Larkin and Santo Inducted into the Hall of Fame

“This is unbelievable. UN-STINKING-BELIEVABLE!” - Barry Larkin

In front of 44 Hall of Famers and a virtual sea of Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs fans, Barry Larkin headlined the 2012 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

But...it almost didn't happen.

You see, when Larkin accepted a scholarship to the University of Michigan, it was football (not baseball) that he fancied.

"(Then-Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler) redshirted me my freshman year and told me that he was going to allow me just to play baseball," Larkin told the crowd at The Clark Sports Center. "Occasionally, I'd call him while I was playing in the big leagues and told him that was the best decision he made as a football coach. He didn't like that too much."

Larkin, a native of Cincinnati, played his entire career with the Reds and put together a .295 career average, 2340 hits, 1329 runs scored, 198 home runs, 960 RBI and 379 stolen bases.  In 1995, Larkin was named the National League MVP.  A year later, he became the first shortstop to join the 30-30 club with 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases.

The 12-time All-Star retired in 2004 after 19 seasons. 

Joining Larkin on the stage Sunday was Vicki Santo...widow of the newly inducted Ron Santo.

"It just feels right, a perfect ending to a remarkable journey," Vicki Santo said. "Ron left an awful hole for many of us today. This is not a sad day. This is a great day. I'm certain that Ronnie is celebrating right now."

Santo was a member of the Chicago Cubs organization for the better part of five decades as a player (1960-74) and then beloved broadcaster (1990-2010).  He was was selected by the Veterans Committee this past December...exactly one year after his death.

The former third baseman compiled a .277 batting average, 2254 hits and 1331 RBI during his 15-year big league career.

Some other news of note from Hall of Fame weekend courtesy of Bruce Markusen from The Hadball Times.

• According to reliable sources, actor Charlie Sheen was among those attending the induction ceremony. Sheen is good friends with Barry Larkin.
• Tom Seaver, normally a fixture at Hall of Fame Weekend, did not attend this year’s event. He has a painful hip condition that makes it difficult for him to fly.
• As expected, Pete Rose filmed a segment on Friday for his new reality show at T.J’s Place on Main Street. A film crew taped Rose having breakfast with his fiancee, Kiana Kim, and two Cooperstown locals, restaurant owner Ted Hargrove and memorabilia dealer Andrew Vilacky.

Oh, and in case you missed it, there was another "induction" of note this past week.  On Friday, pitching legend (and medical marvel) Tommy John became the inaugural member of The Hall of Very Good™.

Shane Larkin Happy Dad is in The Hall of Fame

After the Hall of Fame announcement became public Monday, University of Miami freshman Shane Larkin did what most people...expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter.

The difference between him and the rest of us though...the newest member of the Hall of Fame, Barry Larkin, is Shane's dad.

Yall dnt know how proud i am to be the son of a HOF'er! He worked so hard nd now it is all paying off! Love you Dad! Congrats

But here's the cool thing.

Coming off the high of his dad making it into the Hall of Fame, the reserve guard hit the floor for the Miami Hurricanes the next night and, not only led the team in assists...but also matched a season high with six steals.

Sure, the 'canes lost 73-56 against third-ranked North Carolina, but still...not a bad 30 hours for the Larkin family.

Barry Larkin is "Red Hot"

In the hours since Barry Larkin became the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, countless stories have been written about the former shortstop.

One of the best things to come from it, obviously, is a picture of the Cincinnati Reds icon doing his best to illustrate how awesome the 90s wanted to be.

But "B. Lark" going all Ronnie DeVoe on us isn't my favorite relic from Larkin's playing days..."Red Hot" is.  And much like with "Get Metsmerized"...I blame the Chicago Bears.

Enjoy.

Reds Legend Was Almost a Met

On his third try, Barry Larkin made it into the Hall of Fame with more than 86% of the vote Monday afternoon.

For those of you under a rock, Larkin was a fixture for the Cincinnati Reds.  Dude help the team win the 1990 World Series, was the first shortstop in baseball history with 30 steals and 30 home runs in a season and, in 1995, brought home the National League MVP award.

All for his home team.

Yeah, Larkin is from Cincinnati, but, if you recall...he almost didn't end his career there.

Let's take a trip down Memory Lane...courtesy of New York Baseball Digest's Mike Silva.

What many forget is Larkin almost became a member of the Mets in July of 2000. With Rey Ordonez out for the season due to an injury, then GM Steve Phillips dealt top prospect Alex Escobar and two other prospects for Larkin. Because of his 10 and 5 rights, Larkin had to approve the deal and was granted 72-hours. A free agent at the end of the season, he was looking for a contract extension, something the Mets were unwilling to do since they still were committed to Ordonez for another 3 years and $17 million dollars and wanted to pursue Alex Rodriguez after that season. Larkin would eventually turn down the deal and remain in Cincinnati. The Mets would deal Melvin Mora to Baltimore for Mike Bordick, and a year later use Escobar as the centerpiece of the Roberto Alomar deal with Cleveland. Larkin would sign with the Reds for another three years and $27 million dollars.

