Let’s get one thing straight, right from the beginning: I take Game of Thrones far too seriously. How about that season finale? Can you believe they killed off that one guy who did the thing?
No, waitâ€â€I’m saving that piece for Cincinnati Magazine’s Fantasy Fanboy column that doesn’t actually exist yet. What I meant to say is this: I take the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame way too seriously.
I really do. I care about who’s in and who’s out, which current inductees don’t belong and which current players have a chance to make it. It’s just as interesting as the Cooperstown discussion that gets revved up every year when the voting begins.
It’s clear that the Reds take their club Hall of Fame pretty seriously, too. Have you been to the museum lately? I can’t imagine any team in any sport having a better Hall of Fame/museum.
Of course, the Reds didn’t always take it particularly seriously. Inductees were elected strictly by the fans for a long time, which led to some odd choices, such as Harry Craft (career: .253./294/.380, 3.9 WAR), Mike McCormick (.278/.324/.349, 3.0 WAR), and Larry Kopf (.250/.305/.309, 5.2 WAR). Heck, no one was elected at all between 1988 and 1998.
But these days, the Reds have demonstrated a commitment to the Hall of Fame, with elections occurring every other year. Last week, the club announced the Modern Player Ballot, with six names, one of whom will be elected to the Reds Hall of Fame. (The fans are still entrusted with the responsibility for selecting the next Famer, as the fan vote is taken along with the votes of various media members and Reds alumni.)
I care about the Reds Hall of Fame. The club cares about it. And I think you should care about it, too. Which is why it’s time to correct an egregious error: It’s time for the fans to honor Reggie Sanders.
Read the rest over at Cincinnati Magazine…
John Franco. No one could load the bases quicker or weasel out of a jam (of his own making) better than Franco.
A 7 game series is always a short series.
This is an excellent comment.