It's too hot for a sermon. Just go to Metstradamus and cast a vote for Dick Young.
The third annual Hall of Hate balloting is nearing its close, 11:59 tonight. As the dawn approaches, Dick Young is 13 votes behind the All-Star Home Field Rule in the election for the second of two spots available to enshrine the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low, a list that encompasses — in the words of its brilliant creator — the biggest enemies in Mets history, “the ones who the mere mention of their names makes one want to drink a bottle of ipecac just so you can puke all over your dog.”
Hate is a hateful emotion to carry around with you. We're all about the peace and the love here, but sometimes we have to make an exception. Hall of Hate voting is one of those occasions. Metstradamus was clearheaded enough to make the Hall the repository for all our bile. No need to boo or stew. Just vote.
Just vote for Dick Young. And no one else.
True, Metstra fashioned a thoughtful ballot of worthy villains but has imposed a stringent limit on who gets in this year. He says just two. I say just fine. As long as one of them is Dick Young.
Don't bother with anybody else on the ballot. It's too late for Richie Hebner this year. All ticket-splitting detracts from the mission at hand. Don't bother with runaway leader Braden Looper. He's a passing fancy anyway. And certainly don't bother with the All-Star Rule. It shouldn't be in second place. It garnered support in a fit of passion. Metstradamus rendered unto us the ballot in the days following the All-Star Game. Of course the Rule is going to look bad in its wake. It always looks bad. It's a stupid rule. But honestly, it's two weeks since the All-Star Game. Have you thought about it at all lately?
On the other hand, how can the actions of Dick Young not keep occurring to you if you are a Mets fan? Dick Young was M. Donald Grant's key henchman in running Tom Seaver out of New York. Dick Young was the company man of his day (even though he was technically on the Daily News' payroll). Dick Young printed scurrilous gossip — Nancy Seaver is jealous of Ruth Ryan! — and did all he could to remove Tom Seaver from the New York Mets. Dick Young didn't like Tom Seaver, didn't care for modern times, didn't want players who thought for themselves. For Grant (already enshrined) and Young, it was imperative the old order be preserved and that Seaver be dispatched.
Grant's and Young's plan worked like a charm: Seaver was gone and the Mets went into the toilet for the next seven years. Your team was ruined. Your enemies celebrated. You or your forebears were cackled upon. Your baseball life was in ruins.
How can you not hate that? How can you not hate Dick Young? Even if you weren't around in 1977, how can you look back on the history of your club, the club you shape at least part of your identity around, and not want the world to know Dick Young, one of the most powerful columnists New York ever read, was one the most hateful men who ever lived?
American League gets home field advantage in the World Series? So what? We're talking about the single most important player in Mets history and the single worst move in Mets history. M. Donald Grant pulled the trigger. Dick Young cleaned the gun. Together, they destroyed the New York Mets.
Do your heritage a favor. Do your self-esteem a favor. Vote Dick Young for the Metstradamus Hall of Hate. You have until one minute before midnight tonight. Go. Get it done. You'll feel better knowing you did the right thing.
Done.
did it at least a week ago.
Hi Greg,
I had the honor and privilege of placing the 132nd vote that enabled Dick Young to reach the All Star Home Field Rule.
Never have I felt so proud in the performance of my civic duty! I will cherish the moment, always.
Way too many dipshits voting Braden Looper in that poll.
I just added the insurance run that putz the Big Dick 2 up in the Abomination-Star Game rule, 134-132
Voted early and often. The aptly named Dick Young is one of the worst villains in Met history. Really, the home field silliness is no more galling than stupidly alternating it every year. And in five years, who's gonna care about Braden Looper? He was a lousy closer (but Mo Rivera compared to Benitez) who made fun of JoseX3 song. BFD.
Besides Aptly Named Dick's crimes against Seaver, their was his tremendously meanspirited attempt to turn the fans against Doc Gooden upon his first rehab when we all still had patience for him. And how about his laughable hypocrisy; after harassing Seaver for trying to renegotiate a contract, Aptly Named Dick bolts the Daily News mid-contract for the Post.
But I got the game winning hit! LOL. Too bad they've done away with that statistic once I finally got the opportunity to achieve it.
