Friday 5: Andre Dawson

Regardless how you feel about Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame credentials, I’m pretty sure no one was actually upset when the eight-time All-Star finally made his way through the doors of Cooperstown after nine tries.

The 1987 National League Most Valuable Player played 21 seasons with the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and, finally, his current employer, the Florida Marlins.

Thursday night, I was part of a media consortium that had a chance to catch up with the Hall of Famer…here’s the meatiest of what he told us.

MEDIA: Who do you consider baseball’s home run king?

DAWSON: Well, Barry (Bonds) did what he did (but) the record probably is tainted as a result of the steroid scandal. Hank Aaron was a guy that I idolized growing up because his journey to get to where he was and how he accomplished what he did. To me, he’ll always be the all-time home run king.

MEDIA: Should the steroid tainted players be allowed in the Hall?

DAWSON: I’m glad that the writers have really taken a stance on how they’re going to judge this. And from the look of things…it doesn’t look pretty. It’s hurt a lot of players who probably do a lot better throughout the voting process. They’ve been overlooked and pretty much cast aside and that was all a result of the era where the numbers really took off. Personally, I think that somewhere down the road they might be given better consideration, but they’re going to have to suffer the consequences and that’s probably going to be not being allowed in the Hall of Fame anytime soon.

MEDIA: What are your thoughts on wearing the Expos cap in the Hall of Fame versus a Cubs cap?

DAWSON: It wasn’t my choice or preference, but I respect the decision of the Hall and them being more concerned about the history of the game. I felt (playing in Chicago) is what put me in that particular status of being Hall-worthy and I respect their decision. But I will always, in my opinion, be looked at as a Cub.

MEDIA: Are there any plans that you know of to put Number 8 up on the foul poles at Wrigley Field?

DAWSON: You’d have to talk to the people in charge. (Laughs) I have no knowledge of that one.

MEDIA: If you had to pay to see a ballplayer…which one would you pay to see today?

DAWSON: I’ve always been a big fan of Albert Pujols for his character and the way he handles himself both on and off the field. There’s some talented players throughout baseball and some good young players in the game also. There’s a kid down in Florida who, barring injury, will do some phenomenal things named Mike Stanton. He can hit a baseball as far as anyone in the game and is only 21-years-old. I like him because of his make up…he’s young, has his head on the right place, is a student of the game and is what you’d want in a young ballplayer coming up.

Following the media “press conference”, Dawson and I talked more about the Hall of Fame, Ryne Sandberg’s public endorsement, and how he thinks he should’ve won two other MVP awards while playing in Montreal.

But, in all fairness to “The Hawk”, I didn’t really feel like I could just throw my recorder in his face and, while just shooting the bull, record him.

Lastly, a big thanks to Karen Tilly and her group over at Rockford MELD for making Thursday night’s event possible. Two years ago, I had the chance to talk with Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, so…here’s to another great guest in the future!

The Season That Was...July

As the "Year of the Pitcher" hit its midway point...the baseball world lost a boss, saw a hawk soar to new heights and wondered aloud if Matt Stairs is the game's best (pinch) hitter.

Wait...what?!?

On July 7, Matt Stairs went yard against Matt Capps for the 20th time as a pinch hitter. This milestone by Stairs earned him a tie with Cliff Johnson atop the all-time home run list among pinch hitters.

This was Stairs' second homer as a member of his 12th team...the San Diego Padres. His first one of the season (which was hit in May) meant that the Canadien had gone deep for a record eleven different teams...a feat matched only by Todd Zeile.

The Ten Best Moments from The Hawk’s Career

Well, today's the day, baseball fans...the Hall of Fame Induction!

After nine long years on the ballot, Andre Dawson finally got the call, and to celebrate his achievement, Charles Beatley (proprietor of Hawk for the Hall) put together a list of what he says are the best of The Hawk's storied career.

October 25, 2003
Wins first World Series championship. Yes, Dawson was retired, but he played an important part in the Florida Marlins second appearance in the fall classic. After his retirement from baseball, The Hawk joined the organization’s front office and instantly became a mentor to many of the team’s young and upcoming talent. While all Hawk fans, especially Cubs fans, would have loved his World Serioes ring to come as a player, I am happy that he got to experience that champion feel in some capacity.

July 13, 1987
In the midst of his MVP season, Dawson won the Home Run Derby at the Oakland Coliseum. Who did he beat? George Bell, Ozzie Virgil and Mark McGwire.

September 11 and 13, 1976
At the age of 21, The Hawk begins his career making his MLB debut. How did he do? 0-2, one strikeout. Fortunately that wasn’t a sign of things to come. Two days later he got his first hit, off of who else, Hall of Famer Steve Carlton...one of the pitchers who he would have great success against in the future.

April 29, 1987
The Hawk did one of the more difficult things to do in the big leagues and that is hit for the cycle. It came against the Giants at Wrigley Field with him going 5-5 in an 8-4 win for the Cubs. Dawson hit a home run in the first, double in the third, single in the fourth, triple in the sixth and topped it off with a second single in the 8th.

October 2, 1988
Dawson broke Bobby Bonds’ record of eleven consecutive seasons of at least ten home runs and ten stolen bases. Just a pre-cursor of what was to come for the future Hall of Famer in terms of rare combination of power and speed.

September 24th, 1985
Before he became a Cub, Dawson punished his future team having the best game of his career. In 6 at bats, he had 4 hits, 3 of which were home runs, with 8 RBIs and three runs scored. What can be better than that? How about becoming only the second player in Major League history to hit two home runs in the same inning, a pair of three-run shots in the fifth. Expos won by the way 17-15. (Read what longtime Cubs write George Castle told The Hall of Very Good about that day HERE)

July 9, 1991
The Hawk made his last All-Star appearance (he played in eight total) and went out with a bang. He hit a home run in a losing effort for the National League off of Roger Clemens in the Toronto Skydome.

