The 2005 Hall of Shame dee-nee-a-thon

[Attezzobal]

As long as we're quoting our own older posts involving Dwight Evans...

Not sure this qualifies as "shame" per se...But I read once that Dwight Evans, while active in MLB, traded himself in a fantasy league because he "Needed pitching help"

For what it's worth, from the June 2003 article "and Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans became a fantasy player and reportedly traded himself for pitching help late in the season."

[Gantry]

That is a a good one, where did you read this? 

[malnuboy]

I posted this in the first H.O.S. thingy, I don't know if it was ever picked up but here it is:

Dont know if some of these players are already in but after the 86 season Dwight Evans, Bill Buckner, Don Baylor, and Rich Gedman headed a movement to take away the world series bonuses that traditionally go to the grounds crew, reduced the Bat boys normal bonus and voted in a record 86,000 dollar bonus for each player. This can be found in Dan Shaughnessy's book Curse of the Bambino

Wow, what a bunch of pricks, there has to be more to this story.  Why would these guys have an incentive to take away bonuses from the grounds crew?

I guess it was just pure greed. I actually found where its written in the book I refrenced, there is also a decent lengthy quote from one of the bat boys at the time desribing the greedy players, I can post it if you like.

[Attezzobal]

The Dwight Evans one was from the June 2003 Sports Illustrated

[JoeDirt]

 MIAMI -- Former baseball star Jose Canseco and twin brother Ozzie were found liable Monday in a lawsuit by two men they beat up at a Miami Beach nightclub in 2001.   A jury awarded Christian Presley and Alan Cheeks more than $700,000 in compensatory damages and left open the possibility of punitive damages. The panel of four men and two women reached the verdict after deliberating two days.

Presley had sought $1 million and Cheeks $500,000 in compensatory damages for their injuries as well as emotional scars from the fight at Opium Garden club.

The Cansecos declined comment after the verdict.

The jury awarded Presley $232,308 for injuries it determined were caused by Jose Canseco. Cheeks got $506,600 for injuries caused by both brothers, the jury found. A hearing to determine punitive damages was set for Tuesday.

Jose Canseco insisted he never struck either man, pushing Presley with his open palm when he got too close. Even though both Cansecos pleaded guilty in 2002 to criminal battery charges, they testified that it was Ozzie who did all the hitting.

The Halloween fracas was sparked after Presley accosted Jose Canseco's date, Amber Glick, who testified she was grabbed by someone she could not identify. Presley said he touched a feather on her Indian costume.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/8418334

[Gantry]

Already on there:

http://dee-nee.com/rbi/hallofshame.shtml#CANSECO

[Gantry]

Thanks to the article mclane posted on the Essential Reading thread, we have two new and one modified entry for Kevin Mitchell:

- In 1990, he was four days late to spring training because he got injured eating a microwaved donut, requiring root canal work.

- Injured himself while eating a cupcake - though this is heavily documented, details are scant. It may be an offshoot of the oh-so-true donut injury.

- Became the first player in Cleveland Indians franchise history who was unable to complete an 850-yard training run.

[fknmclane]

Gantry, I also just thought of one for Kirby Puckett.  Maybe something like this:

"While shopping at his local Scottsdale, AZ Home Depot, Puckett, after being correctly pointed out by one of McLane's coworkers who was selling him a carpet install, actually asked said carpet-selling employee if he could get a discount for being Kirby Puckett.

Puckett also, as heard by McLane, dropped approximately a half-dozen f-bombs in the span of two minutes outside the front of the store as McLane was loading his patio furniture.

McLane also says that Puckett is very tubby."

[fightonusc]

Make sure you refer to him as "Forum Legend Mark 'fkn' McLane."

[Gantry]

Why was he droppping f-bombs? 

[fknmclane]

Why was he droppping f-bombs? 

Just the way he talks, I guess.

For example, "get that fucking shit in there" in referring to the patio furniture.  Or talking about the party he was gonna have, "I need a big fucking heater for the patio" or "I'm having this fucking party tonight."  I was chuckling the whole time, thinking to myself, this guy talks like me when I'm shitfaced.

[Gantry]

I can certainly see all this coming out of Kirby's mouth, good to know I have him pegged properly...

[BeefMaster]

Why was he droppping f-bombs? 

