I was flat-out wrong about Bernie Williams. Earlier this summer, I penned a column about the longtime Yankee, contending that it was time for Brian Cashman to cut bait by either designating Williams for assignment or approaching him about the possibility of a dignified retirement. Thankfully for Yankee fans, I have no more sway with Cashman than most members of the media. Yes, it’s a good thing I’m not a part of Cashman’s front office machine.

On Sunday, Williams slugged two home runs (to give him 11 on the season) and collected six RBIs in a much-needed win against the Angels, lifting his on-base percentage to .336 and his slugging percentage to 451. Those aren’t great numbers for an everyday right fielder or DH, but they’re pretty darn good for what Williams is supposed to be—a fourth outfielder and part-time regular. Yes, there is still a tendency on Joe Torre’s part to play Williams too much, especially against right-handed pitchers, and Bernie can be absolutely frightful to watch in center field. Yet, on the whole, the senior Yankee has become an asset. Williams has helped lift the quality of a bench that was once poor, now making it far more respectable while giving Torre a right-handed hammer against lefty pitching and a potentially dangerous pinch-hitter in the late innings.

Yes, Bernie can still play. He has made himself a useful tool on a team that is once again headed to the postseason. And I stand corrected…

How quickly things change in baseball. Less than a month after acting as sellers at the trading deadline (witness the trades of Bobby Abreu, David Bell, and Cory Lidle), the Phillies have completed a rapid transformation into frantic buyers. After acquiring Jamie Moyer earlier last week from the Mariners, the Phillies made another move on Sunday, picking up Jeff Conine from the Orioles. With Aaron Rowand out for the season, the Phillies needed some outfield depth, something that Conine can provide. I just hope that Charlie Manuel doesn’t overexpose Conine, who is no longer capable of playing everyday. If Manuel wisely limits Conine to a platoon role with David Dellucci in right field while also using him as a pinch-hitter, it figures to be a solid move for the Phillies, who are in full wild card mode…

I had an interesting experience last week. I was called down to the ABC News studios in New York to conduct an interview for an upcoming documentary on Roberto Clemente and three other Latino legends. The producer interviewed me for two solid hours, covering everything from Clemente’s childhood to what he might have done in his post-baseball life if not for the tragic plane crash that killed him and four others aboard the flight. Of those two hours, probably only a few seconds will make it to the final edit of the documentary, which is scheduled to air in either late September or October. Still, it was a worthwhile encounter with the folks from ABC, who could not have been nicer hosts and impressed me with their desire to dig deep into the story of Clemente…

Finally, a tragic note that is all too reminiscent of Clemente’s fate. The list of victims in that horrifying plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, included former minor league pitcher Jon Hooker, a standout at the University of Kentucky who was later signed by the Chicago White Sox. The timing of the tragedy seems even more cruel in Hooker’s case; he had just wedded his fiancée, Scarlett Parsley, who was also killed in the crash. As a college reliever, Hooker pitched for the Wildcats from 1997 to 2001, developing a reputation as a pitcher who liked to take the ball at the end of close games. After being signed as an amateur free agent by the White Sox, Hooker pitched for independent league teams in Fargo, North Dakota, and Joliet, Illinois. At the time of his death, Hooker was working as a medical counselor.

If there’s one thing to learn from doing a feature like The Rumor Mill, it’s that you can never assume that Omar Minaya has stopped making trades. Even in the aftermath of the Shawn Green acquisition (which was more like an Arizona giveaway), Minaya remains hot on the trail of Giants outfielder Moises Alou. The Mets are so concerned about Cliff Floyd getting healthy—and staying healthy—in time for the playoffs that they’ve had serious talks with San Francisco about the 40-year-old Alou. Moises is about as injury prone as Jack Clark these days and seemingly older than his uncle Matty, but when healthy, he remains a productive corner outfielder. If the Mets can convince the Giants to take a B-level prospect in a deal for Alou, who is a pending free agent, they would play him in left and Green in right until Floyd returns, and then make a decision as to who would play every day. It’s conceivable that the Mets could still use Floyd in left while platooning Alou and Green in right, or they might use Floyd and Alou as their everyday corners while bringing Shawn Green off the bench. Whatever transpires, it’s better to have options, and Minaya is giving Willie Randolph plenty in anticipation of the Mets’ first playoff berth since the year 2000…

