Biggest Jerks in the HOF

vintagetoppsguy · #1 05-15-2014, 03:28 PM

From personal experiences:

Baseball: Joe DiMaggio
Football: Tony Dorsett

Jim65 · #2 05-15-2014, 04:05 PM

If we are talking about criminal activity, it doesn't get much worse than OJ Simpson.

Duluth Eskimo · #3 05-15-2014, 04:09 PM

As far as a jerk goes, cast my vote for Say Hey Willie Mays. I have met and spent time with many HOFers, but no one was worse than Mays.

Jayworld · #4 05-20-2014, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duluth Eskimo

As far as a jerk goes, cast my vote for Say Hey Willie Mays. I have met and spent time with many HOFers, but no one was worse than Mays.

+1. I've met him, too. At an Equitable Old Timers game in the 1980s. He was the ONLY old time player that did not attend the pre-game meet/greet at the hotel, and the only one before the game that would not acknowledge anyone at the batting cages. I was told by my friend who was an Equitable rep that Mays would not be invited back.

Jim65 · #5 05-26-2014, 09:17 AM

Juan Marichal, anyone who hits another player in the head with a bat is not only a jerk but a coward too.

celoknob · #6 05-26-2014, 04:37 PM

Cap Anson

Section103 · #7 05-27-2014, 05:53 PM

Enos Slaughter. Wrong side of history.

The death of Babe Ruth's wife, Helen Woodford, always makes me raise my eyebrows just a tad. Nothing to support that, of course.

RichardSimon · #8 07-14-2014, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim65

Juan Marichal, anyone who hits another player in the head with a bat is not only a jerk but a coward too.

But Roseboro forgave him and they became good friends.

Louieman · #9 09-18-2014, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim65

Juan Marichal, anyone who hits another player in the head with a bat is not only a jerk but a coward too.

Jim65 you should read this article if you haven't already

http://deadspin.com/what-baseballs-m...you-1625569916

packs · #10 09-19-2014, 09:07 AM

I don't know. That article is interesting but getting punched and getting hit by a bat are two different things. Marichal could have killed him.

clydepepper · #11 06-30-2014, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayworld

+1. I've met him, too. At an Equitable Old Timers game in the 1980s. He was the ONLY old time player that did not attend the pre-game meet/greet at the hotel, and the only one before the game that would not acknowledge anyone at the batting cages. I was told by my friend who was an Equitable rep that Mays would not be invited back.

I think you guys could give Willie a little slack as he has been mostly deaf for more than a decade. Even without that, growing old aint for sissies - so, for all the thrills he gave all of us...a little slack in leu of gratitude.

Donscards · #12 07-13-2014, 08:51 PM

I went to a show in the early 80's Willie could hear then---Very degrading person--he was being paid to sign and he wouldnt look up or chat--just grunt or yell---one of the worst in the Hall----I guess we can give Pete Rose a pass!!

clydepepper · #13 07-13-2014, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donscards

I went to a show in the early 80's Willie could hear then---Very degrading person--he was being paid to sign and he wouldnt look up or chat--just grunt or yell---one of the worst in the Hall----I guess we can give Pete Rose a pass!!

I think we all should be more realistic. Willie never stood on the shoulders of others...they were HIS shoulders...and everyone you see on color TV these days stands on his shoulders...and Hank's & and Ernie's and of course Jackie's. Willie never made a million...not even close. Our sports 'heroes' are just like anyone else, entitled to having a bad day. Walk a mile in their shoes and try to understand.

Duluth Eskimo · #14 05-15-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim65

If we are talking about criminal activity, it doesn't get much worse than OJ Simpson.

I thought the "glove didn't fit"?

Exhibitman · #15 05-27-2014, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim65

If we are talking about criminal activity, it doesn't get much worse than OJ Simpson.

Heh, I forgot all about The Juice. How much of an idiot do you have to be to get the verdict of a lifetime on a murder rap then go off and try to strongarm someone? He deserves a long prison sentence for being felony stupid.

djson1 · #16 06-09-2014, 01:24 PM

The athletic world (not just the HoF) is FULL of jerks, racists, haters, etc. You have to guess that these guys are so Type A and just look out for #1, that they don't care a lick about anybody else. Truly nice guys are rare, but there are some great nice ones too (too many to list).

I'm still hoping that all those rumors of great baseball players like Speaker and Hornsby (maybe even Cronin) being associated with the KKK are not true (that would make them real big jerks!). Many of these are based on rumors, according to my research, but some are convinced that they did have ties. That would be disappointing as I admire Tris Speaker and Hornsby as the best of the best. BTW, wasn't Enos Slaughter a big racist jerk? Plus, his numbers weren't even that great.

Exhibitman · #17 06-17-2014, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djson1

The athletic world (not just the HoF) is FULL of jerks, racists, haters, etc. You have to guess that these guys are so Type A and just look out for #1, that they don't care a lick about anybody else. Truly nice guys are rare, but there are some great nice ones too (too many to list).

I'm still hoping that all those rumors of great baseball players like Speaker and Hornsby (maybe even Cronin) being associated with the KKK are not true (that would make them real big jerks!). Many of these are based on rumors, according to my research, but some are convinced that they did have ties. That would be disappointing as I admire Tris Speaker and Hornsby as the best of the best. BTW, wasn't Enos Slaughter a big racist jerk? Plus, his numbers weren't even that great.

As I understood the KKK stuff, there were some parts of the country where membership was extremely widespread and considered almost respectable among the general population of whites. At least one Supreme Court justice [Hugo Black] was a KKK member in the 1920s, joining because he felt he needed the KKK vote to win elective office in Alabama. His record on the bench and as an employer of law clerks did not jibe with a racist viewpoint.

As for Slaughter, there was a highly publicized incident [as shown in 42] when he spiked Jackie Robinson but he [Slaughter] always denied it was racial and in his 'defense' it is true that he injured numerous white ballplayers with his spikes and was widely known as one of the dirtiest players in the game, so whether he was being his normal self or a racist is by no means clear.

As a guest a card shows I always experienced him as one of the good ones, happy to be there, willing to chat and accommodate fans, etc. I got this one at a show about 20 years ago:

packs · #18 06-18-2014, 04:22 PM

In my opinion accepted or not there have been pro-racial equality sentiments in sports just as long as there have been anti-racial equality sentiments. Everyone had a choice.

Personally I don't believe Slaughter had racist motives and he's always denied it. But I think excusing someone's actions because of their background or because of the general population's views minimizes the act.

refz · #19 09-24-2014, 09:14 PM

I'll agree with DiMaggio and as far as non hof, ron guidry was very obnoxious in person.

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