I recently pulled out my somewhat worn copies of the 1954 Orioles Official Yearbook, and a game program from June of that year. I was pretty sure of what I?d find, or rather, what I wouldn?t find.
There?s scant mention of the Orioles? predecessors, the St. Louis Browns. No list of all-time Browns? players. No team records. Not even a nod to the great George Sisler, their Hall of Fame first baseman, a .340 career hitter who twice batted over .400. There?s a reference on one of the early pages of the yearbook that says “Clarence Miles, prominent attorney ? along with Mayor Tommy D?Alessandro, who personally convinced the American League club owners that they had to let Baltimore come into the league.” Not a word about relocating an existing team from St. Louis.
Poof, here?s a franchise.
I bring this up because MLB?s latest national promotion, “Hometown Heroes” ? sponsored by DHL, the shipping company ? has a rather inconsistent ballot for the game?s fans to consider.
The ballot, available on-line, lists five players for each franchise. The Orioles listed are Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson. I have no gripe with that. There?s even a place for write-in candidates, though there?s only 4 of those spaces for all 30 teams.
Inasmuch as the Orioles don?t really acknowledge their past in St. Louis, there?s no need to list Sisler, or any other Brownie for that matter. The issue is more with other teams, and their past decisions to either embrace or ignore the past.
The five Dodgers? candidates – Roy Campanella, Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider ? all played in Brooklyn, with Campy and Jackie never playing a game in Los Angeles. The Braves include Warren Spahn, who never pitched in Atlanta, and ignore Eddie Mathews, who played in all three of their home cities. The Twins stick entirely with Minnesota players, ignoring Washington?s Walter Johnson, but, like the Orioles, they?ve consistently done that since they began play in 1961. The Washington ballot contains all Expos? players, including three who are currently with the Nats. Gary Carter or Rusty Staub could end up being voted the all-time “Hometown Hero” for a team they never played for.
I don?t think it would have hurt anyone if the Browns, Expos and Senators had been given their own spots on the ballot. It?s really only two additional ballot categories, since the current “Nationals” ballot could be shifted to “Expos” and names like Andre Dawson and Vladimir Guerrero added to the ballot instead of Brian Schneider and Livan Hernandez.
Major League Baseball isalways quick to point out its place as the “melting pot” of ethnicity insofar as its players and fans are concerned. “Hometown Heroes” misses the opportunity to be even more inclusive in regards to the histories of its own teams.
Listen to Phil Wood every Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN Radio 1300.
