Mickey Vernon is not going to the Hall of Fame.
The late Marcus Hook great yesterday came four votes shy in the voting by the Veterans Committee. The only person to gain admittance was former Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon, who was named on the requisite 75 percent of the voting ballots.
Ironically, one of those who often spoke in favor of Gordon being inducted into the Hall of Fame was Vernon. His good friend Jim Vankoski noted that on Vernon’s collection of home videos, he’s often heard extolling Gordon. “Now there’s a guy who should be in the Hall of Fame,” Vernon often said.
Mickey Vernon’s career spanned four decades, from 1939 to 1960. He was a seven-time All-Star and two-time American League batting champion. Unfortunately, he toiled most of those years with the Washington Senators.
Vernon was one of nine players on the ballot for those who played prior to 1943. No players from the post-1943 era made it, including former Phillies great Dick Allen.
Vernon was named on five of the 12 ballots. He still has two more opportunities, when the Veterans Committee votes again in 2013 and 2014.
So Mickey Vernon is not going to Cooperstown, at least not yet.
But he’s in a much more important place. Vernon was a Hall of Fame human being.
On that vote, the decision was unanimous. Delaware County should take great pride in the athletes it has produced. At the top of that list would be “The Gentleman First Baseman.”
Vernon would be the last to complain that he did not receive the votes necessary to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s just the way he was. Instead he more likely would spend that time talking about how much Gordon deserved the nod.
That’s just the way Vernon was. They don’t make him like that anymore.
He’ll always be Hall of Fame in our book.
The late Marcus Hook great yesterday came four votes shy in the voting by the Veterans Committee. The only person to gain admittance was former Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon, who was named on the requisite 75 percent of the voting ballots.
Ironically, one of those who often spoke in favor of Gordon being inducted into the Hall of Fame was Vernon. His good friend Jim Vankoski noted that on Vernon’s collection of home videos, he’s often heard extolling Gordon. “Now there’s a guy who should be in the Hall of Fame,” Vernon often said.
Mickey Vernon’s career spanned four decades, from 1939 to 1960. He was a seven-time All-Star and two-time American League batting champion. Unfortunately, he toiled most of those years with the Washington Senators.
Vernon was one of nine players on the ballot for those who played prior to 1943. No players from the post-1943 era made it, including former Phillies great Dick Allen.
Vernon was named on five of the 12 ballots. He still has two more opportunities, when the Veterans Committee votes again in 2013 and 2014.
So Mickey Vernon is not going to Cooperstown, at least not yet.
But he’s in a much more important place. Vernon was a Hall of Fame human being.
On that vote, the decision was unanimous. Delaware County should take great pride in the athletes it has produced. At the top of that list would be “The Gentleman First Baseman.”
Vernon would be the last to complain that he did not receive the votes necessary to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s just the way he was. Instead he more likely would spend that time talking about how much Gordon deserved the nod.
That’s just the way Vernon was. They don’t make him like that anymore.
He’ll always be Hall of Fame in our book.
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