"Robbie Alomar, who is in the Baseball 100, was a strong candidate for the 20th Century Ballot — he was a 10-time All-Star in the 20th century and won eight Gold Gloves and posted 54 WAR and so on. But he played on past 2000 — he is therefore eligible for my 21st Century Ballot."
Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn played in 2001 and they are both on the ballot.
Rickey Henderson played through 2003 and he's on the ballot.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens played through 2007 and they are both on the ballot.
Greg Maddux played through 2008 and he's on the ballot.
Ken Griffey, Jr. played through 2010 and he's on the ballot.
But Robbie Alomar, who played through 2004, isn't eligible?!?!
The 20th century team ballot was created by a group of baseball experts in 1999 and fans got a chance to vote for the players. The experts, for whatever reason, did not put Robbie Alomar on that ballot. Since he is in Joe’s Baseball 100, and since he played a few years into the 21st century, Joe is saying that he is eligible for inclusion on Joe’s 21st century team ballot.
Thank you for the explanation. That makes more sense than how I understood it.
Still not sure why they'd have left Alomar out of the 20th century ballot.
And what does this mean for the players who I mentioned who played into the 21st century who were already on the 20th century ballot? Can Junior be on this one too, especially since he played in 40% of the seasons so far in this century?
Joe said, “I should probably explain that if a B100 player spent any part of his career playing after 1999, I do not count him as eligible for 20th Century Ballot.” So, any player who made Joe’s Baseball 100 list who played in the 21st century is eligible to be on the 21st century ballot that Joe plans to publish. Some of those players, like Ripken or Maddux or Griffey were also on the 20th century ballot that was created by the baseball experts back in 1999.
I am from Topeka, KS and my wife is from near Richmond, IN. Both towns are on the aforementioned I 70. Both of us have completed this boring route back and forth numerous times.
In 1975 we drove both of our cars from IN to KS. This was long before cellular phones. We began the trip in caravan fashion with my wife in the lead car. Somewhere just west of STL we lost sight of each other...for the next three hours...we attempted to correct that situation. Between speeding up and slowing down and exiting off the road numerous times I finally spotted my wife in her car on one of the overpasses between STL and KCMO. What was normally a boring, uneventful trip was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. I'm so glad I found her and we never repeated this again.
The I-70 billboard that most caught my attention was the one for the Super 7 motel, which led me to muse: I can’t imagine wanting to stay at a place that advertises itself as 12.5% less super than a Super 8.
the water in airport (and rest stop) bathrooms is hot so you won't drink it and have to buy a cold bottle of it somewhere for a price at least ten times that of gasoline.
Could not disagree more, Ross! I’ve probably done that drive over 100 times. Long stretches of open road and no towns. 80 MPH speed limits. The West begins at Boerne.
And it was Comanche territory, maybe the greatest warriors the world has ever known. Read “Empire of the Summer Moon” by S.C. Gwynne and you’ll never look at that landscape the same way again.
As Woodrow Call said “I doubt there was ever a thousand Comanches in one bunch. If there had been they would have taken Washington D.C.”
That's interesting! And fair, and I will say that I was making that comment based largely on conventional aesthetics (i.e. flat and not that many trees). For me there are honestly maybe zero truly bad road trips!
Joe mentioned this a couple of days ago, but Joe and Michael Schur's appearance on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast is now available on YouTube. The whole episode was fantastic, and fortunately they did not spend too much time on the show's title, which is "How Bilionaires Ate Fans Alive."
I was previously on the fence about purchasing the book, but after watching the PTFO podcast, I absolutely need to buy a copy for me, and a few as gifts.
Just a quick thank you for the audiobook. You and Mike Schur are wonderful narrators. Appreciate y’all taking the time to do it yourselves. Not finished yet but Pickleball and Darts are standouts. And the way you provide the footnotes works very well. All the best with the book.
I was imagining the all 20th Century team vs the all 21st Century team and imagine it's a pretty even match up and might even lean 21st Century.
I'm pretty convinced the all time greats are or will come out of the 21st Century.
