D-Day

Hall of Fame voting results will be released tomorrow at 2:00 pm. I have just as much faith in the BBWAA as I do in the United States Government, so as you can guess I'm pretty despondent right now. The results will be broadcast live on BaseballChannel.TV, so you have to think just for the sake of good theater they'd elect somebody. I doubt if they'd produce an hour-long show with Harold Reynolds and some reality show contestant just to have Hall president Dale Petroskey walk up to the podium and announce "The 2008 Hall of Fame class is..... NOBODY! Stupid! You so stupid!!!" (editor's note - if that happens it will be on YouTube and it will be posted here)

The analysts are champing at the bit trying to figure out who will get in before time. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times has a neat article about voting trends and speculates that Gossage walks in and Rice is right on the bubble. Keith Law has been tracking published Hall of Fame ballots (something I tried doing last year before it crushed my soul) and it looks good for the Goose and bad for everyone else. Baseball-Reference's Stat of the Day blog had readers submit their own ballot and Blyleven was the big winner. I've already said my piece.

To be honest I'll be very happy if someone, anyone gets elected. My guess is the over/under on this election is 1.5 and I'll take the under simply because voters are being really damn picky about their choices. Just Google for news about Tim Raines and see all the BS arguments on why the was left off ballots to see what I mean. Fortunately he has a lot of "first timer" prejudice against him and I think he may have a better time in future elections. Here's how I'll feel about the possible results:

Three or more elected: I'm jumping up and down and scaring the children.

Two elected: happy as a pig in slop. Rickey is on the ballot next year so as much of the backlog needs to be cleared out as possible this year.

One elected: I'm happy but not ecstatic. Gossage and Blyleven should have been elected years ago so who gets left off?

Dale Murphy gets elected in a steroids backlash ( about a .000001% probability): I'm dancing naked on the roof of the Governor's mansion waving a 10 foot long Braves flag until a police sniper takes me out with a tranq gun. You never know though, Sonny might strip down and join me if that happens.


None elected: It's pitchfork and torches time. I have a dentist appointment at noon tomorrow so at least I'll be nice and numb for the crushing disappointment at least.

I really think that no matter how high a bar you have for Hall of Fame induction, there's no excuse for not having at least one player go in each year. I see at bare minimum five players on that ballot that will go in eventually in the Veteran's committee voting anyway so let's just put 'em in now and be done with it. I don't buy the BS argument on how players are Hall worthy one minute and not the next. If I ever see someone in person trying to argue that Lee Smith was a legitimate Hall of Famer when he held the saves record, but now he's not I'm going to smack them so hard their momma will feel it. Come on, voters, let's give Dick Williams some company in Cooperstown this July.

Then again the whole process is somewhat tainted anyway. Let's keep our fingers crossed for some oversights to get fixed both in tomorrow's election and in the future.