Sunday, July 02, 2006

The Second Annual Hall Of Hate Fan Vote

It's that time again boys and girls. Metstradamus is headed off to vacation...which is different from where I usually am: out to lunch. I'll be off the mainland until July 11th, which gives the legions plenty of time to vote for this season's inductions for the Hall of Hate.

For those who are relatively new to the site, first off...where the hell have you been? And second, the Hall of Hate was invented by me, which was a derivative of my daily hate list. Now before you read this season's nominees and wonder: "Where's this guy?" "Where's that guy?", the original members of the hall were chosen by me, and five deserving new inductees were voted by you the fans, in August of last season, and was a rousing success. This season, there will be many of the same candidates, and a few new ones. I for one, am excited. We have a great bumper crop of candidates so let's get right to it:

The candidates:

Pete Rose: Picked a fight with a man half his size because his team was getting it's Big Red Tails kicked in during the 1973 NLCS. Received 37 votes in 2005 and was sixth in the voting.

Jeff Torborg: Managed the 1993 Mets, who exposed him as a managing fraud. (Also managed the 2003 World Champion Marlins, but only during the beginning of that season when they stunk.) Received 34 votes and was seventh in last year's voting.

Joe Torre: From "Clueless Joe" as a Met, to a hall of famer (and Roger Clemens apologist) as a Yankee. Was ninth in 2005 with 26 votes.

Richie Hebner: Wanted no part of the Mets, and played like it at third base. If I'm correct, he set the standard for giving baseball fans the finger. Received 20 votes in 2005 and was tied for tenth in the voting.

Jim Duquette: Traded Scott Kazmir while GM of the New York Mets. Then found religion refused to trade highly touted Adam Loewen as part of the Kris Benson deal as the assistant GM of the Orioles. Was tied with Richie Hebner last season with 20 votes.

Tony Fernandez: Was successful at every major league stop he made, except Shea Stadium, where he had maybe three hits in half a season, and blamed gallstones. Tony received 19 votes in 2005 and finished 12th in the voting.

Eddie Murray: The first baseman of the worst team money could buy, the 1993 Mets. Is it really a compliment when you're the leader of misfits? Eddie was 14th in last year's voting with 15 votes.

Anthony Young: Lost 2,587 games in a row in 1993. A.Y. received 9 votes in 2005.

Gene Walter: In the Kevin McReynolds trade, this left handed specialist was the deal breaker. Did nothing as a Met...nothing! Despite doing nothing, Walter only received 6 votes in 2005

Alejandro Pena: A large contributor to the 1988 Dodgers, who broke the Mets hearts in the NLCS after going 1-11 against the Mets during the regular season. Then joins the Mets and becomes as useful as an umbrella in a hurricane. Pena received 5 votes and finished dead last in the voting (Pena can't even win at losing).

Guillermo Mota: Mota beaned Mike Piazza in spring training, then publicly wondered why Piazza went after him and not Roger Clemens (maybe the fact that Piazza was flat on his back had something to do with it). Then after hitting Piazza the following season again, ran away as Piazza followed him to the dugout, the clubhouse, his house, Los Angeles, then to San Pedro de Macoris. This is Mota's first appearance on this year's ballot.

Mel Rojas: Was traded to the Mets as part of the Turk Wendell deal. The reason it's called the Turk Wendell deal is because Rojas was about as useful as Manute Bol on ice skates. Rojas gave up a home run to Paul O'Neill in 1997 that finally landed in 2002. Rojas' greatest transgression was his final act as a Met, which was bringing back Bobby Bonilla in a trade. Rojas is making his debut in this year's balloting.

Steve Phillips: Made very shrewd moves from 1997-2000. But then brought in the likes of Mo Vaughn, Roger Cedeno, and Robby Alomar. Traded Jason Bay for Steve Reed. But worst of all, embarrassed himself with these stupid mock press conferences as the GM of the Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees as an ESPN analyst. Phillips makes his debut on this season's balloting.

Mike Francesa: The larger half of the "Mike and the Mad Dog Show" has always been known as a pompous egotistical Yankee elitist. But this year's diatribe on why Billy Wagner should give up Enter Sandman as his entrance music, and his petty complaint about how Xavier Nady pronounces his name is proof that nothing will get in his way when it comes to Met-bashing. Francesa makes his debut this season.

Dick Young: The New York Post columnist who basically ran Tom Seaver out of town while writing for the Daily News. With one column, Young destroyed an agreement between Seaver and the Mets, causing Seaver to be traded as part of the "Midnight Massacre" on June 15th, 1977. Received 32 votes as part of the general voting in 2005 and finished eighth.

Now remember, the vote will take place on the top of the sidebar, where the poll usually is. You may only vote once per computer, but you may vote for multiple candidates at once. To keep the hall of hate from being flooded, this year the top three vote getters will be inducted, rather than five like the first season. For the third year, there may be two or even one inductee...we'll see.

You may also write in your vote in the comment section if you feel I've forgotten anybody. But please, before you wonder about a certain player's whereabouts, refer here for the existing members. Voting ends at 11:59PM ET on July 13th, so don't delay!

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Damus, I have three write-ins (can I do that?)

1.) A-Rod. If not for him in NY, D-W would be the best third baseman in NY. And on paper, is only stats the best third-baseman

2.) Kaz Matsui - his swan song deserves some kind of honorable mention, doesn't he?

and lastly, I'm surprised he hasn't been in any other Hate Lists but...

3.) George Foster. The so-called "credibility" signing of Frank Cashen, whiffed more times than got on base, took a limo home every day even when team floundered, didn't defend his teammates when in the Reds brawl in '86, played the "race card" when Davey Johnson didn't play him anymore, and ignored the fans (except when they booed him). This guy DEFINITIELY deserves some kind of mention!