Just the way he talks, I guess.

For example, "get that fucking shit in there" in referring to the patio furniture.  Or talking about the party he was gonna have, "I need a big fucking heater for the patio" or "I'm having this fucking party tonight."  I was chuckling the whole time, thinking to myself, this guy talks like me when I'm shitfaced.

This is especially funny when I think of Puckett's voice - he has a really high voice, kinda like Mike Tyson without the lisp.

[fightonusc]

From the book "The Bride of Anguished English":

"How do you figure this game? You really can't. Just when you think you have, someone throws you a great curveball, and there you are walking back to the dugout with your head between your legs." - Davey Lopes

[fightonusc]

From "The Bad Guys Won" (excerpted from Amazon.com):

During the 1986 NLCS, the Mets were convinvced that Mike Scott was scuffing baseballs. But Bob Ojeda was positive that third baseman Phil Garner was the one with the sandpaper.

"That SOB who was doing it was Phil Garner at third," Ojeda said. "He's a rat. He had this thing in the glove, and when the ball was thrown around, he's squeeze it and throw it to Scott. I'll go to my grave believing that."

Garner responded that "Is that a silly belief or what? Completely untrue."

[aceofspades]

How about posting the recent allegations on Lenny Dykstra?

[fightonusc]

From the book "Called Up: Stories of Life and Faith from the Great Game of Baseball" by Dave "Snap" Dravecky:

Apparently, after the Astros lost 11 games in a row in 1988, pitcher Jim Deshaies bought a book on witchcraft with the intent of warding off evil spirits in the clubhouse. He performed a ritual in the clubhouse that involved chanting and burning of twigs in the clubhouse. One teammate who was not pleased was born-again Christian Glenn Davis, who was noticeably skeptical. But not only did the Astros win the next night, but Davis pulled a hamstring muscle during the game.

Score one for Satan!

[fightonusc]

Many good selections from the book "Baseball's Most Wanted II":

George Brett:

"Brett Sometimes smashed things in the clubhouse when he lost his temper. Once, at Royals Stadium, Brett took out his frustration on a trash can. He beat on it with a bat, then threw himself into the trash can. Teammate Jaime Quirk found Brett in the can covered in garbage."

Tom Brookens:

Brookens hit so poorly that he joked he scuffed his bat to "make it look like he hit the ball".
Brookens also once pulled a hamstring during a home run trot.

John Kruk:

Called a bar he owned in West Virginia "Third Base" because it was "the last place you stop before you go home."

Chet Lemon:

Was so obsessive about taking care of his bats while with the Tigers that he would "put his bats in a stretch sock and take it back to the hotel with him after the game."

Calvin Schraldi:

Was the losing pitcher in both Games 6 and 7 of the 1986 WS, with a 13.50 ERA (after posting a 1.41 ERA during the regular season).

Alan Trammell:

At a Halloween party one year, he dressed as Frankenstein. Wearing elevated boots, Trammell tripped, fell and injured his knee to the point that it required surgery.

[fightonusc]

From "Baseball's Most Wanted I":

Bob Ojeda:

In July 1991, Ojeda was shelled while pitching for the Dodgers against the Mets, losing 9-4. He later told reporters the poor performance was due to voodoo. He explained that his ex-wfe, with whom he was in a bitter alimony dispute, had been sticking pins in a voodoo doll with Ojeda's face on it.

Jeffrey Leonard:

Known as "Penitentary Face" for his ugly scowl, he taunted opposing pitchers with his "One Flap Down" home run trot (where he would circle the bases with one arm held against his side). Leonard sometimes carried his "nasty" bat to the plate. It featured obscenities scrawled on it, that he would waive in the catcher's face.

Charlie Kerfeld:

Caught eating a plate of ribs in the bullpen in July 1987.

Wally Joyner:

During his rookie season in 1986, was nearly killed when he was grazed by a butcher knife thrown from the upper deck of Yankee Stadium.

[fightonusc]

From Baseball Hall of Shame III:

Mike Schmidt:

Once reported for morning exercises during spring training in 1977 with his pants down at his knees. The conditioning coach was a stickler for players being on time, and when Schmidt was late getting dressed, he decided it would be better to show up on the field with his pants down around his ankles than be late.