In the meantime, Minaya continues to scour the waiver wires in his eternal search for starting pitching. Even with Tom Glavine receiving a favorable diagnosis about his pitching shoulder this week, the Mets still have concerns about their top two starters in the postseason. (Hey, when Steve Trachsel is the surest thing in your rotation from a physical standpoint, you’ve got some worries.) The Mets could very well talk to the Red Sox about David "Boomer" Wells. That’s assuming the Red Sox will be willing to bite the bullet on this season—a hasty assumption given their legitimate standing in the American League wild card race. On a less glamorous note, the Mets will almost certainly talk to the Mariners about either Gil Meche or Joel Pineiro, both of whom seem destined to leave Seattle before Opening Day of 2007. There is a potential obstacle with Meche, though. He was pulled from Tuesday night’s start because of a sore right forearm. The Mariners will hope that he heals quickly…

Speaking of Seattle, the Mariners’ recent collapse in the AL West has more than a few folks in the Great Northwest calling for Mike Hargrove’s head. More than one major league scout feels the Mariners have the best talent in the division, yet they managed to lose 11 straight games in an "any which way you can" fashion. The front office, after all, did do its share by acquiring Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez before the trading deadline while holding on to the team’s group of young hard-throwing relief pitchers. Hargrove remains one of baseball’s truly nice guys, but will probably have to take the fall for his team’s underachieving throughout August. If the Mariners fire Hargrove in-season, they might turn the club over on an interim basis to bench coach Ron Hassey before undergoing a search for a fulltime successor this winter… The Mariners have already starting making changes within the organization in anticipation of a busy off-season. They fired minor league hitting coordinator Glenn Adams, who had filled the position for the last six seasons. That’s the same Glenn Adams who played the outfield for the Giants, Twins, and Blue Jays from the mid-seventies through the early eighties…

On a recent Yankee broadcast, the YES Network’s Jim Kaat mentioned a rumor that hasn’t received a lot of play. According to Kaat, the Orioles are interested in trading for Rangers first baseman Mark Texeira, a native of the state of Maryland. This is not a trade that would happen in-season, but could develop as part of a winter blockbuster. I would think that the Rangers would want Erik Bedard as part of any package for Texeira, but it’s hard to see the pitching-paltry Orioles parting with any of their pitching. More likely, they would want to move Miguel Tejada, who would theoretically become Texas’ new third baseman, with Hank Blalock sliding over to first base. That seems like a lateral move at best for the Rangers, who would be giving up the younger player in the 26-year-old Texeira, who is four years the junior of Tejada.

Revamping The Roster

The ongoing five-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox has taken its place as one of the watershed moments of the 2006 season. Yet, there’s something else at work here, on a deeper and subtler level. If we look below the surface, this series could become a catalyst for a much-needed change to one of baseball’s longstanding and out-of-date rules.

As if the preponderance of 12-man and even 13-man pitching staffs hasn’t been enough of a blight on the game, the five-game series between the Red Sox and Yankees should be used as evidence that baseball needs to change its current roster limit. The 25-man roster has been in place for all of the expansion era, but it’s time that baseball borrow a page from the playbook other sports and install a more flexible roster that would give us more strategy and fewer player transactions.

