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Time to go to the mailbag to see what inquiring minds want to know. Dear Dave: Now that David Ortiz has the historically automatic 500-plus career homers to get in the Hall of Fame, do you think as a full-time DH he should get in, and regardless of how you feel, do you think he will? Manknee Rameerez, 2 Steroids Blvd, Key Biscayne, Florida Dear Manknee: Some will say a say a DH is just a part-time player. But it’s the position he was asked to play and he has arguably done it better than anyone ever has. Second: If fielding is so important, name me one defensive play you’ve ever heard anyone ever mention about Ted Williams. Ditto for Harmon Killebrew, Ralph Kiner or Reggie Jackson. If it doesn’t matter for them, why should not playing D matter for him? Not to mention if closers who pitch in one stinking inning of their 60 games per year get in, why not a DH? Who’d you rather have, Rollie Fingers or Ortiz? He should be in. Dear Dave: I just saw a story in the Boston Globe asking where David Ortiz ranks on the all-time list of Red Sox players. What do you think? Bungler P. Dan, Shaughnessy Blvd., New Boston, NH Dear Bungler: Since I think batting average is an overrated stat, I’ll probably shock some by saying an excellent case can be made he’s the greatest Red Sox player ever. Yes there’s a big difference in the batting average between him and Ted Williams and he was a DH. But, as I just said, it’s not like Ted was renowned for his glove. If it’s Yaz, that’s another story because he was a sensational left fielder who charged balls like the shortstop he once was and a pretty good first basemen to, er, boot! But Papi’s got a giant edge in big hits in big moments and was vital in not just ending the curse but winning again in 2007 and especially 2013.
But with the playoffs radically different he did have more chances than Ted, whose Sox finished a now playoff-worthy second place five times. So it’s possible that edge might be erased. Yaz was a great two-way player and his 1967 was the most inspirational season I’ve ever seen. I’ll go Williams by a whisker over Papi followed by Yaz, with Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Pedro, Manny and Tris Speaker next because they didn’t quite have the Boston longevity of the Top 3. Dear Dave: What do you think of the 76ers getting the top pick in the NBA draft? A. David Sturn, 1 Greenbacks Lane, Money Bags, Kentucky Dear A.: It’s one thing deciding to tank for a shot at a once-in-a-generation player when you see it’s hopeless in late February. Though the lottery came into being after Houston did that in 1983 to get Akeem Olajuwon to supposedly prevent tanking going forward. But it’s quite another to basically lose on purpose from opening night on as Philly did for four years on a plan devised by dimwit GM Sam Hinkie. That’s anticompetitive, anti-American and a downright disservice to fans in Philly. If there were a real commissioner who looked out for the game and not a CEO looking out for the owners’ pockets, he would have banned Philly from the 2016 lottery and awarded them the 14th pick because it’s a travesty to reward a team that repeatedly tanked to game the system. Dear Dave: Do you believe the conspiracy theories floating around NBA circles that the draft was rigged after Dikembe Mutombo tweeted congratulations to Philly four hours before they actually got the first pick? Dave Deebusher, 22 6th Avenue, Heavens Gate, Hawaii Dear Dave (back at you): The short answer is yes. The long answer is Patrick Ewing to New York in 1985. Akron’s LeBron James to doormat Cleveland in 2004. The top pick again to moribund Cleveland after LeBron took his talents to South Beach.
Ditto two years later when they were even moribunder after blowing the 2011 pick on Anthony Bennett. And this year the worst team in history magically gets the top pick after the league gets sick of Philly’s tanking act. Not to mention L.A. getting No. 2 in a draft with only two projected stars when the post-Kobe Lakers would be no-hope doormats for years in the nation’s secondlargest TV market. Especially since if they fell below three that pick goes to Philly as part of the ill-fated trade for Steve Nash. I’m a child of Watergate, so I know people are capable of anything, especially in the culture of the NBA created by David Stern. Dear Dave: You’ve said several times Bill Parcells should be next in the Patriots Hall of Fame. With all the great players that have been part of the team since 2000 and considering the acrimony surrounding his departure, how can you justify putting him before them, especially since his record isn’t much better than .500? Ray Perkins, 27 OC Lane, Wideout, Alabama Dear Ray: First because in football, great team-building coaches are more important than almost any one player except maybe the quarterback. Second, he contradicts his own famous statement, “You are what you record says you are.” That might be true in a given season, but the lifetime record is going to be much higher if you take over winning teams with top talent like Phil Jackson always does, than if your M.O. is turning bottomdwellers into something. Tuna turned the 1-15 Patriots into a Super Bowl team in four years. He picked Drew Bledsoe as the first piece and found Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and Ty Law, who were backbones of the first three Super Bowl-winning teams. He also brought Coach B into the sphere of the owner. So no Tuna, probably no Bill Belichick either. It’s true the ending was classless, but that’s 20 years ago. Time to get over it. Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress. com.
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