Banquet Stories?

[Chicago Billiken]

Just noticed the Senior tribute video is now on SLUBillikens.com (look on the right of the homepage).

Hope the news isn't true about Tommie. He has worked hard, between Hargrave and his time at SLU.

It appears that you have to be a Billikens All Access subscriber to check this out. That is kind of crummy, why can't they make this available free.

Also, maybe SLU should look at doing something for season ticketholders where they get "All Access" access as part of buying season tix.

Just an idea.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of Kevin Shortal

[ARbilliken]

so sad if it really is Metz

[billiken_roy]

i'm kind of glad that metz has deflected the focus of this thread and likely put it out of misery. the odds are the thread will soon be headed for lockdown. that would be good.

[ARbilliken]

i'm kind of glad that metz has deflected the focus of this thread and likely put it out of misery. the odds are the thread will soon be headed for lockdown. that would be good.

you are probably right and yes, that would be good. this thread has gotten way off topic!

[slufanskip]

You are racist if you think that about a story in the St. Louis American, a paper that has been the voice of the African-American community in St. Louis for decades and will continue to be for centuries, is full of lies. I'd rather read a guy who has an opinion, rather than Timmerman, who has to dumb down his articles for the "3.5 million adults who read the PD each week." I'd like to know how many children read the paper, since we obviously have a literacy issue in our country.

Mo Scott -- keep up the good work, brother. One love.

'68 Mexico Olympics. Fists raised.

Read the article. It was full of false info. It sounds as if you think he's right only because he's black.

[slufanskip]

I was saying as a whole it is racist to call something in the St. Louis American a bunch of lies, not you in particular. Didn't mean to single you out. Sorry sir. The American is the African-American voice. We are a proud group that has been subjected to the torment of so-called "journalists" like the members of this board for far too long.

One love,

C. Red

No, you're wrong. It's irrelevent whether it's the American or the Post. IF the article is full of misinformation and lies, it should be called out. Unless I'm misreading your comments (and I apologize ifI am) it seems you feel the Stl American gets a free pass because it's the "African American voice".

And ... would it be racist for a black man to call something in the Post a lie?

How have the "so called journalists members of this board" tormented anyone? Exactly which members of this board are the "so called journaists" that have done the tormenting?

[Quality Is Job 1]

ARB, if I'm supposed to value opinions, as you call them, why hasn't anyone validated the opinion of Mr. Scott? Where are my stone throwers? He who is without sin? Where are they? Please, step to the front of the line. Opinions are just that. Take sides, that's fine, just don't take credibility away from someone just because they dared to voice their opinion. Where would we be if people who weren't literate in the Civil Rights movement discredited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and all of a sudden, we just took this guy's word as gospel? We'd be fighting segregation and racism to a degree not seen since reconstruction.

The St. Louis American isn't the P-D, nor is it the black gospel of St. Louis. They don't have the copy editors who keep their MU journalism degree framed by their desk and look at it daily while picking their lunch out with a toothpick. Scott might have had "other articles" to finish before a deadline. Maybe he was rushed to put something out, and maybe he didn't do his homework, but let the man speak his mind. Who are you to determine what is right? Not a single one of us has access to Majerus or his players, and if you did, you wouldn't have the courage to undermine or critique what he is doing. Majerus is a flawed human being and a flawed coach and he will be the first one to admit it. But the media can't always print human interest pieces on Liddell's interest in pursuing a career in adolescent development; they have to be critical.

I enjoyed Mr. Scott's piece because he had the audacity to cross all of you punch drinkers and make you gasp and blush about the failures of Majerus and Liddell.

If it is a crime to speak out against people, then call the police and have Mr. Scott arrested.

Well, I cast a stone at Scott's piece of garbage -- not that I claim to be without sin (as if anyone other than Christ could). I posted a comment on the article, and I pasted it here. And my skin color is similar to Scott's and Liddell's.

You contradicted yourself. In an earlier post, you wrote, "The American is the African-American voice. We are a proud group that has been subjected to the torment of so-called 'journalists' like the members of this board for far too long." But then, as quoted above, you write, "The St. Louis American isn't the P-D, nor is it the black gospel of St. Louis." Which is it? Maurice Scott, Demetrious Johnson, and certain others with a fairly prominent voice in the Black community in the St. Louis Metropolitan area have long held SLU to an impossible standard -- one in which SLU is supposed to be a repository for any or all of the area's middling or below basketball players while still winning at a level higher than mid-major yet while not being "good enough" for the best players in the area.

