>>> VIEWPOINT COLUMNIST FOR REPUBLICAN AND MASSLIVE.
HE REGULARLY DROPS BY TO SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT
ARE CATCHING HIS ATTENTION.
IN THIS LATEST VISIT WE STARTED BY ASKING RON ABOUT HIS VOTES
FOR THE 2016 CLASS OF INDUCTEES FOR THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
>> THAT MAKES IT MORE LIVELY.
I CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE AND I TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
>> YOU ALWAYS COME OUT AND DISCUSS YOUR VOTE.
KNOT EVERYBODY DOES.
YOU FEEL IT'S SOMETHING TO BE DEBATED, DISCUSSED PUBLICLY.
>> I FEEL IT SHOULD BE.
IF I'M WILLING TO BE A VOTER I SHOULD BE WILLING TO ACCOUNT FOR
MY VOTE.
WE'RE NOT FORCED TO DO THAT.
I BELIEVE THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME IN SPRINGFIELD SHOULD OPEN
UP ITS VOTE.
IT'S A VOTING SECRET.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING IN SECRET.
IF PEOPLE DISAGREE THAT'S OKAY TOO.
>> YOU MADE THE POINT THAT YOU BASICALLY DO NOT VOTE FOR
PLAYERS THAT YOU FEEL HAVE PRETTY CONCLUSIVELY BEEN
CONNECTED TO STEROID USE.
THAT INCLUDES ROGER KLEMM ENTSZ, SAMMY SOSA, MARK MCGWIRE, BARRY
BONDS.
>> COOPERSTOWN IS SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL TO PEOPLE.
THERE ARE NOT MANY SPECIAL INSTITUTIONS LEFT.
MOST HAVE BEEN TARNISHED IN SOME WAY.
IF THIS IS GOING TO BE TARNISHED TOO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BECAUSE
OF MY VOTE.
I'M NOT ALONE IN THAT.
I THINK THIS IS STANDARD TO BE KEPT AND IF THE INFORMATION IS
STRONG THEN I SHY AWAY.
I DON'T VOTE FOR THEM.
>> AT THE SAME TIME YOU SAID YOU VOTED FOR MIKE PIAZZA, JEFF
BAGWELL.
THERE HAVE BEEN STEROID RUMORS ATTACHED TO BOTH OF THEM.
NOT VERY -- WELL, YOUR REASONING THERE.
>> WELL, THIS IS PART OF THE VOTE THAT'S NOT FUN.
I DON'T WANT TO PLAY GOD.
I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WASN'T
THERE.
I FIND MYSELF IN THAT POSITION.
IN THEIR CASES THERE'S NOTHING BUT RUMORS.
THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL RUMORS BUT NO REPORTS, NO SUBSTANTIVE
DOCUMENTS, NOTHING TO TRACE TRUTH TO.
I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING NO TO PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
PIAZZA I DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM FOR TWO YEARS.
I WAS ON THE EDGE ABOUT THAT.
I FINALLY DECIDED I ARE NOTHING STRONG SO I'M VOTING FOR HIM
THIS YEAR.
>> YOU VOTED FOR CURT SCHILLING.
HE OF THE BLOODY SOCK.
HE'S CONTROVERSIAL BUT NOT REALLY BECAUSE OF BASEBALL.
BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES AND
THINGS HE GETS INVOLVED WITH.
LOOKING AT HIM ON THE FIELD HE WAS A TREMENDOUS POST-GAME
COMPETITOR, HE WAS ONE OF THE GREAT OAFT PLAYOFF PITCHERS OF
ALL TIME.
HE WON 216 GAMES, ONLY THREE FEWER THAN PETRO MARTINEZ, WHO
WAS TO ME AN OBVIOUS FIRST ROUND PICK LAST YEAR.
NOT THE PERSON I VOTED FOR ORIGINALLY BUT THIS YEAR I SAID
THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
AND HE WAS CLEAN.
HE COMPETED AGAINST STEROID PEOPLE AND DID WELL.
>> I REMEMBER READING SOMEBODY IN BASEBALL I THINK ONE OF HIS
MANAGERS SAID SOMETHING FASCINATING ABOUT HIM.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THE QUOTE.
PLEASE CRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
BASICALLY A GREAT PITCHER, HARD WORKING GUY, ONE DAY OUT OF FOUR
HE'S A TREMENDOUS WORK HORSE, THE OUR DAYS HE'S A HORSE'S BACK
SIDE.
>> I THINK I TOLD YOU THAT QUOTE.
I HAVE HEARD THAT.
THERE ARE TIMES HE'S VERY OPINIONATED.
HE POLITICIZES AND COMPLICATES A LOT.
I'M A POLITICAL WRITER MYSELF SO I SHOULDN'T SAY ANYONE DOESN'T
HAVE A RIGHT TO HIS OPINION BUT AS FAST AS CONTROVERSIAL BEYOND
BASEBALL.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS AS HIS BASEBALL CAREER.
BASED ON THAT I'M COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR HIM.
HOE NEEDS TO GET ALMOST TWICE AS MANY VOTES AS HE'S RECEIVED.
I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING TO DO IT BUT I DID VOTE FOR HIM.
>> HE SEEMS TO ENJOY OFFENDING.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO DECIDE IF YOU GET IN THE HALL
OR NOT.
JIM RICE PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WASN'T BECAUSE HE WEEKEND A BIG
MEDIA GUY.
>> I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS UNFAIR.
WE ARE NOT PERFECT.
WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE LEFT OUT ON PERSONAL
VINDICTIVE MOTIVES.
