The Stars are Out: Hall of Fame Induction Edition

It's becoming pretty weird to me that a lot of the guys I saw play baseball when I was a kid get inducted into the Hall of Fame. I've made customs of a lot of these guys, and now here they are, in Cooperstown, getting inducted. Crazy stuff.

So, here are some more additions to the Stars are Out series I've been doing, showcasing all three of these guys throwing out the first pitch at games. I couldn't get photos of Vladimir Guerrero, Jack Morris or Alan Trammell, so we'll just feature the other three.

Trevor Hoffman goes first, because it took him the longest of the core four to get here. Hoffman is a San Diego legend, one of the greatest closers of all time, and deserves to be here.

And here's Larry Jones. Looking laid back, yet still owning his achievements in Atlanta as a landmark third baseman and legendary hitter. He also deserves this induction.

And this guy...one of my childhood heroes, and a guy who got me into the Phillies as a kid...is one of the strongest hitters I ever got to see live, and was a Hall of Famer even before he wore a Phillies uniform. I'm glad he finally got there. Jim Thome is a legend, and deserves to be enshrined, even if he's not a Phillie on the plaque.

So, congrats to all Hall of Famers. They all deserve it.

2018 Hall of Fame Results: Four Easy Pieces

What's great about this era of HOF inductees is that, with the exception of Trevor Hoffman, they all exist in the era of custom cards, so I can post blog-archived material for 3/4ths of the inductees. 

What's also great is that I would have voted these four in, like, in a heartbeat, so I'm insanely happy that they all get to be Hall of Famers now.

Chipper was a foregone conclusion. Of everybody on the ballot, I knew he'd be a definite. The way he played the game, and the consistency in the field and at bat over 20 years...you don't find that everyday. The easiest comparisons would be somebody like Brooks Robinson, but it's barely a comparison when Chipper paved the way to become his own type of athlete, and a poster child for Braves fans everywhere. Happy he made it in.

 Happier still that this guy made it. When I got into collecting, Vladdie was one of the most likable players in the fold, and he was insanely easy to root for, no matter what team he played for. Even when he was with the Rangers, I rooted for him. His style of play was based in power, and he was insanely powerful whenever he was on the base paths. He's also one of those guys that could have played for another 3 or 4 years. If only the Jays hadn't have effectively ended his career.

Happy for Vlad, and happy for Trevor Hoffman, who deserved the nod by just being an intimidating and fearsome closer for 18 odd years. But...I wanna reserve a bit for the last guy that got in...

Jim Thome, for a few years, was my favorite player in baseball.

He came to Philadelphia, made a name for himself within a span of 60 seconds, and made coming to Citizens Bank Park a must for me. The first time I went, it was incredible- Thome hit a home run, and the whole plays erupted in the kind of love he'd be responsible for whenever he'd show up in Philly for the rest of his career. The way he played the game owed itself to instant admiration. In the period before I got back into card collecting and hyper focused on who everyone was, I rooted for Jim Thome. I had every right to.

And now Thome's a Hall of Famer, because why the hell wouldn't he be? He deserved it, and I'm so happy I'll get to point him out to my eventual offspring in Cooperstown one day.

So...yeah, I'll say that Hall of Fame voters did well enough this year. I'd have made room for Edgar Martinez, but I'm thinking this means he'll be in next year.

Now...I wait a year for the 2013 inductions...which means I'll be waiting a year to talk about Hall of Fame cases for two of my OTHER favorite players...a guy named Mo...and a guy named Doc.

Dueling Photographers

Try...not to move, Trev. This could be the shot of your lifetime. This could get you the cover of LIFE magazine, up on somebody's wall and all that. Just focus...be still...let it all out there.

That's it. 

That's a beaut.

Just zoom in a bit...

HeeelllllO-HELLO. What do we happen to have here?

Aw, that is amazing. Truly worthy of some space on the ol' memory card. Might as well zero in, make sure nobody else is...

Aw, shit.

That doggoned Trev Hoffman's on the other side, in't he? That short-sighted hack thinks he's all apples and pears, doesn't he? 

I'll show him. I'LL SHOW 'EM ALL! 

I ain't some fourth-rate starter for a team nobody likes. I'm Willie Adams, and I'm the best photographer in the damned world. And they're gonna know my name. They're gonna know it by heart. 

...dammit, Trev, you've got yourself some competition. 

Ah, it's just Willie Adams, you've got nothing to worry about. He's not even cool enough to have a black lens like me...just some white lens he probably got for 5 bucks at B&H. That's really, cute, that's...

wait, shit, that's a stronger lens than the one I've got. It's magnified by...gosh, I dunno how many more. I'm gonna have to make this shot count if I want to keep this closing gig. 

Hot damn, we've got ten minutes until warm-ups and he hasn't moved. If I don't work quickly, then I'm gonna let this shot go to waste, and I...can't...let that happen. I'mma have to move fast here. And hope that Trev doesn't move in 'fore I do.

Hey...hey, isn't anybody back there happy for me? Y'all are Oakland A's, just like me. At least be supportive.

....

Fine. Just you wait. 

Just a few...inches more...there. That's it. That's the shot. That's what I've been looking for. 

Good gracious, Trevor. You've done it. That's the photo of a lifetime. I bet Willie Adams is shaking in his trunks over there. That is beautiful.

...why do I get the feeling I'm being watched?

Mariano Rivera

Trevor Hoffman

Mariano Rivera

Both members of the 500 club!

They are both definitely going to the HOF

WOO

BTW- I will be going on vacation until Friday- where I'm going has no WiFi, so no posts until then.