Yeah, Maurice Scott can speak out against someone, but to do so inaccurately would be libel. I think his claims that Kwamain Mitchell was planning to transfer, that Coach Majerus was trying to appease him, and that Majerus ran Ruben Cotto (another local for Scott to "defend") off of the team (rather than his leaving because on his own accord) could be libelous. And I think Scott and Johnson have an agenda against SLU, and they will try to steer the best Black players away from SLU unless their expectations are met.

Perhaps you should take in more of the local "culture" before you start choosing sides.

[kevinfootes]

I'd say that was the most notable thing. From the way Majerus said it when talking about Tommie, it sounded like Tommie dropped out of school. At least that was the conclusion from the people around me.

Maybe he was delayed at the hairdresser again.

[kevinfootes]

hmmm. i agree the situations are similar, and ironically i cant wait for larussa to be gone and would never support him after the way he treated ozzie.

roy, this is a ridiculous post. In 1996, Ozzie Smith was 41 years old. LaRussa platooned him and helped him have a productive final season in St. Louis. At that point, Ozzie was aging and injury-plauged. He hadn't played a full season since 1993. In 1995 an old, banged up Ozzie batted .199. Did you think Ozzie was going to play until he was 70?

Besides, aren't you a Braves fan because of the druggie Cepeda?

[DeSmetBilliken]

Maybe he was delayed at the hairdresser again.

Nice reference, but in all seriousness, the table that had a place card with Tommie's name on it was completely empty and the organizers had to move some of the Saintsations to that table.

Just to put the comments into more context, Majerus said something like that he was sure that Tommie not finishing is something that Janet [Oberle] greatly regrets. At the end of the banquet the conclusion of a few people sitting around me (which included 2 posters here) was that the remarks meant that Tommie had dropped out of school.

[thetorch]

to make tommie out to be the bad guy is reprehensible imo. it is pretty obvious the way things unfurled the last month or so that there are more factors at play that is extremely disappointing.

but think of this: the family was upset enough that in front of thousands of people they openly would not approach the billiken head coach.

the extended family and friends are so upset that long time east st louis spokesman, maurice scott publishes an attack on the billiken head coach.

tommie is so upset that he not only skips the senior banquet, he reportedly dropped out of school.

that is a lot of negative. whether it is justified or not is something us as insiders cant attest to, but we can coclude there is a lot of hurt and bad feelings. and regardless of who is right or wrong. that is a shame. a shame considering all the good that tommie liddell did for saint louis university the last four years.

i think slu should be doing all they can to reach out to tommie. and maybe they have. hopefully this is something that can somehow be mended.

I rarely argue with you Roy but this is getting ridiculous.

You are blaming Tommie's dropping out on Majerus?!?

I agree on one thing. It is a shame. Tommie is braindead if he dropped out of school less than half a semester away from graduating because he didn't like his coach. Tommie was a very good player, Majerus' hiring did not transform Tommie from an NBA talent to a Euro ball hopeful. He was never that good. He was given a college scholarship for 4 years that as donors we all helped to make possible and he pisses it away with literally a few weeks left. We owe Tommie nothing. As much as Majerus may have screwed him Tommie has now screwed himself, his family, and the university by not getting his degree. What a colossal waste.

[redbirdfan]

Nice reference, but in all seriousness, the table that had a place card with Tommie's name on it was completely empty and the organizers had to move some of the Saintsations to that table.

Just to put the comments into more context, Majerus said something like that he was sure that Tommie not finishing is something that Janet [Oberle] greatly regrets. At the end of the banquet the conclusion of a few people sitting around me (which included 2 posters here) was that the remarks meant that Tommie had dropped out of school.

The Saintsations were asked to work the banquet, they were not asked to be honored or participate, which is lame in my opinion. I guess they needed to fill that empty table quickly!