I KNOW THAT RICE DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH ALL THOSE YEARS BUT IN
CHILLY'S CASE HE SAID PEOPLE DON'T VOTE FOR HIM BECAUSE HE'S
A REPUBLICAN.
MOST OF THE WRITERS I KNOW ARE REPUBLICANS.
WE DON'T CARE.
>> THE STAR OF THIS CLASS IT SEEMS EVERYBODY IS A SURE BET,
KEN GRIFFEY JUNIOR, JR.
>> THE ONE THAT I'M SURE WILL GET IN WHEN THE VOTES IS
ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY.
I THINK PIAZZA HAS A GOOD CHANCE, HOFFMAN HAS A GOOD
CHANCE.
GRIFFEY I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY HE'S NOT AN EASY FIRST
ROUNDS SELECTION AND HE SHOULD BE.
>>> YOU HAVE A FASCINATING COLUMN.
GOT A LOT OF REACTION.
TALKING ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF SINGLE GENDER COLLEGES, MOSTLY
WOMEN'S COLLEGES THESE DAYS.
CERTAINLY WITH TWO OF THE GREAT HISTORIC WOMEN'S COLLEGES IN THE
AREA, SMITH AND MOUNT HOLYOKE, YOU GOT SOME HEAT AND TOOK
CRITICISM BUT YOU THINK IT'S A RELEVANT IDEA WORTH DISCUSSING.
>> IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
IT'S NOT A CRUSADE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CLOSE THEM DOWN.
I'M RAISING THE QUESTION WHAT THEY GAVE TO SOCIETY DECADES
BEFORE IS IT STILL RELEVANT TODAY BECAUSE TO ME IT IS
DISCRIMINATION.
IF I HAD A SON, WHICH I DON'T, IF I HAD A SON THAT WANTED TO GO
TO THOSE COLLEGES HE WOULD BE DENIED BECAUSE OF HIS GENDER.
THAT'S DISCRIMINATION.
I UNDERSTAND WHY IT EXISTED BEFORE BUT THAT WAS THEN.
>> AS YOU WELL KNOW YOU HEARD IT MORE THAN I HAVE FOLKS WHO
DEFEND THOSE COLLEGES SAY WOMEN CAN STILL GO INTO A MALE
DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT AND BE MARGINALIZED.
THEY ARE NEVER THE PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB, ALWAYS THE SECRETARY.
>> IT'S NOT A BAD ARGUMENT.
THERE'S TRUTH TO THAT.
MY SOLUTION IS LET'S LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSE AND WHY THAT HAPPENS
AT YUFORTSDZ AND IN THE WORKPLACE.
I THINK THE COUNTRY IS DOING THAT.
I GIST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT THERE'S A BIG DEBATE
ABOUT ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND SPEAKING YOUR MIND ON CAMPUS.
WHEN YOU ELIMINATE AN ENTIRE GENDER OF PEOPLE, EVEN THE MEN,
I THINK YOU'RE SUBTRACTING FROM THAT DISCUSSION AND I DON'T
THINK IN 2016 IT'S NECESSARY ANY MORE.
>> I RECALL YOU WRITING YOU WOULD VISIT ONE OR BOTH SCHOOLS?
>> SURE I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM UP ON T. I UNDERSTAND THEIR SIDE
OF THE STORY.
THEY ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE.
MY QUESTION REMAINS IS IT NECESSARY IN 2016 AS IT WAS
MAYBE IN 1946, 1976?
THEY HAD A GREAT HISTORICAL REFERENCE BUT THOSE WERE A LONG
TIME AGO.
WE'RE AT A POINT WE SHOULD LOOK AT OPENING UP THE CONVERSATION
AND NOT DISCRIMINATING AGAINST MEN OR AGAINST WOMEN.
>> SIMILAR VAIN YOU WROTE A COLUMN QUESTIONING THE RELEVANCE
TODAY OF THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS DATING BACK TO THE
DAY WHEN BLACK PLACER COULDN'T GET INTO THE NBA,.
IS IT RELEVANT?
>> WELL, I RAISE THE QUESTION OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RAISED.
IT'S RELEVANT BUT IN A VERY DIFFERENT SENSE.
IT'S CLEAN ENTERTAINMENT, FUN, IT'S FOR KIDS.
BACK IN THE DAY THEY HAD SOME OF THE GREATEST BLACK PLAYERS IN
THE WORLD.
THEIR ENTERTAINMENT WAS BASED ON SKILL.
PASSING, DRIBBLING.
SPECTACULAR THINGS WITH THE BASKETBALL.
NOW IT'S MOSTLY VISUAL AND VERBAL COMEDY.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WRONG BUT IT IS DIFFERENT.
I KNOW BLACK PEOPLE WHO SAY MAYBE THAT DAY HAS PASSED AS
WELL.
IT'S WELL MEANT.
THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
>> I WANT TO TAKE THE LAST MINUTE OR SO TO TALK ABOUT
SOMETHING YOU WROTE IN ME MORE YAM, SOMEONE I WAS ACQUAINTED
WITH, YOU WORKED WITH I THINK AND KNEW BETTER, PASSED AWAY
OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
RHONDA SWAN, A TERRIFIC WRITER AT THE SPRINGFIELD PAPERS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE REASON -- I DIDN'T KNOW HER REALLY.
I KNEW OF HER.
SHE WAS IN IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
JUST TO PROVOKE PEOPLE?
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF UNFAIRLY.
SHE DID IT TO PROVOKE SHOT.
SHE SUCCEEDED.
SHE WAS ONLY 51.
I THINK IT'S A BIG LOSS FOR THE READING COMMUNITY IN THIS AREA.
>> TERRIFIC PERSON.
THANKS FOR COMING IN.
ALWAYS A PLEASURE.
>> THANK YOU.