<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568fdd80e6183e263a8b7a68-1210-908/screen shot 2016-01-08 at 11.00.45 am.png" alt="mike piazza" data-mce-source="Fox Business via Twitter" data-link="https://twitter.com/FoxBusiness/status/685488967953743878" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/FoxBusiness/status/685488967953743878">Fox Business via Twitter</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Mike Piazza <span>was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.</span></p><p><span>The former star catcher is best known for his time with the New York Mets and the LA Dodgers, and is also a <span>12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner.</span></span></p><p><span>But baseball isn't be the only thing this Hall of Famer has a few thoughts on.</span></p><p><span>In a <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxBusiness/status/685488967953743878">recent interview on Fox Business News,</a> Piazza </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">shared some investing advice on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.</span></p><p>"I'm big on the techs right now. I mean, you know, Apple and ... I mean, it's been on fire ...  I think I'm going to stay in that realm right now," he told Fox Business' Stuart Varney.</p><p>"<span>It seems to be pretty safe. Everybody keeps buying iPhones. So, I'd stay right there," he added.</span></p><p><span>It's worth remembering that a good business alone is generally not a sufficient justification for buying a stock. Value and price are among things that should be considered carefully.</span></p><p><span>Piazza's not the only one with Apple on his mind.</span></p><p><span>Apple shares have fallen by about 20% over the last six months, and broke $100 for the first time since August on Wednesday. Currently, the stock is trading around $97.61.</span></p><p><span>Analysts following the company have expressed concerns about the possibility</span><span><span> for iPhone sales to fall for the first time ever when compared to the year before. And a</span></span><span> recent </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-expected-to-cut-iphone-6-production-by-30-percent-2016-1">report from Nikkei</a> said<span> that Apple is expected to cut iPhone 6S and 6S Plus production by 30% in Q1.</span></p><p><span>Additionally, some have been worried that Apple hasn't had a real smash hit product since the iPhone</span>. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-share-price-january-6-2016-1">As Business Insider's Myles Udland described it</a>, "the Apple Watch was whatever [and] iPad sales continue to drift along."</p><p>In any case, here's the three-month chart of Apple below:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568fe9f7e6183e263a8b7afc-800-435/screen shot 2016-01-08 at 11.54.45 am.png" alt="apple stock" data-mce-source="Google" /><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-executives-keep-disappearing-stock-market-meltdown-anti-corruption-china-2015-12">Why Chinese executives keep disappearing</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="g3eWdveTpepeZ-LdZ73HZ6YlFXtKq3ZB" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'g3eWdveTpepeZ-LdZ73HZ6YlFXtKq3ZB',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

MLB Hall of Famer Mike Piazza likes tech stocks

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568d9a5fe6183e7c008b7676-1200-900/gettyimages-98814921.jpg" alt="Ken Griffey Jr." data-mce-source="Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Ken Griffey Jr. anf Mike Piazza have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced on Wednesday.</p><p>Griffey was named on a record 99.3% (437 of 440) of the ballots turned in. It was his first year of eligibility.</p><p>The previous record for highest percentage of votes belonged to Tom Seaver who was named on 98.8% of the votes in 1992.</p><p>Piazza was elected in his fourth year of eligibility, receiving votes on 83.0% of the ballots.</p><p>Of those who just missed the cut were Jeff Bagwell with 71.6% (75.0% needed for induction), Tim Raines at 69.8%, and Trevor Hoffman at 67.3%.</p><p><strong>A glimmer of hope for players linked to performance-enhancing drugs</strong></p><p>The biggest revelation from the voting is that more voters are warming up to the players linked to performance-enhancing drugs.</p><p>Roger Clemens was named on 45.2% of the ballots, after hovering around 35-37% in his first three years of eligibility. Barry Bonds received a similar number of votes, 44.3%. He too had been around 35-37% in each of his first three seasons on the ballot.</p><p>Mark McGwire, a debatable candidate even without the cloud of PEDs, was on just 12.3% of the ballots in his 10th year of eligibility.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-paul-and-kevin-hart-took-500-kids-shopping-2015-12">Chris Paul and Kevin Hart took 500 kids shopping for Christmas</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="xnZjdweTrZHmfEUuYbLGw92TAFSxmw-R" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'xnZjdweTrZHmfEUuYbLGw92TAFSxmw-R',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza elected to baseball's Hall of Fame

<p><table class="image-container float_right" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4e6a2f9169bedd7418000017-400-300/Mike_Piazza_(1999).jpg" border="0" alt="Mike Piazza" /></div><p class="source"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mike_Piazza_(1999).jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></p></td></tr></table>In <keyword id="1766527" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Piazza">Mike Piazza</keyword>'s recently released autobiography, <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2013/2/19/4005306/the-weirdest-thing-in-mike-piazzas-book">Rob Neyer of SBNation.com has discovered</a> a bizarre passage in which Piazza criticizes a book that never existed.</p>
<p>Here's the excerpt in which Piazza discusses Tom Glavine, who was Piazza's teammate with the Mets for three seasons...</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">At any rate, I certainly respected his professionalism, and for the most part we managed to get along well enough, I thought. He's Catholic, and we often went to church together on the road. Frankly, I was a little surprised when Glavine later took a backhanded swipe at me in his book <em>Home of the Brave</em>, implying that he'd grown up with a lot less privilege than I had. I thought I'd gotten past all that.</p>
<p>As Neyer points out, Glavine has never written a book called <em>Home of the Brave.</em></p>
<p><em></em>One possibility is that Glavine said this <em>somewhere</em>, and Piazza is just misremembering the source. Another possibility is that Glavine is currently working on a book and somehow Piazza got a hold of an early copy or was told what was being written. But in either case, it is still odd that this major detail was missed during editing.</p>
<p>Even the name of the book, <em>Home of the Brave</em>, should have raised a red flag. Unless the book was to be about Glavine's interior decorating skills, it is not a very good name for a book about a baseball player's career.</p>