Shohei
Pedro, Maddux, Big Unit
Bonds and Judge
Pujols, ARod
All are in the conversation for best all-time at their position
Then give me
Trouts peak at CF is all-timer
back up outfielders Ichiro, Betts, Manny B Manny, Soto or the all around greatness of Larry Walker
Catchers
Pudge best defensive, Piazza best offensive, but both in the top 5ish all time. Posey somewhere in the middle or Yadi if you believe his D is that great
I'll take Beltre up against almost anyone at 3b then Jose Ramirez or Machado or Rolen or Arenado
2b might be a relative weak spot probably Cano maybe Utley, Alomar as mentioned, even peak Pedroia is awesome
St. Louis to KC is not anywhere near the most boring drive ever. First of all, there is the VERY long hill on the St. Louis side of the state. When you are driving down that hill the thought that there is NO way an 18 Wheeler can stop on this hill if it needs to will cross your mind (and that is probably a fair and true statement so that should keep you awake and alert for a while afterward).
And there is a LOT of foilage, at least on the Eastern Side of the state. In the fall, it is quite beautiful.
For me the western side of the state is for me to point out to my kids all the small towns I played either football or baseball in during high school. Booneville, Oak Grove, Odessa, Lexington (not quite on the highway but there's an exit), Raymore-Peculiar (two towns, one school).
And as one whose family lives in Western Kansas, I can tell the 5 hours on I-70 AFTER KC going toward Denver is a LOT less interesting.
Perhaps, in no place else is there a combination of so many different germs than an airport and I imagine we get scalding water to make sure those little buggers die.
Putting together an "all time team" like this is both too easy (in that there are far too many players to choose from) and too hard (deciding who actually gets to be on the team).
We need some parameters that limit our choices - while still making it fun and interesting.
How about an All Time Team of Switch-Hitters? An All Time Team of players based entirely on their nicknames? (1B: The Iron Horse. SS: The Wizard....) Things like that.
HM: Carlos Beltran, Frankie Frisch, Pete Rose, Biz Mackey
Names? Ooft. That one is harder. How does one chose between the classics like "The Yankee Clipper" vs. the fun "The Earl of Snohomish?" Is "Wizard of Oz" better than "Death to Flying Things?" "Rapid Robert" vs. "Ryan Express" vs. "Smokey Joe" vs. "Cyclone"
Kinda difficult to fill out a pitching staff of switch hitters. Add Carlos Zambrano to Vida and I'm now out of ideas.
Adding to the position players: Cool Papa Bell (who also belongs on the nickname team!) and Francisco Lindor and we have a bench that can provide at least solid play every spot on the field. Or maybe a pure bat with no defensive value like Lance Berkman or Chili Davis.
My understanding is it was a reference to the famed Clipper ships of the prior century. And that the latter airplanes of WWII followed, but weren't named for, the Centerfielder. Joe D's nickname was a reference to how he seemed to glide over the outfield. Smooth sailing towards the ball in flight.
I haven't read all the comments below, but I am starting to believe that Bullet Rogan is the single most underrated ballplayer of all time. Look at the two-way stats they DO have, and then imagine the one they DON'T and I can't fathom how he isn't routinely in the Satchel Paige-Josh Gibson-Oscar Charleston pantheon of Negro League greats recognized as inner circle all-time greats.
Leaving off Albert Pujols from the B100 list is a huge miss
I don't understand something here...
"Robbie Alomar, who is in the Baseball 100, was a strong candidate for the 20th Century Ballot — he was a 10-time All-Star in the 20th century and won eight Gold Gloves and posted 54 WAR and so on. But he played on past 2000 — he is therefore eligible for my 21st Century Ballot."
Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn played in 2001 and they are both on the ballot.
Rickey Henderson played through 2003 and he's on the ballot.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens played through 2007 and they are both on the ballot.
Greg Maddux played through 2008 and he's on the ballot.
Ken Griffey, Jr. played through 2010 and he's on the ballot.
