Rewriting History

[strummer]

As years pass, memories fade and facts and events, once separated by years and distinctions, meld and merge together in one's mind and become fused as one instead of separate and individual. This is bad enough when it happens individually, but when respected media start to print such short-hand summaries of events passed, the summarized version becomes accepted by those too young to have independent memories of the events. And the result is a new version, to be adapted by even younger recorders ofhistory so that the original event becomes permanently changed.

I submit to this forum the start of such a process. Published in the June 6. 2008 issue of Sports Collectors Digest, a young writer, Paul Ferrante, decribes his visit to Dodgertown and the impending sale of that property. Of course, he had to start with the history. He describes how one of the leading citizens of Vero Beach approached the Dodgers "General Manager Buzzie Bavasi, Branch Rickey and owner Walter O'Malley" to entice them with an attractive offer. He then goes on to rewrite history by stating:

"Rickey and O'Malley, baseball visionaries who brought about the modern baseball farm system, integration and West coast baseball, set about creating the standard by which the tradition we now call Spring Training would be established."

Branch Rickey must be rolling over in his grave to hear how he is now being joined with O'Malley, giving O'Malley joint credit for the great accomplishments of Rickey re the farm system and integration, and giving Rickey joint blame for moving the Dodgers to LA.

[MATHA531]

As years pass, memories fade and facts and events, once separated by years and distinctions, meld and merge together in one's mind and become fused as one instead of separate and individual. This is bad enough when it happens individually, but when respected media start to print such short-hand summaries of events passed, the summarized version becomes accepted by those too young to have independent memories of the events. And the result is a new version, to be adapted by even younger recorders ofhistory so that the original event becomes permanently changed.

I submit to this forum the start of such a process. Published in the June 6. 2008 issue of Sports Collectors Digest, a young writer, Paul Ferrante, decribes his visit to Dodgertown and the impending sale of that property. Of course, he had to start with the history. He describes how one of the leading citizens of Vero Beach approached the Dodgers "General Manager Buzzie Bavasi, Branch Rickey and owner Walter O'Malley" to entice them with an attractive offer. He then goes on to rewrite history by stating:

"Rickey and O'Malley, baseball visionaries who brought about the modern baseball farm system, integration and West coast baseball, set about creating the standard by which the tradition we now call Spring Training would be established."

Branch Rickey must be rolling over in his grave to hear how he is now being joined with O'Malley, giving O'Malley joint credit for the great accomplishments of Rickey re the farm system and integration, and giving Rickey joint blame for moving the Dodgers to LA.

You basically have captured the spirit of what so much of us here are saying; but unfortunately as we pass from the scene, fewer and fewer people are around to refute the lies that are passed along in such things as the "documentary" HBO presented as part of the push of the Imposter organization masquerading as the Dodgers on the left coast has been pushing which culminated in the piece of garbage being voted into the HOF; and then you listen to the acceptance of this nonsense by some who visit on the forum with the attitude of "get over it" because it happened 50 years ago.

It is my fondest hope that there is a large disruption to the HOF ceremony when this piece of garbage is inducted into the HOF forever tarnishing it as a place where positive contributions to baseball should be honored...and the wilder the demonstration the more, perhaps, it will be remembered just what kind of a sub human the man was.

[LetsGoMets687]

It is my fondest hope that there is a large disruption to the HOF ceremony when this piece of garbage is inducted into the HOF forever tarnishing it as a place where positive contributions to baseball should be honored...and the wilder the demonstration the more, perhaps, it will be remembered just what kind of a sub human the man was.