Mike Piazza Rips Ex-Teammate Over Comments In A Book That Doesn't Exist

<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54ad45ce6da8111654c7df71-1200-924/mike-piazza.jpg?maxX=620" border="0" alt="Mike Piazza" width="620"><span class="source"><span>Jim McIsaac/Getty Images</span></span><span class="caption">Mike Piazza just missed being elected to the Hall of Fame.</span></img></span><p></p></span>The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has announced that Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio have been elected into baseball's Hall of Fame.</p>
<p>Mike Piazza just missed, coming up 28 votes shy of the 412 needed to get elected.</p>
<p>However, that would have likely been different if the BBWAA didn't have one arbitrary rule that unnecessarily limits the number of votes some players receive.</p>
<p>With a pool of candidates that was the deepest in recent memory and a Hall of Fame class that will be the largest in 60 years, there is good evidence that voters being limited to just ten votes forced a lot of writers to leave players they deemed worthy off their ballot.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/552558888138981376">According to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times</a>, 51% of the writers voted for ten players and the average ballot included 8.4 votes. Two years ago, just 22% of the ballots had ten names.</p>
<p>A simple bell curve would suggest that if ~280 voters thought there were ten worthy candidates, a large chunk of those voters actually believe there are more than ten worthy candidates and would have voted for more. This suggests that a lot of players who deserved votes didn't get them because of an arbitrary rule set forth by the BBWAA.</p>
<p>At least one writer has already come forward and confirmed this. Hall of Fame voter Steve Popper says he wanted to vote for Tim Raines but did not because of the 10-vote limit. Raines was named on 55.0% of the votes.</p>
<div><biembeddedobject id="d9cf1936-c93b-47a3-b281-25428c2edbd2"></biembeddedobject></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p>Another consequence of the arbitrary 10-vote limit is that many fans feel outraged when some players like Randy Johnson (named on 97.3% of ballots) or Pedro Martinez (91.1%) are not named on every ballot despite careers that would appear to be Hall of Fame locks.</p>
<p>One reason for this is the feeling by some voters that only the so-called "immortals" should be elected in their first year of eligibility.</p>
<p>However, there is also the feeling that some voters leave sure-things off their ballot so that they have more votes for other players who may be borderline candidates. This is once again a result of the 10-vote limit which keeps voters from naming every player they feel is Hall worthy.</p>
<p>So, the solution is to eliminate the maximum number of votes and just let the voters decide how many players are worthy of induction. If that would have happened this year, Piazza would probably be on his way to Cooperstown.</p>
<p>Simple.</p>
<p>We've reached out to the BBWAA for comment.</p>

Mike Piazza Would Probably Be A Hall Of Famer Today If The BBWAA Would Eliminate One Silly Rule

