Just like the St. Louis Cardinals current 25-man roster, the ballot of players that fans will vote on for 2016 induction into the team’s Hall of Fame includes no black players.
Nominated for induction are Chris Carpenter, Keith Hernandez, Jason Isringhausen, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria, Scott Rolen and Joe Torre.
Two players will be elected from this list, which was put together by a “Red Ribbon Committee,” which has done a decent job of including black players on past ballots.
A veteran player (who was with the Cardinals and retired at least 40 years ago) will be selected by the committee, and team ownership will select a fourth member.
Four black players who should be in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame are Vince Coleman, George Hendrick, Ray Lankford and Bill White.
While Hendrick is my top all-time Cardinal, Coleman a fan favorite and White a truly historic figure in team history, I endorse Lankford to Cardinals’ owners for 2016 enshrinement.
His numbers speak loudly.
Lankford is the only Cardinal to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in more than one season – and he did it five times (1992, 1995-1998.)
When his career ended, he was among the Cardinal Top 10 in home runs (third with 228), stolen bases (fifth with 250), runs scored (eighth with 928), runs batted in (eighth with 829), and bases on balls (fourth with 780).
Lankford hit more home runs at Busch Stadium II (123) than any other player. In true “The Natural” fashion, Lankford launched a pinch hit home run in his final Major League at bat on October 3, 2004.
Lankford was also in the on-deck circle when McGwire hit his record 62nd home run in 1998.
Vote no on McGwire
Use of performance-enhancing drugs is not the only reason that Mark McGwire should not be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, in my opinion. His entire career does not meet HOF standards, especially when you then add the steroid use.
He definitely does not deserve to be in the Cardinals Hall of Fame because the ONLY reason he would be inducted was for the 70 home run season in 1998. He admittedly said the accomplishment was fueled by performance enhancers, and save the “they didn’t help him hit home runs” nonsense.
Magic Johnson: Rams fan
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, former NBA megastar with the L.A. Lakers and a minority owner of the L.A. Dodgers, was the first to sign up for the right to buy Los Angeles Rams season tickets.
Johnson sent Tweets saying “so excited” and “can’t wait to see OUR team next season!” when $100 deposit reservations for season tickets were made available on Monday.
As of Tuesday, the reservation list had soared past 8,000. The deposit doesn’t guarantee a season ticket, but it does give priority over the general public. The deposit is refundable and people can stay on the waiting list for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Season ticket holders at the L.A. Coliseum will receive priority to purchase season tickets for the new Inglewood Stadium, which should open in 2019. Those season tickets won’t go on sale until 2017.
Johnson also said that he planned to call Rams owner Stan Kroenke next week to discuss buying a corporate suite. I’ll bet Kroenke takes that call personally.
Black to the future
New Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson had barely held the job an hour before some pundits were saying that would be the destination for soon-to-be-former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Reports are that Jackson would not sign the deal unless the team rids itself of the troubled Johnny Manziel.
While Griffin III might have a larger upside that Manziel, if Jackson has no use for the former Texas A&M star, why are people guessing he wants to take on RG III’s baggage?
That’s easy: Both Jackson and Griffin are black. I’d like to assume that people think Jackson, a true offensive genius, can get the best out of Griffin. Unfortunately, I don’t think that is the case. I think it comes down to racial thinking – that it will take a black man to get the best out of black man.
Iginla is a rare NHL 600 man
I was all so wrapped up in the Rams leaving for L.A. that I forgot to congratulate Jarome Iginla for registering his 600th goal earlier this month. His goal helped propel the Kroenke-family-owned Colorado Rockies to a 4-1 win over (ironically) the L.A. Kings.
Iginla, known for his wicked wrist shot, actually registered his 600th goal on a cross-ice pass that hit a Kings defenseman’s skate and ricocheted into the net.
“Six-hundred feels pretty good,” said the man who will be recognized as the NHL’s greatest player of color in history.
As for the crazy goal, he said, “That was definitely one of the lucky ones, but I’m not too picky. I’ll take it.”
Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.
