Well, Mantle has done one thing that nobody (or very few) HOF'ers have done. Drank thru thier first liver, and got a second one in front of hundreds of others far deserving.

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Our very own Frank Costanza is like an annoying, pesky mosquito, and I am like a strong and proud African lion (although I am not actually from an African background - put quite simply, I am unaware of lions living anywhere other than in Africa - I am not counting mountain lions). Obviously, I am far stronger and more powerful than the pesky mosquito, but that pesky mosquito has a knack for irritating me to the point where I have to lash out, oft times unsuccessfully, with my giant fangs or tail. While that mosquito is definitely irritating, it is definitely not life-threatening, unless, again, one were to live in Africa, which I presently do not. Let us just say that I might stick out like a sore thumb, except in South Africa. The pesky Costanza mosquito, however, can certainly ruin a nice picnic, symbolically represented by The Chicago Sports Fan Message Board.

This particular annoying mosquito happens to be a White Sox fan. All of this fits together rather nicely, as the White Sox are the mosquito of the African savanna, while The GIorious Twenty-Seven (27) Time World Champion New York Yankees are the "King of the Jungle and/or Savanna." Instead of a constant, maddening BUZZZZZZING noise, this Frank Costanza mosquito chatters on and on, all the while displaying a deep hatred and jealousy for all things related to The Glorious New York Yankees.

I wish Frank Costanza nothing but the best in the year ahead, and I consider him a great internet friend, despite his mosquito-like tendencies.

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1923-1927-1928-1932-1936-1937-1938-1939
1941-1943-1947-1949-1950-1951-1952-1953
1956-1958-1961-1962-1977-1978-1996-1998
1999-2000-2009
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XXI - XXV - XLII - XLVI

Most of the time in the jungle, its not the big bad lions or tigers that kill you, but the little mosquitos and other insects that spread disease. I'm probably even more dangerous than you, Lioness.

No thoughts on Mantle's ruining his first liver with alcohol, eh?

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I will take my chances with the mosquito and insects.



I wasn't aware that my thoughts had been requested as to a matter which has been well documented and which is public knowledge. Based upon your specific request, however, I hereby concede that Mickey Charles Mantle greatly damaged his liver due to the excessive consumption of intoxicants.

You got me!

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1923-1927-1928-1932-1936-1937-1938-1939
1941-1943-1947-1949-1950-1951-1952-1953
1956-1958-1961-1962-1977-1978-1996-1998
1999-2000-2009
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XXI - XXV - XLII - XLVI

Thanks. In other words, you have no real thoughts on the matter. Just as I suspected.

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Mickey only drank in places with a "2 liver minimum"!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... ?eref=sihp

Very enjoyable article I read over lunch from a guy who actually gets to vote. He provides his take
on all 20+ players up for enshrinement and makes a good case for many who likely won't get in.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Yeah that dude is from KC, he is alright.

But come on, he has Dale Murphy getting in and Dawson and Parker not?

That is reason enough to ignore his thoughts.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I admit the Dale Murphy talk was a little off the wall but he made some interesting
points on the other two that I hadn't heard or read before. Some of the names on
the ballot made me chuckle to myself.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

He gave Harold a little love but not nearly enough. He fails to point out that Harold has more hits (2,866) than anyone NOT in the Hall of Fame and more than Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson, Charlie Gehringer, George Sisler, Luke Appling, Tony Perez, Lou Gehrig, Billy Williams, Luis Aparicio, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Rggie Jackson, Ernie Banks, Joe Morgan, etc.

Harold is also 24th ALL-TIME (I removed the 5 juicers ahead of him) in RBI with 1,628. More RBI's than Hall of Famers Nap Lajoie, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Rogers Hornsby, Harmon Killebrew, Al Kaline, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Joe Dimaggio, Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle, Billy Williams, Eddie Matthews, Yogi Berra, etc.

I'm not saying Harold is a certain Hall of Famer but there is a good chance he will be voted off the ballot this year and that would be a travesty. The man deserves far more respect for the great (yeah, GREAT) career he had.