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Timothy Piazza was a Penn State sophomore who died in 2017 after being hazed.</li><li>His parents spoke to BI about their son, his death, and how the legal system fails hazing victims.</li></ul><p>Jim Piazza can pinpoint the moment he knew his critically injured 19-year-old son Timothy would die.</p><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/penn-state-fraternity-pledge-hazing-death-parents-speak-2017-5">Jim and his wife Evelyn</a> were en route to Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, where Timothy had been life-flighted. At the time, all the college sophomore's parents knew was that he'd fallen down the stairs and suffered a brain bleed.</p><p>"In my head, I thought, 'OK, they'll drill a hole, they'll release the pressure on the brain, it'll be OK. If it's a little bit worse, maybe he'll have some speech problems or some gait problems,'" Evelyn told Business Insider. "Never, never in my imagination could I ever come up with his real medical condition."</p><p>Jim, on the other hand, recalls an eerie moment of prescience earlier that day when he met with a college student for a career talk.</p><p>The conversation that morning had turned to fraternities, and Jim mentioned to the student, who was in one, that his son Timothy was looking to join Beta Theta Pi, a social fraternity founded in 1839 and known for its "Men of Principle" philosophy. According to Jim, when he found out Timothy attended Penn State University, the student issued an ominous warning.</p><p>"He ended the conversation with, 'At Penn State, they haze pretty hard, and people could die from hazing,'" Jim said. "I didn't think much about it, but then when we were in the car driving to Hershey Medical Center, I said to Evelyn, 'This better not have anything to do with that effing fraternity.' And she said, 'Well, it was the first night of pledging.'"</p><p>"At that moment, I knew my son was going to die," he said. "I just reflected on that conversation earlier in the morning, and I was like, 'That was a sign.'"</p><h2 id="a9c8b462-6e54-43eb-a9ed-3ee1a1c6646a">Timothy's parents never expected his fate when he left for college</h2><div type="image" title="Timothy Piazza, a young man wearing an orange sleeveless Vols shirt" height="1556" width="2075" msid="112875348" hostid="261" sizebytes="62220"></div><p>Timothy's parents, who were interviewed for the new A+E series "Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life," weren't particularly worried when their son told them he wanted to join a fraternity. More than anything, they were a bit surprised at the choice and concerned that it could detract from the rigorous mechanical engineering program he was in.</p><p>Jim believes that Timothy saw Beta, which was first established at Penn State in 1855 and has chapters on 141 college campuses across North America, as an opportunity to build a community and a network for his future career.</p><p>Their older son Mike, who was also interviewed for the A+E series, expressed surprise that his younger brother decided to pledge fraternities, mostly because he himself hadn't been involved in Greek life while at Penn State.</p><div type="image" title="Mike and Tim Piazza" height="1585" width="2113" msid="112875345" hostid="261" sizebytes="76004"></div><p>According to his parents, Timothy had followed Mike, who was only 18 months older, to Penn State. They recalled that he initially intended to stay closer to home, looking at schools like Lehigh and Rutgers, which weren't as far from the family's home in Lebanon, New Jersey.</p><p>"I think he didn't want to be too far from us. He liked that security," Evelyn said.</p><p>"But at the end of the day, I think he saw his brother's there, and thought 'This could be a cool thing to be in school with my brother.' I think that's what drove him there," Jim added.</p><p>The mom of two recalled expecting to be "devastated" by her empty nest after both of her sons went away to school but came to find she enjoyed it.</p><h2 id="d52e5d4c-3c4a-4b9c-916e-c13f502d2567">Timothy Piazza died as a result of hazing in February 2017</h2><div type="image" title="The Piazza family" height="1596" width="2129" msid="112875349" hostid="261" sizebytes="114618"></div><p>On February 2, 2017, Timothy was among the pledges who arrived at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at about 9 p.m. for the first night of pledging. Much of the ordeal that led to his death was captured on video from surveillance cameras that had been installed in the frat house after a recent renovation. (Evelyn told BI she has seen the footage, but Jim hasn't.)</p><p>According to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2017/images/12/15/penn.state.hazing.grand.jury.report.pdf">grand jury report</a>, Timothy and the other 13 pledges were made to run "the gauntlet," chugging an excessive amount of alcohol, including a handle of vodka, cans of beer, and red wine. Timothy's intake reportedly totaled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/13/563840154/penn-state-student-given-18-drinks-in-82-minutes-before-hazing-death-prosecutors">18 drinks in 82 minutes</a>. This spiked his blood alcohol content level to as high as 0.36.</p><p>Aaron White, the former program director for College and Underage Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-what-it-means-to-blow-a-341-bac-2013-9">previously told BI</a> that vital functions begin to shut down at around 0.35 BAC, but any BAC over 0.3 is considered life-threatening and poses a significant risk of death.</p><p>But the young man's death was ultimately caused by an intoxicated fall down a flight of stairs to the frat house's basement. Several Beta brothers were observed carrying an unconscious and visibly injured Timothy back up the stairs, where they left him on a couch, according to the grand jury report. He later awoke and stumbled again around the room, even attempting to find his way out of the house, before once again staggering off camera toward the basement stairs and seemingly falling down them again.</p><p>By the time the Beta brothers carried Timothy upstairs again, he was unconscious. Instead of calling 911, according to the report, they covered him with blankets, attempted to get him dressed, cleaned up the party, and searched the internet for head injury symptoms.</p><p>Kordel Davis, a Beta brother present the night of Timothy's death who was interviewed for the A+E docuseries, described in the episode how he attempted to convince the young men to call 911 before being told to leave the house. No one called for help until it was too late.</p><p>Fourteen hours after arriving at the frat house, Timothy was finally rushed to the hospital. The next day, he was dead.</p><p>In the show, Jim recalls how he spoke to a doctor in the hospital when he and Evelyn finally arrived and saw Timothy's dire condition. The doctor confirmed to the distraught father that his son could have been saved if someone had gotten him medical attention sooner.</p><h2 id="32a6c6d6-a543-45fe-9109-b7e658bc3088">The Piazzas say the legal system doesn't take hazing seriously, and colleges need to crack down</h2><div type="image" title="Timothy Piazza" height="1524" width="2032" msid="112875347" hostid="261" sizebytes="56208"></div><p>Timothy's death was tragic and avoidable. But he was far from the first college student to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/students-on-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-truth-about-fraternities-2017-7">lose his life after fraternity hazing</a>. His case was, however, among the rare ones that actually resulted in criminal charges.</p><p>In May 2017, 18 Beta brothers were initially charged with nearly 900 charges related to Timothy's death. Most of the defendants faced lesser charges of tampering with evidence, hazing, reckless endangerment, and furnishing alcohol to minors, but eight of the 18 were also charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.</p><p>Ultimately, the most serious charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, were all dropped by the judge.</p><p>For Jim and Evelyn, the dropped charges were a "severe" disappointment — especially with all of the proof in the form of the security footage showing what had happened to Timothy.</p><p>"To me, it just indicated that either they're not taking it seriously or they don't understand the laws well enough," Jim said.</p><p>Legal proceedings in the criminal case are still ongoing. Additional charges were brought against Beta members (both those previously charged and other members who weren't initially charged) in November 2017, after prosecutors recovered deleted footage from the night of Timothy's death.</p><p>The majority of the defendants pleaded guilty to the lesser charges related to alcohol and hazing, with many only being sentenced to house arrest, probation, and/or court-ordered community service. At least two former defendants had all charges against them dropped.</p><p>In April 2019, four of the Beta brothers charged pleaded guilty and were ultimately convicted of hazing and conspiracy to commit hazing. One was ordered to serve house arrest, and the other three received short sentences ranging from 30 days to nine months in jail, though those were ultimately downgraded to house arrest and probation. Two other Beta brothers pleaded guilty in July 2024 to charges including misdemeanor hazing and reckless endangerment and are scheduled to be sentenced in October.</p><p>The Piazza family has also filed civil lawsuits against more than 20 former Beta members, which are also ongoing.</p><p>The Piazzas <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/09/05/timothy-piazza-family-deceased-student-settles-suit-against-frat/1200155002/">settled with Beta Theta Pi's national organization</a> in September 2018 for an undisclosed monetary sum and several safety reforms, including requiring all Beta chapter houses in the country to go alcohol-free by 2020. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/02/us/piazza-penn-beta-theta-pi-wrongful-death-suit/index.html">Penn State settled with the Piazza family in 2019</a>, which included several safety reforms and Beta Theta Pi's permanent ban from their campus.</p><p>The university's statement, appended to the episode, states that "student safety is of paramount importance at Penn State, and the University has consistently implemented comprehensive, evidence-based measures aimed at curbing excessive drinking and promoting responsible behavior among students."</p><p>After their son's death, Evelyn and Jim fought to pass the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-pennsylvania-law-to-make-hazing-punishable-as-felony-2018-10">"Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law" in Pennsylvania</a>, making fraternity hazing a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison in the state. Though the law is a step in the right direction, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-state-banned-fraternities-after-hazing-death-2017-11">following states like Florida that have similar legislation</a>, the Piazzas say they're disappointed that legislators seemingly aren't using the law to level charges against offenders.</p><p>They say they know of instances of hazing that have occurred since the law passed, even at Penn State, where it doesn't appear legal action was taken against the perpetrators.</p><p>"I've sent emails to the Centre County District Attorney [where Penn State is located] to say, 'Hey, I understand it was hazing at Penn State. Where are the charges? Where's the arrests?'" Jim told BI.</p><p>According to Jim, his emails went unanswered. "The legal system doesn't seem to want to deal with it."</p><p>The Centre County District Attorney's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.</p><p>The Piazzas also believe that colleges need to take a harder line when disciplining students for hazing, which they think the institutions are hesitant to do because they "like to have the money" in donations from former fraternity members and tuition from the students in frats.</p><p>"You need people held accountable by the schools, the universities. They need to expel the students. You need accountability by the fraternities. They need to kick them out," Jim said.</p><p>Penn State didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.</p><p>Evelyn also pointed to the larger fraternity organizations that oversee individual chapters as being culpable in hazing deaths. She recalled seeing that at least two fraternities had announced their intention to take civil action against their own members over hazing.</p><p>"If they actually did that and were successful, then it would just be another proof that it is not tolerated and that you are definitely on the hook should something go wrong," she said.</p><p>A representative for Beta Theta Pi's national organization said in an email statement to BI that the fraternity "continues to grieve the loss" and "remains heartbroken" for the Piazza family's loss.</p><p>"The events that took place that fateful evening were reprehensible and the Fraternity has consistently advocated for those involved to be held fully accountable. Simply put: Tim deserved so much more from the young men he sought to join in the name of friendship and brotherhood," the statement continues. "Hazing has no place in college fraternities, and Beta Theta Pi will continue to champion efforts at all levels aimed at ensuring a safe environment and experience for its new members and guests."</p><h2 id="fe9d7db7-e53a-4a13-a803-732f24cae2e2">Tips for parents of college-aged kids to prevent hazing deaths</h2><div type="image" title="Piazza family" height="1440" width="2880" msid="112875350" hostid="261" sizebytes="106656"></div><p id="fe9d7db7-e53a-4a13-a803-732f24cae2e2">Now, the Piazza family is left only with the memory of their funny, hot-tempered, athletic, smart, video game-loving, and good-hearted son — and the determination to help other parents avoid this tragedy.</p><p>Since Timothy's death, Jim and Evelyn have been outspoken against hazing, including educating parents about the dangers of it and what they can do to deter it.</p><p>First, they want parents to know that even seemingly innocuous hazing rituals can, and likely will, lead to more dangerous activities.</p><p>The Piazzas also underscored the importance of warning college-aged kids about the very real potential dangers of Greek life. Evelyn advises other parents to "open up that dialogue," making sure your college-aged kids know "how important they are, how much you love them, how they are not invincible, how you trust them, but that other people do bad things."</p><p>The Piazzas also stress the importance of pledges banding together and walking away if they're asked to do anything illegal or damaging to themselves or someone else.</p><p>"Say no as a group. They're not going to throw you out. They need your money," Jim said.</p><p>Evelyn and Jim also want parents to give their kids tips about how to seek help for someone else, even in the face of group intimidation.</p><p>"If somebody does need help, you're not a doctor. Don't question it. Call for help," Jim added. "If you feel uncomfortable calling for help in front of the rest of the organization, walk outside and call for help. Do it anonymously. It's all fine."</p><p>In Timothy's memory and in honor of the career he'd hoped to have developing prosthetics for children and injured soldiers, Jim and Evelyn have set up the Timothy J. Piazza Memorial Foundation. The organization provides monetary support to those who need prosthetic devices.</p>

Their son died after a horrific hazing ritual at Penn State. This is what they want other parents of college-aged kids to know.

