The Shrine of the Eternals

For the last two years, I have been a dues-paying member of a non-profit called The Baseball Reliquary. This organization is devoted to preserving the cultural significance of the game. Every year, the membership votes on whom to induct into their Shrine of Eternals. This acts just like the Hall of Fame, and I get a vote. So, without further ado, below is a list of the nine individuals I voted for…

Don Newcombe - Newcombe won the NL MVP and Cy Young with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956 going 27-7. He was the first African-American MLB player to win 20-games and won the Rookie of the Year in 1949, two years after his teammate, Jackie Robinson, won Rookie of the Year. He was part of a group that broke baseball’s color barrier, and his courage wasn’t just limited to beating down one of the game’s most embarrassing chapters. His play on the field exemplified that courage, so voting for him was an easy task.

Bo Jackson - Bo Knows. In my opinion, not many players in baseball history revolutionized the game in the way Bo Jackson did. I feel he was the first real "athlete" to play the game. He's the only athlete in history to win both the All-Star Game MVP and a Heisman Trophy. He played two-sports at an extremely high level, and if injuries hadn’t sidelined his career, I think he could have been the best ever. Eternal is defined as a forever memory. Let me ask you this: if you were a pitcher, would you ever forget the dread of seeing Bo Jackson step in the batter’s box?

Rube Waddell – Rube Waddell was a powerhouse pitcher for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s back in the 1900’s. He amassed a career record of 191-142 and recorded four consecutive twenty win seasons. In 1904, he struck out 394 players, which is still an American League record. Considering all the stud AL pitchers since then, the fact that his record has stood up is testament to just how good of a player he was.

Chris Von Der Ahe – The eccentric owner of the St. Louis Browns in the late nineteenth century was a pioneer. He was really the first real “visible” owner in professional sports. He recognized that his flamboyancy, whether it was hauling gate receipts in a wheelbarrow, failing to pay for train tickets home for his club after they dropped a pivotal series, or commissioning a statue of himself, was a way to promote the game. When flamboyant owners in professional sports are a generally accepted norm, the first person to personify that has to be acknowledged.

Bob Costas – Yes, a sportscaster. But, maybe outside of Vin Scully, Bob Costas is the gold-standard. It seems like whenever there is a huge sporting event on NBC, he’s the guy that calls it. Think of all the big events he has done from the Olympics to the infamous Jeffery Maier game in the ALDS. I think he has a fantastic voice and is a preeminent master on all matters of sports.

Hideo Nomo – In becoming the first Japanese-born ballplayer to permanently relocate to the US, Nomo opened the door for Japanese players in the Majors. This is significant when you think of players like Ichiro coming to the League and redefining the game. It was a cultural and social move showing the world that baseball could cross the Pacific and open into new markets. He also was the Rookie of the Year in 1995 and is noteworthy to be the only pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter at Coors Field.

Bing Russell – This is my “homer” pick of the year. Bing was the driving force behind the Portland Mavericks independent league. His story was the inspiration for the Battered Bastards of Baseball documentary on Netflix. In my view, without him, we would never have had the Portland Beavers playing at PGE Park. His efforts were the catalyst for so many of the Portland Road Trips a few years back. I always smile on those, so I have to give credit to Bing.

Ernie Harwell – Yes, another sportscaster. Ernie Harwell was the voice of the Detroit Tigers for so many years. Before Vin Scully attained his legendary status, Ernie Harwell was the Legend in the Booth. He passed in 2010, but his legacy lives on as a patron saint of Baseball Radio.

Rube Foster – Rube Foster, a stellar pitcher in his own right, founded the Negro League in Kansas City in 1919. This created a place for African-American ballplayers toplay professionally during the intolerant period of MLB. The league was a place for stars such as Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Josh Gibson. Without that league, many of those players would never have had the chance to play professional baseball anywhere. He is referred to as the “Father of Black Baseball”, and he is certainly worthy of enshrinement.

Those are my nine votes for the Shrine of the Eternals. If you notice, I didn’t vote for some big names. Let me explain the noteworthy names I left off:

Jose Canseco – Yeah, this name sticks out. Look, he was a hell of a player. But, the whole issues with PED’s just keep gnawing at me. I guess I now have respect for the BBWA writers when it comes to Bonds and Clemens in the Hall. I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for him.

Well, that’s my ballot. What does everybody think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my votes, if you would’ve voted differently, additions, subtractions, etc.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)