A First For The Hall Of Hate

As announced on Sunday, exclusively on Free the Fan Radio, deceased sports columnist Dick Young and former Mets closer turned Cardinals starter Braden Looper are your two newest inductees into the Metstradamus Hall of Hate.

Here's how stupid I am...I failed to realize the irony of making the announcement on the same day as Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken were inducted into the actual Hall of Fame until the next day. But here's what wasn't lost on me: Young is the first ever member of both baseball's hall of fame (was recognized with the J.G. Taylor Spink award in 1978, where he was booed lustily by Met fans), and my hall of hate. There will be others one day, but there will only be one first one...and that is Dick Young. High honor if you ask me.

Of course, it was made possible by the efforts of Greg at Faith and Fear, who's well timed internet campaign brought Young from about 7-10 votes out of the second spot behind the All-Star Home Field Rule (which, I must admit, was really meant to be just a throw-in...if I knew it would get so much support, I wouldn't have played that card), to the top spot in a matter of 24 hours.

So don't forget to listen to the exclusive announcement here, which was followed by a very interesting blogging pageant which came down to the wire due in part to my very fair judging.

The Final Vote:

Dick Young 193
Braden Looper 180
The All-Star Home Field Rule 141
Albert Pujols 104
Joe Torre 77
Pete Rose 76
Mel Rojas 65
Jeff Torborg 55
John Thomson 54
Richie Hebner 34
Eddie Murray 29
Tony Fernandez 18