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/the-road-to-home"></a></p><div type="image" title="The Road to home, one hand dropping keys into another hand surrounded by dollar signs" height="1251" width="1668" msid="90278087" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Cash offers have become more prevalent as buyers compete with each other and investors for properties.</li><li>Sellers often prefer the speed and reliability of all-cash offers over traditional financing.</li><li>Here are six companies that offer regular people the chance to make all-cash offers.</li></ul><p>In today's red-hot <keyword id="11957054" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="housing-market" source="Orion">housing market</keyword>, regular people are searching for ways to gain equal footing with deep-pocketed investors and wealthy <keyword id="13210307" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="homebuyers" source="Orion">homebuyers</keyword> who are flush with cash.</p><p>A growing number are turning to companies that help them make all-cash offers, giving them a better chance of landing their dream homes. </p><p>With supply constrained and demand high, home prices are continuing to rise. They hit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-cities-where-buying-a-home-got-more-affordable-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an all-time peak last month</a>, with the median home price in the US reaching $392,000, according to Realtor.com. </p><p>With all that competition, all-cash offers have risen in popularity, even among regular buyers.  </p><p>Sellers often prefer all-cash offers over traditional financing, since cash provides more certainty that the deal will close quickly with no hiccups. A <a href="https://www.redfin.com/news/most-effective-bidding-war-strategies-2020-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from real-estate brokerage firm Redfin found that buyers who submit all-cash offers for a home nearly quadruple their chances of winning a bidding war.</p><p>Last July, 23% of homes were purchased with all-cash offers, up from 16% the year prior, <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/cash-sales-rise-to-23-with-growing-entry-of-ibuyers-and-fin-tech-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the National Association of REALTORS</a>. Yes, some of those all-cash offers come from investors and deep-pocketed buyers with funds from a recent home sale, but part of the uptick is due to a growing number of companies providing services to help regular people make all-cash offers. </p><p>The process is fairly straightforward — once one of these companies pre-approves you for a <keyword id="12212082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mortgage" source="Orion">mortgage</keyword>, they'll work with you to find a home and purchase it with cash on your behalf. Then you'll buy it back from them once your traditional mortgage closes. </p><p>Other companies, including Knock and Opendoor, operate using a slight variation on that process called cash-backed offers. They guarantee to fund your loan with cash on the closing date, even if your mortgage isn't 100% clear to close, giving buyers the certainty that comes with making all-cash offers.</p><p>Some of these cash-offer companies charge transaction fees as a percentage of the home price, but those fees can be waived if you use that same company to get your long-term mortgage, since the company then makes money by originating your loan. </p><p>In order to qualify for an all-cash offer, you'll need to provide the kind of information that you'd give to any other mortgage company in order to get a loan, such as credit history, bank statements, and tax returns. You'll also need to make an earnest money deposit to show that you're committed to buying the home, which is then applied to your down payment. </p><p>Some of these companies only operate in certain states, and the fees and requirements for all-cash offers vary. </p><p>Mike Delprete, a scholar-in-residence at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the intersection of tech and <keyword id="11893295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="real-estate" source="Orion">real estate</keyword>, said he expects this model to keep growing. The more people lose out to all-cash offers, the more they'll be incentivized to work with a company to make one themselves, reinforcing the cycle. </p><p>"Right now it's really hard to buy homes, and anything — anything — you can do to sweeten your offer, or at least reduce risk, is of hyper importance," said Delprete, who is also an investor and advisor for Homeward, one of the companies offering this service. </p><p>Here are six companies that are helping buyers make all-cash offers on their dream homes. </p><h2><a href="https://www.ribbonhome.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ribbon</strong></a></h2><p>Ribbon, founded by technology investor Shaival Shah in 2017, offers a cash-offer product with a fee that ranges from 1% to 3.25%, depending on how soon after the sale the buyer secures a mortgage. </p><p>So for a $350,000 home, the typical price in the US, with a 5% down payment and a $332,500 mortgage, the fee would come out to between $3,325 and $10,806. </p><p>Ribbon itself does not offer long-term mortgages, something Ribbon spokesperson Sean Piazza said is part of what makes it unique. The company does not have a lending arm or a brokerage house, as part of its founding mission is to eliminate impact on small lending and brokerage businesses, Piazza said in a statement. </p><p>The company currently operates in some of the hottest <keyword id="11916125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="housing" source="Orion">housing</keyword> states across the Southeast and Midwest: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Indiana. It plans to announce expansion into new states soon, Piazza said. </p><h2><a href="https://www.flyhomes.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Flyhomes</strong></a></h2><p>Flyhomes is a brokerage firm and all-cash offer provider based on the West Coast that aims to help first-time homebuyers secure a home through its services. </p><p>While other firms charge a fee, Flyhomes does not. It<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flyhomes-touts-no-cost-cash-offers-to-win-bidding-wars-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> launched its most recent no-cost, all-cash offer</a> product in December, which subsidizes $1,200 to $11,500 in additional mortgage closing costs after the offer is made.  </p><p>This is funded through a portion of the broker commission paid to Flyhomes by the buyer.</p><p>The company operates in Washington, California, Oregon, Texas, Colorado and Massachusetts. </p><h2><a href="https://orchard.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Orchard</strong></a></h2><p>Orchard offers an all-cash product specifically designed for first-time homebuyers, which also has no fee associated with it. </p><p>The company operates in Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Orchard will start offering the product in Oregon later this month, according to spokesperson Mandy Menaker. </p><h2><a href="https://better.com/realestate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Better</strong></a></h2><p>Known primarily for offering quick and relatively simple online mortgages, Better also gives homebuyers the chance to make all-cash bids on homes through its Better Cash Offer program. </p><p>In order to use Better Cash Offer, you'll need to start by working with one of Better's in-house real-estate agents. You'll also need to get pre-approved for a mortgage through Better Mortgage, the company's lending arm. Once you've done that, you'll be able to make an all-cash offer on a home. </p><p>There's no fee to use Better Cash Offer if you also get a mortgage with the company. But if you use another lender, you'll pay Better a transaction fee equal to 2.5% of the price you're paying for your home. </p><p>Better Cash Offer is currently available in 17 states and Washington DC. Check the company's <a href="https://better.com/realestate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> for a full list of available locations. </p><p>The online mortgage startup made headlines in late 2021 when CEO Vishal Garg abruptly laid off 900 employees over Zoom, a video of which went viral and sparked intense criticism. Better is now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/better-employees-see-mass-confusion-over-who-lost-their-jobs-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly laying off an additional 3,000 employees</a>, but the cash-offer service is operating as normal, a Better spokesperson told Insider. </p><h2><a href="https://www.homeward.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Homeward</strong></a></h2><p>Homeward offers two main services: "buy with cash," for homebuyers just looking to upgrade their bids to all-cash offers; and "buy before you sell," which caters to homebuyers who want to secure their next home before selling their current one. </p><p>In each of the four states where Homeward's "buy with cash" offering is available — Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Georgia — the company charges a fee of 1.9% of the home price for its service. </p><p>However, if you use Homeward Mortgage as your lender, the company offers a discount that effectively reduces the fee to zero. Homeward allows you to use any real-estate agent as your broker. </p><h2><a href="https://accept.inc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Accept.inc</strong></a></h2><p>Adam Pollack, the co-founder and CEO of Accept.inc, told Insider he wants to give all homebuyers a "superpower" — the ability to make cash offers. </p><p>Accept.inc provides an online portal for homebuyers to get pre-approved to make cash offers, a process that can take as little as 24 hours for customers who qualify  </p><p>Accept.inc then buys your chosen home on your behalf and sells it back to you once your mortgage closes. </p><p>Accept.inc is a lender, so you have to get a mortgage through the company in order to take advantage of its all-cash offers. The company touts its lack of additional transaction fees and will work with any real-estate agent of your choosing. </p><p>Accept.inc is currently focused on Colorado, a spokesperson said, but is actively exploring new markets nationwide. </p>

