If you’re a baseball fan who has never been to Cooperstown, it is a must atop your “bucket list.” This quaint, cozy little town in upstate New York will be abuzz this weekend, as tens-of-thousands of fans make the pilgrimage to baseball’s shrine – The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And make no mistake, the sound of cash registers ringing along Main Street and in the Hall of Fame shop will be music to the ears of baseball’s sacred community. Induction Weekend is critical to the town and its baseball monument. And, whenever a Red Sox or Yankee great is inducted, the dollars usually flow in record numbers. So with Sox legend Jim Rice and 5-year Yankee Rickey Henderson being honored, everyone will be running to the bank this year.

The question is, what about the future of this American landmark?  What effect will the steroid-era have on the Hall of Fame and Induction Weekend?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball needs to keep honoring its greatest assets. Like no other professional sport, baseball’s tradition is part of the game itself. So, with the likes of Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Sosa, Palmeiro – and now Alex Rodriquez and Manny Ramirez all questionable future Hall of Famers – where does that leave the business of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Could the steroid-era be the demise of this great baseball and American tradition and the beautiful town of Cooperstown?

Without great players being inducted on a yearly basis and those registers making music on Induction Weekend, where will the revenue be generated? How long would MLB and philanthropists keep the doors open at 25 Main Street?  And even if indefinitely – or, at least until we move away from this cheating era – what about the small, independent stores and vendors in this little community?  Who will save them?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball need to make some tough decisions in the near future regarding the fraudulent numbers these great players allegedly perpetrated on baseball and its fans. The business of Cooperstown was looking forward to the induction of these great players. Without them, they could be doomed.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB cannot leave these critical decisions in the hands of baseball writers who vote for players eligible for the Hall of Fame. That burden is not their responsibility – nor should it be.

It’s time for the leaders of the game to step up and set new guidelines to ensure the business of baseball and pilgrimage to Cooperstown continues for years to come.

Manny Ramirez, called by many the greatest right-handed hitter of his generation (along with Albert Pujols), is the latest potential casualty to become a Hall of Famer. Hit with a recent 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy, Manny joins the likes of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Palmeiro, and A-Rod who will be keenly scrutinized for possible entry in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

McGwire’s fate seems to be determined, as he has already failed to gain sufficient votes. We’ll soon find out about a few others, as their five-year retirement from baseball approaches. The wait on Manny and A-Rod could be to their advantage, as they are years from retirement. Time can deter memory. However, whether any of these cheaters get into the Hall of Fame, they have already ruined the fabric of the game. And who’s to know whether others who have been inducted weren’t also guilty of steroid use? I have my suspicions.

What made baseball so different from other major sports was its stats. Numbers have always been part of the game. As kids, we all knew 714, 61, and 2,130. Today, those numbers have been shattered. However, can you instantly tell me what the new numbers representing those records are today? Personally, those old numbers, along with 755, are the one’s I’ll forever remember.

Unfortunately, baseball stats have gone the way of basketball and football statistics. No one knows … and no one cares.

Since the announced retirement of Curt Schilling, the question du jour is whether or not he should be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. My initial, knee-jerk reaction was no. However, I’m now having second thoughts.

I am not a stat machine, so if you’re looking for all the numbers, you can look ‘em up on numerous sites. However, what I do know is that Schilling has 216 wins; six all-star appearances; one World Series co-MVP; one of the best post-season pitching records in baseball history; and three championship rings.

A friend and colleague of mine said, “He absolutely does not belong in the Hall.” However, my friend also thinks Schilling is a blowhard – and that the blood-soaked sock was really ketchup. So, his judgment may be influenced by his disdain for him, rather than analyzing his accomplishments.

Players need not win championships to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. See Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, et al. However, those who have accomplished the feat, especially multiple times, definitely deserve consideration.

Curt Schilling has been known for speaking his mind…and, in 2004, when he stated, “I’m going to Boston to break an 86 year-old curse,” he fulfilled his brash prediction. His memorable, bloody-sock, game-six win versus the Yankees in the 2004 AL Championship Series was one of the gutsiest performances I’ve ever witnessed. He later repeated his bloody sock heroics in a game-two World Series win versus the Cardinals when doctors, in an unprecedented procedure, made a wall of stitches to keep Curt’s tendon in place. Even if it were ketchup on his sock, Schilling later had surgery on his right ankle to repair the ruptured tendon.

And, in 2007, Schilling was part of a second Red Sox World Championship.

