❚ Chipper Jones, Jack Morris and other inductees riff at Hall of Fame ceremony,
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The National Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed a huge six-man class on July 29: Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Thome, Alan Trammell and Jack Morris.
Here are some highlights from the induction ceremony.
Chipper Jones
“Hated facing you, bro. Had the most devastating changeup I’ve ever seen in my life.” — on fellow inductee Trevor Hoffman.
“All I can hear is, ‘Don’t. Move.’ — on a Class AAA brawl at Richmond when fellow inductee and then-minor leaguer Jim Thome extricated him from the pile and pinned him to the backstop.
“Smoltzie always pitched like his hair was on fire. Makes sense, when you look at him now.” — on Hall of Famer John Smoltz. “We decided to name him Cooper, in honor of this occasion.” — on his due any-minute son, his seventh child. Jones famously named one of his kids Shea, a nod to his dominance of the Mets at Shea Stadium and everywhere.
Alan Trammell
“I doubt that record will ever be broken. For years, it was Lou and Tram. My hope is that someday, you will be up here as well.” — on former double-play partner Lou Whitaker. Trammell and Whitaker played together for 1,918 games, a record for a shortstop and second baseman.
Vladimir Guerrero
“When I was a player, I was always happy to let my bat to the talking. Now that I’m not talking, I’m very glad to be standing here and talking to you.” — via interpreter Jose Mota.
“I came from a small little town in the Dominican Republic, Nizao Bani. Even more special today is that today, we celebrate Father’s Day in the Dominican Republic. Happy Father’s Day to all the pops.” (Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a top Blue Jays third-base prospect, was among the crowd.)
Trevor Hoffman
“I was their human remote control. But I didn’t care because all I wanted was to be around them.” — on older brothers Greg and Glenn Hoffman. “Unprecedented that you’re here today, bud, and I appreciate that effort.” — on his former manager Bruce Bochy, the first active manager who’s not a Hall of Famer to miss a game for the induction ceremony.
Jack Morris
“To go in with my friend and teammate, Alan Trammell, is a dream come true. We signed together in 1976. And now, 42 years later, Cooperstown.”
“Whether in Little League or the big leagues, I would encourage all players to learn about the history of this game. The players behind me. Only then will you understand who you are and where you fit in with its history.”
Jim Thome
“Charlie took a scrappy young kid who was anxious to hit a million home runs and actually encouraged those crazy dreams. From day one of that dugout in Kissimmee, he always believed in me. Thank you for your loyalty.” — on former hitting coach and manager Charlie Manuel.