[slufanskip]

roy, this is a ridiculous post. In 1996, Ozzie Smith was 41 years old. LaRussa platooned him and helped him have a productive final season in St. Louis. At that point, Ozzie was aging and injury-plauged. He hadn't played a full season since 1993. In 1995 an old, banged up Ozzie batted .199. Did you think Ozzie was going to play until he was 70?

Besides, aren't you a Braves fan because of the druggie Cepeda?

Ozzie was always a big whiner. He continually complained the Cards weren't "loyal" to him at contract time, though at one point he signed the 1st 2mil per year contract and was the highest paid player in the game. He was never the best player in the game. Imo Ozzie had a pretty big ego ad wasn't happy unless it was about Ozzie.

I'm not a TLR fan, but in the Ozzie case he was right.

[GOSLU68]

Ozzie was always a big whiner. He continually complained the Cards weren't "loyal" to him at contract time, though at one point he signed the 1st 2mil per year contract and was the highest paid player in the game. He was never the best player in the game. Imo Ozzie had a pretty big ego ad wasn't happy unless it was about Ozzie.

I'm not a TLR fan, but in the Ozzie case he was right.

I moved back home about 1989 and my brothers were all enthused about him; I had been living in Detroit and was used

to watching Alan Trammel at short and "sweet" Lou Whitaker at second. Both of them were .300 hitters and Trammel had some pop in his bat. I liked the start of the game flips but for a franchise to make a P-R hero out of Ozzie Smith who probably averaged 1 or 2 home runs a year, was a pretty decent base runner, and a very good fielder never ceased to amaze me. Barry Larkin had my sympathy he should have had the gold glove and the all star spot a lot of those years. I can only think that between A-B being the big advertising spender

and Ozzie "the movie" as I call him having a great personal P-R machine working for him that Ozzie Smith should have

considered himself a lucky dude to be so well acclaimed by the St. Louis fans. I guess you had to be here for the Gary

Templeton and some of the other short stops to understand the whole deal. Then with these new managers we didn't want to pay Renteria and Polanco when it was obvious they had Ozzie type skills and more.

[kevinfootes]

I moved back home about 1989 and my brothers were all enthused about him; I had been living in Detroit and was used

to watching Alex Trammel at short and "sweet" Lou Whitaker at second. Both of them were .300 hitters and Trammel had some pop in his bat. I liked the start of the game flips but for a franchise to make a P-R hero out of Ozzie Smith who probably averaged 1 or 2 home runs a year, was a pretty decent base runner, and a very good fielder never ceased to amaze me. Barry Larson had my sympathy he should have had the gold glove and the all star spot a lot of those years. I can only think that between A-B being the big advertising spender

and Ozzie "the movie" as I call him having a great personal P-R machine working for him that Ozzie Smith should have

considered himself a lucky dude to be so well acclaimed by the St. Louis fans. I guess you had to be here for the Gary

Templeton and some of the other short stops to understand the whole deal. Then with these new managers we didn't want to pay Renteria and Polanco when it was obvious they had Ozzie type skills and more.

"Barry Larson"? Didn't he write The Far Side?

Ozzie was an old player when TLR decided to platoon him, but he was a great player in his prime. He didn't hit HRs, but not many people did in those days...bigger ballparks, fewer teams so better pitching, no juiced ball, very few juiced players. If Ozzie were playing today he'd be an 8-10 HR guy IMO. You'd clearly accpet that for his defense.

"a pretty decent baserunner"? He had 500+ steals. I'd call that pretty good.

I watched Renteria play quite a bit. He was pretty good defensively, but was never in Ozzie's league. If Polanco played SS as well as Ozzie, why was he moved to 2B? You may have been out of town when Ozzie played most of a season with a torn rotator cuff.

I'll agree that Ozzie was kind of a prima donna and didn't bow out gracefully, but I won't take anything away from him as a player in his prime.

[Majerus Magic]

"Barry Larson"? Didn't he write The Far Side?

Ozzie was an old player when TLR decided to platoon him, but he was a great player in his prime. He didn't hit HRs, but not many people did in those days...bigger ballparks, fewer teams so better pitching, no juiced ball, very few juiced players. If Ozzie were playing today he'd be an 8-10 HR guy IMO. You'd clearly accpet that for his defense.

"a pretty decent baserunner"? He had 500+ steals. I'd call that pretty good.