So, whether you like him or not…you can’t deny his accomplishments. While his 216 regular-season wins might not be Hall of Fame numbers, his post-season record of 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA might get him over the hump.

And, oh yes, there’s also those three rings.

Floridians and Arizonans…prepare for the migration of snowbirds.

Forget Groundhog Day and the folklore of the groundhog predicting spring. And no true baseball fan really believes spring begins March 20th this year. Spring commences when MLB team equipment trucks leave for Florida and Arizona.

For baseball fanatics living in cold-weather climates, spring training is their annual hope that freezing temperatures and snow begone – with the sound of baseballs off wooden bats music to their ears.

The pilgrimage for World Champion Phillies’ fans is to Clearwater. Bostonians gather on the Gulf Coast in Fort Myers. New Yorkers head to either Tampa or Port St. Lucie in Florida, while Cubs’ fans go west to Meza, Arizona. St. Louis faithful travel to Jupiter on the Atlantic Coast. Wherever flight takes you…south or southwest, spring calls and America’s game is soon back.

My travels take me to the Fort Myers area in Florida and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. It’s paradise. Get me out of this frigid weather and into City of Palms Park and Hammond Stadium, home to the Red Sox and Twins, respectively. This year, I may even go to the new spring home of the Rays just up I-75 in Port Charlotte. What better way to start the ’09 season that seeing the Sox, Yankees, and Rays – the three best teams in the American League, if not all of baseball.

It will be interesting to see how much the recession affects business this year. Cities and small towns hosting MLB spring sites desperately count on baseball fans and snowbirds to open their wallets and contribute to the local economy. Revenue generated this time of the year is critical to Florida and Arizona.

I’ll do my part dumping money into to my favorite spots like: ‘Tween Waters Inn on Captiva and its Oasis Pool Bar; Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar; and Matt Asen’s famous Timbers Seafood Restaurant and Sanibel Grille – where you could run into Chris Berman, Ted Koppel, or Brooks Robinson on any given night. Late-night usually includes Sanibel’s Jacaranda Restaurant and its fun “Jac Bar” with live music…or a trip to Fort Myers Beach visiting its numerous hot-spots.

The things we do to help the economy - and to stay young.

Snowbirds…start your engines. Baseball is back!

Not since the mid 1930s when Charles B. Darrow presented his newly invented board game to Parker Brothers has money been thrown around so frivolously. I haven’t played Monopoly in years, but it continues to be the best selling board game in the world, with MLB apparently its leading advocate.

The Yankees recently committed nearly a half-billion dollars to three players. Even Mr. Monopoly couldn’t compete at that level. Hell, there’s only a total of $15,140 in a standard game of Monopoly. Surely a sizable piece of change in 1935, but just gas money for today’s professional athlete.

The recent New York signing of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira has Yankees haters complaining – and baseball purists looking to castrate the all-powerful, super-agent Scott Boras. However, even though I’m no fan of Boras and his tactics, and I grew up hating the Yankees, they play within the rules of the game. The Yankees could simply “pocket” their profits but, for better or worse, they invest in the free agent market. It certainly doesn’t guarantee championships. In 2008, the top three payrolls in MLB (Yankees, Tigers, and Mets) didn’t even make the playoffs. The champion Phillies ranked 13th and AL Champs Rays 29th, respectively.

However, as MLB payrolls continue to spiral, are you not concerned about the game’s future? I curiously await 2009 attendance figures outside of New York, Boston, Chicago and LA.

Have we all been blinded by capitalism so much that we forget MLB is a league and, collectively, it is only as strong as its weakest link. This notion of teams “driving up prices” of their competitors (e.g. Red Sox-Yankees) is foolish. Eventually, that philosophy comes around to bite them all. If the Red Sox were simply driving up the Teixeira price, won’t that affect the future cost to them for the services of Kevin Youkilis?

MLB and the MLBPA need to take a long, hard look at the future of the game and stop trying to simply line their pockets with cash while the going is good. We have seen what that can do to the economy. MLB is not immune. It’s time for a salary cap.

Maybe our government should be going to MLB for loans rather than the Peoples Republic of China. I would feel more comfortable with a $1-trillion debt to them than China (which, frightfully, it will soon be). Giving my tax dollars to Mark Teixeira as apposed to a communist nation might not be an economically sound investment, but it would certainly be more entertaining.

