Comments on: RIP John Hughes (with new player comp!)

By: hector

hector — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:53:48 +0000

Johnny Damon is your player comp for John Hughes.

By: zooomx

zooomx — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:55:30 +0000

silly people. the perfect comp is Jack Morris. He will not make the hall of fame, but had some brilliant moments in baseball history. Had the most wins in the 80’s (as did Hughes). Is loved by a diminished segment of the population (Detroit and Minnesota) and disdained by the rest (East Coast, West Coast)
I look back at Morris’ career with fond memories just as I look at Hughes’s career. However, I will not argue either man’s greatness to my “expert” friends in the film or baseball fields of study.

By: Max T

Max T — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:30:05 +0000

After far too much thought, I couldn’t find an 80’s player with just the right vibe. Then I turned on the A’s game, saw Nomar Garciaparra, and realized that despite being a decade off, he’s a perfect comparison.
First and foremost, the player has to be fun and likeable. All you have to do is say Nomah and people smile. At shortstop Garciaparra dominated a position not known to hold much talent, much like Hughes did with his teen movies. Both burst onto the scene with immediate success (Nomar won the Roy and went to 3 All-Star Games his first four years, Hughes’ best flicks were his first ones). However, neither produced a real masterpiece. Nomar had some great seasons (once hit .372, once hit 52 doubles), but was only a serious MVP candidate once. Both had a short stay at Wrigley.
Now in the twilight of his average-length career Garciappara can still contribute to a team, but doesn’t generate the magic of before. Just like Hughes did. Yet whenever Nomar steps to the plate you still love to watch him. Anytime I hear Nomar I immediately think of late 90’s baseball and anytime I hear Hughes I recall the mid 80’s teen movie.

By: dja

dja — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:50:17 +0000

griffey is a terrible comparison.

i agree puckett or mattingly are probably the best. grace and sandberg and will clark are pretty good as well.

By: DrewK

DrewK — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:59:51 +0000

OK, so the comps are: (i) hugely popular in the 80s, (ii) box-office but not critical success, (iii) over-appreciated by masses at the time, (iv) only a few accomplishments/stats (e.g. Ferris) hold up very well over time, and (v) an eventual retirement from the public spotlight (i.e. directing) into a peripheral role (i.e. screen-writer).

How about Donnie Baseball? Everyone loved him in the 80s (i), but he never won anything (ii). He was overly popular because he played for the Yankees (iii). His stats don’t hold up well over time (e.g. unlikely HoF case; iv), and he’s transitioned from being an in-the-spotlight player to a behind-the-scenes hitting and bench coach (v).

Adored by all, yet not a member of the immortal artistic/athletic greats, I submit that Don Mattingly is the baseball equivalent of John Hughes.

By: Mike Ball

Mike Ball — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:55:06 +0000

The easiest comp here is simple. Griffey Jr. everybody loved Griff and he had a great 10 year run just like Hughes. Then it kind of wasn’t so great with all the sequels (Mariners II == Beethoven’s 5th). Some people thought Griff was the best, some didn’t but everybody liked him.

By: Ron W

Ron W — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:50:39 +0000

Also 8 for 8. I didn’t realize Hughes did “Curly Sue”. I didn’t think the movie was half bad, but went into it expecting a horrible film. Maybe it is because you knew that it was Hughes film that you had higher expectations. Put it this way, if we went and saw Gil Meche pitch, however I thought Davies was on the mound that night and you thought Zack was going, wouldn’t that change our view of the experience?

By: Mack

Mack — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:01:02 +0000

And as an aside, my all time favorite JH moment is when Ferris is racing the clock home to beat the principle, everything hanging on arriving in time, hauling ass through a backyard passes two hotties sunbathing, leaves the screen, then a second later returns all cool and composed to introduce himself.

“Ladies. Ferris Bueller.”

The man understood priorities.

By: Mack

Mack — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:57:42 +0000

Errr, Eight for nine.
Some Kind of Wonderful was a John Hughes movie (and in my mind, a darn good one).

By: Warren Hynes

Warren Hynes — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:00:48 +0000

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”

John Hughes’ advice to us all, via Ferris Bueller.