Oh - maybe another one - Lee Mazzilli? I didn't see him on the list from last year (although I think he made the all-time Yankee Hate List, but he deserves a mention for the KNoblauch "interference" call, don't ya think?)

Other than, well done with the picks.

Anonymous said...

Carlos Baerga, Roger Cedeno, Mike Bordick,

Anonymous said...

I'm ignorant. Joe Randa is a longtime KC Royal who was once thought to be our pre-DW stopgap signing at third. Why do we hate him?

Anonymous said...

One write-in candidate: Rob Dibble. Both for being enough of a jerk to provoke taunting chants of "DIB-BULL, DIB-BULL" from the Shea faithful, and for then being so contemptible that the chants actually worked and mafe him fold.

Another write-in: Juan Samuel, who was supposed to be just as good as Nails, but with a better attitude toward team play, and proved in excruciating fashion to be just the opposite -- he wasn't near as good as Dykstra and was a dark cloud on the bench.

A third one: The Payson Family, especially after old Joan died.

And finally: Rudy Giuliani, the very walking epitome of Yankee fandom.

Anonymous said...

Joe Randa is a relic of 2005 hate. He wrecked Opening Day as a Red. He wasn't too helpful as a Padre later in the season. Kind of a flash-in-the-panned.

But panned with good reason.

quint said...

alay soler

Ed in Westchester said...

Crap, now we are going to have to read the idiocy of Darth Marc.

Anonymous said...

if he uses the word "infidel" call the fbi and have him investigated for islamic terror links.


Nowhere on any darth vader quotes page is the i-word ever mentioned.

beezermess said...

I have a write in candidate....

Mackey Sasser....

I think it took me a few pumps of my fingers before I was able to type that in....whew...I am tired now

How about this one: Fran Healy...outside the evil empire's John Sterling, he was absolutely horrible...made me fall asleep once...with a cigarette in my mouth....

Anonymous said...

Can hardly wait to see the Darth Marc Yankees blog on this website. that's a bet that really backfired...as a matter of fact it was a week that really backfired. metstra should stick to prophecies about the Mets and leave the wagers alone. I hope you're not gambling on the boat? Wagering space on a Met blogsite was a risky but bold move. I'm sure you could just smell it when the Mets went up early on Sunday night! As always, if the Mets' game/season ended in the third inning or at the All-Star break, they would have more than 1 world championship in the last 20 years. Darth Marc....be evil!

I.M. Forme said...

For the love of Mookie--we really have to VOTE on Phillips and Duquette's inclusion?

Shouldn't they just be ushered to their seats, like Gretzky was into the hockey hall of fame?

Anonymous said...

kenny freakin' rogers. please allow me to roll out the red carpet. i almost threw my TV out the window.

Anonymous said...

Some write ins

1) Barry Bonds -- most home runs off the Mets

2) Looper -- any big moment, he folded like a cheap suit

3) Michael Kay -- annoying in general

Anonymous said...

How can Mike Francesca be more worthy of hate than Dick Young (as this poll is going)??????
It has to be because most voters here are younger.
Mike is annoying yes, but not much more than most Yankees fans who try to cram that stuff down our throats. You learn to ignore it.
Dick freakin Young practically destroyed our franchise for a decade and alienated our best player in history in one fatal swoop. He should have been a first ballot shoo-in into the Mets hall of hate, let alone the second ballot.
Also, Richie Hebner deserves election far more than someone like many others, such as say, Joe Randa.
Sorry to complain - great idea, I love the blog...

vonbork said...

Here's a second vote for Fran Healy

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Don Aase.

His crushing blown save has ruined my life 16 years later.

Don, I hate you.

Anonymous said...

this isn't a write-in, as my three candidates were on the ballot, but i just wanted to let you know, metstradamus, that your message of hate has been spreading. a whole bunch of sports blogs have been doing their "25 least favorite players of the last 25 years". not surprisingly, I have seen Kenny Rogers on 5 different teams lists already: a mets blog, a skanks blog, a rangers blog, a twins blog, an oakland blog. I'm sure that by the end of his current contract, he will manage an appearance on a tigers blog too.

Mookie McFly said...

Since Leiter is as big an idiot as there has ever been (wouldn't allow teammates to treat Rick Reed with respect as a non union member despite the fact that his mother was terminally ill when he scabbed, got Kazmir traded because he listens to rap, and works for the Yankzeera network) I must cast my vote for him three times. I know he was a winner for the Mets but in life, he is and always will be a loser.

Anonymous said...

David Wright was responsible for the sound cutting out more often than any other batter in tonight's HR derby... how does this affect the All-American Golden Boy image? :)

Anonymous said...

1. Dick Young. A fine selection. Not only for his role in running Seaver out of town (ruining my budding Met fandom from the age of 8 right through 16 in the process), but for being a cranky, nasty old man well into the 80s. Man, he was a loathesome creature.

2. Flooper (think about what the added "f" stands for. Not too tough.

3. Fran "Score it 6 to 4 to 'Fran, you're fired'" Healy. If McCraver helped me learn about baseball during the 80's, Fran made me want to forget the sport was invented.

4. Those Idiot Chicks who ran the team in the late 70s.

5. Cesar Cedeno. No real Met fan (over the age of 35 at least) need ask why.

Anonymous said...

Arod still holds the alltime postseason record for SLAPS!!

Ed in Westchester said...

Metstra - Hope you had a nice vacation.
If on the day of the upcoming darkening you feel the need/desire to post, let me know. The Cafe would be open to a guest blog from you.