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Great choices CNNSI.com's Ozzie Smith on the Hall of Fame
Posted: Wednesday January 12, 2000 10:15 AM
A couple of years from now, when he becomes eligible, we may be talking to Ozzie Smith about his selection to the Hall of Fame. But for now CNN/Sports Illustrated's Johnny Phelps spoke to the CNNSI.com baseball analyst, who was in St. Louis, about the selection of Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.. Johnny Phelps : Ozzie, are these good choices this year? Ozzie Smith : They are great choices this year. Carlton Fisk is probably the most durable catcher in the history of the game and Tony Perez is probably the most consistent run-producer in the history of the game. Johnny Phelps : Both Fisk and Perez barely got enough votes for election this year. And no one else was really close this year. Why do you think the baseball writers voted so carefully and closely this year? Ozzie Smith : Well, what I think we're trying to do is we're trying to bring things back into perspective here and maintain the integrity of what the Hall of Fame is all about. I think there has been so much controversy about who should be in and who shouldn't be in. And they're being very careful about who they select, as they should be. Johnny Phelps : It is well-known that Tony Perez had to wait a long time, nine years to get in. A lot of people felt if he didn't make it this time, his chances in the future weren't going to be too good. What effect do you think playing alongside Bench, Morgan, Rose and those guys had on Perez having to wait for so long? Ozzie Smith : Well, you end up playing in their shadow. Those are all Hall of Famers that you just mentioned. But even with that, I think hat Tony was the one guy there in the middle that was probably the most important part of that whole Big Red Machine. He wasn't the guy who got all the glory, but he was the guy who came up with all the clutch hits. And was probably the most consistent at driving in runs on that Cincinnati Reds team. Johnny Phelps : Ozzie, other sports have much larger induction classes, especially the NFL and the NBA. It's a different story in baseball, which did have three last year and now only two this year. Do you think the fact that only a couple of baseball players make it in most years makes Cooperstown even more special? Ozzie Smith : Yes, it certainly does. And I think with the criteria of getting into the Hall of Fame, it should be tough and it shouldn't be an easy thing to do. And I think what we're seeing here, with baseball anyway, it is a tough thing to do because to make it to the Hall of Fame, it is not an easy challenge. And I think when we look at these two guys, Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez, they are a picture of what this game is all about and what I felt it is all about. And the word that comes to mind with the both of those guys is consistency. Johnny Phelps : Let me ask you about the consistency and the challenge that Pete Rose is involved in. Everybody knows about his campaign to get reinstated in baseball. Where do you stand on Pete Rose and perhaps getting into the Hall of Fame, Ozzie? Ozzie Smith : Well, here again, I ask the question: "How long do we punish a person?" I think Pete Rose has paid his debt to society. He should be judged on what he did on the baseball field. And I don't think there's any question that what he did on the field was unparalleled. He has more hits than anybody in the history of the game. I personally believe that Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Johnny Phelps : Have you thought about what selection day is going to be like for you when it comes your turn? Ozzie Smith : Well, you know, as the time draws near, people consistently ask me if I think about it a lot. I do when they ask me [laughs]. Yes, you get butterflies and I'm starting to get butterflies and things now about that when you sit down and talk about guys getting into the Hall of Fame, guys like Tony Perez who had to wait so long to get into the Hall of Fame. For me, I think that as a player, the best that you can hope for is that when you start playing is that you play consistently enough to be considered for the Hall of Fame. I don't think there's any player that when he starts playing said, "Hey, you know what? I'm playing to make it to the Hall of Fame." It's all about getting yourself into position to be considered and, hopefully, one day you get that opportunity. Johnny Phelps : Oz, I'm sure very soon you will be making a back flip right into the Hall of Fame. Thanks for joining us. Ozzie Smith : All right, thank you.
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