“Shoeless†Joe Jackson
Second & Third Inductees
Rich “Goose†Gossage & Andre Dawson
Introduction
A group of men who have made covering Major League Baseball their life are charged with immortalizing baseball’s elite by inducting them into the Hall of Fame, where both young and old can revel in the history of the game, long after those history-makers have hung up their spikes. Of course, not all of baseball’s most memorable players reside in Cooperstown. With such high standards to live up to, some players find themselves on the outside looking in, for one reason or another. Because of this, we here at Tailgate Crashers want to honor their contributions to the game we love by giving them a shrine of their own until Cooperstown beckons. Thus, we have created the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame.
Our Hall of Fame operates not unlike the real deal in Cooperstown, with a few exceptions. Only players who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame are eligible for inclusion here. If a player inducted into our Hall of Fame is inducted into Cooperstown, he will be removed in favor of another baseball great that has not yet gotten “the callâ€. Each year, staff writers, contributors to the site, and baseball fans alike will vote for players that they feel are deserving of induction. The criteria: each candidate must have been apart of at least one Pro Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, or else have set a Major League record. This year, our voters could not narrow the field down to six inductees – there are ten, with an eleventh “manager†induction alongside. These eleven baseball figures make up the Class of 2007 in the Baseball Hall of Fame here at Tailgate Crashers.
Today, two more inductees are set to be inducted amongst the growing ranks of baseball greats. One of today’s inductees are guaranteed entry into the Hall of Fame, if he can ever give up the game he loves. Of course, if you need a veteran lead off hitter to fill out your squad, give Rickey Henderson a call. His passion for the game knows no limits, and may be second only to his flair for style, which is why he has earned induction into our Baseball Hall of Fame!
Outfielder
Chicago, Illinois
Born 12.25.1958 / Debut 06.24.1979 / Last Game 09.13.1003
Career Statistics and Achievements
1,406 SB; 297 HR; 2,190 BB; 3,055 Hits
– Holds the Major League records for most career stolen bases, most lead-off home runs, and walks by a lead-off hitter.
– Led the American League in stolen bases in twelve different seasons (1980-1986, 1988-1991, 1998).
– Won the 1989 American League Championship Series MVP Award.
– Won three AL Silver Slugger Awards, one AL Gold Glove in 1981 and the 1990 AL MVP Award while playing with the Oakland Athletics.
– Second most base on balls (2,190) in baseball history, behind Barry Bonds.
– Appeared in seven League Champion Series and three World Series (1989-1990, 1993), winning two (Oakland, 1989 & Toronto, 1993).
Rickey Henderson, who is sometimes referred to as “The Man of Stealâ€, had a rather inauspicious beginning to his Major League career. Drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 Amateur Draft by the Oakland Athletics, Henderson would serve four separate tenures with the Athletics during his remarkable career. Yet it was in his Major League debut against the Texas Rangers on June 24th, 1979, when he collected a pair of base hits to go along with the first of 1,406 stolen bases that Henderson began an Odyssey that would take him from one side of the country to the other – multiple times. From these humble beginnings comes the greatest lead-off hitter in the history of Major League Baseball, and one of the most patient batters to boot. Henderson is remembered as being an offensive juggernaut when it came to getting on base, swiping bases, and often circling them. With almost 300 career home runs to his credit, Henderson literally cast the mold for the type of lead-off hitter that baseball teams covet today. His hot-dogging and flashy style often chaffed ownership the wrong way, however, which helps attribute his rather flighty career – between 1979 and 2003, Henderson played for nine different teams, some of them on more than one occasion. His teams, in order of appearance: Oakland (1979-1984), New York Yankees (1985-1989), Oakland (1989-1993), Toronto (1993), Oakland (1994-1995), San Diego (1996-1997), Anaheim (1997), Oakland (1998), New York Mets (1999-2000), Seattle (2000), San Diego (2001), Boston (2002), Los Angeles (2003). Despite his constant moving, Henderson remained productive even into the twilight of his career. In 1999, during his first year with the New York Mets, Henderson hit .315 with 37 stolen bases. It was in 1991 while playing with the Oakland Athletics that Henderson achieved his greatest claim to fame, stealing his 939th base and surpassing Lou Brock as the game’s all time stolen bases leader. He would steal 467 more bases before, amassing a margin between himself and Brock that was over 50% of Brock’s total career stolen bases.
Henderson had measurable success in terms of championships won, collecting two World Series rings in three appearances and the 1989 ALCS MVP as well. Although his flashy style drew him as many critics as fans, the numbers simply do not lie. One of the game’s most agile speed demons, Henderson was caught stealing more often than any other baseball player. Yet his overall steal success rate is at a hefty 81%, showing you the kind of gift that he possessed. Tailgate Crashers is pleased to induct Rickey Henderson into the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007!
