Candidates for Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals Revealed
From Bruce Markusen at The Hardball Times on March 18:
Having worked at the National Baseball Hall of Fame off and on since 1995, I’ve come to admire and revere the institution for its ability to faithfully record the history of the game while honoring its greatest contributors. Along the way, I’ve also come to appreciate other organizations that are aimed at paying homage to baseball history. There’s the wonderful Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City, and, of course, the dedicated Society for American Baseball Research (which just rolled out a new web site). And then there’s a quirky but charming institution known as the Baseball Reliquary.
The Reliquary, which is based in Southern California and honors the less conventional side of the game, has its own Hall of Fame, known as the Shrine of the Eternals. Although each Shrine voter can cast ballots for up to nine candidates, the Shrine inducts only three baseball figures each year, so it’s a rather selective process. The Shrine acts as a kind of alternative Hall of Fame, basing its selections less on statistical achievement and more on an individual’s impact on the culture at large.
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The Reliquary recently released its 2011 ballot, which features 50 names, including 10 who are appearing for the first time. The first-timers include 19th century manager Frank Bancroft, SABR founder Bob Davids, former Players Association chief Donald Fehr, the mysterious 1920s-era shortstop Charlie Hollocher, former Atlanta Braves executive Bob Hope, deaf major league outfielder Curtis Pride, ex-big league left-handers David Wells and Wilbur Wood, and Negro Leagues owner J.L. Wilkinson. The ballot also contains a mythical character, “Annie Savoy,” who was famously portrayed by Susan Sarandon in the film “Bull Durham.” An 11th candidate, Glenn Burke, the first known gay player in major league history, returns to the ballot after an eight-year absence.
Read the full article here: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/cooperstown-confidential-candidates-for-the-shrine-of-the-eternals/
(with thanks to Ducksnorts)
Originally published: March 24, 2011. Last Updated: March 24, 2011.