But Robbie Alomar, who played through 2004, isn't eligible?!?!
The 20th century team ballot was created by a group of baseball experts in 1999 and fans got a chance to vote for the players. The experts, for whatever reason, did not put Robbie Alomar on that ballot. Since he is in Joe’s Baseball 100, and since he played a few years into the 21st century, Joe is saying that he is eligible for inclusion on Joe’s 21st century team ballot.
Thank you for the explanation. That makes more sense than how I understood it.
Still not sure why they'd have left Alomar out of the 20th century ballot.
And what does this mean for the players who I mentioned who played into the 21st century who were already on the 20th century ballot? Can Junior be on this one too, especially since he played in 40% of the seasons so far in this century?
Joe said, “I should probably explain that if a B100 player spent any part of his career playing after 1999, I do not count him as eligible for 20th Century Ballot.” So, any player who made Joe’s Baseball 100 list who played in the 21st century is eligible to be on the 21st century ballot that Joe plans to publish. Some of those players, like Ripken or Maddux or Griffey were also on the 20th century ballot that was created by the baseball experts back in 1999.
I am from Topeka, KS and my wife is from near Richmond, IN. Both towns are on the aforementioned I 70. Both of us have completed this boring route back and forth numerous times.
In 1975 we drove both of our cars from IN to KS. This was long before cellular phones. We began the trip in caravan fashion with my wife in the lead car. Somewhere just west of STL we lost sight of each other...for the next three hours...we attempted to correct that situation. Between speeding up and slowing down and exiting off the road numerous times I finally spotted my wife in her car on one of the overpasses between STL and KCMO. What was normally a boring, uneventful trip was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. I'm so glad I found her and we never repeated this again.
The entirety of Indiana is a boring drive.
The I-70 billboard that most caught my attention was the one for the Super 7 motel, which led me to muse: I can’t imagine wanting to stay at a place that advertises itself as 12.5% less super than a Super 8.
the water in airport (and rest stop) bathrooms is hot so you won't drink it and have to buy a cold bottle of it somewhere for a price at least ten times that of gasoline.
Lots of good boring drive contenders in this thread. I'd like to propose I10 between San Antonio and El Paso.
Could not disagree more, Ross! I’ve probably done that drive over 100 times. Long stretches of open road and no towns. 80 MPH speed limits. The West begins at Boerne.
And it was Comanche territory, maybe the greatest warriors the world has ever known. Read “Empire of the Summer Moon” by S.C. Gwynne and you’ll never look at that landscape the same way again.
As Woodrow Call said “I doubt there was ever a thousand Comanches in one bunch. If there had been they would have taken Washington D.C.”
That's interesting! And fair, and I will say that I was making that comment based largely on conventional aesthetics (i.e. flat and not that many trees). For me there are honestly maybe zero truly bad road trips!
Joe mentioned this a couple of days ago, but Joe and Michael Schur's appearance on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast is now available on YouTube. The whole episode was fantastic, and fortunately they did not spend too much time on the show's title, which is "How Bilionaires Ate Fans Alive."
I was previously on the fence about purchasing the book, but after watching the PTFO podcast, I absolutely need to buy a copy for me, and a few as gifts.
Just a quick thank you for the audiobook. You and Mike Schur are wonderful narrators. Appreciate y’all taking the time to do it yourselves. Not finished yet but Pickleball and Darts are standouts. And the way you provide the footnotes works very well. All the best with the book.
Dazzy Vance
I was imagining the all 20th Century team vs the all 21st Century team and imagine it's a pretty even match up and might even lean 21st Century.
I'm pretty convinced the all time greats are or will come out of the 21st Century.
Shohei
Pedro, Maddux, Big Unit
Bonds and Judge
Pujols, ARod
All are in the conversation for best all-time at their position
Then give me
Trouts peak at CF is all-timer
back up outfielders Ichiro, Betts, Manny B Manny, Soto or the all around greatness of Larry Walker
Catchers
Pudge best defensive, Piazza best offensive, but both in the top 5ish all time. Posey somewhere in the middle or Yadi if you believe his D is that great
I'll take Beltre up against almost anyone at 3b then Jose Ramirez or Machado or Rolen or Arenado
2b might be a relative weak spot probably Cano maybe Utley, Alomar as mentioned, even peak Pedroia is awesome
1b still has Miggy or Votto or Thome
I'm sure I'm missing some other favourites...