Need an all-cash offer to win a bidding war? These 6 startups can help you buy your dream home.

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5919d56d144293eb038b558c-516/screen shot 2017-05-15 at 115310 am.png" alt="Tim Piazza" /><p class="source"><span>NBC</span></p><p class="caption">Jim and Evelyn Piazza, Tim's parents, and his brother Mike appeared on the "Today" show Monday.</p><strong>  Beta Theta Pi pledge Timothy Piazza died February 4 after a fraternity event.</strong><p><strong>  Eighteen fraternity brothers have been charged in connection with his death; eight brothers have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.</strong></p><p><strong>  Piazza's parents called the treatment of their son "torture."</strong></p><p>The parents of Timothy Piazza, the 19-year-old Penn State sophomore who died after a hazing ritual in February, described their son's final hours as torture.</p><p>"What happened throughout the night was just careless disregard for human life," <a href="http://www.today.com/news/family-timothy-piazza-victim-penn-state-frat-tragedy-they-treated-t111532">Piazza's father, Jim, told Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today" show</a>. "They basically treated our son as roadkill and a rag doll," he continued.</p><p>"Nobody should consume that much alcohol,'' Piazza's mother, Evelyn, said. "That's torture."</p><p>Piazza's parents said no one from Penn State's administration or Beta Theta Pi, the fraternity that Piazza was pledging, attended his funeral. A representative for Penn State told the family in advance that "he was unfortunately likely unable to attend the funeral," though vigil did take place on campus, according to NBC.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5910a8dd52b5d8a9358b4d57-1813/10655280101525664558937021653718247964043431o.jpg" alt="Penn State students on campus" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PSUCareerServices">Facebook/PSUCareerServices</a></span></p><p class="caption">Eighteen members of Beta Theta Pi, as well as the fraternity corporation, had charges brought against them Friday.</p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/penn-state-fraternity-pledge-hazing-death-2017-5">Piazza's final hours began at about 9 p.m. on February 2</a>, when he showed up to Beta Theta Pi for a pledge event called "The Gauntlet," an event at which pledges drank at a series of alcohol stations and consumed four to five drinks in as little two minutes. Fourteen hours later, he was rushed to the hospital. He died the next day.<p>Eighteen members of Beta Theta Pi, as well as the fraternity corporation, had charges brought against them Friday in connection with his death. Eight of the 18, along with the corporation, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. The other charges, totaling more than 1,000, include aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, hazing, and providing alcohol to minors.</p><p>The events leading up to Piazza's death have come into clearer focus since the charges were filed. A surveillance camera in Beta Theta Pi's house captured most of the events of February 2, and a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/347431625/Notice-11-FINAL-Charges-and-Presentment#from_embed">grand-jury presentment</a> has provided a minute-by-minute account of "The Gauntlet" and the hours before Piazza's death.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>9:06 p.m.</strong> - Piazza comes into view on the camera. Pledges begin going through the gauntlet and drinking at different stations.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>9:21 p.m.</strong> - Piazza is handed a bottle of vodka to drink from, then shotguns a beer. Other stations are not visible from the camera angles.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>10:43 p.m.</strong> - A "visibly intoxicated" Piazza is seen "staggering with great difficulty walking."</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>10:45 p.m.</strong> - Piazza staggers drunkenly toward basement steps.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>10:46 p.m</strong>. - On camera, a fraternity brother is visible "pointing agitatedly" toward the basement steps.</p><p>The fall was not captured on camera, so a detective outlined it in the presentment.</p><p>In an interview with the police, a fraternity brother said he saw Piazza laying "face-down at the bottom of the steps." In a text message that night at 11:53 p.m., the brother wrote: "Also Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15 feet down a flight of stairs, hair-first, going to need help."</p><p>The surveillance footage continued:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>10:47 p.m.</strong> - Piazza is carried upstairs by four brothers. He appears unconscious, and there is a visible bruise on the left side of his abdomen.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>10:49 p.m.</strong> - Two brothers dump liquid on his face.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>11:14 p.m. </strong>- Kordel Davis, a newly initiated brother, is seen pointing animatedly at Piazza. He testified before the grand jury that he saw Piazza "making weird movements on the couch," and Davis screamed at the other brothers to get help.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>11:15 p.m.</strong> - Another brother shoves Davis into a wall. In his testimony, Davis said that he was told to leave and that the others had it under control.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>11:25 p.m.</strong> - The fraternity pledge master slaps Piazza in his face three times.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>1 a.m. </strong>- Brothers who were in the room saw Piazza vomit and twitch on the couch. They "backpack" Piazza, putting textbooks in a backpack in an attempt to ensure he wouldn't roll onto his back and choke on his vomit.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>1:48 a.m.</strong> - Piazza rolls off the couch and onto the floor. Beta brothers forcefully put him back on the couch.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>1:50 a.m.</strong> - A brother who appears to be frustrated strikes Piazza hard in the abdomen.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>2:38 a.m. </strong>- Piazza again rolls to the floor.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>3:22 a.m. </strong>- Piazza tries to regain his feet but falls backward and hits his head on the hardwood floor.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>3:54 am</strong> - Piazza tries to stand again but falls facedown on the floor.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>4:59 a.m. </strong>- Piazza staggers toward the lobby, falls headfirst into an iron railing, and lands on a stone floor. Seconds later, he tries to go to the front door but falls headfirst into it.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>5:15 a.m. </strong>- A Beta brother steps over to him before getting water and going back upstairs.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>6:57 a.m. </strong>- A fellow pledge records video of Piazza on Snapchat.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>7:18 a.m. </strong>- Piazza staggers toward the basement steps. He is not seen again on camera until several brothers and a pledge carry him upstairs again.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5910a98e52b5d820008b51bb-800/penn state pattee library wiki george chriss.jpg" alt="Penn State Pattee library " /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pattee_library_main_entrance.JPG">George Chriss, Wikimedia Commons</a></span></p><p class="caption">Penn State.</p><p>A fraternity brother testified that he found Piazza in the basement at 10 a.m. breathing heavily, with blood on his face. He felt cold to the touch, with pale skin and eyes half-opened.</p><p>For the next 42 minutes, surveillance shows Piazza lying unconscious while brothers shook him, covered him with a blanket, wiped his face, and attempted to dress him.</p><p>At 10:48 a.m., a fraternity brother called 911. Piazza was transported to the hospital and died February 4. He had a ruptured spleen and severe injuries to his head. A forensic pathologist estimated his blood alcohol content was between 0.28 and 0.36 when he fell.</p><p>Piazza's death has rocked Penn State's Greek life and magnified the dangers of drinking culture and hazing on campus.</p><p>The university has banned Beta Theta Pi from campus for at least five years and potentially forever, pending results of the investigation. Other Greek organizations are banned from recruiting new members until 2018, and other limits have been placed on the number of social events they can hold.</p><p>Penn State's president, Eric Barron, <a href="http://news.psu.edu/story/467006/2017/05/05/penn-state-presidents-statement-grand-jury-findings-related-student-death">released a statement</a> calling the details in the presentment "heart-wrenching and incomprehensible." He added that "the university community continues to mourn his tragic death."</p><p>Beta Theta Pi International disbanded its Penn State chapter in February after Piazza's death and said in a statement to Business Insider that "early findings of that investigation indicated that the behavior of several undergraduate members was in direct contradiction of the International Fraternity's expectations and risk management policies, as well as the International Fraternity's reputation and commitment to character development."</p><p>The editorial board of <a href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/opinion/editorials/article_052c7dd8-3375-11e7-853e-6b41819ceace.html">The Daily Collegian</a>, Penn State's student paper, also expressed concern and anger.</p><p>"Incomprehensible that a 19-year-old with his whole life ahead of him could be alive one day, and gone the next," it said. "Sickening that young adults could be so careless and have such little respect for human life."</p><p>The board said it didn't believe enough had been done to ensure a similar tragedy wouldn't occur in the future.</p><p>Penn State's Interfraternity Council "failed to tackle the underlying cause of Piazza's death - hazing," it wrote.</p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wayup-liz-wessel-google-entrepreneur-quit-ceo-2017-4">Before starting her own company, this 26-year-old told Google she'll quit in 2 years before taking the job</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

