RIP Jerome Holtzman

[DuWayne Steurer]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3499373

Not a big deal to some, but growing up in a household where the paper we had delivered was the Tribune, I had a lot of exposure to his writing.

Didn't know that Holtzman invented the save statistic.

[JimH5]

Terrific writer. Great contributor to baseball history, and seems to have been well liked and respected by his peers across generations.

 

RIP Mr. Holtzman, and thanks for making the American baseball experience better.

[JoeHova]

It's a shame that ESPN now even uses obituaries to peddle misinformation. Nothing is off limits to them. Also, the save stat has contributed mightily to the stupidity of current roster construction, but that can't really be blamed on Holtzman, it was an unintended consequence. And trying to give relief pitchers credit was a worthy goal.

[homer]

"It's a shame that ESPN now even uses obituaries to peddle misinformation. Nothing is off limits to them."

 

What are you talking about?

[JoeHova]

"It's a shame that ESPN now even uses obituaries to peddle misinformation. Nothing is off limits to them."

 

What are you talking about?

 

 

they said Holtzman was a hall of famer. Ever since Gammons won one of those awards for media, ESPN has been obsessive about referring to him as a hall of famer and referring to the "writer's wing" of the hall of fame when there is no such thing. There is a little display with black and white photos of the award recipients tucked away near the library.

[homer]

So if you win the Spink award are you not a hall of famer?

 

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/spink.jsp

[JoeHova]

Nope. From the link you posted: "Each award recipient (not to be confused with an inductee) is presented with a certificate during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and is recognized in the "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit in the Library of the National Baseball Hall of Fame."

[homer]

OK, to me that's semantics. But in any case every single news outlet that has reported this calls Holtzman a Hall of Famer so it's unfair to single out ESPN.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080721-jerome-holtzman-death,0,3762261.story

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-holtzman22-2008jul22,0,584281.story

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2008/07/21/20080721mlbnb0722.html

http://www.kansascity.com/485/story/714279.html

[JoeHova]

how is it semantics? You're either a hall of famer or you're not. Craig Counsell (1997 World Series) has a bigger display at the HOF than all those award winners combined, is he a hall of famer? To be a Hall of Famer is to be elected to the Hall of Fame, spink (and frick) award winners were not, ergo they are not hall of famers.

 

and I don't think it's unfair to single out any news organization for reporting gross inaccuracies. How can we trust anything they say if they willfully lie in order to make their colleagues look better?

[homer]

So is the Kansas City Star willfully lying to make Peter Gammons look good?

[JoeHova]

I should clarify that this isn't a criticism of Holtzman, I was just disappointed in ESPN and their relentless campaign of misinformation.

[JoeHova]

So is the Kansas City Star willfully lying to make Peter Gammons look good?

 

 

possibly, or possibly to make Tracy Ringolsby (a Star alum) or any of various other colleagues look good.

[homer]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I think it's more perception than reality but to each his own.

 

In any case, the hall of fame itself doesn't seem to want to clarify the issue. Especially when they have a headline like "One Final Honor in Hall of Fame Career" in announcing this year's winner.

 

 

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080721&content_id=8203&vkey=hof_news

[JoeHova]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I think it's more perception than reality but to each his own.

 

 

fair enough, but I have to imagine most (if not all) baseball writers have been to the HOF at some point and seen that there is not a writer's (or broadcaster's) wing. The actual award winners are certainly aware that they didn't get a plaque.

 

 

also, about that headline for Whiteside, nowhere in the article itself is he called a hall of famer or mentioned as being inducted into the HOF. I think the headline writer was using that phrase rhetorically, not literally.