I watched Renteria play quite a bit. He was pretty good defensively, but was never in Ozzie's league. If Polanco played SS as well as Ozzie, why was he moved to 2B? You may have been out of town when Ozzie played most of a season with a torn rotator cuff.

I'll agree that Ozzie was kind of a prima donna and didn't bow out gracefully, but I won't take anything away from him as a player in his prime.

Agreed. You can call Ozzie the person anything you want, and I won't object. But he was a hell of a player, particularly defensively.

[GOSLU68]

Agreed. You can call Ozzie the person anything you want, and I won't object. But he was a hell of a player, particularly defensively.

Sorry, to Barry Larkin and Alan Trammel. It has been a while since I thought of either I'll go back and correct my error onnames. Barry's career average .295 team MVP and 12 times on all star teams although Ozzie beat him out as starter most of time

Barry hit 198 home runs and 2340 hits. Ozzie had about 100 more hits but over 19 years. His home run total was 28 and he hit about 5 of those after spending the summer working out with Bob Kersee trainer to Jackie Joyner Kersee and Flo Joyner- anybody think it was odd that Ozzie gained ten pounds in one summer after playing at 150 pounds forever? Ozzie was a .262 lifetime average.

Posted in November 13th, 2008 by admin in Biographies

Alan Trammell — Great Player, Great Cards

by Peter Grossmann

Biography

Alan Trammell ranks as one of the great shortstops of his generation. Born February 21, 1958, Trammell excelled in both baseball and basketball at Kearny High School in San Diego, earning all-CIF honors in both sports[1]. This was enough for Detroit Tigers to make him their second round draft pick in 1976.

Trammell’s minor league career was brief and successful, as he earned a spot on the Appalachian League (A) All Star Team in 1976[2] and Southern League (AA) MVP honors in 1977, batting .291 and hitting 19 triples in 134 games[3]. This earned him a September callup in 1977, and he became the Tigers everyday shortstop in 1978.

1980 was Trammell’s breakout season–he earned his first major league all star appearance en route to a .300 season with 107 runs scored[4]. He also collected his first Gold Glove[5]. After a pair of subpar hitting seasons, Trammell bounced back in 1983 with a .319 season, good for 4th in the AL, and he also set his career high in stolen bases (30)[6].

When the Tigers leaped out to a 35-5 start in 1984 and then cruised to a 108-54 record, Trammell figured heavily in their success. He hit .314 with 34 doubles, 14 home runs, 69 RBI, and 19 stolen bases while earning his fourth Gold Glove at shortstop[5][6]. He found an extra gear in the playoffs, hitting 4-11 (.364) in a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS[7] with a triple, a home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored[8]. His World Series performance earned him series MVP honors, as he hit .450 (9-20) with 2 home runs, 6 RBI, and 5 runs scored in a 4-1 defeat of the San Diego Padres[9].

Trammell’s finest individual season came in 1987. He finished a very close second to George Bell in the MVP voting, and many still believe he should have won the award. Serving as the Tigers cleanup hitter, he bat a career high .343 (3rd behind only Wade Boggs and Paul Molitor). He achieved noteworthy totals in numerous statistical categories, accumulating quantity and variety in combinations not often seen: 205 hits, 107 runs scored, 105 RBIs, 34 doubles, 28 home runs, and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts. He also struck out just 47 times in 597 at bats.[10] He also developed a reputation as a clutch hitter, batting .466 in late inning pressure situations[11].

Trammell followed up this season with a stellar 1988 season, making the All Star team and finishing seventh in batting at .311[12]. In 1989 injuries limited his playing time to just 121 games and he hit just .243. Healthy in 1990, he completed his sixth .300+ season, batting .304 and again making the AL All Star Team.

After 1990, injuries and eventually age cut dramatically into Trammell’s production. He missed 60 games in 1991 and a broken foot limited him to just 29 games in 1992. In 1993, he put together one last top-flight season. Although he played in just 112 games, he hit .329 and put together solid totals for his games played (72 runs, 25 doubles, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 12 SB). From 1994-1996 he was effectively a part-time player, playing a total of 216 games in his final three seasons[13].