April 15, 1993
Andre hit his 400th career home run with the Red Sox on April 15 at Fenway Park in the second inning. The Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 that day. Sadly, the steroid era has diminished how special it is to reach such a plateau now...but I remember when it happened for The Hawk and how amazed I was.

May 23, 1991
Dawson joined two exclusive clubs by stealing his 300th base...the 300 home runs/300 stolen bases club and the even more rare 300 home runs/300 stolen bases and 2,000 hits club. It happened at Shea Stadium in a 4-3 Cubs win over the Mets. Other 300/300 members...Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Steve Finley and Reggie Sanders. Other 300/300/2000 members...Barry Bonds, Mays and Finley.

July 25, 2010
I know its cliché, but I saved the best for last…the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction. Today is your day Mr. Dawson. Today is the day you don’t have to be the humble superstar athlete that we all came to love. Today you become one of baseball’s immortal and unforgettable heroes. Enjoy your day, you’ve waited a long time for this, you’ve reached the pinnacle of an athelete’s career, a career that will always be special to this Hawk fan!

Talkin' Hall of Fame Baseball with George Castle

Earlier in the season, I had the opportunity to talk baseball with baseball writer and "Diamond Gems" host George Castle and given we're both passionate about the Hall of Fame...some of our conversion had to do with just that.

This past week, I caught back up with Castle and got him to share with me his favorite Andre Dawson story.

CASTLE: My favorite Dawson story was from the end of the '85 season...September 24th to be exact. Anyway, I'm doing work for Larry King's segment on NBC's pro football pre-game show. Mostly football, but some other sports news where warranted. I approach Dawson after Expos batting practice. I ask if he'd ever want to play for the Cubs. He said in fact he did if he became a free agent (which he did a year later), and that bleacher fans were constantly encouraging hm to come to the Cubs. That day, as if to emphasize his desire to play in Wrigley, Dawson slugged three homers and drove in eight runs. His best day in the majors. I had a nice scoop on Larry King's segment, as Dawson was famed for stalking the Cubs in spring training 1987 to sign that blank contract.

HOVG: How do you feel about Dawson going in as an Expo rather than a Cub?

CASTLE: It’s no big deal. He’s in the Hall, period, after waiting a bit too long. Any way you get in, in any hat, is fine. But he ID’s as a Cub, those were the best years of his life. The Hall probably played a little politics, yet recognizing a dead franchise is a little strange.

HOVG: Baseball’s former all-time saves leader and the all-time leader in saves for the Cubs, Lee Smith.

CASTLE: Lee Arthur deserves enshrinement due to durability and production. I think he lost out not appearing in a World Series and starring for the New York teams, where there is a big concentration of Hall voters.

HOVG: White Sox legend and one of the game’s best designated hitters, Harold Baines.

CASTLE: Hall of the Very Good indeed with Harold. Consistent hitter, but not a superstar.

HOVG: Current Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo.

CASTLE: Flat-out deserves enshrinement. Better hitter than Brooks Robinson and 90 percent of the fielder. Some petty politics involved in not getting Ronnie the 75 percent of the vote, which is a tough threshold to reach.

HOVG: In 2005, Ryne Sandberg made his way through the doors of the Hall of Fame. However, he doesn’t seem to get the respect that he probably deserves. Where do you think he ranks all-time among Cubs greats?

CASTLE: Probably in the Top Five or Six. Great all-around player, fundamentally sound and totally dedicated.

George Castle is a lifelong Chicagoan and has been following the Cubs since he began drawing breath. Since 1980, he’s been covering baseball for a variety of newspapers and magazines. In 1994, Castle began “Diamond Gems” and four years later, he penned his first book.

Castle lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with wife, Nina, their two dogs and an African grey parrot that mimics him perfectly.

Andre Dawson...the Last Expo Hall of Famer?

When Andre Dawson enters the Hall of Fame this weekend, he'll be entering as a Montreal Expo. The following take on Dawson the Expo comes from our friend Charley over at Hawk for the Hall.

It is quite possible that Andre could be the last Montreal Expo to be inducted and that in itself would be pretty cool.

The Expos always had the reputation of developing great, young talent only to trade it away or lose them to free agency. Here's a list of former Expos who has or had Hall potential.

Tim Raines. To me he is a Hall of Famer. However, several Hall voters and baseball writers don't see it that way. Raines has been on the ballot three times, netting 24% in votes in 2008, 22.6% in 2009 and 30.4% in 2010. Andre's voting percentage in his first three years is as follows...45.3% in 2002, 50% in 2003 and 2004. There is a fairly significant difference in their first three years.

Vladimir Guerrero. It looks as though Vlad has bounced back from injury and it he gets hot in the sweltering heat of Texas, he has a real shot of being a Hall of Famer. But will he go in as an Expo or an Angel? My guess would be an Angel. Eight years in Montreal, six as an Angel. His numbers are relatively close in those two spans...however he won the American League MVP award in 2004 with the Angels.

Larry Walker. Walker played his first six years as an Expo, but the move to Colorado did wonders for his career, not to mention winning National League MVP in 1997. Whether he accumulated high enough career numbers for voters is up for debate. We'll find out more in January.

Pedro Martinez. Pedro pitched four years in Montreal and won the National League Cy Young award in 1997. But, only 55 of his 219 career wins came north of the border, plus, he won two more Cy Young awards with the Red Sox (1999 and 2000). Is 219 where his win total stops, we'll have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure...he won't wear an Expo hat on his plaque.

Randy Johnson. Hall of Famer...yes. Being inducted as an Expo...no. "The Big Unit" had a very brief stint in Canada...11 games, to be exact, between 1988 and 1989.

Andres Galarraga: He spent eight years wearing an Expos cap, but failed to reach the necessary 5% in 2010 to stay on the ballot next year.

I'm guessing "The Hawk" will be remembered as the last Expo to be honored by the Hall of Fame. How do you see it?