The newly elected Hall of Famer actually addressed the near trade Tuesday at the Hall of Fame press conference.  Simply put, he didn't want to be "big with the Reds and go somewhere as a rental".

Makes sense to me.

And Your Cooperstown Class of 2012 is...

I think it is pretty fair to call 2012 the "calm before the storm" given the headache that the potential Hall of Fame Class of 2013 looks to cause.

You know, 2013...the ballot with Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa.  Yikes!

That said, there was still an announcement Monday afternoon and, suffice it to say, some good, worthy players on the ballot.

And with close to 86 percent of the vote, Barry Larkin has been voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I guess the third time really is the charm!

So, on July 22, the longtime Cincinnati Reds shortstop will join "Golden Era" selection Ron Santo, Ford C. Frick Award winner Tim McCarver and J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Bob Elliott in Cooperstown.

Here's the break down among the top vote getters.

Barry Larkin (86.4%, 62.1% in 2011)
Jack Morris (66.7%, 53.5%)
Jeff Bagwell (56.0%, 41.7%)
Lee Smith (50.6%, 45.3%)
Tim Raines (48.7%, 37.5%)
Alan Trammell (36.8%, 24.3%)
Edgar Martinez (36.5%, 32.9%)

Two potentially Hall-worthy players branded with the scarlett "S" for steroids failed to gain much ground.  Mark McGwire (19.8% in 2011) garnered 19.5% this year.  Rafael Palmeiro (11.0% last year) earned 12.6%.

The year's most notable first ballot player, Bernie Williams, earned 9.6% of the vote.

A complete breakdown of the 2012 Hall of Fame selection is on the way...believe it!  And for a look at the 2012 ballot (by the numbers)...click HERE!


Your 2012 Hall of Fame Class:

BARRY LARKIN
Third Year on Ballot

PLAYING CAREER:  Cincinnati Reds (1986-2004)

ACHIEVEMENTS:  Career batting average of .295, with 2340 hits, 198 home runs, 960 RBI and 379 stolen bases. 1995 National League MVP.  12 All-Star Game appearances (1988-1991, 1993-1997, 1999, 2000 and 2004), 9 Silver Slugger Awards, 3 Gold Gloves and 1990 World Series Champion.

BBA Recommends Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell for Hall of Fame

As a longstanding member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA), I take great pride in having been able to participate in their Hall of Fame vote the past three years.

This year, the 347 member strong BBA is recommending Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Chicago Cubs legend Ron Santo and broadcaster Tim McCarver this July.

Here's the official word:

In the annual polling of members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell were recommended for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  This is the third year the organization has conducted this survey of the membership.

Larkin, a 12-time All-Star who fashioned an .815 OPS over 19 seasons, received the largest percentage of votes, being named on 84.25% of the 148 ballots cast.  This is the highest percentage garnered by any player in the three years of BBA voting.

Bagwell, who hit 449 HR and had a .948 OPS in his 15 seasons in Houston, was selected on 115 ballots for a 78.77% rate.  As with the official voting done by the Baseball Writers of America, a player must be named on 75% of the ballots to be recommended by the alliance.

And since everyone else on the web is throwing their own theoretical picks out there, here are mine (along with links to their Hall of Fame capsules from this site)...Jeff Bagwell, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff, Tim Raines and Lee Smith.

I really wanted to go with more and, honestly, was surprised that I ended up with only five.  But, unlike the BBWAA...I like to stay consistent.

Take a gander at the complete press release from the BBA and check out how all 27 players fared in the vote by clicking HERE.

Breaking Down the 2012 Hall of Fame Ballot

On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the upcoming 2012 Hall of Fame ballot.  Included are 27 candidates (down from last year's 33)...13 newcomers and, like last year, 14 holdovers.

Unlike last year, when Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven got the obvious call, there are no shoe-ins whatsoever.

Leading the pack of returners is 1995 National League MVP, Barry Larkin...who is on his third ballot.  A year ago, the longtime Cincinnati Reds shortstop finished third overall with 62.1% of the vote.

Other holdovers include Jack Morris (53.5%), Lee Smith (45.3%), Jeff Bagwell (41.7%), Tim  Raines (37.5%), Edgar Martinez (32.9%), Alan Trammell (24.3%), Larry Walker (20.3%), Fred McGriff (17.9%), Don Mattingly (13.6%) and Dale Murphy (12.6%).

Three others, Mark McGwire (19.8%), Rafael Palmeiro (11.0%) and Juan Gonzalez (5.2%) are obviously adorned with the steroid scarlett letter and have about as much of a shot of making it in as you or me.

There are no notable newcomers on the ballot, which makes this a boring, boring ballot.

Leading the pack, however is possibly the most accomplished of the first ballot guys...New York Yankees fan favorite Bernie Williams.

Good friend of The Hall "Bald Vinny" might have Williams on his Yankees Mt. Rushmore, but it isn't likely that the Hall of Fame will welcome him. Sure, his .297 career batting average (including eight straight seasons of .300 or more), 2336 hits and 22 post season home runs are things of recent Yankee lore…but they are nothing but a blip on the radar of what gets mentioned alongside the names of those in Cooperstown

Other notable first ballot guys...Javy Lopez, Ruben Sierra and Vinny Castilla.