Hawk is in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Harold picked up a vote! He received 33 (6.1%) and will remain on the ballot for another year! 372 votes to go!

Blyleven picked up 61 votes but was 5 votes shy. He should finally go in next year.

I think the wrong guy got the phone call to Cooperstown, NY, folks. The guy who should've gotten the call today for induction now analyzes the Minnesota Twins with Dick Bremer on both FOX Sports North & FOX's MY Network TV station up there. That's Bert Blyleven, who was the most deserving in this group.

Dawson is more deserving SHARK

You just hate the Cubs

Now that is bite.

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Dawson is an HOF'er, but he is not more deserving than Bert.

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And you have absolutely no bias against the Cubs


Blyleven deserves to be in. Maybe as much as Dawson. I dont know why SHARK has to rain on Hawk's parade

Because Bert Blyleven is one of the great pitchers this game has seen. He's been retired for years and should have been in the HOF long ago. Dawson is a HOF'er too, but Bert should already be in there and is more deserving.

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I don't often say this, but I agree with Cubbie Frank here.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

But its not Dawson vs. Blyleven

Dawson is not holding up Blyleven's induction

Not sure what is actually

Anyone think Andre Dawson will be sporting the cap of the defunct Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals, when he's officially inducted this July? After all, the Hall of Fame now determines what cap he'll be wearing...

SHARK what is your beef with Hawk man? Back off.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Its Dawson vs. Blyeleven. Based on thier stats, Blyleven was a better player and therefore is more deserving of the HOF.

I'm not saying that Dawson wasn't a great player. he was one of the best defensive RFs this game has ever seen, and he probably would have been better if he didnt play half of his career on the turf in Montreal. That carpet fucked up his knees. But Blyleven has 280some wins, a world series ring, 60 career shuouts, and an ERA just a bit over 3 for his career. Thats fucking impressive.

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I don't have a beef, RFDC, with Dawson getting inducted. I just think Bert Blyleven was more deserving. Even though he sported the silver & black with the White Sox on 2 occasions, that spitting incident in Toronto in which Robbie Alomar spat in the face of ump John Hirschbeck as a Baltimore Oriole will keep the second baseman out of Cooperstown for a longer time than he thinks...

The basic fact is that the BBWAA is filled with a bunch of old codgers who send their ballots in from their retirement homes, and hold Blyeleven up because he pitched in the American League and didn't hit, so he wasn't a complete player. The whole HOF process is as fucked up as the football HOF. Basketball and Hockey get it right and get the deserving in when they're eligible. There is no reason that Dawson, Bleyleven, and Alomar didn't get the call, no Edgar Martinez for that matter.

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the hall of fame needs a 10 year moratorium on Hall of Fame inductions, and a 10 year period of Hall of Fame REDUCTIONS to get rid of all the riff raff. slice the fucker in half and then you have a true Hall of Fame again.

Edgar Martinez may have a lot of hits in his career, but guys like him & Jim Thome might not ever get into Cooperstown for this reason. Edgar & Jim got the majority of their hits as DESIGNATED HITTERS, and didn't play in the field as much as they should've in the eyes of these writers. Besides, these old farts now have to consider whether these ballplayers were also on steroids and/or performance enhancements, especially in this era where it's not hard to hit 50 homers in a single season and ballparks are geared towards the long ball.

And that is going to be one of the things that keep Frank Thomas out too-that, the last 3 to 4 years he played, and the fact that the media didn't like him (another problem with the BBWAA-filled with whiny bastards who hold grudges 20 years after the fact because they couldn't get an interview). If it wasn't for the steroid thing, you know damn well that there would be idiot writers who would do everything possible to keep Barry Bonds out too. I love baseball, but the HOF is bullshit.

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One could make the case that as an everyday player Dawson had a greater impact. I wouldnt but one could. Im kind of a Dawson guy. Im planning to go to the induction. Oh and Alomar is more deserving than either.