The Shrine Of The Eternals – 2004

The highest honor afforded an individual by the Baseball Reliquary is election to the Shrine of the Eternals. Three individuals are elected on an annual basis in voting conducted in April by the international membership of the Reliquary. Similar in concept to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Shrine of the Eternals differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not a criterion for election; the Shrine, rather, honors individuals who have impacted the baseball landscape in ways that do not necessarily have anything to do with numbers. The 2004 electees — Dick Allen, Roberto Clemente, and William “Dummy Hoy — will join previous inductees Jim Abbott, Moe Berg, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Dock Ellis, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, and Bill Veeck, Jr.

Despite enduring racism and prejudice throughout much of his professional baseball career, Dick Allen became one of the most feared sluggers and dominant players of his era. Free-spirited and controversial, Allen was one of the first outspoken African-American superstars in the major leagues, constantly at war with the baseball establishment during his 15-year career as an infielder-outfielder (1963-1977, mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox, but including stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics). Allen garnered both Rookie of the Year (1964, Philadelphia) and Most Valuable Player (1972, Chicago) awards. In that remarkable 1972 campaign with the White Sox, Allen hit .308 and led the American League in home runs (37), RBI (113), walks (99), on-base percentage (.422), and slugging percentage (.603). Dick Allen will attend the ceremony to personally accept his induction. He will be joined by his wife, Willa, and, pending their availability, his two sons, Richard Jr. and Eron. Allen will be introduced by his close friend, Victor Reichman, who has assisted many former ballplayers with personal appearances and charity work and has been actively involved in seeking pensions for older players.

One of the first Latin-American superstars in major league baseball, Roberto Clemente (1934-1972) was a humanitarian and a folk hero in his native Puerto Rico, where his memory is worshipped today. A daring and exciting player, Clemente starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972, hitting over .300 thirteen times and leading the National League in batting four times. While collecting 3,000 career hits, he was also the recipient of twelve Gold Gloves as the finest right fielder of his era. All of these accomplishments came in spite of, and were perhaps fueled by, the racism and prejudice which he endured throughout his career. Clemente led a life of service to others and died much the same way as he had lived — killed in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while carrying relief supplies for Nicaraguan earthquake victims. Typical of his selflessness and altruism, Clemente not only organized the mercy mission, but when he had heard that the distribution of the charitable goods had run afoul in Nicaragua, he insisted on traveling with the supplies himself to ensure their safe and proper distribution. Roberto Clemente’s induction will be accepted by a representative of the Clemente family.

William Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy (1862-1961), the first Deaf major league ballplayer, starred for several big league clubs for 14 seasons from 1888-1902, his longest affiliation being five years with the Cincinnati Reds (1894-1897, 1902). Diminutive even by 19th century standards (Hoy was 5’4” and weighed 148 pounds), he was a superb defensive center fielder and brilliant base-stealer. The first outfielder in the majors to throw out three runners at the plate in a single game, Hoy compiled 2,044 career hits with a .287 batting average and 594 stolen bases (including a National League-leading 82 SBs in his rookie year with Washington in 1888). Hoy, whose deafness resulted from an attack of meningitis when he was three, taught sign language to many of his teammates and they would often sign to him during games; thus, Hoy has often been considered a progenitor of the signaling system used today by managers, coaches, base-runners, and hitters. Unable to hear the umpire when he was at the plate, Hoy would be kept posted of the call by his third base coach, who would lift his right hand for strikes and his left hand for balls; though never authenticated, this system of communication may have had some influence on the future use of hand signals by umpires in calling balls and strikes. Although Hoy passed away in 1961 at the age of 99, just two months after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at the Reds-Yankees’ World Series, he has continued to be an outstanding role model and inspiration for generations in the Deaf community. Hoy’s induction as the first 19th century player elected to the Shrine of the Eternals since voting began in 1999 will be accepted by his grandson, Dr. Carson Skaggs of Grass Valley, California, and his wife Miriam. Hoy will be introduced by Steve Sandy of Columbus, Ohio, who has been actively researching the life of this 19th century legend since 1989. A graduate of Gallaudet College (now University) in 1983, Sandy is prominently involved with the USA Deaf Sports Federation Committee for Dummy Hoy, which was formed in 1991 and has been lobbying to get him elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.