On a similar note, famed Cubs author and "Diamond Gems" host George Castle shared some memories of "The Hawk". You can read them HERE.

The obligatory Hall of Fame re-cap

So here’s the deal…you’re a voting member of the BBWAA and instead of checking off one name on your ballot (you can do up to ten), you choose to do none.

None.

Never before has the baseball world been more upset in the five writers not completing their ballot than with this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. I know, I know, by NOT voting for anyone…they voted.

Whatever.

Let’s jump into the re-cap of who got in (Andre Dawson) and who didn’t (25 other dudes).

Andre Dawson (77.9% this year, 67.0% in 2009)
“The Hawk” was destined to make it in given he was the closest last year and at 67% in 2009, his 10% jump was no real surprise. I have no issues with Dawson making it in given Cooperstown opened its doors to Jim Rice last season. For what its worth (and I know the Dan Shaughnessy haters will blast me on this one)…he always struck me as a Hall of Famer.

Which brings me to…

Bert Blyleven (74.2%, 62.7%)
I’ve called Blyleven plenty in the last couple of months. A “compiler”, “not worthy”…the list goes on and on. Battles have been waged, but my opinion never wavered. That being said, the dude got screwed. But why? Did he fall five votes short of 75% because of the cowards who sent in blank ballots? Not sure. Did he fall short because of his own endless campaigning? Who knows. I know this...Bert will be back on the ballot next year and his supporters will be all the more vocal.

Roberto Alomar (73.7%, first year on ballot)
I’ve been huge on Alomar for a while now. Still am. How a player of his stature can be left out in the cold is beyond me. Are there that many Mariottis out there that feel as though they are better than the game by not purposely NOT putting someone in on their first ballot? I know the argument about “a Hall of Famer is a Hall of Famer…doesn’t matter when he gets in”, but Alomar was the most deserving cat on the ballot.

Jack Morris (52.3%, 44.0%) and Lee Smith (47.3%, 44.5%)
Like Dawson and Blyleven, both Morris and Smith saw increases in their totals. While I am a fan and supporter of both…I do see the arguments against. That being said, it appears as though the Hall is starting to open its doors for some of my heroes growing up. As a child of the 80s…I ate, drank, breathed 80s baseball and Morris and Smith were a big part of it.

Tim Raines (30.4%, 22.6%)
I’m going to be honest…it sure would’ve been nice for Raines and Dawson to have gone in together. After the time they spent tolling in Montreal, the pair would have been quite a site together on that stage in front of the baseball world. As it is, “Rock” is now three years in to what will surely be a long stay on the ballot.

Alan Trammell (22.4%, 17.4%), Don Mattingly (16.1%, 11.9%), Dave Parker (15.2%, 15.0%) and Dale Murphy (11.7%, 11.5%)
Cases can be, and have been made for these four guys. At times, each one represented the best of the best at the respective positions. All four will stay around for the duration of their maximum 15 years on the ballot, but as I’ve said numerous times in the past…I think only the iconic Yankee Mattingly will sniff Cooperstown. At only 16% now, his vote totals haven’t gotten near the 75% needed, but I am predicting that when it is all said and done, the Veterans Committee will recognize his achievements in New York pinstripes.

Harold Baines (6.1%, 5.9%)
I love the fact that Baines can’t do better than six percent, yet won’t dip below five. I’ve always been a fan of the guy and as long as he is continuing to linger on the ballot…I will continue to pimp his cause. My hope is that the BBWAA won’t disappoint (as they proved they can this year), and keep throwing votes Baines’ way. 30-40 votes a year…that’s all I’m asking for. Less than that means he’s likely off the ballot.

Barry Larkin (51.6%, first year), Edgar Martinez (36.2%, first year) and Fred McGriff (21.5%, first year)
While Alomar surprised me…the totals for these three first timers did not. With more than half of the votes, Larkin is positioned to eventually get in (I’m looking your way, Class of 2015) and when he does…I’ll lead the slow clap. Regarding Martinez and McGriff, honestly, I could go either way. Put them in or don’t…I really have no issues either way.

Eleven guys (Andres Galarraga, Robin Ventura, Ellis Burks, Eric Karros, Kevin Appier, Pat Hentgen, David Segui, Mike Jackson, Ray Lankford, Shane Reynolds and Todd Zeile) got less than the five percent necessary to stick around next year. Suffice it to say…these guys won’t be missed come 2011.

In a year where it appears as though almost everyone increased their vote totals, I am beside myself that Mark McGwire (23.7%, 21.9%) still can’t get a third of the votes necessary to become a Hall of Famer. While I would never put him in the Hall…a lot of mainstream writers appeared to be changing their tune on the big redhead. With the latest revelations regarding performance enhancing drugs that have been unearthed in the last couple of years…“Big Mac” still doesn’t have any tangible evidence being pointed in his direction. My guess is that the writers are waiting to see if or when McGwire gets cleared of using PEDs before they make a realistic push to getting him enshrined…or, they’re hoping his time on the ballot ends quickly so they don’t have to make the decision to tick his box.

***Following the BBWAA's omission of everyone BUT Dawson, I posed the question, "Who else should have gotten the Cooperstown call?" This is how you answered: Alomar (71%), Blyleven (62%), Larkin (38%), Raines (26%), McGwire (25%), Morris (24%), Smith (21%), Martinez (14%) and Other (3%).***

Hawk is it!

I'm kinda shocked.

No...seriously.

Last night, I was predicting that it would be Andre Dawson and Roberto Alomar. I mean, you can sift through the number of posts that have been posted here and see how committed I was to Alomar's cause.

When I broke down the first timers on the 2010 ballot, I figured it would be Alomar and Dawson or Bert Blyleven. There was no way I could have predicted Dawson at 77% and with five blank (yes, BLANK) ballots being sent in Blyleven (74.2%) and Alomar (73.7%) each coming a handful of votes short.