Rickey Henderson received the same amount of votes as his co-inductee today, which should speak volumes about the class of ballplayers that are finding respect from the voters for the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame. Although this player’s actual statistics are less eye-popping than some of his co-inductees, his worth to the only franchise he ever knew is immeasurable. Tailgate Crashers is pleased to introduce one of the few true “Captains†of the Boston Red Sox, Jim Rice into our Baseball Hall of Fame!
Anderson, South Carolina
Born 03.08.1953 / Debut 08.19.1974 / Last Game 08.03.1989
Career Statistics and Achievements
.298 AVG; 382 HR; 2,452 Hits; 1,451 RBI
– Won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1978.
– Elected to eight American League All-Star Teams (1977-1980, 1983-1986).
– Won two American League Silver Slugger Awards (as an OF – 1983-184).
– Hit .333 with nine hits in the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets.
– Led the league in Total Bases four times (1977-1979, 1983), Home Runs three times (1978-1979, 1983), RBIs twice (1978, 1983) and Slugging twice (1977-1978).
– Appointed Captain of the Boston Red Sox (1985).
Jim Rice, for what its worth, was a “double play†machine during his tenure with the only team he ever knew, the Red Sox. Oddly, this fact is not a result of Rice being a poor clutch hitter or being prone to grounding out. The truth is that Rice, who smoked the ball so hard so often, was trapped behind a plethora of slower runners in what was, until recently known as a lumbering franchise full of slugs. Ask anyone associated with Red Sox baseball for more than twenty years and you’ll know first hand how important Jim Rice was to the Red Sox, and how inconsequential those double plays are on his reputation. Selected as only the second captain for the Red Sox in franchise history in 1985, Rice became the heart and soul of the organization, carrying on in the same vein as Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. Rice is remembered today as primarily a designated hitter, though it bears mentioning that Rice is statistically a better outfielder (left fielder at Fenway mind you) than Ted Williams was. Jim was also noted for having one of the best arms in the outfield while he played there, posting more outfield assists than any other Red Sox player since the 1940s. Of course, it was his hitting which people remember the most about Rice. His numbers, while less than those of other inductees, are representative of a baseball player who competed in a dead ball era, without the help of performance enhancing drugs. When these facts are taken into account, Rice’s total of nearly 400 home runs looks more impressive than it already is. Of course, the captain was more than adequate in collecting extra base hits along with home runs. Along with leading the league in triples during the 1978 season, Rice amassed a total of 2,452 hits over his career, posting an average of .298 with 1,451 RBIs. Along with leading the league in Home Runs multiple years and appearing in several All Star Games, Rice produced a MONSTER year in 1978, paralleling the kind of monster year that fellow Tailgate Crashers Hall inductee Andre Dawson would have in 1987. 1978 saw Jim Rice lead the league in slugging percentage (.600), OPS (.970), games played (163), at bats (677), hits (213), total bases (406), triples (15), home runs (46), RBIs (139), runs created (150) and extra base hits (86). His .315 batting average was good enough for third best in 1978 – had he hit 19 points higher, Rice would have earned himself a Triple Crown, and serious consideration for having the greatest individual season in baseball history.
Jim Rice, like so many other Red Sox legends, only got one crack at a World Series Championship, in 1986. Injured during the Red Sox’ 1975 postseason campaign, Rice was bound and determined not to miss this World Series. He delivered nine hits during the ‘86 Fall Classic, hitting .333 for the series. In the bottom of the tenth at Shea Stadium in Game 6, Rice recorded the first out of the inning by catching a fly ball off the bat of Wally Backman. Rice and his Red Sox would get as close as one strike away before being turned away by a “higher forceâ€. Of course, Jim Rice’s story regarding his bid for the National Baseball Hall of Fame is nearly identical: Rice continues to fall just short of the required amount for induction. And with his years of eligibility running out, Rice may be playing the waiting game right up to the end of his eligibility. However, Rice was apart of the 2004 World Series Champion Red Sox (as hitting instructor), and so his Hall of Fame candidacy may not be lost yet. Yet even if Rice does not make his way into the National Hall of Fame, we are honoring, and will always honor Rice in the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame!
Upcoming Tailgate Crashers Hall of Fame Schedule
January 12th: “Shoeless†Joe Jackson
January 16th: Rich “Goose†Gossage, Andre Dawson
January 19th: Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice
January 22nd: Inductee #6, Manager Induction
January 29th: Inductee #7, Inductee #8
February 2nd: Inductee #9
February 6th: Inductee #10, Preview of 2008