Managers Terry Francona and Joe Torre began pouring through their pitching staffs during Friday’s split doubleheader. The trend only continued on Saturday, especially for the Red Sox, as Josh Beckett failed to make it through the sixth inning. By the close of business on Saturday, the Red Sox had already designated Jason Johnson and Rudy Seanez for assignment, while the Yankees had done the same with Sidney Ponson. Granted, none of these pitchers had pitched well for their teams, but the primary motivation for making these moves was to create additional space on the roster for fresh pitchers, who could then be used in relief the rest of the series. Even a pitcher who had pitched effectively, Yankees rookie Brian Bruney, was unfairly sent down to the minors because he had thrown 55 pitches in relief on Friday night and would not have been available on Saturday. And all of this was happening despite the fact that the Yankees and Red Sox had already begun the weekend with bloated 12 or 13-man pitching staffs.

The 12-man pitching staff is a bad idea to begin with because it leaves managers with few bench players, therefore preventing them from using pinch-hitters, pinch-runners, or defensive specialists in the late innings. And now, with the Yankees and Red Sox facing five games in four days, the 12-man or 13-man staff has turned out to be insufficient as well. What’s next? A 14-man pitching staff, or even 15?

The madness needs to stop. Here’s what Major League Baseball should do. Borrow from the plan of the NBA, which instituted a flexible 14-man roster last year. Under the new NBA roster rule, each team had to scratch two players from each game, but still had a full complement of 12 players left to suit up. Baseball can do something similar. Institute a 28-man roster, forcing managers to scratch three players each day but still leaving them with 25 able bodies to play that night’s game. In most situations, managers would scratch their three most recent starting pitchers (since they’re not going to pitch anyway), but they would also have the flexibility to scratch a player with a minor injury or a tired reliever who has pitched two or three days in a row. This way, each manager would have more bench players at his disposal for pinch-hitting and pinch-running duties (thus making the game more interesting in the late innings) while still maintaining a full batch of relief pitchers for each game.

The cost of such a plan would be minimal. The last three players on the roster, designated as taxi squad members, would earn the minimum major league salary, or perhaps even something below the current minimum. That comes to less than a million dollars per team, which is relatively little in the context of a billion dollar industry. The major league teams would also save on travel expenses, since they wouldn’t have to fly new players in as frequently as they do under the current system. The Players’ Association would have little to complain about; the roster change would create three additional jobs per team (even if at lower pay) while saving the Johnsons, Ponsons, and Seanezes the indignity of being designated for assignment when they don’t have to be.

And most importantly, we would have a much better game to watch, with rosters no longer saturated by the presence of extra pitchers at the expense of position players who might be useful to have in the late innings of close games.

***

Generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of FOX’s coverage of major league baseball, but the network made a great decision in adding writer Ken Rosenthal to its primary game-of-the-week broadcast. Always in tune with the latest information from general managers and managers, Rosenthal never fails in providing some insight on the latest controversy, a new trade rumor, or a key off-the-field development. Let’s hope that FOX keeps Rosenthal on its broadcasts throughout the playoffs and World Series…

As the Mets patiently hold their breath and wait to hear the extent of a possible blood clot in Tom Glavine’s shoulder, general manager Omar Minaya continues to bolster his bullpen. Not convinced that he has adequately replaced Duaner Sanchez with the acquisition of Roberto Hernandez, Minaya made another move over the weekend, acquiring live-wired right-hander Guillermo Mota from the Indians for a player to be named later. A disappointment with the Indians, Mota figures to benefit from a return to the National League, where he enjoyed most of his success as a member of the Dodgers. With Hernandez and Heilman handling the seventh and eighth innings, Mota gives the Mets a sixth-inning option and allows Willie Randolph to limit Chad Bradford to righty-on-righty matchups. And with Glavine possible sidelined for the playoffs, the Mets will need every live arm they can muster out of the bullpen…

Don’t let anyone tell you that there aren’t good people in baseball. There are plenty. The same can be said for the Society for American Baseball Research, commonly known as SABR. Earlier this summer, my wife and I were affected by the horrific flooding that plagued much of central New York. With our basement suddenly turned into an indoor swimming pool, we lost a number of personal items, including most of my baseball book collection. When I told my friend Richard Hunt, longtime SABR member and one of the leaders of the Leatherstocking Chapter of the society, about my losses, he sent me a large box filled with some classic baseball books. The gift box included titles by Angell, Gammons, and Red Smith, among other literary giants. There’s even an autobiography by personal favorite Buck O’Neil. Thanks, Richard, you are truly one of the good guys. Your thoughtfulness will go a long way in helping me rebuild my book collection.