For some glowing praise on the latest member of the Hall of Fame, head on over to Hawk4theHall. But basically, you have a guy, much like Jim Rice last year, where I think the writers shrugged their shoulders and said “why not?”

Dawson was an eight time All-Star, eight Gold Glove recipient, and took home an MVP Award and Rookie of the Year honors. Add to that close to 2800 hits and those pesky 438 home runs and you’ve gotta admit…”The Hawk” was a special, special player.

More on this later.

Hall of Fame 2010: Andre Dawson

From now until the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2010 is announced, The Hall is going to be breaking down each candidate. Some write ups will be lengthy...some will be the opposite. Some will be brand new pieces...some will be re-hashes of previous pieces.

Some, like this one, will call in guest scribe Jose Peralta

With the Baseball Hall of Fame balloting upon us, the player whose name will once again get a lot of buzz is Andre Dawson.

Last year Dawson received 67% of the vote, falling a tad-short of the required 75%. Over the past few years we’ve heard many good reasons why “The Hawk” deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Personally, I believe his career numbers and his philanthropy off the field are reasons enough for his induction, but if the BBWAA aren’t yet convinced then maybe putting one statistic in perspective may be the last hurdle they need to clear.

We’ve all heard of these “milestone clubs” that automatically put players in the Hall of Fame. Two of the most famous are the 3000-hit club and the 300-win club. However, there are some clubs that don’t get much attention but if we study them closely—they too can mean automatic enshrinement.

And what I like about these clubs is that they manifest themselves directly from the voting patterns of the voters. In other words, every player who has accomplished the feat has been elected to the Hall of Fame.

One of these exclusive clubs is the 2700-400 Club (2700 hits, 400 home runs). Every single eligible player in major league history that has accomplished these two milestones is in the Hall of Fame, except, you guessed it, Andre Dawson.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is the only active player who has achieved the milestone and it is safe to say he’s a future Hall of Famer. Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, but it’s safe to say that if the dark cloud of the steroids scandal wasn’t hanging over their heads, they too would be sure-fire Hall of Famers.

So as we can see from the iconic names on this exclusive list, 2700-400 is not any easy milestone to achieve.

When it comes to current players that might join the 2700-400 club, there are only eight players (Ivan Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Todd Helton and Albert Pujols) that I believe have a realistic or outside chance of achieving the milestone.

And what do they all have in common? They are all potential future Hall of Famers.

So the point is, 2700-400 are sure-proof numbers for Hall of Fame induction and 12 of the 15 retired players that have achieved the milestone are in the Hall of Fame. But remember, Palmeiro and Bonds are not yet eligible. So Dawson is the only eligible player not yet in. As for active players, it’s safe to say, the ones who will reach the milestone are all going to be Hall of Fame worthy.

So my message to the BBWAA...study the 2700-400 Club.

Once you see the names on the list, you’ll realize how special it is. Once you look at the active players, you’ll realize only the future Hall of Famers will enter the club because it’s a club only reachable by Hall of Famers.

Andre Dawson is a member of this club.

Jose Peralta writes about sports over at his own site...this particular piece was hijacked from Hawk 4 the Hall.

Hall of Fame ballot...2010 style!

Last Friday, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America released the names of the 26 players that make up the 2010 Hall of Fame ballot.

Between now and when the results of the balloting are announced January 6, you’ll likely be subjected to dozens of writers who think they have an opinion as to who belongs and who doesn’t.

Unfortunately, I’m no different…so here we go!

Roberto Alomar. I’m huge on Alomar…can’t help it. The guy retired at 36 and still managed career numbers of 2724 hits and 1508 runs. Add to that his .300 career batting average and you’ve got one of the best second basemen ever to lace up the spikes. 12 straight All-Star Games, 10 Gold Gloves in an 11 year stretch and back-to-back World Series rings. Yeah…put him up the wall now and spare the writers this vote.

Kevin Appier. If I told you that Appier had a career ERA of 3.74 and ten years with ten or more wins would you care? No?!? Thought so.

Harold Baines. Alright, as huge as I am on Alomar…I’m just as huge on Baines. And yes, I know the “he was JUST a DH” speech so spare me the lecture. That being said, it needs to be pointed out that Baines holds the record for most games played at DH. His 2866 career base hits (40th all-time) means that he has the most hits of any player that is Hall eligible. Only Pete Rose, Craig Biggio, Rickey Henderson, Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds are ahead of him. Odds are that had Baines not had two work stoppages during his career, he would have eclipsed 3000 hits. Futhermore, he also has the most RBI of all Hall eligible players and ranks 29th all-time. So riddle me this…how does a guy like Baines barely get enough votes to stay Hall-eligible year after year? His lack of support is a joke.

Bert Blyleven. For some reason, Blyleven has become the sexy pick of everyone who has an opinion on who does and who doesn’t belong. That being said…I don’t know that he should be up there on the Cooperstown stage come July. Yes, I know, I know, I just went on and on about Harold Baines and now…I’m slamming Blyleven. The guy was a compiler. A damn good compiler…but a compiler nonetheless. Of his 287 victories, only once did he top 20 victories…and that was in a season where he went 20-17. And while he has more strikeouts than all but four pitchers, let’s look at the bigger picture…how many times did Bert lead the league in ERA? Wins? What about winning percentage? How many Cy Young Awards did this cat bring home? Zero. He was an All-Star twice, but c’mon…so was Esteban Loaiza. And frankly, when do you suppose the last (or first) time someone not named “Blyleven” uttered the words…”I sure do hope Bert’s on the hill today” on their way to the ballpark?

Ellis Burks. While I would never, ever, use the words “Ellis Burks” and “future Hall of Famer” in the same sentence, I was surprised to see that he had a career batting average of .291, belted 352 home runs and was robbed in 1996 of the National League MVP Award.

