Hall of Fame day comes up Rosey

We had a terrific ceremony to induct Jim Rosenhaus and Tony Penainto the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday afternoon in Coca-Cola Field (full disclosure: I am a member of the selectioncommitte).

Be sure to catch up on today's column on Rosenhaus, one of theclass acts I've met in the game and someone I still enjoy chattingwith when I make trips to Cleveland's Progressive Field. For 11seasons here, I am privileged to say I had almost daily chats withhim on the field, in the press box and clubhouse. Some great times.

I was there for his first game in 1996 in Nashville and went intothe booth to wish him well a half-hour before the game and he wasfull-fledged panic mode because the equipment wasn't working. He didthe game over a telephone for four innings with Duke McGuire beforethe folks at the station rescued him

One of my favorite memories was the Bisons' first title clincherin 1997 in Des Moines. I went into the booth to chronicle Rosenhaus'ninth-inning call of the final out for the next day's paper (noInternet broadcast to listen to back then). One problem: DavidWeathers gave up two runs in the ninth to blow a lead before SeanCasey's homer won it in the 10th. I did the same thing the next yearin Game Four in Durham. Another two runs in the bottom of the ninth,this time producing an horrific defeat.

Rosenhaus and I then made a pact: No more trips to the booth byme! With the jinx out of the way, the Bisons won Game Five the nextnight to head to the World Series in Las Vegas. Rosenhaus hostedcelebrations of those titles back at the ballpark in Buffalo anddrew one of the biggest cheers in '97 when he pointed out the Herdcould retire the trophy of the going-out-of-business AmericanAssociation.

Rosenhaus roared the quote of the night: "It stays here. We don'thave to give it back!"

I loved seeing the video today of the Bisons' three title-clinching outs in '97, '98 and here in '04 against Richmond. ClassicRosenhaus calls. A good broadcaster has to be able to paint apicture with his words and Rosenhaus certainly did that.

Kudos to a job well done, Rosey.

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)