Hall of Fame Baseball Movies
All right, so the Baseball Hall of Fame has not inducted any movies yet, but that doesn't mean that baseball fans who love movies—feel free to reverse that if you are so inclined—don't have their favorite baseball movies. I know I do. And here they are—my Starting Nine, baseball's Hall of Fame-quality movies.
More so than any other sport, baseball lends itself to the dramatic devices that make a feature film effective. For one thing, the fundamental conflict in baseball—the pitcher-hitter confrontation—makes for an ideal one-on-one confrontation. Moreover, the individual focus on a player translates to dramatic character study like a double-play transfer toss at second base. For another, the very pace of the game (and, yes, non-baseball fans might liken that pace of the game to Oscar Wilde's description of a Wagner opera: "Hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror") allows for the kind of climactic moments ripe for slow-motion shots and stings of thrilling music swelling on the soundtrack, with sufficient time for reaction shots from the bench and the bleachers (think: The Natural). Finally, the claim that baseball was the "national pastime" persisted throughout the 20th century, allowing Hollywood to begin mythologizing the game early on.
Where are the Hats and Horns for Jim Thome?
As of this writing, Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jim Thome is two home runs away from reaching a milestone mark in baseball: 600 home runs. Only seven men in the history of baseball have reached the 600-homer plateau, and if 500 round-trippers are no longer an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame, then surely 600 are. Right? Earlier this year, we saw a good deal of hoopla surrounding the Yankees' Derek Jeter's reaching 3000 hits, another historic milestone, and Jeter certainly reached that hallowed circle in grand fashion, not only going five-for-five during the game that he reached 3000, including hitting a home run for his 3000th hit, but he drove in the winning run with one of those hits. By contrast, Thome's march toward history seems to be a non-event despite the fact that if and when Thome reaches 600, it will be several years before Albert Pujols reaches the same plateau. Where is the love for Thome?
Bound for Cooperstown, Part 2
Part One of this series was easy—picking the five recently-retired players who will waltz into the Baseball Hall of Fame once they are eligible, probably during their first year of eligibility. Part Two is not going to be as easy: Yes, these players would, during any other time, be on the express train to Cooperstown. But the Hall of Fame ballot for the next several years is going to be overstuffed with worthy candidates; there are already several qualified candidates waiting for their call to lasting baseball greatness. Will we see surefire Hall of Famers overlooked and even discarded?
How Much Is the All-Star Game Worth
Every major sport has them: All-star games: An exhibition game comprising the sport's biggest stars that is essentially a wet dream for fans—the chance to see the best players in the game playing against each other. All the talented eggs in one shiny basket, as it were. But does being chosen as an all-star equate to lasting glory? In other words, how much weight should be given to being chosen as an all-star in determining whether a player is worthy of the Hall of Fame?
Desert Island Discs
Ah! With summer here, thoughts naturally turn to . . . being stranded on a desert island. That might not be such a bad situation if you're marooned with Penelope Cruz (as in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean installment), but for our purposes it heralds that deathless chestnut beloved of writers short on time or ideas: If you were stuck on a desert island, what [music, books, films, etc.] would you want with you?
BOUND FOR COOPERSTOWN, PT. 1: THE NO-BRAINERS
The first in a two-part series profiling future candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame, this article outlines five players who I think are going to waltz into Cooperstown in upcoming years—more than likely in their first year of eligibility.
Why Isn't Randy Newman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Already?
Readers of this site know, or will come to know, that it lists 500 musical acts not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Buried among them is Randy Newman, who should not be listed anywhere among the 500—because Newman should be in the Hall of Fame already.
However, Newman is listed here—at Number 158. Behind Joy Division. Behind the Sonics. Behind Journey. Behind My Bloody Valentine. Behind Chuck Willis. Behind Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Behind Poison. Behind Blue Cheer. Behind Siouxsie and the Banshees.
I don't mean to make the case for Newman by comparing him to anyone, which is good for all of those listed above because they wouldn't measure up to Newman. Blue Cheer? Joy Division? My Bloody Valentine? Siouxsie and the Banshees? Their careers were too short, too marginal. Jonathan Richman? The Sonics? They might have a bit more legacy—Joan Jett covered "Roadrunner" (on the other hand, what hasn't Jett covered?) and the Cramps covered "Strychnine," respectively—but again we're talking about the margins. Journey? Poison? Commercially successful but musically derivative, fast-food rock that's disposable and forgettable. That leaves Chuck Willis, who popularized a 1950s dance craze, the Stroll, and recorded a number of pioneering songs before dying young. Hall of Famers the Band ("I Don't Want to Hang up My Rock 'n' Roll Shoes") and Eric Clapton ("It's Too Late," albeit as Derek and the Dominos) were hip to Willis, but while one could make a game case for Willis, a much stronger case can be—and should be—made for Newman.
The NHL versus NBC
Without trying to steal any thunder from my fellow blogger the Princess of Puck, I do have something to say about the Stanley Cup Finals—and it's not complimentary.
Remembering Gil Scott-Heron
Last Saturday, May 28, came the announcement that musician Gil Scott-Heron had died at age 62. As of this writing, the cause of death is not known, although Scott-Heron disclosed in 2008 that he had been HIV-positive for some time. In addition, he struggled with drug addiction, which netted him prison time in recent years.
Leading Off
Welcome to DDT's Pop Flies! First, my heartfelt thank you goes to Not in Hall of Fame for offering this space to me. Now, what can you expect?