SubscribeMazel tov, Len Berman
On the release of his new kids’ book, The 25 Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time.
) and The Sporting News (Sporting News Selects Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players: A Celebration of the 20th Century’s Best
) — among others — have attempted to do. But 25? Naturally that leads to a bit of controversy. Here’s how Berman sees it, via Len’s Top 5 email blast on Sept. 8.They say all politics is local. So too baseball. I’m learning it the hard way. When I was at the Little League World Series, Pittsburgh fans were ticked that Roberto Clemente didn’t make my new kids book…. On Dallas radio they asked me, “where’s Nolan Ryan?” And yesterday on KNBR in San Francisco, one of Gary Radnich’s sidekicks bemoaned the fact that Barry Bonds didn’t make the cut. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. When I mentioned to a group of ESPN people that neither Sandy Koufax nor Hank Greenberg made it, sportscaster Karl Ravech quipped, “You should call the book ‘The 25 Greatest Non-Jews Who Played Baseball.’”Oy.
Korner: It must have been extremely difficult to pick the 25 players. What was your criteria?
Berman: I had a “blue ribbon panel” choose the players. No rules, no positions, just “the best.” The panel included former players Bernie Williams and Ralph Branca, plus journalists and Roland Hemond a long time baseball exec.
Korner: Since this is a book for younger readers, did you consider the players as “role models” when making your choices? I’m thinking specifically about A-Rod here…
Berman: Since A-Rod made the cut, I dealt with his steroid admission honestly. He was the only known user of PED’s in the book.
Korner: You mentioned the “panel of experts.” Was there a personal favorite of yours you would have included if the choice was totally yours, but who just didn’t make the cut?
Berman: I might have voted for Sandy Koufax and Yogi Berra. I mean Yogi has 10 World Series rings, for goodness sakes. Believe it or not, Yogi got just one vote from the seven-member panel. Koufax got three, the same as Roberto Clemente, Lefty Grove, Barry Bonds, and Sachel Paige. So none of them made it.
Korner: You’re so used to doing the interviews, what’s it like being on the other side?
Berman: I’m used to being asked questions by now since I’ve been interviewed so many times over the years. It’s kind of fun. When you’re doing the interview you have to think more!
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