Trammell’s career hitting statistics are pedestrian by today’s standards, but when accounting for the era in which he played and his status as a top fielding shortstop require legitimate Hall of Fame consideration. He finished his 20 seasons as a Tiger batting .285 with 2365 career hits, 412 doubles, 185 HR, 1003 RBI, and 236 SB in 2293 games[14]. He totaled six All Star appearances (1980,1984,1985,1987,1988,1990)[15], four Gold Gloves (1980,1981,1983,1984)[5], and seven .300+ seasons. Trammell also partnered with Lou Whitaker at second base every year of his career except 1996, setting a variety of longevity records for double play tandems. It must be noted that Whitaker also compiled an impressive personal resume during this partnership, totaling 244 home runs, five All Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, and batting .276[15].

Intangibles constituted another area where Trammell excelled. In 1984 he was voted by AL managers as “Best Defensive infielder(sic) and Smartest Player (best baseball sense) by AL managers”[16]. A teammate is quoted on one of his cards as saying “‘When you’re talking about today’s great players, Alan has to be included….There isn’t anything he doesn’t do well’”[11]. Another card quotes an AL scout alluding to his clutch performance: “‘We hate to pitch to this guy with the game on the line….He’s deadly.’”[17]. He was also well regarded as having played the game the way it was supposed to be played, having always executed routine plays, and having had a very accurate throwing arm.

Trammell has not yet gained entry into the Hall of Fame. Each of his appearances on the ballot since he has become eligible has yielded him between 13 and 18 percent of the vote, far short of the 75% required for induction[18]. His case does not appear to be gaining momentum over time as some borderline candidates do, suggesting that his chances of being voted in before his eligibility expires are slim. His reputation as a great shortstop and top baseball mind, however, remain untarnished. He was chosen to manage the Detroit Tigers in 2003 after serving for three seasons as the San Diego Padres’ first base coach.

500 steals during Whitey Herzog's time as manager was very good. During Tony La Russa's era that is monumental.

My primary comparison was Alan Trammel who did get his shot at managing the Tigers a few years back unfortunately they competed

for the cellar.

Like I said Ozzie's best years were probably when I was out of town but I was here for the bounces to first base and I thought it was

a very poor managment decision to let him play under those circumstances. I am sure that affected his hitting as well. However, to

blame La Russa for not playing him and to hold a grudge all this time denies he was not the man you knew and was closer to the player I saw years later when his career was half done.

[Billikan]

The Saintsations were asked to work the banquet, they were not asked to be honored or participate, which is lame in my opinion. I guess they needed to fill that empty table quickly!

They were recognized at the banquet

[redbirdfan]

They were recognized at the banquet

The email said they were invited to work from 545-700 and they were told to wear their polo shirts and nice pants, IF they were signing up to work. It also said they could leave at 7, when the actual awards ceremony started. There was no mention of them being allowed to bring Parents (to watch them work) So clearly, the Saintsations were not properly invited OR recognized at this banquet or any other banquet held this year. My kid was not in attendance/DID not volenteer: 1) because she did not think it was appropriate that they were being excluded and asked to work it and 2) she had a big test to study for. Had they (she) been included/invited, we as her parents would have been there, like we have been over the years for all banquets where our child is being honored. We are disappointed in SLU knowing it was handled this way!

[DeSmetBilliken]

The email said they were invited to work from 545-700 and they were told to wear their polo shirts and nice pants, IF they were signing up to work. It also said they could leave at 7, when the actual awards ceremony started. There was no mention of them being allowed to bring Parents (to watch them work) So clearly, the Saintsations were not properly invited OR recognized at this banquet or any other banquet held this year. My kid was not in attendance/DID not volenteer: 1) because she did not think it was appropriate that they were being excluded and asked to work it and 2) she had a big test to study for. Had they (she) been included/invited, we as her parents would have been there, like we have been over the years for all banquets where our child is being honored. We are disappointed in SLU knowing it was handled this way!

I don't doubt the validity of your claim, but I feel it is necessary to point out that while the Saintsations in attendance did appear to be working the event in some capacity (mainly pointing attendees in the right direction, etc), they appeared to be dressed as if they were attending. By that I mean they were wearing dresses, sweaters; basically clothing that would be associated with a dressy occasion.