Dick seems to have opened up a nice margin over the ASG rule (though Looper inexplicably still leads the pack). Last minute campaigning seems to work.
Dick Young closes in on All Star Game Rule. Fear the power of Faith and Fear in Flushing!! Next thing you know Hillary will be looking for your endorsement…
A simple Hate Hall of Fame simply doesn't do justice to the vile Dick Young. The bastard should have his own WING in the Hall of Hate.
Good work by good-hearted people. If you haven't voted for Dick Young, please make it to the polls by 11:59 PM and cast your vote.
Posterity thanks you.
I have to believe that's a generational thing. If you were born after, say, 1970, you might not even have been aware of the role of “Dick Old” in the Seaver trade. And if you were born after about 1980, you might not remember him at all.
Greg,
Just hope there is enough room in the Hall of Hate for both Young and Grant
A grateful nation (and an inconsolable 10-year-old on 6/16/77) offers you its thanks.
OK, we've rendered the All-Star game rule a distant speck in the rear-view.
The Big Dick is only 8 down from Braden Pooper.
B R I N G H I M H O M E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Voted for Dick Young – I agree – he deserves his own wing.
How is Looper hated more than Pete Rose?
Thanks for your work on this Greg. I voted 3 times for Young (& Rose) early last week. Can't understand how B Looper garners any “hate.” Yeah, he sucked, but it wasn't intentional, and it surely wasn't his fault that the Mets just didn't have anybody better to run out there than a bum-armed righty who was the proverbial match to the gascan against lefties. And the ASG rule? Too stupid to merit more than a shrug. But Young went out of his way to undermine the (still) best player the Mets have ever had. That The Franchise ever pitched an inning in anybody else's uniform is the single greatest crime ever perpetrated against Metdom.
Maybe “Other Met Fans” should be a category next year.
I just read the new book on Jackie Robinson's first year, Opening Day. In it, the author spends two or three pages slamming Dick Young, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat reporter at the time, for never commenting on the fact that Robinson was the first black player in the majors. Never in his notes, columns, or game reports. You can argue that he was treating Jackie the same as any other player except that this was obviously a significant event and yet Young never saw fit to discuss how Jackie was handling it, how the team reacted, how opponents reacted, etc. If there was a “Faith & Fear In Crown Heights”, we would have hated Dick Young way back then, too!
As of moments ago, Dick leads Looper by six votes with just over two hours to go.
This is a tense one. Doesn't anybody have exit poll data?
Done. My own site has been Lights Out, Nobody Home all day, but I finally remembered how to blogread through something other than my own Friendspage.
If only the top vote-getter gets in, it's gonna be close. As of this moment, Dick the Butcher's a mere four votes ahead of the Loopy one.
The Daily News, of all sources, ran a very good recap of the whole Death Day Debacle on its 30th anniversary. It's here for those who care to check it, including a definitive where-are-they-now wrapup:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/06/17/2007-06-17_the_true_story_of_the_midnight_massacre-1.html
Oh, and since I can't announce this any other way at the moment: My possible Encore Appearance for my first Senior Citizens Day (my insurance company now considering me closer to 50 than to 45) got called off; the inconsiderate client chose not to shlep me 80% of the way there on their dime so I could go. But after seeing Maine's performance tonight, I doubt I'd have seen anything better.
And the extra point I kicked puts Dick ahead of Loopy 185-178. Go team go.
I was relieved to see us on the good side of a game with some breathing room tonight, but bummed that Maine got pulled in the 8th.
I understand the philosophy of letting Heilman and Mota get some work in a game that has some room for their errors. But if Maine had just been able to hang on for a complete game (his pitch count was only 103 after 7), he would have gotten the season ERA under 3. I know it's cosmetic, and I'm glad that's all I'm bummed about. But it woulda been nice.
Now on to root for HeWhoShallNotBeNamed to do in the Braves with some long, RBI-laden hits, none of which will make it over the wall and into the cove.
This may be the only time in my life I've ever actually rooted for Arnold Kilowatt to get a splash hit. It may never happen again. At the rate he's going, though, he might sustain a career-ending eyelash fracture before breaking The Record.