This summers induction will be interesting. Unfortunately, I think the Dodger fans protests might backfire if they get too disruptive. What I mean is, while they hope their protests will strictly "shed light on O'Malley's evilness" (although it's not exactly a hidden revelation, after all, most articles on O'Malley already state how hated he is), it also might actually tarnish the legacy of the Brooklyn fans themselves. If the Brooklynites who protest come off publicly as a bunch of disruptive, hateful nutjobs, and this gets huge national attention, Brooklyn Dodger fans might all be forevermore known as a bunch of angry wackos, much the same way many Americans automatically think of wackos bombing abortion clinics when they hear someone supports Right to Life. Hopefully the protests will be tasteful, classy and poignant. It would be too bad if the story becomes the protesters antics themselves and not the negative legacy of O'Malley's actions.

[MATHA531]

This summers induction will be interesting. Unfortunately, I think the Dodger fans protests might backfire if they get too disruptive. What I mean is, while they hope their protests will strictly "shed light on O'Malley's evilness" (although it's not exactly a hidden revelation, after all, most articles on O'Malley already state how hated he is), it also might actually tarnish the legacy of the Brooklyn fans themselves. If the Brooklynites who protest come off publicly as a bunch of disruptive, hateful nutjobs, and this gets huge national attention, Brooklyn Dodger fans might all be forevermore known as a bunch of angry wackos. Hopefully the protests will be tasteful, classy and poignant. It would be too bad if the story becomes the protesters antics themselves and not the negative legacy of O'Malley's actions.

Respectfully disagree...the fact this greedy sub human was voted into the HOF shows that people have no idea how much evil he represents and this will be our last chance to make it clear just what a piece of garbage he was and stick it to such as his son, Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda who have chamioned this blow to the integrityh of the Hall of Fame. Adding a disruption to this idiotic induction of such an evil person will always allow what he is to be discussed at the same time the rewriting of history making him a "visionary" is.....

[LetsGoMets687]

Respectfully disagree...the fact this greedy sub human was voted into the HOF shows that people have no idea how much evil he represents and this will be our last chance to make it clear just what a piece of garbage he was and stick it to such as his son, Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda who have chamioned this blow to the integrityh of the Hall of Fame. Adding a disruption to this idiotic induction of such an evil person will always allow what he is to be discussed at the same time the rewriting of history making him a "visionary" is.....

That's just it though. "Sticking it" to Vin Scully, who's one of the most classy, honored, respected and admired broadcasters, or men for that matter, in the game, might very well backfire bigtime on the Brooklynites, at least as far as the general public is concerned. Booing or otherwise publicly "sticking it" to a man like Vin Scully (and to a much lesser degree Lasorda, who is hated by some, but liked by many) will surely undue any positive outcome the Dodger fans hope to have come of this. Assuming the Dodger fans actually want anything positive out of this, rather than just creating havoc for vengeance sake.

Jim Croce said it best in these matters...

You don't tug on Superman's cape,
you don't spit into the wind,
you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger,
and you don't mess around with Vin.
(at least if you care that you'll come off looking like a total jackass)

[MATHA531]

That's just it though. "Sticking it" to Vin Scully, who's one of the most classy, honored, respected and admired broadcasters, or men for that matter, in the game, might very well backfire bigtime on the Brooklynites, at least as far as the general public is concerned. Booing or otherwise publicly "sticking it" to a man like Vin Scully (and to a much lesser degree Lasorda, who is hated by some, but liked by many) will surely undue any positive outcome the Dodger fans hope to have come of this. Assuming the Dodger fans actually want anything positive out of this, rather than just creating havoc for vengeance sake.

Jim Croce said it best in these matters...

You don't tug on Superman's cape,
you don't spit into the wind,
you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger,
and you don't mess around with Vin.
(at least if you care that you'll come off looking like a total jackass)

It would not be aimed at Vin, of course, who I assume will be one of the presenters and has tirelessly worked to get the slimeball elected to the HOF but has repeated the lies (as has Lasorda) that the slimeball wanted to keep the team in Brooklyn but Robert Moses was the real culprit...that lie has been repeated so often...what is it they say, if you repeat a lie often enough, it will begin to be taken as the truth.