[redbirdfan]

I don't doubt the validity of your claim, but I feel it is necessary to point out that while the Saintsations in attendance did appear to be working the event in some capacity (mainly pointing attendees in the right direction, etc), they appeared to be dressed as if they were attending. By that I mean they were wearing dresses, sweaters; basically clothing that would be associated with a dressy occasion.

The point is they were asked to work the event, not asked to attend to be recognized for participation.

[kevinfootes]

Sorry, to Barry Larkin and Alan Trammel. It has been a while since I thought of either I'll go back and correct my error onnames. Barry's career average .295 team MVP and 12 times on all star teams although Ozzie beat him out as starter most of time

Barry hit 198 home runs and 2340 hits. Ozzie had about 100 more hits but over 19 years. His home run total was 28 and he hit about 5 of those after spending the summer working out with Bob Kersee trainer to Jackie Joyner Kersee and Flo Joyner- anybody think it was odd that Ozzie gained ten pounds in one summer after playing at 150 pounds forever? Ozzie was a .262 lifetime average.

Posted in November 13th, 2008 by admin in Biographies

Alan Trammell — Great Player, Great Cards

by Peter Grossmann

Biography

Alan Trammell ranks as one of the great shortstops of his generation. Born February 21, 1958, Trammell excelled in both baseball and basketball at Kearny High School in San Diego, earning all-CIF honors in both sports[1]. This was enough for Detroit Tigers to make him their second round draft pick in 1976.

Trammell’s minor league career was brief and successful, as he earned a spot on the Appalachian League (A) All Star Team in 1976[2] and Southern League (AA) MVP honors in 1977, batting .291 and hitting 19 triples in 134 games[3]. This earned him a September callup in 1977, and he became the Tigers everyday shortstop in 1978.

1980 was Trammell’s breakout season–he earned his first major league all star appearance en route to a .300 season with 107 runs scored[4]. He also collected his first Gold Glove[5]. After a pair of subpar hitting seasons, Trammell bounced back in 1983 with a .319 season, good for 4th in the AL, and he also set his career high in stolen bases (30)[6].

When the Tigers leaped out to a 35-5 start in 1984 and then cruised to a 108-54 record, Trammell figured heavily in their success. He hit .314 with 34 doubles, 14 home runs, 69 RBI, and 19 stolen bases while earning his fourth Gold Glove at shortstop[5][6]. He found an extra gear in the playoffs, hitting 4-11 (.364) in a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS[7] with a triple, a home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored[8]. His World Series performance earned him series MVP honors, as he hit .450 (9-20) with 2 home runs, 6 RBI, and 5 runs scored in a 4-1 defeat of the San Diego Padres[9].

Trammell’s finest individual season came in 1987. He finished a very close second to George Bell in the MVP voting, and many still believe he should have won the award. Serving as the Tigers cleanup hitter, he bat a career high .343 (3rd behind only Wade Boggs and Paul Molitor). He achieved noteworthy totals in numerous statistical categories, accumulating quantity and variety in combinations not often seen: 205 hits, 107 runs scored, 105 RBIs, 34 doubles, 28 home runs, and 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts. He also struck out just 47 times in 597 at bats.[10] He also developed a reputation as a clutch hitter, batting .466 in late inning pressure situations[11].

Trammell followed up this season with a stellar 1988 season, making the All Star team and finishing seventh in batting at .311[12]. In 1989 injuries limited his playing time to just 121 games and he hit just .243. Healthy in 1990, he completed his sixth .300+ season, batting .304 and again making the AL All Star Team.

After 1990, injuries and eventually age cut dramatically into Trammell’s production. He missed 60 games in 1991 and a broken foot limited him to just 29 games in 1992. In 1993, he put together one last top-flight season. Although he played in just 112 games, he hit .329 and put together solid totals for his games played (72 runs, 25 doubles, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 12 SB). From 1994-1996 he was effectively a part-time player, playing a total of 216 games in his final three seasons[13].

