HALL OF FAME VOTING
Forget the fat man, idiots are filling out their ballots wrong all over the country! Since nothing can be done about the voting travesties the best way to respond is to blog obsessively about the horrible mistakes they are about to make. I've already seen one article trying to claim that Andre Dawson is not worth of a Hall vote so we will likely have a little extra stupid this winter. Instead of reading all the ballots and descending into a well of despair, I'm going to do a profile on each of the Hall candidates over the next month. Here are the 23 on the ballot for 2009:
Harold Baines
Jay Bell
Bert Blyleven
David Cone
Andre Dawson
Ron Gant
Mark Grace
Rickey Henderson
Tommy John
Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Jesse Orosco
Dave Parker
Dan Plesac
Tim Raines
Jim Rice
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Greg Vaughn
Mo Vaughn
Matt Williams
Voters can list up to ten choices on their ballot, a player must be on 75% of the ballot to be elected. The results will be announced on January 12th, with second guessing immediately following. The Veterans Committee also is voting on candidates, those results will be announced on December 8th and the Winter meeting. They are actually electing people nowadays so you might see one of these guys getting in:
Pre-1943 Ballot:
Bill Dahlen
Wes Ferrell
Joe Gordon
Sherry Magee
Carl Mays
Allie Reynolds
Vern Stephens
Mickey Vernon
Bucky Walters
Deacon White
Post-1942 Ballot:
Dick Allen
Gil Hodges
Jim Kaat
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Vada Pinson
Ron Santo
Luis Tiant
Joe Torre
Maury Wills
We'll know the Vet's choices in a week. Here is my own imaginary ballot. If anyone knows which voter will be the obligatory idiot to turn in a blank ballot, please let me know so I can clonk him over the head with an aluminum bat and fill out his ballot the proper way.
Harold Baines
Bert Blyleven
Andre Dawson
Rickey Henderson
Tommy John
Dale Murphy
Jack Morris
Dave Parker
Tim Raines
Jim Rice
As you can see, it's the same as last year's just with Goose out and Rickey in. Like last year, I probably could have comfortably checked off 15 players on the ballot.
8 comments:
Rickey should be unanimous...I'd be happy if any of those post '42 guys get in.
To me a HOFer should be remembered as either a guy that is lights out on the mound or puts fear in the oposing team with every at bat. I would only put 3 names on a ballet this year.
Rickey
Rice
Smith
Rickey is a shoe-in this year and Rice is almost as golden since it is his last shot. I doubt anyone else makes it this year though.
Whoever gets in the hall is forever a baseball immortal. I just don'e see any of those other guys that way. (except McGwire but I'm leaving him off for obvious other reasons) i just don't see any of those other players that way. Yes they were good/great players but not baseball immortals.
AdamE raises a good point about "baseball immortal" as opposed to just darned good. What is your view on that, dayf?
As expected, I totally agree with you about Rickey. I can't foresee any possible reason why he shouldn't be listed on 100% of the ballots! If anyone doesn't vote for him they really should have their voting privileges revoked.
As far as the Hall of Fame is concerned, I admit I'm far more inclusive than most people. I'll go over this in later posts though.
It seems to me that there are three groups of people when it comes to who should be in the Hall...
1) The "Bill James Society"...pure stats.
2) The "Corner Bar Regulars"...the guy had a good career, and was well liked, why not put him in?
3) The "Greek Pantheon"...only the most hallowed shall enter the Hall of the Gods.
It makes for tough calls year after year...What's gonna happen when someone like Sheffield comes up? Awesome numbers for a long time, but nobody likes him, he doesn't do commercials, he never comes up in conversations as "the best player of his time"...while there have been steroid accusations, nothing like Bonds or McGwire where that alone keeps him out....Does he get in?
I like your Hall Ballot. I'd like to see Jim Kaat and Gil Hodges get added to.
Of course I want to see Dawson get in this year as well. Henderson is a natural fit and should easily get the votes needed for first-ballot entry. Of the rest, I think it's time to give Bert a vote as well. And I would be thrilled for Mark Grace to get enough to stay on the ballot for the next 15 years even though I know that he is not HOF worthy...
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