Anybody who knows anything about this understands that while Moses was not particularly fond of O'Malley, his hands were tied by NYS law in applying eminent domain to a privately owned baseball stadium (as opposed say to a hospital, a highway, a bridge or whatever)...and of course while it didn't seem so at the time, it turns out that had O'Malley and he sat down and seriously negotiated a lease at a state of the art ballpark to be built at Flushing Meadows, the team would be far better off today than it is.

So much for "visionary"..... (although I can understand where Scully is coming from...O'Malley made him rich and famous).

[LetsGoMets687]

It would not be aimed at Vin, of course, who I assume will be one of the presenters and has tirelessly worked to get the slimeball elected to the HOF but has repeated the lies (as has Lasorda) that the slimeball wanted to keep the team in Brooklyn but Robert Moses was the real culprit...that lie has been repeated so often...what is it they say, if you repeat a lie often enough, it will begin to be taken as the truth.

This Brooklyn angst against Vin Scully is somewhat hypocritical in this respect: Scully hasn't said or done anything any differently than what Roy Campanella said and done in defending O'Malley. Campanella also made his strongest case and lobbied for O'Malley's induction into Cooperstown, repeating the lies as you put it... and if Campy was still alive, would surely be one of those speaking glowingly on the podium in behalf of O'Malley. If you guys want to "stick it to Scully", wouldn't you be intellectually required, theoretically, to "stick it to Campy?" Why does Campanella get a pass for saying the same things as Vin Scully has said?

BTW, I agree with your assessment of O'Malley, but when you lump Vin Scully into the mix you totally lose my support.

[MATHA531]

This Brooklyn angst against Vin Scully is somewhat hypocritical in this respect: Scully hasn't said or done anything any differently than what Roy Campanella said and done in defending O'Malley. Campanella also made his strongest case and lobbied for O'Malley's induction into Cooperstown, repeating the lies as you put it... and if Campy was still alive, would surely be one of those speaking glowingly on the podium in behalf of O'Malley. If you guys want to "stick it to Scully", wouldn't you be intellectually required, theoretically, to "stick it to Campy?" Why does Campanella get a pass for saying the same things as Vin Scully has said?

BTW, I agree with your assessment of O'Malley, but when you lump Vin Scully into the mix you totally lose my support.

Again, I have nothing against Vin Scully the broadcaster, and you may well be right that I'm a bit unfair, although when the Los Angeles National League baseball team came to NY to play the Mets in the playoffs 1.5 years ago, he made it very clear that he accepted the hypothesis that it was Robert Moses who was the villain, not O'Malley and a verbal display of anger would, unfortunately, occur while he was speaking and repeating the lie how O'Malley really wanted to stay in Brooklyn, something that has been pushed around constantly in the campaign to get the slimeball into the Hall of Fame..so I do suppose you're right that Scully (nor really Peter O'Malley) doesn't deserve to be dissed so to speak; but at the same time it will be Scully who will most likely be making a speech full of the lies as well as Peter O'Malley receiving the accolades in place of his late father.

As far as Campy, well there's business and there's personal stuff. O'Malley took care of him and of course Campy was very much appreciative...we are not talking here of the election of the slimeball to be wonderful family man of the year (and BTW reading some of the stuff about him, he was clearly a wonderful family man and took care of old Brooklyn Dodgers) but that has nothing to do with his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame which I thought was supposed to have something about morality as one of the qualifications (see Rose, P and Jackson, J)....

[LetsGoMets687]

Trouble is, morality is totally subjective. Many in Cooperstown are morally questionable to say the least, including convicted felons, despite the "character" requirement.

That being said, I think owners don't belong in the HoF. Only players, managers, coaches, umpires and perhaps broadcasters and sportswriters, but not owners.