Trammell’s career hitting statistics are pedestrian by today’s standards, but when accounting for the era in which he played and his status as a top fielding shortstop require legitimate Hall of Fame consideration. He finished his 20 seasons as a Tiger batting .285 with 2365 career hits, 412 doubles, 185 HR, 1003 RBI, and 236 SB in 2293 games[14]. He totaled six All Star appearances (1980,1984,1985,1987,1988,1990)[15], four Gold Gloves (1980,1981,1983,1984)[5], and seven .300+ seasons. Trammell also partnered with Lou Whitaker at second base every year of his career except 1996, setting a variety of longevity records for double play tandems. It must be noted that Whitaker also compiled an impressive personal resume during this partnership, totaling 244 home runs, five All Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, and batting .276[15].

Intangibles constituted another area where Trammell excelled. In 1984 he was voted by AL managers as “Best Defensive infielder(sic) and Smartest Player (best baseball sense) by AL managers”[16]. A teammate is quoted on one of his cards as saying “‘When you’re talking about today’s great players, Alan has to be included….There isn’t anything he doesn’t do well’”[11]. Another card quotes an AL scout alluding to his clutch performance: “‘We hate to pitch to this guy with the game on the line….He’s deadly.’”[17]. He was also well regarded as having played the game the way it was supposed to be played, having always executed routine plays, and having had a very accurate throwing arm.

Trammell has not yet gained entry into the Hall of Fame. Each of his appearances on the ballot since he has become eligible has yielded him between 13 and 18 percent of the vote, far short of the 75% required for induction[18]. His case does not appear to be gaining momentum over time as some borderline candidates do, suggesting that his chances of being voted in before his eligibility expires are slim. His reputation as a great shortstop and top baseball mind, however, remain untarnished. He was chosen to manage the Detroit Tigers in 2003 after serving for three seasons as the San Diego Padres’ first base coach.

500 steals during Whitey Herzog's time as manager was very good. During Tony La Russa's era that is monumental.

My primary comparison was Alan Trammel who did get his shot at managing the Tigers a few years back unfortunately they competed

for the cellar.

Like I said Ozzie's best years were probably when I was out of town but I was here for the bounces to first base and I thought it was

a very poor managment decision to let him play under those circumstances. I am sure that affected his hitting as well. However, to

blame La Russa for not playing him and to hold a grudge all this time denies he was not the man you knew and was closer to the player I saw years later when his career was half done.

I'm not talking about Ozzie's character, just the guy who played on the field. He won a gold glove before coming to St. Louis, so so much for the "AB media" promoting him. His 580 steals are 21st all-time, much more than decent.

The thing I liked about Ozzie the player the most was the fact that he would advace runners. If there was a guy on second with no one out, Ozzie would give himself up to hit the grounder to the right side and advance the runner. This might not be the Sparky Anderson ball that you appreciate, but it worked pretty well here to the tune of 3 pennants.

[moytoy12]

The email said they were invited to work from 545-700 and they were told to wear their polo shirts and nice pants, IF they were signing up to work. It also said they could leave at 7, when the actual awards ceremony started. There was no mention of them being allowed to bring Parents (to watch them work) So clearly, the Saintsations were not properly invited OR recognized at this banquet or any other banquet held this year. My kid was not in attendance/DID not volenteer: 1) because she did not think it was appropriate that they were being excluded and asked to work it and 2) she had a big test to study for. Had they (she) been included/invited, we as her parents would have been there, like we have been over the years for all banquets where our child is being honored. We are disappointed in SLU knowing it was handled this way!

Ouch, that's ridiculous. Imagine that, the athletic dept. dropped the ball again.

[STCBILLFAN]

Let's face it the Athletic Department is in need of guidance. Instead of complaining here on the Board people need to get vacal with the Athletic department. Call the AD, write the AD, send emails to the AD. He is the top dog and needs to hear the voice of the people. His email address is listed on slubillikens.com under the Staff Directory. He can't fix things if he doesn't realize they are broken.

It is a shame that in trying so hard to be a big time program that SLU is forgetting about all the little people who kept the program alive for years and years. If it weren't for the little people there would be no program at all now or it would be D3.

Accept the challenge and let the AD know what you think. Money is important but SLU tradition demands respect for all concerned, Players, Band, Saintsations (HATE THAT NAME), volunteers, donors and even the loyal supporters who can't afford the big dollar donations.

[Billikan]

The point is they were asked to work the event, not asked to attend to be recognized for participation.