The shoulder separation to Detroit’s Placido Polanco may shelve him for the entire season, leaving the Tigers weakened at a key position in the postseason. An exceptional defender, Polanco has played at a Gold Glove level this season, making this a significant loss. While the Tigers can probably make the playoffs without Polanco, they’d like to strengthen the position for the Division Series and beyond. The Tigers are already making inquiries about several keystoners, including the Giants’ Ray Durham and the Royals’ Mark Grudzielanek. (Grudzielanek now carries a higher price tag, though, having just signed a two-year extension worth $8 million.) They also have interest in Washington’s Jose Vidro, who is the best second baseman theoretically available but might not be able to slip through the waiver process. Then there’s the problem with Vidro’s health; he’s currently on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. If healthy, the switch-hitting Vidro would be a terrific fit for the Tigers; not only would he fill the second base hole, but he’d also give Detroit a much stronger presence from the left side of the plate. It’s an area that continues to plague the Tigers and one that was not adequately addressed with the acquisition of Sean Casey before the July 31^st deadline… Durham would be a solid pickup, too. He’s injury prone and doesn’t have much range, but he bats left-handed and has surprised observers in San Francisco with 19 home runs. If the Giants feel they’re done in the NL West, they’ll likely be willing to let Durham go cheaply…

Now that Shawn Green has cleared waivers, one obstacle has been cleared in the Mets’ attempt to acquire him from the Diamondbacks. The next obstacle may be tougher, though. Green still has to give his approval to any deal that doesn’t send him to the Angels, Padres, or Giants. Some have theorized that Green will give the go-ahead because of his friendship with Carlos Delgado, but I suspect the Mets may have to kick in some kind of financial incentive. The compensation price tag on Green won’t he high; the D-Backs would settle for a Grade-C prospect in order to clear out space for Carlos Quentin…

Let’s give some credit to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. He took some heavy Boston heat for failing to make a trade before July 31, but has made two good acquisitions since then while giving up little in return. Javier Lopez has yet to pay immediate dividends, but does give the Sox a quality backup to Doug Mirabelli, while Eric Hinske will—at the very least—provide an ample left-handed bat off the bench in the late innings. (Hinske, who has the highest slugging percentage of his career, could also be used in a platoon with Wily Mo Pena in right field.) Even with Hinske and Lopez providing depth, Epstein will continue to be aggressive in making waiver claims and seeking trades, especially for help in his pencil-thin bullpen…

Major league teams continue to designate name-brand players for assignment. Two more veterans of note were designated over the weekend: outfielder Preston Wilson (by the Astros) and reliever Guillermo Mota (by the Indians). Although both have played well below expectations this season, don’t expect either player to be job-searching for long. Wilson would be a nice fit for the Mets, who need a corner outfielder in light of Cliff Floyd’s latest stint on the disabled list, the recent trade of Xavier Nady, and the continuing struggles of rookie Lastings Milledge. Wilson will never put up the offensive numbers he once did in Colorado, but he would be a short-term offensive upgrade over Milledge. As for Mota, almost every contending team needs help in the bullpen. The Red Sox could be a landing spot; they traded for Mota last winter before re-routing him to Cleveland as part of the Coco Crisp deal…

A nice little event took place in Cooperstown over the weekend. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) celebrated the 35^th anniversary of its founding at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Three of the original members who attended the first meeting (which took place in August of 1971) made it to Cooperstown for the reunion. They included Cliff Kachline, who at the time was the Hall of Fame’s chief librarian, and noted researchers Tom Hufford and John Pardon. When asked to provide some recollections of that first meeting, Hufford remembered taking a walk over to the Otesaga Hotel, where several Hall of Famers were staying for induction weekend. Hufford walked right up to old-time Giants ace and 1971 inductee Rube Marquard and asked him for an autograph. (Try doing that today and you’ll guarantee yourself a stiff arm from a member of hotel security.) Marquard obliged the request for a signature and then told Hufford to wait for him so that he could go to his room to retrieve a scrapbook of his career. After a few minutes, Marquard returned, the scrapbook in hand…