Andre Dawson. Like Jim Rice, I think Dawson will eventually get in. After a while, the writers will shrug their shoulders and say “why not?” An eight time All-Star, eight Gold Glove recipient, an MVP Award and Rookie of the Year honors…he was every bit as feared as people say Rice was. Add to that close to 2800 hits and those pesky 438 home runs and you’ve gotta admit…”The Hawk” was a special, special player.

Andres Galarraga. You can go both ways with the “Big Cat”. Take away the “Coors Factor” and Galarraga is the poor man’s Will Clark. Take into account that he did play in Colorado during the prime of his career and he’s borderline Willie Stargell-like. But let’s face it…you can’t ignore 399 home runs, 1425 RBI and a career .288 batting average. Wait, the writers do routinely…and, again, they call him “Harold Baines”.

Pat Hentgen. In 1996, Hentgen took home the American League Cy Young Award. This January, he’ll have celebrated his lone year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Mike Jackson. Jackson is 12th all-time (among pitchers) in games played with 1005…three more than Goose Gossage. Pretty impressive until you realize that numbers 1 through 11 consist of such notables as Dan Plesac and two other “Mikes”…Mike Stanton and Mike Timlin. Something tells me that Cooperstown isn’t ready for the journeyman closer/set up man yet.

Eric Karros. See “Pat Hentgen”, but swap out “1996 American League Cy Young Award” with “1992 National League Rookie of the Year”. In short…same result.

Ray Lankford. You know, there used to be a time when I routinely confused Lankford with Brian Jordan and Bernard Gilkey. Next!

Barry Larkin. With all the hubbub that surrounded Cal Ripken and how he re-defined the position of shortstop over in the American League…Larkin was his equivalent in the National League. To an extent. With a career .295 batting average, 2340 hits and nine Silver Slugger Awards, the 1995 NL MVP brought some swagger back to what was a dead Big Red Machine…if only for a few years. I put him in.

Edgar Martinez. The argument FOR Martinez is that he is the “best DH ever”. The argument AGAINST Martinez is that he is the “best DH ever”. I’m not sure which side of the fence I fall on, but as long as Harold Baines is paying for his ticket…Martinez can stand in line behind him. Sure, Martinez has a .312 career batting average and ranks 22nd all-time in on base percentage (at .418)…but the guy only has 2247 hits and has a pretty empty trophy case to show for his 18 year career. And yes, even though the annual DH award is named after him…that isn’t good enough to garner a plaque on the wall.

Don Mattingly. Like most of the world, I was enamored with Mattingly when he hit the scene. I had his 1984 Donruss rookie card encased in Lucite and thought I was witnessing the second coming. During a six-year run beginning in 1984, Mattingly averaged 26 home runs, 114 RBIs and a .327 batting average. No player during that stretch had more RBI than Mattingly's 684 amd only Hall of Famer Wade Boggs (1,269) had more hits than Mattingly's 1,219. That six-year peak (from 1984 to 1989) is clearly one of the best of his generation and overall, his brief career stacks up with some others in the Hall. I’m not saying he goes in now, but I do think “Donnie Baseball” will hover on the ballot for a while longer and get his due from the Veterans Committee.

Fred McGriff. Now, this is where I might lose some of ya…I think the “Crime Dog” is a Hall of Famer. It’s true, he wasn’t a sexy player (no MVP Awards, only five All-Star Games), but his numbers stack up well with some of the other first basemen in the Hall. Of the 12 enshrined, only five of them drove in more runs (McGriff has 1550 RBI), only four hit more home runs (McGriff hit 493), and only three scored more runs (McGriff scored 1349 runs). McGriff needs to be enshrined soon, because (like Rice for 14 of the last 15 years), his numbers will pale in comparison to the contemporaries on the ballot.

Mark McGwire. Even without the steroids discussion, McGwire’s stats don’t warrant the lip service that everyone pays him. And while I’ve heard all the OPS arguments, you can take away his tremendous home run total and all you’ve got is a guy who played in a ton of All-Star games and had precious little to show for it. Sorry Mark…and it has nothing to do with whether or not you were juiced.

Jack Morris. Consistency and durability, while not THE reason to induct someone…has to be taken into consideration when judging someone’s worth. Morris was the epitome of a pitching “Iron Horse”. Matter of fact, this innings hog (he had eleven seasons of more than 235 innings pitched) holds the record for most consecutive opening day starts…14. And if you thought Cal Ripken’s streak was impressive (it was), Morris went nearly 500 starts without missing his turn in the rotation. Again, not a reason to bronze his head…but not too shabby either. Morris notched a career 254-186 record…good for a .577 winning percentage. His win total is more than Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Whitey Ford and plenty of others. Hell, in the 80s alone…Morris went 162-119 and led the decade in both wins and complete games. He was the ace of three World Series teams (he was injured and couldn’t play in 1993 or else there’d be a fourth) and he threw a no hitter. I think the main reason Jack gets overlooked is his career ERA of 3.90. He never led the league (much less came close to it) and made no bones about the fact that he gave up a ton of runs. Will he get into the Hall? Probably not. Does he deserve to? Absolutely. Thankfully for Morris, the Veterans Committee does like to look at players that got close (he appeared on a best 41.2% of the ballots in 2006) but not close enough. Let’s hope that someday soon, the 80s won’t be as overlooked as they have been in the past.

Dale Murphy. It’s hard to remember how dominant Murphy was when he hit his peak in the mid-80s. Consider this…when he retired, his 398 home runs ranked 19th all-time. Now…he sits at 48. After winning his back-to-back MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, Murphy appeared to be on his way to Cooperstown. Now…not so much.

Dave Parker. If there was a “Badass Hall of Fame”, I’d put “The Cobra” in hands down. Matter of fact, I think he and Jack Morris would be on hand to deliver two of the inaugural speeches. Unfortunately, the only Hall of Fame worth mentioning here is saved for baseball players and as much as I’d like to see Parker’s toothy grin on that stage praising Willie Stargell and condemning Marge Schott…I’m afraid we’ll never see it happen.