'They basically treated our son as roadkill': Parents of Penn State pledge who died after 'Gauntlet' hazing ritual speak out

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/579624044321f1c72f8ba0cc-1024/gettyimages-579683212.jpg" alt="Ken Griffey Jr." data-mce-source="Jim McIsaac/Getty Images"><p class="source"><span>Jim McIsaac/Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday and during the ceremony he wore an amazing suit with some fun details and even capped his speech with one of his signature moves.</p><p>Griffey, who was inducted along with Mike Piazza, looked from afar like he was just wearing a standard navy suit with pinstripes and a gold tie. However, prior to the ceremony, he a&#xa0;photo to his Instagram account with a zoomed in look at the suit and the details are amazing.</p><p>The pinstripes are actually the words "HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016" written vertically and the gold tie is embossed with a silhouette of his signature swing.</p><p><div>    <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/BIQitHuB14F/embed/" width="658" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">    </iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>But Griffey wasn't done. Griffey angered some opposing managers and older players in his day by often wearing his cap backwards during warm ups. Some saw it as a sign of disrespecting the game. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/15/sports/baseball-griffey-s-backward-cap-still-in-the-forefront.html" target="_blank">Seriously</a>.</p><p>So Griffey ended his Hall of Fame speech by putting on a Cooperstown cap, backwards. It was the perfect walk-off move.</p><p><div><iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/5mUInbdT6dP/embed/simple?audio=0" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async="" src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Meanwhile, several current big leaguers paid tribute to Griffey on Sunday, wearing special white Nike cleats with Griffey's logo in gold. Here is <span>Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/579625a44321f11a008ba85a-1024/gettyimages-579689570.jpg" alt="GettyImages 579689570" data-mce-source="Dustin Bradford/Getty Images"><p class="source"><span>Dustin Bradford/Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jetsurf-motorized-surfboard-2016-7">This motorized surfboard just took surfing to a new level</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="51bWJsNDE6Oj04cTue4xqrfcAdTgL133" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '51bWJsNDE6Oj04cTue4xqrfcAdTgL133',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Ken Griffey Jr wore an amazing suit with some fun details during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony

<div style="float: right; margin: 15px 0 20px 20px;"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/category/chart-of-the-day"> <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b39b8324a71969a00/button-more-charts.gif" border="0" alt="button more charts" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/chart-of-the-day"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b42b8324a7a969a00/button-chart-prev.gif" border="0" alt="button chart prev" /></a></td><td><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-concussions-nfl-teams-2016-1"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b4db8324a85969a00/button-chart-next.gif" border="0" alt="button chart next" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>On Wednesday the Baseball Writers Association of America announced that Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza had been elected into the Hall of Fame. More interesting may be the sudden up-tick in votes for the two poster-children for Major League Baseball's steroid era, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.</p><p>Clemens on Bonds, who have both received similar levels of support since first becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013, saw a decent increase this year, with Clemens being named on 45.2% of the ballots and Bonds' name being included on 44.3% of the ballots. Meanwhile, Mark McGwire, who has admitted to using steroids in his career and was a borderline candidate anyway, received just 12.3% in his tenth and final year of eligibility.</p><p>While Clemens and Bonds are still well short of the 75% needed for induction, this year's vote suggests it might still happen. Both players have seen their vote total jump about 10% in the past two years combined. At that same rate, both players would land right at ~75% in their final year of eligibility (2022). And if this year's ~8% increase is any indication, they will hit 75% sooner than that, possibly in 2020.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568e8979e6183e50008b77e8-800-600/02.png" alt="Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds" data-mce-source="Cork Gaines/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Cork Gaines/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rory-mcilroy-makes-spends-millions-golf-pga-british-open-2015-12">How Rory McIlroy makes and spends his millions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tzaHJueTrJZtGUApSZHLzTHTRtSYgQFG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'tzaHJueTrJZtGUApSZHLzTHTRtSYgQFG',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are suddenly on pace to be elected to the Hall of Fame

