The Daily Dose/December 10, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience…
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME: One of our favorite columns to write are ones whining about baseball Hall of Fame elections. The most recent results, from balloting by the Modern Baseball Era Committee were released this week, with catcher Ted Simmons and player’s association leader Marvin Miller each receiving at least twelve of the 16 available votes.
Good For Them: We don’t think you can argue with Simmons, who we’ve long felt was deserving as long as Gary Carter is in. Simmons was not particularly highly regarded in 1994, his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot: he was included on 3.7% of the ballots, which got him dropped entirely next time. The only player elected that year was Steve Carlton, though eight others, including Simmons, were eventuall elected.
OK, Fine, Be That Way: Miller certainly is deserving, but before he died stated he had no desire to be elected and we would have respected that.
Oh Good Gravy: Not elected were Dwight Evans, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker and Lou Whitaker.
Get Your Official Daily Dose Policy Right Here: Long-time readers of this crap know our policy on this matter: Gary Carter and Harold Baines are in the Hall and this takes all the argument – and the fun – out of the matter. If you were as good or better than either of these players, you’re in. If you’re not, tough noogies.
Using the Carter/Baines Criteria, all eight of those not elected are deserving of induction because all were as good or better than Gary Carter and/or Harold Baines.
Dry, Technical Matter: There are too many players in the Hall of Fame, as a space reserved for all-time greats is now letting all-time really goods in. Personally, of the players on the Modern Era ballot this year, we probably only would have voted for Munson and neither Carter nor Baines would be in.
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow helps a client at the Veterans Service Office. Today’s Diary.
…he still bears many scars from his time in Vietnam, regards all VA correspondence with disdain and would probably regard a VA greeting card with suspicion…
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life.
Editor’s Note: Today’s Bottom Ten is on the house, free of charge.
The Bottom Ten/NCAA Bowl Game Edition: It’s the most awful time of the year, lousy teams playing lousy games. Cheers!
Here are some funny lines from today’s Bottom Ten:
With no service academy playing, and to give squads some idea of what combat is like, final ten-yards before each end zone to be rigged with land mines.
You’re a bowl purist and you want to see if midfield logo will display original flavor Cheez-It logo or highlight new Reduced Fat, Extra Crispy Tequila/Menthol offering.
Lockheed Martin sponsors the game and you bought one of their attack helicopters last year and you’re not happy with it because it’s always in the shop for repairs.
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On This Date
In 1936 – King Edward VIII of Great Britain announces his intention to abdicate the throne so he can marry his American girlfriend, Wallis Simpson, who was once divorced and then in the process of divorcing her second husband. It took effect the following day when Parliament passed an act authorizing the abdication, which Edward then gave his royal assent to. Edward was succeeded by his brother Albert, who reigned as George VI. Edward and Simpson married the following year and the throne is now occupied by Elizabeth II.
In 1972 – Quarterback Jim Hart and receiver Bobby Moore – now known as Ahmad Rashad – of the St Louis Cardinals establish a new NFL record for longest non-scoring pass play, a 98-yard pass in a 24-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Moore caught Hart’s pass at the Cardinals’ 40-yard-line and was tackled by Al Clark at the one-yard-line. The record still stands.
In 1983 – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Say, Say, Say. The song went to #1 in six other countries and peaked at #2 in both Great Britain and on Billboard’s soul chart. Say, Say, Say was Billboard’s third biggest song of 1984, the ninth biggest of the decade and was ranked 44th on Billboard’s 60th anniversary chart in 2018. It was the third and final #1 song for McCartney in the 1980s and the third #1 of the year for Jackson, who earlier had hit the top with Billie Jean and Beat It.
Quotebook
The primary sign of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company. – Seneca the Younger, Roman writer and statesman
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The first NHL goalie to be credited with a goal was Billy Smith of the New York Islanders who wast the last Islander to touch the puck before Rob Ramage of the Colorado Avalanche shot the puck into his own net. The game occured on Nov. 28m 1979.
Today’s Stumper
What is the longest non-scoring play in NFL history? – Answer next time!