Tim Raines. I always kinda thought that Raines was one of the best out there. Along with Rickey Henderson, there were really only two guys you would want to lead off for you. With a nice peak throughout the 80s, 2605 career hits, a .294 batting average and 808 steals, Raines is the kind of guy that might get some votes.

Shane Reynolds. Ugh.

David Segui. Double ugh.

Lee Smith. I met the guy a while back and the man is intimidating. Smith seemed bigger than life standing next to me (I'm 6'4") and shaking his hand was like grabbing a tractor tire. I can only imagine what it was like having him throw something in your direction from sixty feet, six inches. Now, while that is not a reason to induct someone (if it was, Tim Stoddard would be enshrined), Smith’s 478 saves were pretty darn good. For 13 years, Smith was the all-time saves leader and up until recently, he held the record for most games finished. I mean, when a guy is getting his records broken by the likes or Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera he had to have been decent, right? Right?!?

Alan Trammell. For some reason, Trammell has become the Bert Blyleven of some Hall of Fame discussions and I am not sure why. When he played, like Blyleven, he was so overshadowed by some of the other guys out there that no one would have considered him a lock for Cooperstown. Now, long after retiring and having spent a number of years on the ballot…people start banging his drum. Why? I liked Trammell, it’s true…but I don’t see it, gang.

Robin Ventura. Six times a Gold Glove recipient at third and a gang load of grand slams…but that’s about it.

Todd Zeile. See “Robin Ventura” but remove the flowery comments about Gold Gloves and grand slams.

So, I guess if you’re keeping track, my “YES” would go to Alomar, Baines, Dawson, Larkin, McGriff and Smith. I’m admittedly on the fence about Blyleven, Martinez and Raines and I think Mattingly and Morris will eventually get their due.

I guess we’ll see how it all unfolds in six weeks. Until then…keep reading and let me know what you think.

Hawk for the Hall?

With the Hall of Fame Induction sneaking up on us, it is time to start looking SPECIFICALLY at those who are up for enshrinement next year and beyond.

And while The HOVG is focusing on those on the ballot for the first time, one site is trumpeting the cause of just one...Andre Dawson.

Asked why he is doing it, Charley Beatley says "I have been a die-hard Cubs fan all of my life. Of all of the Cub players through the years, no player has played the game with more dignity and respect as 'The Hawk'."

Check out Charley's site HERE!

In 2009 it's Henderson, Rice and "The Ram"

I suppose that it’s purely coincidence that on the same night Mickey Rourke wins the Best Actor Golden Globe…plenty of players that shared the same heyday as the fictional Randy “The Ram” Robinson went to bed wondering when and if their phone is going to ring.

Today is the day for some. It is the culmination of a career, validation of a job well done and for most…a heartbreaking “thanks for playing” consolation prize.

We know one guy that is in for sure…Rickey Henderson.

Fans of the greatest leadoff hitter EVER can make their reservations for the weekend of July 24, because Henderson is poised to garner the most votes when the Hall of Fame ballots are counted and made public. For the record, Cal Ripken Jr. got the most votes (537 in 2007) while Tom Seaver had the highest vote percentage (98.8% in 1992).

My guess is Henderson eclipses them both. But who else deserves to share the podium with Henderson?


It’s been 20 years since Cooperstown has opened its doors for a leftfielder (Carl Yastrzemski was elected in 1989), will the Hall welcome TWO this summer?

With Dennis Eckersley (2004), Bruce Sutter (2006) and Goose Gossage (2008) making it in in three of the last four years...does another reliever get enshrined?

Will the Hall welcome a pair of pitchers with a staggering 575 wins between them?

Yes…no?!? I don’t know to be honest. I mean, I have an idea as to who MIGHT make their way in…but I also have my opinion as to who I would vote in if given a vote.

YES.

Rickey Henderson.
No questions asked…the guy could have written his speech 10-15 years ago.

Jim Rice.
Is it conceivable Rice has finally changed the minds of those 16 writers that keep him from getting in last year? Possibly. Bert Blyleven was the sexy pick of all the bloggers and writers out there and fell short…something tells me that this year’s darling (Rice) will no longer be the bridesmaid.

Harold Baines and Andre Dawson.
Again, like Rourke’s character in “The Wrestler”, both had tremendous success in the late 80s and early 90s and have terrible, terrible knees. I would vote for both for different reasons. Baines was the pre-eminent DH of his time and as I’ve said before…if you’re going to include the DH as a position, you’ve gotta include a DH in the Hall. I put “The Hawk” in simply on his own merit. He was every bit the player Jim Rice was and as equally feared.

Lee Smith.
I met the guy last April and the man is intimidating as all Hell. Lee seemed bigger than life standing next to me (I'm 6'4") and shaking his hand was like grabbing a tractor tire. I can only imagine what it was like having him throw something in your direction from sixty feet, six inches. His 478 saves was pretty good too.

NO.

Jay Bell, Mark Grace and Matt Williams.
The trio that helped bring a championship to Arizona in 2001 is going to have to buy their admittance to the Hall just like you and me.

The Cousins Vaughn…Mo and Greg.
I loved them both. Along with Dante Bichette…I think a majority of the fantasy league teams I put together between 1998-2003 contained one if not all three of them.


Ron Gant, Jesse Orosco and Dan Plesac.
One of these guys is a two-time 30/30 club member. Another one is the all-time leader in games pitched. The last one once signed a card for me outside County Stadium. Combined, they won’t be lucky to get enough votes to stay on the ballot a year from now to see Ray Lankford, Kevin Appier and Mike Jackson also not get elected.

Mark McGwire.
I’ve heard all the OPS arguments, but take away his tremendous home run total and all you’ve got is a guy who played in a ton of All-Star games and had precious little to show for it.

Dave Parker and Alan Trammell.
It’s possible that both “The Cobra” and “Alan” (did the vanilla white Trammell HAVE a nickname?) will take the writers to the limit. The problem is…after 15 years, neither will have gotten any closer to entering Cooperstown.