<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This</span><em style="line-height: 1.5em;"> post originally appeared on <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/?mbid=synd_bi">Architectural Digest</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Keep reading to see how some of the biggest <keyword id="6356028" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sports">sports</keyword> stars, past and present, enjoy the off-season in style.</em></p>
<p><strong>MAGIC JOHNSON</strong><em><strong></strong></em><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/526529ea69beddf413baa39a-799-599/1magicjohnson-2.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="1MagicJohnson" width="800" /><p class="source">Mary E. Nichols</p></div><p></p></div>Basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and his wife, Cookie, wanted a laid-back, welcoming feel for their family's seaside getaway in Southern California. Designer Michael Kreiss chose off-white sofas and blue accents for the family room and adjacent terrace to echo the sand and sea just beyond. (December 2009)</p>
<p><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">MIKE PIAZZA</strong><br /><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52652a12eab8ea9c72ccecee-799-599/2mikepiazza-1.jpg" border="0" alt="2mikepiazza" width="800" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source">Steven Brooke</p></div><p></p></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Baseball star Mike Piazza and his wife, Alicia, purchased a serene </span><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/archive/piazza_article_052006">South Beach, Florida, apartment</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> with spectacular views for their off-season <keyword id="6363870" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home">home</keyword>. (May 2006)</span><br /><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52652a6b69bedd9d11baa3ae-799-599/3piazza-1.jpg" border="0" alt="3piazza" width="800" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source">Steven Brooke</p></div><p></p></div><br />Piazza, who wore number 31 as catcher for the New York Mets for many years, selected the residence in part because it was on the 31st floor of the high-rise. Karram used streamlined furnishings for the 3,100-square-foot space to keep the emphasis on the expansive vistas. <em><a href="Mike%20Piazza:%20http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/archive/piazza_slideshow_052006?mbid=synd_bi"><strong>See more of Mike Piazza's home &gt;</strong><br /></a></em></p>
<p class="header"><strong>CC SABATHIA <br /><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/526180be6bb3f73e7804e1d4-462-600/4sabathia.jpg" border="0" alt="4sabathia" /><p class="source">Durston Saylor</p></div><p></p></div></div><br /></strong>When all-star pitcher C. C. Sabathia was traded to the New York Yankees in 2009, he moved with his wife, Amber, their four children, and dog, Cherry, from their California home base to a stately new <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/ricky-carmichael-home-article">residence in Alpine, New Jersey</a>, which was designed by architect James Paragano. (November 2010)<strong><br /></strong><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52652c86ecad04e77ebaa3a5-799-599/5sabathia-1.jpg" border="0" alt="5sabathia" width="800" /><p class="source">Durston Saylor</p></div><p></p></div></strong><strong><br /></strong>The study is where the couple hold meetings for their charity, PitCCh In Foundation, which encourages inner-city kids to play sports and stay in school. It also contains Sabathia's many trophies, including his 2007 American League Cy Young award. <strong><em><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/c-c-sabathia-new-jersey-house-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi">See more of C.C. Sabathia's home &gt;</a></em></strong></p>
<p class="header"><strong><em><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/c-c-sabathia-new-jersey-house-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi"></a></em></strong><strong>GREG NORMAN</strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52652cf769bedd3817baa3a6-799-599/6norman-1.jpg" border="0" alt="6norman" width="800" /><p class="source">Kim Sargent</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p class="header"><strong></strong>Greg Norman found his golfer's paradise on eight spectacular acres of Jupiter Island, Florida, where, with the help of Dailey Janssen Architects, he and his then-wife, Laura, brought a historic estate back to life. (March 2004)<br /><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52652d2369bedd8719baa39c-800-600/61norman.jpg" border="0" alt="6.1Norman" width="800" /><p class="source">Kim Sargent</p></div><p></p></div><br /></strong>A hallway in the 1902 home, dubbed Tranquility, is lined with trophies the Australian golfer earned from his 86 professional victories, including a Claret Jug from one of his two British Open wins, on the table at right.</p>
<p class="header"><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">HINES WARD</strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/526180bf69bedd0733a8f3fb-462-600/7hinesward.jpg" border="0" alt="7hinesward" /><p class="source">Jeff Herr</p></div><p></p></div></div><br />"I spent years clipping pictures from magazines," explains two-time Super Bowl champion Hines Ward of the inspiration for his <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/hines-ward-home-article">Atlanta home</a>, which was designed by architect David Grace. Ward is seen here in his trophy room, which is painted in the Pittsburgh Steelers' signature black-and-gold color palette. (November 2010)<br /><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52652bc1ecad04e87ebaa3a4-799-599/8hinesward-1.jpg" border="0" alt="8hinesward" width="800" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /><p class="source">Jeff Herr</p></div><p></p></div><br />The billiards and trophy rooms just beyond are decorated with rich tones that carry throughout the home. The football jerseys belong to Hall of Famers, says Ward. "Guys I've played and become friends with, and old-timers I've learned from." <em><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/hines-ward-home-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi"><strong>See more of Hines Ward's home &gt;</strong></a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/hines-ward-home-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi"><strong></strong></a></em><strong>JEG COUGHLIN</strong> <strong>JR</strong><br /><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2010/hines-ward-home-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52652d6269bedd3517baa3a0-799-599/9coughlin-1.jpg" border="0" alt="9coughlin" width="800" /></a><p class="source">Tony Soluri</p></div><p></p></div></em><strong><br /></strong>A former dairy farm was the ideal setting for race-car driver Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/AD100/2010/john_barman/barman_article_032007">barn-inspired Ohio residence</a>. The home was designed by architect George Acock and sits on 135 bucolic acres. (March 2007)<strong><br /></strong><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52652e016bb3f7b00334d4a9-799-599/91coughlin.jpg" border="0" alt="9.1coughlin" width="800" /><p class="source">Tony Soluri</p></div><p></p></div></strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Coughlin's many drag-racing awards line the walls of his game room/study, which is set just outside the home's wine cellar. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/AD100/2010/john_barman/barman_slideshow_032007?mbid=synd_bi"><em>See more of Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s home &gt;</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>TOM BRADY</strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52652e816bb3f7d90334d4ac-799-599/10tombrady-1.jpg" border="0" alt="10TomBrady" width="800" /><p class="source">Roger Davies</p></div><p></p></div><br />Tom Brady's home gym was designed by the Inglewood, California-based firm Out-Fit and features custom-made wrought-iron monkey bars. <strong><em><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2013/gisele-bundchen-tom-brady-los-angeles-eco-conscious-home-article?mbid=synd_bi">See more of Tom Brady's home &gt;</a></em></strong></p>
<h2><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2013-08/athlete-homes-sports-star-decor_slideshow_item0_1?mbid=synd_bi">Keep reading at Architectural Digest &gt;</a></h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left" style="width:250px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5267e68deab8ea9729d73520-440-281/screenshot-2013-10-23-11.08.jpg" border="0" alt="architectural digest" width="250" /><p class="source">-</p></div><p></p></div><strong>More From <keyword id="1092584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Architectural-Digest">Architectural Digest</keyword>:<br /><br /><a href="%20http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2013/ralph-lauren-car-collection-article?mbid=synd_bi">Ralph Lauren's Amazing Vintage Car Collection</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2013-07/golf-course-clubhouse-architecture-design-history?mbid=synd_bi">Incredible Golf Clubhouses Around the World </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2012-09/most-innovative-houses-last-century-slideshow?mbid=synd_bi">The Most Radical Houses Around the World</a> <br /></strong></p>