Former major league pitcher Con Dempsey died at the age of 83 on August 5 in Redwood City, California. Born Cornelius Dempsey, Jr., he became a star pitcher for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in the late 1940s and early fifties. He made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates and later pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies before an arm injury short-circuited his career. After his playing days, Dempsey became the first inductee of the University of San Francisco Hall of Fame.

Rumors out of south Florida indicate the Marlins may still fire Joe Girardi after owner Jeff Loria came perilously close to letting the axe slip earlier in the week. (According to Hall of Fame writer Tracy Ringolsby, Loria actually did fire Girardi but reconsidered before an official announcement could be made.) Upset that Girardi told him to stop yelling at an umpire from his seat in the stands, Loria felt that his manager had publicly embarrassed him. If Loria does fire Girardi, he’ll have to dig up all the excuses in the world for what will likely be a public relations director. Florida fans will want some serious explaining as to how the owner could fire one of the best young managers in the game. Loria might point to player complaints that Girardi is a micro-manager and too much of an old-school disciplinarian for their liking. Well, those arguments are week. Girardi’s attention to detail, enthusiasm for the game, and knowledge of pitching have all helped the Marlins become one of the biggest overachievers in either league in 2006. Girardi doesn’t deserve to be fired; he probably deserves the National League Manager of the Year Award…

According to at least one report, Girardi wouldn’t mind being fired since it would give him an opportunity to take the more appealing job that will likely be opening up with the Cubs. Here’s the rub. The Cubs supposedly don’t want Girardi, which is surprising given that he was a fairly popular player in Chicago and has now amassed an impressive track record in Florida. Girardi might just be the perfect antidote to Dusty Baker. Whereas Baker glosses over player mistakes and doesn’t discipline his floundering team, Girardi will take players to task and make them accountable for repeated errors. Heck, he’ll even call the owner out…

With the possibility looming that Francisco Liriano’s elbow injury could sideline him for the rest of the season, the Twins may have to re-enter the trade market and change their focus from hitting to pitching. Unfortunately for them, the pitching market is even weaker now than it was prior to the July 31^st deadline. Only fringe pitchers—or ones with costly contracts like Livan Hernandez—will make it through waivers now, leaving the Twins in a bind. Still, they might be able to make a deal for someone like Bruce Chen, who could benefit from a chance of scenery and a departure from hitter-friendly Camden Yards. Other pitchers who might be available include Glendon Rusch of the Cubs and Tony Armas, Jr. of the Nationals…

Expect the Mets’ Omar Minaya to continue to be aggressive in staking waiver claims on players who might be trading candidates. Having already made a shrewd move in claiming Ricky Ledee to fill a much-needed role as a lefty pinch-hitter, Minaya remains on the lookout for another relief pitcher. He’s also hungry to add another outfielder, especially with Xavier Nady having been traded and Cliff Floyd back on the disabled list.

Earlier this week, SportsCenter featured a poll on the worst sports uniforms of all time, including three baseball teams in the final vote: the Astros of the late 1970s, the Padres of the early 1980s, and the White Sox of the mid-eighties. I agree that the Astros’ awful rainbow uniforms of the seventies have to be included on this list of nominees, but I think that far worse uniforms can be found than the ones featured by the White Sox and Padres in the eighties. Heck, those Padres threads weren’t even the worst in franchise history. In 1972, the Padres unveiled the sickly color combination of a yellow base with a brown trim, culminating in the all-yellow (yes, that’s the pants and the jerseys) monstrosity worn by manager Don Zimmer. Now I’ve been a fan of Zim over the years, but he’s never quite had the figure to pull off that fashion choice with the appropriate level of style.

