The 2006 Hall of Fame class
I voted tonight on-line for the 2006 Baseball Hall-of-Fame induction. It's an exercise in futility as a fan of course. Only the voting of the Baseball Writers Association of America will matter this Tuesday when this year's inductees, if any, will be announced. Below is a partial list of the candidates, my choices (thumb up or down) and my justifications.Albert Belle (down) - Slugger didn't have longevity (only 12 yrs), one-dimensional player, anti-social and caught corking his bat but those factors don't weigh on my decision. (I thought you should know.)
Bert Blyleven (down) - Get this guy off the ballot already, no ERA titles, only one 20 win season (and he lost 17 that same year,) even his longevity didn't produce the magical 300 wins.
Andre Dawson (down) - No magic numbers (3000 hits, 500 HRs, etc,) never hit higher than .310 in a season, career on-base percentage of .327, no World Series experience.
Steve Garvey (up) - Best player at his position for a decade, NL All-Star 1B 8 straight yrs, averaged 201 hits from 1974 thru 1980, reg. season ('74) and NLCS ('78) MVP.
Dwight Gooden (down) - Tragic.
"Goose" Gossage (down) - Gets in after Bruce Sutter does, see below.
Ozzie Guillen (down) - Little or no qualifications for induction and zero chance, but the timing of his first year of eligibility is exquisite.
Don Mattingly (down) - Couldn't even win with the Yankees.
Willie McGee (up) - Two batting titles ('85, '90,) 1985 MVP, sentiment.
Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Jim Rice (down) - 3.90 career ERA, only "great" for four year stretch, only "great" for three year stretch, product of Fenway park.
Lee Smith (down) - Lots of saves, few meaningful.
Bruce Sutter (up) - Five time saves leader, while five times 100+ IP, 2.83 career ERA, Cy Young Award ('79,) set single-season saves record ('84,) pioneered split-finger fastball and position.
Alan Trammell (down) - Mediocre defensively at defensive position (SS).
posted by CM @ 8:13 PM
9 Comments:
what's going on with Santo? Is he eligible?
I'll take that one CM. Santo is no longer eligible for the regular HOF ballot. He is now voted on by the veterans committee (living members of the HOF) every other year. The veterans committee only votes every 2 years and Santo, along with Gil Hodges, only got 65% of the required 75% needed for election this year. They do not vote again until 2007.
As for votes on the current HOF list. I would put in Dawson and Lee Smith - no one else.
Dawson - Won Rookie of Year, MVP, 8-time All Star, 8-time Gold Golve winner, more hits (2,749) and RBI (1,591) than anyone else who is eligible and not in the HOF, member of the exclusive 300/300 club.
Smith - 478 saves. >30 saves 10 times and another 2 years with 29 saves. Maybe he didn't pitch the most innings or have the best ERA, but he got the job done 478 times during an era where no one else even put up 400. Sutter may have pioneered the position, but Lee mastered it.
You guys are so obvious. Dave, your two votes both happen to have played for the Cubs? Chris, two of your three are Cardinals? Give me a break.
Throwing all these skewed numbers around and everybody debating the merits reminds me of how ridiculous the Hall of Fame is. It's as ridiculous as the Grammys and the Oscars and all those award shows.
I vote for Pete Rose.
Do you also hate puppies?
Lee Smith pitched for the Cardinals, and Bruce Sutter won a Cy Young with the Cubs. Explain that one.
Another easy one: They're both in midwest. You guys have a midwest bias since those players were on TV more when you were kids.
I'll admit my biases when ESPN and Sports Illustrated admit theirs.
Are you aware that the White Sox never made the SI cover this year?
Yes. I did hear that. And it's ridiculous. I blame the city of Chicago and their own biased media outlets.
If the Cubs ever win the World Series, I hope they're similarly shunned. However, I know they won't because they have their own major newspaper, a longer, more established national TV deal, and a more famous history of sucking.
Sucking is such a harsh term. Can't we say something like consistently underperforming their unrealistically high expectations?
In the shorter history of suckiness - the Cubs have had 2 post-season appearances since the last Reds one. Just a thought.
I agree that you are being very biased...
There is not a single Football or Basketball player on your list.
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