Red Barber, the Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Yankees, once listed this man among the three most important figures in the history of baseball.
The first two, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, made unmistakable impacts and imprints on the game and on society at large, of this there is no argument.
The third person Barber mentioned was longtime MLBPA leader Marvin Miller, who was snubbed yet again — inexplicably — on Sunday for enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame by whatever it is the old Veterans’ Committee is calling itself these days.
The newly dubbed Modern Era Committee did vote in two new members — perhaps a compromise for both the more stats-driven Sabermetrics crowd and the old guard of baseball keepers of history — by tabbing longtime Tigers teammates Alan Trammell and Jack Morris for induction next summer, along with whomever the BBWAA elects in voting that will conclude on Dec. 31.
This could be a sizable Hall class that also will most certainly be highlighted by Chipper Jones and Jim Thome in their respective first year on the ballot, and likely at least one or both of last year’s close calls, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman.
The plan here is to check off boxes for the first three of that group (no surprise there), although I’m not fully prepared to divulge the remainder of my selections. Stay tuned!
The writers unfortunately never have been permitted to consider Miller, who — similar to commissioners, owners, managers, executives and umpires — only appears for debate within the exclusive committees the Hall has established purportedly to right any glaring omissions made by the BBWAA.
Some of their choices have been warranted; Morris received my support regularly, albeit not Trammell on what has become an overcrowded ballot due to the steroids era. I certainly have zero problems with either being so honored this year.
Other decisions by the Vets Committee over the years have prompted far greater levels of head-scratching and deserved derision.
Omitting Miller again — for what, as far as I can tell, the seventh time — makes absolutely no sense. It’s unfathomable, really.
He easily is the most deserving figure yet to be recognized in Cooperstown, regardless of your opinions about PED users (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and on and on), designated hitters (Edgar Martinez) or whoever else’s case you believe the BBWAA has botched in recent years.
Miller, a Brooklyn product and NYU graduate, headed the players’ union as Executive Director from 1966 until 1982, altering the game forever. He immediately negotiated the game’s first collective bargaining agreement. He fought and eliminated the prohibitive reserve clause that locked players into their respective teams indefinitely. And he established lucrative player rights through salary arbitration and free agency, leading to an explosion in salaries and increased popularity.
Mets legend Tom Seaver, who was traded away over a messy contract dispute in 1977, once called Miller’s exclusion from the Hall “a national disgrace.”
Miller was unafraid to shut down the national pastime to procure such advancements, however, and the 1981 players’ strike certainly did not endear him to ownership in an industry in which management previously had held all of the leverage and power. The average salary rose from $19,000 to $326,000 during his tenure, and to a whopping $4.47 million by 2017.
If my math is correct, and I was told there’d be no math, that’s an increase of 23,426 percent.
As for Sunday’s vote, the 10-player list of candidates needed to garner 12 of 16 votes (yes, even I can compute that as 75 percent) for induction from a committee comprised of Hall of Famers George Brett, Rod Carew, Bobby Cox, Dennis Eckersley, John Schuerholz, Don Sutton, Dave Winfield and Robin Yount; major league execs Sandy Alderson, Paul Beeston, Bob Castellini, Bill DeWitt and David Glass; and veteran BBWAA members/historians Bob Elliott, Steve Hirdt and Jayson Stark.
Morris received 14 votes, one more than Trammell, with former catcher and extremely compelling case (just look up his stats) Ted Simmons falling one vote shy of election.
Miller finished next in line with seven, with Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker and Luis Tiant each receiving fewer votes than him (numbers not disclosed).
Before he died (at 95) in 2012, Miller actually wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame saying he no longer wanted to be considered and that he would not attend if he ever was to be inducted. Members of his family have said the same in the ensuing years since his death. Perhaps that was a contributing factor on Sunday.
Still, Miller receiving less than 50 percent support from this electorate — featuring six HOF players who benefited from his era of activity — is patently absurd.
The Modern Era committee (for those whose impacts largely were made between 1970 and 1987) next will consider these and potentially a few new overlooked candidates in 2019. Next year, those candidates whose primary contributions came after 1988 will be examined, followed in 2020 by both the Golden Days Era (1950-69) and the Early Days Era (prior to 1950) committees.
Either way, any museum documenting and celebrating the game’s history hardly is complete without Miller.
One of the most impactful figures in baseball history should be in the Hall of Fame.
Red Barber blasted an “Oh, doctor!” home run on this one.
OUTTA BOTTE EXPERIENCE
Derek Jeter never fulfilled his vow to Yogi Berra to match the Yankee legend’s total of 10 World Series championships, finishing with half that total.
But the Steinbrenners certainly need to bestow upon Numbah Two ring No.6 if Giancarlo Stanton and the Yanks win it all in 2018.
— Never to be outdone, ARod is going to buy the Brewers and trade the Yankees the racing sausages.
— Speaking of the Twitter feed (five years later edition): During a 2012 charity concert by Billy Joel, I predicted “Miami 2017” would be the date of the Marlins’ next fire sale. Talk about setting up a joke.
— I don’t know, perhaps Sunday wasn’t the day for Sandy Alderson to make a smug crack comparing Brandon Nimmo to Stanton.
But Mets fans sure have to be pumped that their small-market club is going to try really hard to sign a setup man on their terms this winter.
–Eli Manning shouldn’t have been benched and deserved that standing ovation Sunday, but get Davis Webb into these last three games already.
— Have to love the sports world and assorted celebs rallying around middle-schooler Keaton Jones, who garnered national attention over the weekend after a video of him tearfully discussing being bullied went viral.
Kudos especially to the Tennessee college football team, led by Jersey-bred quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, for spending the day with Jones on Sunday.
PETE’S PICKS
Here are five videos Yankees fans will want to check out regarding incoming superstar slugger Giancarlo Stanton:
5. WHAT WILL JOHN’S HR CALL BE?
4. “I LIKE BEATING UP ON THE METS”
3. FOR JOSE FERNANDEZ
2. *61 HOMERS!
1. THAT’S 504 FEET, BUT WHO’S COUNTING?