There have been other atrocities, as well. In 1971, the Orioles came up with an alternate uniform: the all-red eyesore that made even Jim Palmer look odd and made Boog Powell look like a giant red berry. (Later in his career, Boog would wear a similar uniform with the Indians, who apparently never learned a lesson from the Orioles’ Frankenstein experiment.) In 1976, the brilliant mind of Bill Veeck lost his sanity momentarily when he decided to outfit his White Sox in short pants oh so briefly. Opponents laughed out loud at the Sox’ players in their moment of indecent exposure; the Sox even ednured the physical pain of bruises and scrapes on their suddenly tattered legs. And then there was another failed experiment in 1979, when Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter decided that an all-maroon look just needed to be showcased in the City of Brotherly Love. With his players near revolt, the Phillies abandoned the maroon-ic (or was it maronic?) look after only one game.

So which qualifies as the worst uniform of all-time? My vote has to go those awful Astros uniforms of the rainbow seventies. (If you’d like to examine the uniform designs of all teams throughout the years, visit the terrific on-line exhibit featured at the Hall of Fame’s web site.) With the aforementioned duds leading the way, here is a rundown of ten of the worst uniform designs of the last 35 years. Voice your opinion as to the absolute worst:

Baltimore Orioles (all-red) 1971

San Diego Padres (yellow and brown) 1972-73

Atlanta Braves (blue and white) 1972-75

Cleveland Indians (all-red pajamas) 1975-77

Houston Astros (rainbow) 1975-1979

Chicago White Sox (short pants) 1976

Pittsburgh Pirates (bumblebee uniforms) 1977-1984

Cleveland Indians (pale blue tops) 1975-77

Philadelphia Phillies (all-maroon) 1979

Chicago White Sox (red and blue band across the chest) 1982-86

It’s amazing to me how little nationwide respect baseball’s Hall of Fame Induction Weekend receives. Coverage of baseball’s ceremony was relegated to ESPN Classic this year (which is like being fourth in the pecking order, behind ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews), while the football ceremonies from Canton were broadcast on ESPN’s main channel this past weekend. There’s something not right with that picture. Assuming that they’re not tied in to a long-term contract, executives in Cooperstown should demand that the ceremonies be covered by ESPN’s main channel every year, or threaten to move them to one of the other sports-minded stations. The options include FOX Sports, TBS, and TNT, which would all seem to be better alternatives than ESPN Classic…

Speaking of ESPN, "Baseball Tonight" hasn’t been the same since Peter Gammons was felled by an aneurysm, forcing him into a lengthy hospital stay and rehabilitation program. And while I never was a huge fan of Harold Reynolds, his enthusiasm and love for the game have been missed since his recent firing for reasons that ESPN still won’t explain. I’d love to see Baseball Tonight give more airtime to the underrated Tim Kurkjian, who has both a Sabermetric sense of the game and an old-fashioned passion for baseball that goes beyond the numbers. Speaking of Baseball Tonight, whatever happened to Dave Campbell? His analysis formed some of the sharpest commentary that the program has ever featured…

As a resident of upstate New York, I’m privileged to hear the color commentary of two of the better analysts among local teams today. Longtime broadcaster Jim Kaat, who works a selection of Yankee games on the YES Network, remains a mixed jewel of pertinent analysis and old-storytelling. It’s a shame that he doesn’t broadcast more games, restricting himself to some home games and a few road broadcasts in the Northeast. The other local gem is Mets rookie broadcaster Ron Darling, who sounds so comfortable in the SportsNet New York booth that it feels like he was part of the old broadcast team of Ralph Kiner, Bob Murphy, and Lindsey Nelson. Unlike some pitchers-turned-broadcasters, Darling doesn’t just show an aptitude for breaking down the art of pitching; he has a common sense approach that brings insight to all aspects of the game. He also appears to have little ego, making him an agreeable listen. Like Kaat, Darling only works some of the team’s broadcasts, but hopefully that will change by 2007.