Step Inside The Gorgeous Homes Of 8 Legendary Athletes

<p>Good morning! Here are the plays everybody will be talking about on Monday.</p><p><strong>Ken Griffey Jr. had a great walk-off for his Hall of Fame speech.</strong>&#xa0;Griffey was inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday, alongside Mike Piazza. Griffey is the first player ever taken with the first pick of the MLB Draft to enter the Hall of Fame. During Griffey's playing career, he angered some of the older players by the way he wore his cap backwards. Some took it as a sign of disrespecting the game. So it was fitting that Griffey ended his speech by putting on a Cooperstown cap, backwards.</p><p><div><iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/5mUInbdT6dP/embed/simple?audio=0" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async="" src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Yankees turn incredible double play</strong>. The Yankees beat the Giants 5-2 on Sunday. But if the reports are to be believed, they are close to waving the white flag and start trading players like Aroldis Chapman. But before that happens, the Yankees turned a fun double play, one that goes 4-1-5 in the scorebook.</p><p><div><iframe src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=967102183&amp;topic_id=6479266&amp;width=800&amp;height=448&amp;property=mlb" width="800" height="448" frameborder="0">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>The Team USA men's basketball team is already in peak form.&#xa0;</strong>Team USA played their second exhibition warm-up for the Rio Olympics, dominating China by 49 points, 106-57. It didn't take long for Team USA to show how dominant they would be. The first points of the game were scored when DeAndre Jordan blocked a shot and then dunked on a fast break. Lights out.</p><p>&#xa0;<div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/30qMEs0oRBU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>The Oops Bonus</strong>. Sometimes players lose count of the balls and strikes. Rarely do we see the brain freeze ripple like this. Chris Davis took what he thought was ball four and started to go to first base. Manny Machado saw Davis starting to come up the line and started walking to second base. The Indians then easily picked Machado off first base. Luckily for Davis and Machado, the Orioles still won 5-3 and remained 1.5 games ahead of the Red Sox in the American League East.</p><p><div><iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/5mPapm3pr0z/embed/simple?audio=0" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async="" src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-spends-money-soccer-futbol-real-madrid-portugal-sports-2016-6">CRISTIANO RONALDO: Here's how the world's highest paid athlete makes and spends his money</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VmbHkyNDE6q1qzylyCO1biI37P6Jpe2b" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VmbHkyNDE6q1qzylyCO1biI37P6Jpe2b',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The 3 plays in sports everybody will be talking about today

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52cdad696da811be6ad9e06e-1200-924/tim-raines.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="Tim Raines" width="480" /><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div>The Baseball Writers Association of America announced on Wednesday that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas were all elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Because of the unusually crowded class, most players actually saw their votes drop significantly from 2013.</p>
<p>Of the 17 players that were on the ballot in both 2013 and 2014, 15 saw a drop in the percentage of ballots their name appeared on. Lee Smith had the biggest drop, going from 47.8% last year to just 29.9% this year, his 12th on the ballot. Edgar Martinez, Larry Walker, and Alan Trammell also saw drops of at least 10.0%.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52cdae6969bedd2439ca2eee-424-382/01-127.png" border="0" alt="Baseball Hall of Fame voting" /><p class="source"><span>BusinessInsider.com</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Meanwhile, Craig Biggio, who missed election by just two votes, and Mike Piazza, whom some believe used steroids, were the only two players to appear on a higher percentage this year as compared to last year.</p>
<p>The biggest reason for the drop appears to be the unusually large number of shoe-ins and borderline players. In addition to the three player elected there were 16 other newly-eligible players. There were also six borderline players who remained eligible after their first year of eligibility. Another borderline player, Jack Morris, was in the final year of his eligibility.</p>
<p>With writers only able to vote for ten players, it is likely that some writers left players off their ballots this year that they had voted for in years past. The result was a dip in voting that should rebound for some next year.</p>

Crowded Baseball Hall Of Fame Ballot Hurt Many Players In This Year's Voting

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4fc4f9b7ecad040350000000-800-600/barry-bonds-return-to-giants.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="Barry Bonds return to San Francisco Giants" width="400" /></div><p class="source">Getty Images/Justin Sullivan</p></div><keyword id="261850" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barry-Bonds">Barry Bonds</keyword>, <keyword id="338162" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Roger-Clemens">Roger Clemens</keyword>, and a litany of other players who played during <keyword id="133010" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="MLB">MLB</keyword>'s Steroids Era were denied entry into the National <keyword id="23398" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Baseball">Baseball</keyword> Hall of Fame in their first appearance on the ballot Wednesday.</p>
<p>The announcement provided a litmus test for how baseball writers would assess how they felt about players' whose success is shrouded by the belief they used performance-enhancing drugs.</p>
<p>No one was elected for the first time since 1996, according to ESPN.</p>
<p>Clemens denied he used human growth hormone (HGH) and steroids between the years 1998 and 2001 before Congress in 2008 and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roger-clemens-not-guilty-perjury-obstruction-congress-2012-6">was acquitted of six counts of perjury stemming from that meeting in U.S. District in July</a>. Yet, Clemens' legacy is still stained by those allegations.</p>
<p>Barry Bonds was convicted of one count of obstruction of justice in 2011 for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cms/posts?action=preview&amp;mode=content&amp;id=50edbf646bb3f72513000007">providing false or misleading statements to a grand jury</a> about whether he used steroids or human growth hormones.</p>
<p>The players did not get in despite overwhelming success in their careers. Clemens is the only pitcher to ever win the Cy Young Award seven times, while Bonds is the only player to win seven Most Valuable Player Awards.</p>
<p>Here's how the voting broke down. You need 75% to get in (via ESPN):</p>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:620px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50edc19fecad04082a00000c-900-458/2013-voting-results.jpg" border="0" alt="2012 hall of fame voting results" width="620" /></div><p class="source">ESPN screenshot</p></div></p>
<p>Bonds holds the record for most home runs hit during a career (762) and for a single season (73). Meanwhile, Clemens finished his career with the third-most strikeouts (4,672) and ninth-most wins (354) of all-time.</p>
<p>But neither could overcome their tainted reputations to secure a ticket to the Hall of Fame on their first try.</p>
<p>Biggio was denied a Hall of Fame nod despite being only one of a handful of players to reach the elusive 3,000 hit plateau.</p>
<p>Mike Piazza also fell short despite a lack of evidence that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs and being acclaimed as one of the best hitting catchers of all time.</p>
<p><a href="http://bbwaa.com/13-hof-ballots/">Here's how the writers voted &gt;</a></p>

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