The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Controversy often plays like a shadow to Hall of Fames everywhere. Nowhere is this more evident than with the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. All-time hits leader Pete Rose remains out of the Hall due to post-playing career gambling, yet the all-time leader in "jackass" references, Ty Cobb, is. In my opinion, whether or not a player gets inducted into the Hall of Fame should be based on what they did on the field. Period. Cooperstown isn't home of the Nobel Prize Hall of Fame; they're home of the MLB Hall of Fame and should determine its inductees on the latter, not the former. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were two of the most dominant players in their respective eras. Before Bonds went to San Francisco, where the rumors about him taking performance-enhancing drugs started, he won two MVP awards in Pittsburgh, and finished runner-up another year. In the final three years of his tenure in the Steel City, Bonds combined to garner: 308 runs, 452 hit...

In its first year of eligibility, Nirvana got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Def Leppard, meanwhile, has yet to be inducted. To this, I say, WTF? (No, Phil Dunphy, it's not "Why the face?") Let's take a look at each band... Nirvana released just three albums between the years 1989 and 1993. The band was essentially done on April 8th of 1994 when lead singer Kurt Cobain shot and killed himself. They have 21 singles to their credit and have sold an estimated 80 million albums worldwide. In the years following Cobain's death, he has often been criticized for ripping off other artists, including the Pixies, Killing Joke, Garden of Delight, The Royals, The Damned, Sex Pistols, Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Melvins, The 4 Skins, Zebra, Link Wray, The Cult, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Butthole Surfers, Los Brujos, Devo, the Psychedelic Furs, The Smithereens, Fang, etc. Def Leppard, meanwhile, has released eleven studio albums between the years...

As much as I hate to say it, since I despise the New York Yankees, I've really been saddened to see future Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and now Derek Jeter go down with injuries this year. Hate the Yankees as much as you'd like, these two guys have been two of the greatest for a number of years, have been extremely loyal to their club throughout their lengthy careers and have been stand-up citizens off the field as well. Just as I would have hated to have seen Atlanta Braves future Hall of Famer third baseman Chipper Jones retire after his injury-filled season a year ago, I'd hate for Rivera and Jeter to retire in such a fashion. I hope the two can come back for one more healthy season and be able to leave the game in a much better manner than if they were to retire after this season. I wish them both a very speedy recovery and if either should decide to retire after this season, as a fan of baseball, all I can say is that it's been a genuine pleasure watching them.

Former Atlanta Braves outfielder, Andruw Jones, is typically looked at by baseball analysts as a potential Hall-of-Famer, but likely on the outside looking in when all is said and done. For his career, Jones has compiled the following stats: 1,184 runs scored, 1,899 hits, 377 doubles, 36 triples, 424 home runs, 1,263 RBI's, 152 stolen bases, a .256 batting average, .338 OBP, .488 slugging percentage and .826 OPS. Those numbers in and of themselves I don't think warrant him an induction. However, he's also won 10 Gold Gloves while playing centerfield. Only three other players have compiled 400+ home runs and 10+ Gold Gloves. Those players? Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt. That's a pretty special group right there. Mays was inducted in 1979. Schmidt was inducted in 1995. Griffey will surely be inducted when he becomes eligible. So if and when all three of those great players are inducted into the Hall of Fame, why should Andruw be left out? Former St. Loui...