And you thought there would be no Rumor Mill after the trading deadline had passed. Well, rumors never end in the world of baseball.

By now, you’ve probably heard that the Braves have placed Andruw Jones on waivers in an effort to see if there is any trade market for him between now and August 15, when the Gold Glove center fielder can begin to veto any potential trades. If Jones somehow passes through waivers—and I find that doubtful given that contenders like the Astros, Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, and White Sox could all use his services in center field—the Braves will inevitably re-explore trade talks with Boston. The Red sox spent hours trying to make a deal for Jones prior to Monday’s deadline, only to run into obstacles of time and compensation. The Red Sox are plenty willing to include Coco Crisp in a package for Jones, but they will be hard-pressed to give up rookie left-hander Jon Lester in the midst of their messy starting rotation…

Now that Jay Mariotti has started the official push for Lou Piniella to become the next manager of the Cubs, expect the bandwagon to take on loads of travelers in the Windy City. Piniella’s no-nonsense approach makes him a nice contrast to Dusty Baker, who has allowed his chumminess with players to cloud his judgments. And while it’s admirable that Baker doesn’t rip his players in public, it’s unfathomable that a manager can watch his team play so poorly for so long without calling for some measure of accountability from his players. With Sweet Lou in charge, the days of coddling players would end, and even more importantly, an emphasis would be placed on finding hitters who understand the strike zone and the value of a walk. Piniella simply wouldn’t stand by and watch his hitters continually flail away without quickly demanding that players change their ways—or else convince management that new talent would need to be acquired.

Crowds in Cooperstown over Hall of Fame Weekend were alarmingly poor this year. According to Hall of Fame officials, anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 fans visited Cooperstown for the induction weekend, but one local merchant told me that the crowd was realistically in the 5,000 to 6,000 range. And one veteran of Hall of Fame Weekend attendee says that this was the most sparsely attended weekend of the last ten years.

Two principal reasons lie at the root of this year’s low attendance totals. While Bruce Sutter might be a worthy living candidate—and it’s nice to see closers start to get some recognition in Cooperstown—he is not a headline name that carries much cache with the general public, especially those who are not rabid fans. Despite his contributions to a World Championship, Sutter was not rabidly popular among Cardinal fans and didn’t have the same kind of following that someone like Ozzie Smith did; as such, relatively few fans from St. Louis made the trip to see him accept membership in the Hall of Fame. And then there is the gasoline factor. With the Hall of Fame always relying heavily on visitors who make car trips to Cooperstown, exceedingly high gas prices caused some "on-the-fence" fans to pass up a summer visit to central New York.

Some observers would say not to worry about the embarrassing attendance level. They would call this a one-year aberration, with the lack of marquee living inductees and ridiculous gas prices conspiring to create a weak induction season. It will be a far different story next summer, when both Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn will bring in busloads and planeloads from Maryland and the West Coast, respectively. And that is certainly true.

Yet, there is a problem. In 2008, the Hall of Fame will be stuck in a situation far too similar to this year. With no standout first-timers on the ’08 ballot, it is possible that only Rich "Goose" Gossage will enter the Hall of Fame that summer. Even that is far from a guarantee. Gossage’s angry railings against the baseball writers the past two winters may hurt him as he tries to pick up the 11 percentage points he needs to win election to the Hall. So in exactly two years, Cooperstown could find itself back to square one: muddled in the midst of another poorly attended Hall of Fame induction.

Given the stagnation of Hall of Fame induction attendance in recent years and the lackluster Hall of Fame classes surrounding the Ripken extravaganza, the Hall of Fame needs to take a serious look at revitalizing and re-energizing Hall of Fame Weekend. The weekend has become a bit stale in recent years, with the ceremony too staid and sober (especially in the midst of oppressive Sunday afternoon heat) and with most fans deprived of opportunities to meet Hall of Famers because of relentless security.