You’ve got a lot of players whose best years were in the last century on your list.
I was using g Joe's cut off since I didn't see Piazza, Big Unit, Manny...
Oops I now see Maddux on his list
St. Louis to KC is not anywhere near the most boring drive ever. First of all, there is the VERY long hill on the St. Louis side of the state. When you are driving down that hill the thought that there is NO way an 18 Wheeler can stop on this hill if it needs to will cross your mind (and that is probably a fair and true statement so that should keep you awake and alert for a while afterward).
And there is a LOT of foilage, at least on the Eastern Side of the state. In the fall, it is quite beautiful.
For me the western side of the state is for me to point out to my kids all the small towns I played either football or baseball in during high school. Booneville, Oak Grove, Odessa, Lexington (not quite on the highway but there's an exit), Raymore-Peculiar (two towns, one school).
And as one whose family lives in Western Kansas, I can tell the 5 hours on I-70 AFTER KC going toward Denver is a LOT less interesting.
To answer the water question:
Perhaps, in no place else is there a combination of so many different germs than an airport and I imagine we get scalding water to make sure those little buggers die.
I always thought the water was hot to make sure you did not want to drink it and would “choose” to buy the $7 bottle of water instead
Putting together an "all time team" like this is both too easy (in that there are far too many players to choose from) and too hard (deciding who actually gets to be on the team).
We need some parameters that limit our choices - while still making it fun and interesting.
How about an All Time Team of Switch-Hitters? An All Time Team of players based entirely on their nicknames? (1B: The Iron Horse. SS: The Wizard....) Things like that.
Switch hitting team off the top of my head:
C Ted Simmons
1B Eddie Murray
2B Roberto Alomar
SS Ozzie Smith
3B Chipper Jones
LF Tim Raines
CF Mickey Mantle
RF Reggie Smith
P Vida Blue
HM: Carlos Beltran, Frankie Frisch, Pete Rose, Biz Mackey
Names? Ooft. That one is harder. How does one chose between the classics like "The Yankee Clipper" vs. the fun "The Earl of Snohomish?" Is "Wizard of Oz" better than "Death to Flying Things?" "Rapid Robert" vs. "Ryan Express" vs. "Smokey Joe" vs. "Cyclone"
I will allow one to have a full 26-man roster.....
Kinda difficult to fill out a pitching staff of switch hitters. Add Carlos Zambrano to Vida and I'm now out of ideas.
Adding to the position players: Cool Papa Bell (who also belongs on the nickname team!) and Francisco Lindor and we have a bench that can provide at least solid play every spot on the field. Or maybe a pure bat with no defensive value like Lance Berkman or Chili Davis.
I never understood "The Yankee Clipper." What does that mean?
My understanding is it was a reference to the famed Clipper ships of the prior century. And that the latter airplanes of WWII followed, but weren't named for, the Centerfielder. Joe D's nickname was a reference to how he seemed to glide over the outfield. Smooth sailing towards the ball in flight.
My interstate recollections from driving my car to and from Long Island to Dallas several times in college.
I-30 from Dallas to Little Rock is bleak
I-40 from Little Rock to Memphis is also bleak
I-20 from Dallas straight through to Atlanta isn’t much better but at least you’re going through the southern woods.
I-81 is very pretty but man are you in the middle of nowhere in a way this city boy does not like.
I haven't read all the comments below, but I am starting to believe that Bullet Rogan is the single most underrated ballplayer of all time. Look at the two-way stats they DO have, and then imagine the one they DON'T and I can't fathom how he isn't routinely in the Satchel Paige-Josh Gibson-Oscar Charleston pantheon of Negro League greats recognized as inner circle all-time greats.