown child.

[/quote']

Yup. If the umpire who face was spat upon has accepted his apology its time for the voters to let it go........

The two are friends and say they are better people because of the incident.

[TheSloth]

I'm going to go spit in my boss' face, I'll get back to you guys with the results.

[Booche]

This went further than a simple apology.

Didnt Robbie also raise a bunch of money/awareness for that ump's kid's charity?

[Guest Low Roller]

Blue Jays thread please.

[Northern Wish]

From wiki:

Spitting Incident

On September 27, 1996, during a game against his former team, the Blue Jays, Alomar got into a heated argument over a called third strike with umpire John Hirschbeck and spat in his face. He defended himself by saying Hirschbeck had uttered a racial slur and that Hirschbeck had been bitter since one son had died of ALD and another had been recently diagnosed as well. Upon hearing this public disclosure of his private life, Hirschbeck had to be physically restrained from confronting Alomar in the players' locker room.[7]

Alomar was suspended for five games and donated $50,000 to ALD research. Alomar and Hirschbeck settled their differences publicly and made apologies to each other on April 22, 1997, standing at home plate and shaking hands in front of the crowd before an Orioles game. Regarding the incident at his retirement, Alomar said, "That, to me, is over and done. It happened over nine years ago. We are now great friends. We have done some things with charity. God put us maybe in this situation for something. But I think people who know me, people who have had the chance to be with me on the same team, know what kind of person I am. Anything I ever did wrong, I would confront it and now it is OK."

[badams]

This went further than a simple apology.

Didnt Robbie also raise a bunch of money/awareness for that ump's kid's charity?

NEW YORK -- [color:blue]John Hirschbeck called Roberto Alomar on Tuesday to wish him luck in the Hall of Fame vote.

When Alomar spat on the umpire 14 years ago during an argument following a called third strike, it created a national furor. Now the two are fast friends.

"I know we both wish it didn't happen, but it did," Hirschbeck said. "On the other hand, I've told a lot of people who have called, I think it made us both better people for it."

A 12-time All-Star second baseman, Alomar is among 15 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers that include Mark McGwire, Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris and Lee Smith.

Results of the vote will be announced Wednesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and players must appear on at least 75 percent of the ballots to gain baseball's highest honor.

"I'm positive that it's going to happen this year," Alomar said Tuesday.

Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff also are new to the ballot this year, and Martinez will test how Hall voters assess players who were predominantly designated hitters.

Alomar was suspended for five games following his September 1996 confrontation with Hirschbeck in Toronto's SkyDome. At the time, Alomar said he thought Hirschbeck was under stress because his 8-year-old son, John Drew, had died in 1993 of a rare brain disease known as adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).

[color:blue]The player and umpire shook hands at Camden Yards the following April, and within a few years Alomar and his brother Sandy Jr. started helping raise money for a foundation the Hirschbecks started.

Alomar worked to repair his image during the latter half of his 17-season major league career, which ended in 2004. He wants to be remembered for his bat and his glove, not his saliva.

"That's not me. Everybody knows who I am. It was one stupid moment that happened to me when I played," Alomar said. "The main thing is I accepted my mistake. We are all human, and I went to John and apologized to him. And we're both great friends. Out of something bad, something good happened. We have a great friendship."

Alomar finished with a .300 career batting average, 2,724 hits, 210 homers, 474 steals, 10 Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. A standout during his time with San Diego (1988-90), Toronto (1991-95), Baltimore (1996-98) and Cleveland (1999-01), his play deteriorated substantially while he was with the New York Mets (2002-03). He finished with the Chicago White Sox and Arizona.

"In New York, if you don't do as well as you want to do, then you're going to hear some criticism," Alomar said.

There are 26 candidates for the Hall, up from 23 last year, when Rickey Henderson was elected in his first appearance and Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final try. Dawson fell 44 votes shy of the 75 percent needed and Blyleven was 67 short.

The last time the BBWAA failed to elect anyone was 1996 -- and that was only the seventh election since the original selection in 1936 with no winners.

McGwire, hired in October as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, is on the ballot for the fourth time. Eighth on the career list with 583 homers, he has been stigmatized since evading questions from Congress in 2005 about steroids use.

McGwire received 118 votes (22 percent) last year, down from 128 in each of his first two tries.