[donzblock]

This Brooklyn angst against Vin Scully is somewhat hypocritical in this respect: Scully hasn't said or done anything any differently than what Roy Campanella said and done in defending O'Malley. Campanella also made his strongest case and lobbied for O'Malley's induction into Cooperstown, repeating the lies as you put it... and if Campy was still alive, would surely be one of those speaking glowingly on the podium in behalf of O'Malley. If you guys want to "stick it to Scully", wouldn't you be intellectually required, theoretically, to "stick it to Campy?" Why does Campanella get a pass for saying the same things as Vin Scully has said?

BTW, I agree with your assessment of O'Malley, but when you lump Vin Scully into the mix you totally lose my support.

Why does Campy get a pass? Campy gets a pass because in his situation, how could he possibly attack O'Malley or be an objective observer? Campy also gets a pass because he was a terrific ballplayer who helped the Dodgers win many pennants and one World Series. He was a much more valuable contributor to the success of the Brooklyn Dodgers than was Vin Scully. Furthermore, Campy gets a pass because he was a decent, likable human being. It is possible that Scully was and is as decent and as likable, but it is certain that Campy was. Scully knows how to perform and is a performer. Campy was genuine. When he expressed joy, he was not acting.

[MATHA531]

Again, let me repeat this, Vin Scully, brilliant baseball broadcaster whose affection and love for O'Malley is totally completely understandable..after all despite the fact O'Malley was under pressure to hire local broadcasters, he insisted his broadcasters, Scully and Jerry Dogget were his broadcasters and eventually it allowed Scully to become bigger than life in many respects; more power to him. He has a right to defend O'Malley (although I hate it when he plays the Bob Moses card all the time); as far as Peter O'Malley is concerned, he was in no way responsible for what happened but some of his comments on hearing of his dad's election to the Hall of Fame were very much out of line and part of the lies being thrown out.

Unfortunately, it is most likely that Scully will be called upon to make a speech as part of the induction ceremony and Peter O'Malley will be the one receiving the plaque and it is to them in the absence of the real villain in this piece to whom a lot of the venom must unfortunately be thrown...not that it is entirely fair of course but.....this is the last opportunity we will have to make a statement to allow those who buy into this "visionary" garbage perhaps to rethink whatever and maybe 50 years down the line when we're all gone, some people will truly understand what kind of a low life Walter O'Malley was at least in the treatment of the fans who made him very rich and did nothing to deserve what he and he alone did to us.

[LetsGoMets687]

Unfortunately, it is most likely that Scully will be called upon to make a speech as part of the induction ceremony and Peter O'Malley will be the one receiving the plaque and it is to them in the absence of the real villain in this piece to whom a lot of the venom must unfortunately be thrown...not that it is entirely fair of course but.....this is the last opportunity we will have to make a statement....

Unfortunate, venomous and unfair, as you say, and that's how it will be perceived by the public. The only "statement" that will be made that day is that Brooklyn Dodger fans will be remembered as an angry, hateful mob.

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[MATHA531]

Unfortunate, venomous and unfair, as you say, and that's how it will be perceived by the public. The only "statement" that will be made that day is that Brooklyn Dodger fans will be remembered as an angry, hateful mob.

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And you know something, who cares!

[donzblock]

Unfortunate, venomous and unfair, as you say, and that's how it will be perceived by the public. The only "statement" that will be made that day is that Brooklyn Dodger fans will be remembered as an angry, hateful mob.

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My, such wisdom. How did you get so good at foretelling? What may also be remembered is what occasioned such anger and hatred. And I suspect O'Malley will not fare too well down through the ages. How could he? Greed is one of the seven deadly sins.

[Bklyn Boy since 1936]

Unfortunate, venomous and unfair, as you say, and that's how it will be perceived by the public. The only "statement" that will be made that day is that Brooklyn Dodger fans will be remembered as an angry, hateful mob.

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If they percieve us to be angry and hateful then maybe they'll want to know WHY we're angry and hateful. And hopefully they'll get the real facts.

BTW is it true that the subhuman slimball will go into a special place in the HOF in the sub sub basement with the rest of the garbage???