Bert Blyleven and Tommy John.
These two have 575 victories between them…not too shabby. On the flip side, they have only six All-Star appearances, four 20 win seasons, two rings and NO Cy Young Awards. 48 years in the bigs and that’s the best you can muster?

Which leads me to…

I’M ON THE FENCE…seriously.

David Cone and Jack Morris.
Honestly, I’d put both of these guys in before Blyleven and John. They were winners through and through. The argument is always “Blyleven/John did what they did on teams that didn’t win”. My response…“Cone and Morris MADE their teams winners”. EIGHT times.

Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Tim Raines.
If you paid ANY attention to baseball in the 80s…THESE were three of about a dozen or so guys that you would pay good money to watch. Of the three, I think Mattingly is the only one who will have his dance card punched…even if it is by the Veterans Committee.

Based on the breakdown, I guess I’d put in five guys (Henderson, Rice, Dawson, Smith and Baines)…we’ll see soon how the REAL writers do.

Who are YOUR Hall of Fame picks? Let’s hear ya!

Better late than never I suppose

At some point last Tuesday night, I lost part of a filling. I’ve gotta admit, chewing on food and then (all of a sudden) biting down on a piece of amalgam is startling. It didn’t hurt…I’m getting it fixed.

Earlier in the day, Goose Gossage became the lone inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame and somehow, losing a filling was the most exciting thing that happened on the that day. Hell, it was the most exciting thing to happen all last week to be honest!

Frankly…I’m not surprised.

I’ve posted it here that Goose being voted in was pretty much a foregone conclusion. As I’ve said before, I don’t think he is a Hall of Famer, but since SOMEONE seemingly had to get in…why not Goose, right? Dig your Gossage jerseys out from the mothballs, kids! Wait...what number was his? Did/do people even OWN Goose jerseys?

It was the vote totals that surprised me though.

After nine years on the ballot, 85.8% of the writers ALL OF A SUDDEN believe that Gossage is a Hall of Famer. In that same nine years, Dave Winfield (84.5%), Eddie Murray (85.3%), Dennis Eckersley (83.2%) and Paul Molitor (85.2%) all made the Hall of Fame with LESS support than Goose got this year.

That’s right, all of a sudden, more Hall voters feel that Gossage is more worthy than each of those players who (at the time they were elected) BURIED Gossage in the voting.

I try understand how it works...I really do. What can’t be stressed enough is the importance of who you are stacked up against.

Which brings me to…

Jim Rice (72.2%)
Many expected that this would be the year that Rice FINALLY made it to Cooperstown given the lack of competition. But even though he fell only 16 votes short, I don’t see it happening next year either. Basically, it’ll be hard to induct the guy that, this year, many proclaimed the “best leftfielder not in the Hall” when Rickey Henderson is up for election.

Andre Dawson (65.9%) and Tim Raines (24.3%)
No love for the Expos I guess. Hawk not making it in is not as surprising as Rock getting less than a quarter of the vote. Dawson will be one of those guys like Tony Perez who, after a number of years on the ballot…voters will say “why not”. HOWEVER...Perez didn’t have the competition that Dawson likely will. We’re about to see a slew of Hall worthy players coming up before the voters, folks.

Raines, on the other hand, shocks me…I figured he would have gotten at least double the votes he did. Maybe voters are planning a Henderson-Raines induction next year. I mean, why not induct the best two lead-off hitters of their time in the same year? It won’t happen, but the speeches would be awesome.

Bert Blyleven (61.9%), Jack Morris (42.9%) and Tommy John (29.1%)
Plenty of wins and Ks from this trio, but all in all…there’s not likely to be any Hall calls here. Blyleven has (for some reason) become the sexy pick as of late. Like Gossage, he’s been vocal about the Hall of Fame and that has drummed up some support for his inclusion. Morris, while I’ve made the case for him, is about to be overshadowed by some big name pitchers on some upcoming ballots. Sorry Jack…it probably won’t be happening for you.

And speaking of “not happening”…Tommy John is still on the ballot?!? I’m pretty sure, John has been on EVERY ballot since about 1984. I will say that, like his career, John has been VERY consistent with Hall voters. The lowest percentage of votes he’s gotten…18.7. The most…29.6.

Mark McGwire (23.6%)
Next…ain’t happenin'..

Alan Trammell (18.2%), Dave Concepcion (16.2%) and Don Mattingly (15.8%)
Apparently Detroit, Cincinnati and New York have between 15.8 and 18.2% of the vote. I know that math isn’t right…but you get what I mean.

Harold Baines (5.2%)
28 voters think Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer. That’s it? In his first year on the ballot (last year), 29 voters were on the side of Baines. So…who changed their vote?!? C’mon guys…three years ago, 26 of you thought that Willie McGee should be enshrined. If the argument for Blyleven is that he has the most wins or most Ks out of ANYONE that isn’t enshrined…Baines’ hit total has to mean more than 5.2% of the voters think he is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

Rob Nen (2 votes)
I kinda thought Nen would get more than 2 votes considering he was lights out before his arm fell off in 2002. Nen had 315 saves in nine seasons as a closer…yikes!

Brady Anderson and Jose Rijo (0 votes)
The man with the 90210 sideburns and the Playmate wife had the support of Hall darling Cal Ripken Jr., is one of two players (Barry Bonds being the other) to have stolen 50 bases and hit 50 home runs and STILL couldn’t buy a vote. Incidentally, in 2004, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer suggested Anderson’s 50 jack season was steroid influenced. Not a chance I say!

I only mention Jose Rijo because in 2001 (the FIRST time Rijo was Hall eligible), he received one vote. How that ONE writer decided seven years later (after Rijo retired AGAIN) to NOT vote for Rijo again is beyond me.

The big question…how did Todd Stottlemyre get a vote?