Sarcasm aside, are MLB owners paying attention? They appear to be throwing money around with their heads in the sand. Are they not aware of the economy and the big-3 U.S. automaker problems? Don’t MLB executives see how the automakers’ Boards of Directors let their executives and the United Auto Workers dictate their demise? The game is the same, just flip the names. Replace Board of Directors with MLB. Change GM, Ford, and Chrysler to Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets. And call the UAW the MLBPA (players association). For years, auto executives couldn’t see the forest for the trees and spent their way to failure. They wouldn’t stand up to the union, thus payroll got out of control. Sound familiar?

We can talk about foolish baseball owners and the oft-used quote, “If they couldn’t afford it, they wouldn’t pay it.” That carries some truth. But when compensation to players are open books, which is precisely what unions want, contracts get out of control. If you’re not a union person, do you know exactly what the workers next to you are being paid?

Unions had their place in time, but times have changed. I’m all for buying American, however, many American products have become inferior due to the need to cut cost-of-goods to supplement payroll and hit competitive price points. However, Americans want both affordable prices and quality. Hence, they can’t buy American. They buy Toyota and Honda.

I recently read a column by a New York sports writer regarding the Yankees spending $161 million on C. C. Sabathia. He stated, “It’s a natural progression of the market.” What market is he looking at?  The only “market” I see grossly over-spending during these difficult times is MLB (and other professional sports leagues).

MLB has been riding a wave of success for a number of years. The league is more popular than ever. However, not so long ago, the real estate market was booming too.

I hope MLB and the owners have long-term fiscal planning in place, because I don’t think corporate America will be filling their wallets as in years past.

Two players appear to be keeping the hot stove cool. MLB’s Hot Stove season is waiting for this year’s two biggest free agents to make their moves. The word in Vegas, where another MLB General Manager’s meeting is taking place at the luxurious Bellagio, is once Teixeira and Sabathia ink new deals, the flood gates will open.

Sabathia, sitting on a six-year, $140 million offer from the Yankees, supposedly favors residence on the west coast. However, can the Dodgers, Angels, or Giants really compete with the Yankees in a bidding war? If the Yankees weren’t so desperate for pitching, they’d put a deadline on their offer and call Sabathia’s bluff regarding a Pacific Ocean view. But that won’t happen. However, can the Dodgers really let Manny Ramirez leave, and then sign C.C. to a long-term deal at Manny-money? Mannywood fans would be outraged. The Giants certainly can’t outbid the Yankees, so they would need a real hometown discount to sign him. The Angels can compete with the Yankees, but at the expense of loosing Teixeira? I doubt they can afford both.

It will be interesting to see which is more important to Sabathia – money or the California lifestyle. For what it’s worth, I’d take less dough and be “California Dreamin’” over the Bronx. After all, what’s a little less at these ridiculous numbers? Plus, I’ve been to both places…and there is no choice.

Regarding Teixeira, get ready for an A-Rod type contract. The Red Sox appear serious about pursuing the gold-glove, high OBP, slugger. And when you add the Yankees and Angels into the bidding war, he’s sure to break the bank. There will be no financial crisis conversation with Boros when it comes to negotiations about Teixeira.

So let’s get on with it already. It’s December, and the stove needs to get hot. Hell, spring training is right around the corner….at least that’s what the snowbirds are telling me.

'Little' Pedey, not 'Big' Papi, will carry the Red Sox

Where did summer go? If you live in the northeast, Labor Day marks its end. September brings cooler temperatures, pennant drives, and the NFL. Autumn – plus the collision of MLB playoffs and the NFL – is my favorite time of the year.

Pennant fever has hit a few cities, but don’t count Tampa Bay as one of them. If the Rays can’t put fannies in the seats after the storybook season they’ve had, I wonder if the area is a MLB city. The ballpark (if you dare call it that) could be part of the problem, but they couldn’t even sell-out the recent Yankees series during a pennant drive. God knows what will happen to their fan base when the Red Sox cruise by them in September for the AL East title. However, they should still make the playoffs as the Wild Card team – and what an embarrassment for MLB if the catwalks come into play in a game 5 or 7.

Southern California is abuzz with thoughts of a Freeway World Series. The Angles have made a joke out of the AL West, and Manny has brought live back to Dodgers’ blue. My brain tells me Arizona will win the west, but my gut tells me not to bet against ‘Manny being Manny’ down the stretch.

