Mark Madden: Pirates whiff on inaugural Hall of Fame class

The Pirates’ intent is always in question. Their competency is doubtful, too.

But you’d think they could at least get the inaugural class of their in-house Hall of Fame right. They didn’t.

Fifteen Pirates and four Pittsburgh-based Negro League stars will be honored in a ceremony Sept. 3 at PNC Park before the Pirates host Toronto. But not many of the 19 inductees will be showing up.

Sixteen of them are dead. Jake Beckley, whoever that is, has been dead since 1918.

Twelve of the 16 deceased have been so since 1982. Those who saw them play are dead, too. The Pirates are inducting a lot of people nobody really remembers.

Honus Wagner should obviously be honored. He’s arguably the greatest Pirate ever and one of baseball’s best ever. But to most people, Wagner is just a statue outside PNC Park and/or an absurdly expensive baseball card. (Wagner retired in 1917 and died in 1955.)

What an uplifting ceremony this figures to be. The theme music should be a funeral dirge. Or perhaps Alice Cooper’s “I Love the Dead.”

Related:

• Pirates announce inaugural 19-member Hall of Fame class

Steve Blass’ witticisms have saved many a day, not least when he did color commentary on radio or TV when the latter-day Pirates were being routed. As the most loquacious of the three living souls being inducted, Blass had better have a long speech prepared. (Bill Mazeroski and Dave Parker are the other two.)

Is it important to get the Pirates’ history on display? It sure is, especially since recent history doesn’t include a playoff series win since 1979.

At least owner Bob Nutting won’t have to pay travel and lodging for all the dead guys.

The Pirates should induct that kid wearing a “Sell the Team” T-shirt who posed for a photo with Nutting. Or jump to the obvious and induct Oneil Cruz right now.

The Pirates made at least two grievous errors when naming their first class.

All of the Negro League players to be inducted are very qualified. But how did the Pirates whiff on Satchel Paige, perhaps the greatest pitcher in Negro baseball history? Paige pitched one year for the Crawford Colored Giants and four for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, arguably Negro baseball’s best team ever and three-time league champs.

Paige would fit right in: He’s been dead since 1982.

The other horrible omission is Dick Groat. The shortstop played nine years for the Pirates, was National League MVP in 1960 and was a big part of that season’s world championship team. He was a six-time All-Star with the Pirates.

Groat is 91. These halls of fame are for those being inducted just as much as for the fans. Groat will be inducted eventually. It should happen while he’s alive.

Same goes for reliever Roy Face, 94, a six-time All-Star who went 18-1 in 1959. Or pitcher Vern Law, 92, a two-time All-Star who won the Cy Young Award in 1960. Manny Sanguillen is 78. He’s not getting any younger. Jim Leyland is 77. Al Oliver is 75.

Save some of the dead guys for later. They’re still going to be dead.

If you’re inducting a bunch of headstones, how did the Pirates omit announcer Bob Prince? “The Gunner” personified Pirates baseball during his tenure from 1948-75. A lot more people remember Prince than remember Beckley or half the dead guys.

Blass, Mazeroski and Parker are very deserving and will make the occasion terrific. Each is responsible for some of the top moments in Pirates history.

Mazeroski is the author of the team’s singular greatest moment, his World Series-winning walk-off home run against the New York Yankees in 1960.

Blass won twice in the 1971 World Series, including Game 7.

Parker was a two-time batting champ, MVP in 1978 and a big part of the ’79 World Series winner. He should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Mazeroski.

The other 16 inductees are deceased.

This should celebrate more of the living, not so many of the dead.