A few direct measures can be taken to revive Hall of Fame Weekend, making it what it should be: a full blown celebration of the National Pastime, both past and current. Here are three realistic plans of action that the Hall of Fame should give some consideration:

1) Have An Old-Timers Game

In 1989, the Hall of Fame celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a rousing old-timers game, which drew a sellout crowd to Doubleday Field. Nearly 20 years later, the locals still rave about the fan-friendliness and enthusiasm of the memorable event, which featured both Hall of Famers and longtime major league standouts.

The Hall of Fame should make an old-timers game a yearly part of the weekend. Have it on Saturday afternoon at Doubleday field, before the traditional minor league game featuring the Oneonta Tigers. Going back to my tenure at the Hall of Fame, I’ve suggested an old-timers game on more than one occasion, but was usually greeted with the response that it would be demeaning to have the older Hall of Famers suit up and take the field when they are so many decades past their physical prime. That’s a legitimate point, but there’s an easy solution and one that was used in 1989: introduce all of the Hall of Famers and have them line up along the field prior to the game, but have only the younger guys, the ones in their forties, fifties, and sixties, take part in a three-inning game. Then, to fill out the rosters for the old-timers game, invite the other former major leaguers who are already coming to town for autograph sessions. Just this year, non-Hall of Famers like Vida Blue, Tom Brookens, Ray Burris, Al Downing, Goose Gossage, Mudcat Grant, Jim Kaat, Buck O’Neil, J.R. Richard, and Jimmy Wynn were all in Cooperstown for part or all of Hall of Fame weekend. An old-timers game featuring those players, whose careers were certainly respectable, coupled with the name value of the younger Hall of Famers, would make for an especially nostalgic gathering at historic Doubleday Field.

This is something the Boxing Hall of Fame in nearby Canastota has done for years. Make it a big-ticket event on the Friday night of the weekend, with fans paying anywhere from $150 to $250 to have dinner with selected Hall of Famers. Each table would feature at least one Hall of Famer who would be available to chat with fans, answer questions, and sign autographs. The naysayers would argue that the Hall of Famers would never agree to take part; I would argue that at least a few would participate, especially if they were given a nice financial stipend, which would be covered by the cost of the tickets. By having such an event, at least a few fans would have the opportunity for some real "facetime" with Hall of Famers, appeasing one of the most common complaints about Hall of Fame Weekend.

3) Jazz Up The Induction Ceremony

The Hall’s annual induction ceremony is much like the Academy Awards, but without the surprise of knowing who is going to win an Oscar. We know who the inductees are in advance, and most of the inductees end up thanking a parade of people. It makes for an all-too-predictable combination.

So what should the Hall do? One possibility would be to create some kind of Hall of Fame lifetime achievement award, with the winner being announced for the first time at the ceremony. The award could recognize someone like Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard or a literary baseball writer like Roger Angell, someone who is currently not eligible for Hall of Fame election. The announcement of the award winner would add some anticipation and spontaneity to the scripted ceremony.

Since there is so much talking at the ceremony, how about adding a musical element? Bring in a live band to perform, either before or after the ceremony. I’m not suggesting Def Leppard or Judas Priest (do they even exist anymore?), but something a bit more middle-of-the-road like John Fogerty. If a name-brand performer proves too expensive, then bring in a local upstate band to provide some musical diversion.

On a smaller scale, the Hall of Fame could also provide an intermission of a few minutes, during which time an announcer could deliver a scoreboard update from the major leagues, bring fans up to speed on the latest trades, and recap other events from the weekend.

Now none of these suggestions should be interpreted as this writer being someone who dislikes Hall of Fame Weekend. Quite the contrary. As a fulltime resident of Cooperstown, I love the way the weekend brings some vitality and energy to this otherwise quiet region, while giving everyday fans like myself a chance to see some retired baseball stars. It’s a great weekend. But it could be—and should be—better. With a few simple steps, it could become the mid-season celebration of the game that some baseball purists think it was meant to achieve.