Chicago also looks like the city has two playoff entries forthcoming. The Cubs are a gimmie, but the ChiSox have a struggle on their hands with Minnesota. Unfortunately for the Twins, the RNC took over their Twin Cities – and the schedule makers could have put a nail in their coffin with all the year-end road games. If Tampa Bay totally collapses in September, the only prayer is a Wild Card, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The Brewers could be the best team in the National League, but I doubt they’ll catch the Cubs. However, as the Wild Card team, they will be Cub fans worst nightmare come playoff time. Cue the Billy Goat!

In the Big Apple, pennant fever just isn’t the same without the Yankees. The New York tabloid back pages will soon be all Mets … a scary thought for the team from Queens. The pressure of the 2007 choke could play a factor in their NL East race with the Phillies. Santana to the rescue.

Here’s a look at my winners and who should be playing baseball in October.

American League
East: Red Sox: ‘Little’ Pedey, not ‘big’ Papi, will carry them. Plus pitching.
Central: White Sox: Twins will loose, hence, ChiSox win.
West: Angels: Too much of everything for a weak west.
WC: Rays: They get in only to have a dream season quickly come to an end.

National League
East: Mets: With a hope and a prayer…and Santana.
Central: Cubs: Oh…the pain the Brewers will eventually inflict.
West: Dodgers: Manny being Manny is enough to get in.
WC: Brewers: As long as CC doesn’t collapse from overuse.

AL Champs: Red Sox: Too much depth, but Beckett needs to be Beckett.
NL Champs: Brewers: Power and a healthy Sabathia and Sheets make them dangerous.

WS Champs: Red Sox: Beckett, Lester and Dice-K should make it back-to-back.

A good friend once told me, it’s all about pitching, pitching, and pitching.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”

It appears Red Sox Nation has had enough of Manny being Manny. For the past week, Boston sports talk-radio airwaves have been inundated with callers who appear to have had enough of the savant slugger, who recently pulled himself out of the Sox lineup twice. Manny stated it was due to a cranky knee, but MRIs came up negative on both knees.

It was one thing for Ramirez to pull himself out of the lineup against the lowly Seattle Mariners, but when he sat again in the first game of the most recent Yankees series at Fenway Park, all hell broke loose in New England. More important than fans and radio talk-show hosts, it also appears the Red Sox brass has had enough of Manny’s quirkiness. What appeared to be a no-brainer two weeks ago – that the Sox would pick up the team’s $20M 2009 option for Ramirez – now seems as likely as John McCain winning Massachusetts in November.

Manny quitting on loyal Sox fans and, more importantly, his teammates is deplorable. Letting teammates down is the mortal sin of an athlete. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Pro sports are all about winning. As a reminder, until 2004, Sox fans had not seen a World Championship since 1918. They’ve now witnessed two since 2004. Would they have done so without Ramirez? Probably not. Had they not won those two championships, would fans and Sox brass still want Manny to walk? My guess is no.

Manny Ramirez is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Does that forgive him for his recent actions? Not in real life, but this is not real life. It’s Major League Baseball. Lest we forget the indiscretions of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Juan Marichal, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, et al.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the best 3-4 hitters the game has seen since Ruth and Gehrig. So, be careful what you wish for Sox fans … and enjoy it while you can. Those days may be gone soon. And with it, championships.

Has the newness worn off for you yet? Are you tired of seeing pitchers hit or the DH walk to the plate? Has MLB Interleague Play run its course - or, is baseball now just playing too many games?

I know, attendance for Interleague games remains up versus regular league play, but that might be skewed by real rivalry games, such as: Yankees-Mets; Cubs-White Sox; Angels-Dodgers; Giants-A’s; Indians-Reds; Royals-Cardinals; Marlins-Rays. Plus, any National League team relishes a series with the Yankees or Red Sox - the two biggest road-draws for years.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer waiting for October to see American League versus the National League.

_________________

While I’m on the subject of Interleague Play, I might as well add my two-cents regarding the DH rule. Having lived in an AL city most of my life, I’ve been watching the DH for so long (it was introduced in 1973) that I no longer have interest in watching pitchers hit. Nor does Hank Steinbrenner, especially after losing pitching ace Chien-Ming Wang to a base-running injury. Two sets of rules in one league are ridiculous. Plus, one would think the MLB Players Association would push for the DH in the National League to extend time-served for some aging players.

________________

Be sure to vote in this weeks www.HOFN.com Poll regarding Interleague Play. Are you for or against?

Here’s another question for you…other than baseball, is there another sport where the defense has the ball?