The Shrine of the Eternals: Where Minnie Minoso, Roger Maris, and Shoeless Joe Jackson Get The Recognition They Deserve

Waxing America has been complaining about the Baseball Hall of Fame for years. No Minnie Minoso.  No Ron Santo. No Curt Flood. In Paul's words, "Phooey!"

But now, through Internet connections too obtuse to recall, we have discovered that there's an alternate Hall, where true baseball innovation and achievement is justly celebrated and revered: The Baseball Reliquary. Located in southern California, the Reliquary has created the Shrine of the Eternals, where,

Criteria for election shall be: the distinctiveness of play (good or bad); the uniqueness of character and personality; and the imprint that the individual has made on the baseball landscape. Electees, both on and off the diamond, shall have been responsible for developing baseball in one or more of the following ways: through athletic and/or business achievements; in terms of its larger cultural and sociological impact as a mass entertainment; and as an arena for the human imagination.

Since elections began in 1999, they've inducted: Jim Abbott, Dick Allen, Emmett Ashford, Moe Berg, Yogi Berra, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Jim Brosnan, Bill Buckner, Roberto Clemente, Steve Dalkowski, Rod Dedeaux, Jim Eisenreich, Dock Ellis, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Josh Gibson, William “Dummy” Hoy, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill James, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Roger Maris, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Buck O'Neil, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, Jackie Robinson, Lester Rodney, Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Veeck Jr., and Kenichi Zenimura.

Justice! Roger Maris! Minnie Minoso! Buck O'Neil and Curt Flood! Why have we not known about this sooner? 

When Minnie Minoso was inducted in 2002, he traveled to Pasadena to gratefully acccept induction in person:

(Photo: Larry Goren, Baseball Reliquary)

This year's runners-up were Effa Manley, Casey Stengel, Don Zimmer, Charles M. Conlon, Dizzy Dean, and Luis Tiant.

But what about Ron Santo? And don't forget Gil Hodges.

Still, any baseball shrine that honors Bill Lee and Marvin Miller and Jim Bouton and Ila Borders is on the right track.

- Barry Orton

Comments

[nonheroicvet]

Saw Ila Borders pitch for the Duluth Dukes a few years ago. She had a big roundhouse curve that apparently was quite effective as she struck out a number of hitters who had big league ambitions. Because of her dimunitive stature she needed to push off the rubber so hard that she had trouble controlling her fastball. Great entertainment.

[anon]

How about Pete Gray and Eddie Gaedel?