Buck

Buck

Baseball and the Hall of Fame are honoring Buck O'Neil posthumously.

Their heart's in the right place, I reckon, and it's good that Buck will be remembered.

I just wish they'd found a moment to do this 2 years ago, when the man was alive and busting his ass as probably the best Goodwill ambassador the game's had in decades. His statistics, they argued at the time, didn't warrant his inclusion in the Hall. And I grant you, that's true. But I don't think most of us were arguing for induction, but rather recognition, in much the same way he's getting honored now. I'm not going to fault the Hall or the Car Salesman ostensibly in charge of the game. I just wish their timing had been a little better.