AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > June > 07
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
MVP award should bear Aaron’s name
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
My call to Bud Selig actually was about something else involving Hank Aaron, but when you have the baseball commissioner on the other end of the phone from his office in Milwaukee, well, you swing for the fences. So I dug in deep for several more questions.
To paraphrase: Right now, with Time Warner owning the Braves, Aaron is operating in his eternal role as senior vice president. He sits in the shadows, though, mostly by choice, but he wouldn’t mind easing into the sunshine despite moving four months past his 72nd birthday. When the deal is complete to sell the franchise to Liberty Media Corp., the leading candidate, will you insist that the new folks keep Aaron around, and that they find ways to make the home run king sparkle in the brightest of lights?
In other words, do you agree with me that Aaron should have a vibrant and visible role with the new Braves’ ownership?
“Absolutely,” said Selig, before adding emphatically, “Absolutely. There’s no question about it. I will encourage it, and it should happen.”
This all goes back to the start of the process, when Selig urged outsiders interested in buying the Braves such as the Liberty Media people from around the Rocky Mountains to connect with a group from around the Chattahoochee River. Enter Aaron, along with the likely hiring by those Liberty Media people of current Braves chairman and president Terence McGuirk, the quietly brilliant executive who has been around since the days of Ted Turner. Chances are, McGuirk would run things with the same crew (general manager John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox, for instance) that has taken the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles.
Good. All good. Greater still, Selig knows that Aaron did more than a few things with his bat, glove, arm, legs and dignity to make the Braves famous in Milwaukee and Atlanta. Then again, Selig and Aaron have been splendid pals since the Braves came to Wisconsin during the early 1950s before the team bolted for Georgia a decade later.
“You know, Hank went to Washington with me last September during the steroid thing, and he was just tremendous,” said Selig, recalling Aaron’s testimony on Capitol Hill. “That was a pivotal moment in baseball, when we wound up with the toughest drug program in American sports, and he was so helpful. Given everything that’s happened (with the steroid controversy), well, you know how I look upon Hank Aaron. Even setting aside my own enormous regard for him as a person and more importantly as my friend, Hank Aaron is the heart and soul of baseball. Hank should always be in the forefront of as many things as possible.”
Which brings us to the primary reason why I called the commissioner. That slugger for the San Francisco Giants with his artificially inflated arms, legs and everything else just topped Babe Ruth’s 714, and he is easing his way toward Aaron’s 755. As a result, baseball is moving closer to a brutal scenario that would entail the unpopular Barry Bonds catching and passing the popular Henry Aaron.
My solution: Baseball should make Aaron even more popular.
You have an award every year for the best pitcher in each league, and it is named after Cy Young, a former player. You have an award every year for the top rookie in each league, and it is named after Jackie Robinson, a former player. You also have an award every year for the most valuable player in each league, and it is named after Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a former commissioner.
A former commissioner? Baseball should forget about Landis in this case and make its MVP award revolve around Aaron. Not only is Aaron a former player, but he is the ultimate former player given his graceful contributions to the game during and after his playing days. Baseball should make a huge deal this summer about renaming the award after Aaron to remove the focus from Bonds and return it to the legitimate slugger of all-time.
“I want to be a little bit careful that we don’t take away from the Hank Aaron Award that we do have,” said Selig, who didn’t totally dismiss my idea. He just suggested that he prefers the status quo, which has Aaron’s name on a relatively new and mostly obscure yearly award for hitters that involves a convoluted formula. In contrast, the MVP award has been around a while, and everybody knows about it. So name it after Aaron already.
Selig has that power. I mean, commissioner, you even said as much: We can’t get enough of Hammerin’ Hank, locally or otherwise.
Permalink | Comments (38) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
Smoltz clone needed for bullpen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Now we see the absolute greatness of John Smoltz. You know, as if we didn’t see it before.
The man won a Cy Young Award during his first time around as a starter for the Braves, and he also won more postseason games than anybody in history. Even so, he agreed to switch to the bullpen, where he quickly became one of the most dominating closers ever.
The problem? The Braves’ rotation lacked Smoltz’s fastball and guts, especially in the postseason.
Smoltz is back as a mostly impressive starter these days, but guess what? The Braves bullpen that he left is a disaster without his brilliance as a closer.
I’ve asked this before, and I’ll keep asking until I get a definitive answer from Dr. Frankenstein or Bobby Cox: Can the Braves just clone the guy?
Permalink | Comments (36) | Categories: Quick Hit
Services »