***Note: Following the Hall of Fame voting, I posed the question..."who else should have been elected?" Overwhelmingly, NO ONE garnered much support. Andre Dawson was just under 50% with 48% of the vote. After that, Tim Raines (43%), Jim Rice (39%), Bert Blyleven (35%), Harold Baines (30%), Mark McGwire, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell (26%), Dale Murphy (17%), Tommy John, Dave Parker and Lee Smith (9%), Dave Concepcion and Don Mattingly (4%). "Other" received a whopping 13%...thanks gang!***

Is it Hall of Fame time already?

The 2008 Hall of Fame ballot was released the other day and it is about the most underwhelming collection of players in a long, long time.

It’s a shame really.

I mean, baseball is, as a sport, kinda teetering right now. Popularity is at an impressively high level…YET, public perception is one George Mitchell report away from being worse than one could ever conceive!

Which brings me back to this year’s Hall of Fame class. We need a year like last year’s Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn class rather than the “well, someone had to be elected, right?” ceremony that awaits us in 2008. Frankly, I’m more excited for any sequel to “Two Girls…One Cup” than I am the 2008 Hall of Fame class. At least with that, you have willing participants being fed a mouthful of you-know-what instead of whoever the writers present us with as being a baseball immortal.

Who are the first ballot front runners? Tim Raines, David Justice…Rob Nen? Shoot me now.

I could make a case for “Rock” if (and it’s a BIG “if”) Rickey Henderson did not exist, was already in the Hall of Fame OR Andre Dawson was already enshrined. Henderson was roughly THREE TIMES the player Raines was and Dawson was more of the face of the baseball north or the border than anyone else. And let’s face it…Raines was pretty much only an Expo, right? I implore you to tell me who else he played for, when AND what he might have done with those teams that is worth mentioning.

The holdovers are intriguing and it is on that list where you’ll find the class of 2008. Most notably…Goose Gossage, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson and Mark McGwire are getting plenty of attention.

Last name first…McGwire won’t get in because of the steroid implications. It probably wouldn’t be the best PR move for baseball to elect someone to the Hall that is routinely mentioned in the “did he” or “didn’t he” steroid debate. Besides, and this is probably the best case for NOT voting him in…his stats weren’t that great. In short, McGwire wasn’t a Hall of Fame player…plain and simple.

Rice and Dawson, both of whom are guys that I support wholeheartedly, are probably going to fall short as well.

Again.

Dawson has seen his vote totals go from 45% in his first year of eligibility (2002) to a high of 61% in 2006 and back down to 56% last year. In that time, both Bruce Sutter and Ryne Sandberg have jumped past him on the list and waltzed into Cooperstown.

Similarly, Jim Rice (who many consider the “most feared” batter of the 70s) has gone from 29% in 1995 to his high of (roughly) 64% in both 2006 and 2007. Rice getting in would be a tip of the cap to the Red Sox franchise and a fitting compliment to their 2007 Championship season. He is beloved by the “Nation” and would certainly bring the crowds to sleepy Cooperstown, New York.

What about the perennial “why not this guy” Bert Blyleven?

Well, like Tommy John (another great “why not”), if he wasn’t elected yet…he won’t be now. And, unfortunately, as much as I like (and support) Jack Morris…I almost have to put him in this same category.

So…the guy with the best chance of being the lucky recipient of the “we had to pick SOMEONE” award is Gossage. Process of elimination, right?

Right?!?

Goose is a head scratcher though. For the life of me, I can’t figure out where this ground swell of support is coming from. It isn’t like he ONLY played for the Yankees. If he did…I could understand why such a colorful character would even be talked about.

On paper, his stats were good. HOWEVER, if you compare him with some of his contemporaries…he is the Vince Coleman to Sutter’s Raines. And that is, of course, if you look at Rollie Fingers as being the Rickey Henderson of the bunch.

To me, Gossage isn’t even the best reliever on the ballot this year…especially with both Lee Smith and Rob Nen up for consideratin. Now, I’m not saying they SHOULD be in the Hall…I’m just saying they are more “Hall worthy” than Goose. But that’s only if you look at the stat line.

The key to being a Hall of Famer is dominance. In short, you need to be THE dominant player (if not one of the most dominant players) at your position during the time you played. Gossage clearly was very, VERY good…but “dominant”?

Sutter supporters would disagree the loudest…but who cares? He’s already in the Hall.

What about Dan Quisenberry, Jeff Reardon, Tug McGraw or Kent Tekulve?

Look at their numbers during the same time that Gossage played. I mean, Goose only led the league in saves THREE times (with only two years with more than 30 saves)…and one of those years, he tied with Quisenberry. Quisenberry, I might add, led the American League in saves five out of six years in the early 80s…right at the same time Goose was said to have been at his peak.

Gossage did get Cy Young consideration five times between 1975 and 1984. However, in that same span…Fingers, Sutter, Sparky Lyle and Willie Hernandez each took home the Cy Young award. Hell, Quisenberry (again) had five top five finishes in a six year span and he dropped off of the Hall ballot after appearing only once.

And yes, I know…any monkey who laces up the spikes can get “Cy Young consideration”. But when you talk “dominance”…you have to take that into consideration.

So is Gossage a Hall of Famer? Frankly…I’m not sure how he garnered 71% of the vote last year. However, the writers seem to like him and (like I said before), this year could belong to him and Rice (maybe)…but only time will tell.

Over the next two months, the HoVG will be examining more of the players that might (but shouldn’t) be overlooked on the current Hall of Fame ballot. If you’ve got something to say about Harold Baines, Andre Dawson, Lee Smith or even Don Mattingly…I’d like to hear from you!

Drop me an email at hallofverygood@yahoo.com and who knows…your words might just end up on this website!

***Note: I had a poll on the site asking about whether or not you thought Goose should be inducted this year and I'm surprised...78% of you thought he should. Let's see if your opinions match those of the actual voters.***