BLS Roundtable: What baseball-themed exhibit would you pay to build?
Have you ever wanted to learn more about former baseball commissioner Bud Selig? Thanks to the Milwaukee Brewers, now you can.
The Brewers recently opened The Selig Experience at Miller Park. The exhibit serves as a tribute to Selig’s history within the game.
That sounds like fun, and all, but the opening of the Experience got our experts thinking about the lack of other baseball-themed exhibits out there. That led to this week’s Roundtable question.
If you could choose one baseball-themed exhibit to build/see, what would it be?
THE MANNYWOOD WALK OF FAME AND/OR SHAME
If any baseball player or personality, past or present, deserves his own exhibit, it’s Manny Ramirez. His career in baseball, which continues now as a hitting coach, has been a long journey with several interesting checkpoints that I believe could be made into a Walk of Fame, with his career accomplishments on one side, and Shame, with his Manny being Manny moments on the other.
Among his accomplishments and milestones, of course, would be his 555 career home runs, 2.574 hits and 12 All-Star selections.
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On the other side, you’d have to have a statue of his famous high-five double play, where he actually climbed the face to five a fan in Baltimore before throwing the ball back in. One checkpoint would simply play an endless loop of Manny cutting off Johnny Damon’s throw in short left field. The entrance to the bathroom would be painted like the green monster, where Manny allegedly relieved himself one time during a pitching change.
There are so many moments, so many possibilities, that you could fill several city blocks. Let’s get this done. (Mark Townsend)
HALL OF BIZARRE INJURIES
Want to see the cowboy boots Wade Boggs was trying to take off when he injured his ribs in 1986? How about what’s left of the glass table Glenallen Hill fell through after a nightmare about spiders? Then come on down to the Hall of Bizarre Injuries. Baseball is littered with tales of strange, unimaginable injuries to players on, and especially, off the field and I would be first in line to visit a place that documents them all. Who wouldn’t want a reenactment of John Smoltz burning himself while trying to iron a shirt he was still wearing? (Ian Denomme)
HALL OF AWFUL CELEBRITY FIRST PITCHES
Some celebrities were once decent athletes, but most weren’t. That lack of athletic prowess is never more apparent than during a first pitch. Over the past couple years, we’ve seen some truly great ones. Who can forget Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory‘s first pitch attempt? What about Mariah Carey and 50 Cent? Carly Rae Jepsen was awful as well.
The exhibit would be separated by category. Musicians, public figures, other sports stars and actors would each have their own wing. These videos would be played on a loop in order to serve as a constant reminder of failure. You would pay at least $5 to see that, right? (Chris Cwik)
THE DOCK ELLIS LSD EXPERIENCE
Forget Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Imagine strapping yourself into a Disneyland-esque cart that’s shaped like a baseball. The track underneath carries you into a scene that looks like a baseball stadium. First a clubhouse, then a dugout, then a pitcher’s mound and that’s where things get wild. Pretty soon you’re on some psychedelic trip through nine innings that makes the boat scene in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” look like a kid’s birthday party.
This, ladies and gentleman, is the Dock Ellis LSD Experience, a ride that pays tribute to one of the most incredible feats in MLB history — the time Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter in 1970 while on LSD. Send the kids to the Bud Selig thingamajig, this is where the party’s at. If you’re a rookie to the Dock Ellis story, check out the “No-No” documentary or the famous animated short about Ellis. (Mike Oz)
What exhibit would you fund? Be sure to let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