It's been a long time, but back in the day, I think we all might have been tempted to make the argument that Lopez was on his way to something. Then, well, the train left the tracks and I'm not really sure what happened to the guy. He ended his career with a respectable .287 batting average and 260 home runs.

20 years ago, Sierra was, along with Hall of Very Good frenemy Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Pete Incaviglia, THE future of baseball and you would have been hard pressed to find anyone to agree with you. Now, after 306 home runs and 1322 RBI…he’s an interesting footnote to an era that has long since passed.

Was Castilla a very good hitting third baseman or another one of those who was helped by the much ballyhooed Coors Effect? Both?!? Any way you slice it, his 320 home runs and near perfect hair doesn’t get him through the doors of Cooperstown without paying first.

Rounding out the ballot...Jeromy Burnitz, former two-sport star Brian Jordan, Bill Mueller, Terry Mulholland, Phil Nevin, Brad Radke, 1993 American League Rookie of the Year Tim Salmon, Tony Womack and Eric Young.

Voting results will be announced Monday, January 9.

Cooperstown 2011: Barry Larkin

BARRY LARKIN
Second Year on Ballot (2010 - 51.6%)

PLAYING CAREER:  Cincinnati Reds (1986–2004)

ACHIEVEMENTS:  Career batting average of .295.  2340 hits, 1329 runs scored, 198 home runs, 960 RBI and 379 stolen bases.  1995 National League MVP.  1990 World Series champion.  Three-time Gold Glove winner (1994-1996).  12-time All-Star selection (1988-1991, 1993-1997, 1999, 2000 and 2004).  In 1996, Larkin became the first shortstop to join the 30-30 club with 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases.  Hit .300 or better nine times.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ON TWITTER:

@Dominic_Wolf:  Let barry larkin in the hall of fame god dammit


@CincinnatiReds:  Barry Larkin is 1 of 17 players to make 12+ NL All-Star teams. Larkin is the only 1 eligible for HOF not yet elected.

HOVG THOUGHTS:  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. Dude brought some swagger back to what was a dead Big Red Machine…if only for a few years.

Hall of Fame 2010: Barry Larkin

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.

If you peruse the list of shortstops that grace the halls of Cooperstown, you won't find that many household names. You'll find even fewer modern day greats.

Sure, Cal Ripken Jr. is in there...as is Robin Yount, but they played a good number of games away from short. One of the most colorful (and recognizable) cats in the Hall is Ozzie Smith, but outside of a great glove, flashy smile and a gazillion All-Star Game appearances...his case could be debated.

Which leads me to Barry Larkin.

Ask anyone just north of Covington, Kentucky (and yes, that's a random shout out) and they'd say Larkin is every bit worthy of Cooperstown enshrinement. Ask anyone else and they'd be left scratching their heads.

Me?

I say "yes"...but that comes with a "but".

Larkin needs to get in before guys like Omar Vizquel, A-Rod, Derek Jeter and the like start banging on Cooperstown's doors. If not, Larkin's stat line of a .295 batting average, 2340 hits, 198 homers and a .975 fielding percentage starts looking paltry.

He also has that one MVP award, a Championship ring (he hit .353 in the 1990 World Series), was a member of the 1984 Olympic Team and even though the sheep at Baseball Think Factory don't think it matters...12 All-Star Game selections.

Getting back to the "Wizard of Oz"...you can compare his offensive stats to Larkin and they are comparable if not worse.

Smith's average was thirty points lower (.262 versus .295) but he managed 120 more hits. He also played in 400 more games than Larkin...getting close to 1400 more at bats. There really isn't an offensive stat (outside of stolen bases) where Smith outshines Larkin.

But as the argument goes...Larkin was an offensive presence, Smith made his money on defense. 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Whitey Herzog once said that "if (Smith) saved two runs a game on defense...that was just as valuable to the team as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense."

So what about fielding? Larkin carried a .975 fielding percentage, whereas Smith had a .978. Smith made it look effortless and easy, but as Larkin's three Gold Gloves will tell you...he was no slouch.

For kicks, I went to Baseball Reference to see where some other notables rank compared to Larkin. Omar Vizquel rating was 104 (they say a rating of 100 means you are a shoe-in)...Larkin came in at 118.

I guess I'm not alone with my endorsement.

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.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2010

This weekend, baseball’s Hall of Fame welcomes Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice.

Henderson was a shoe-in YEARS ago…whereas it took Rice every single one of the fifteen years he was allowed to be on the ballot.

So, with their inductions on the horizon, the discussion turns to who might join them NEXT year and the year after that, etc. And when I say “might join them” I’m NOT talking Bert Blyleven and Andre Dawson…I’m talking first ballot guys.

Let’s take a stab at 2010.

IN.

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 years stretch and two World Series rings. Yeah…put him up the wall now and save the writers the vote.

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.

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.

OUT (in random order).

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.

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.

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

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.

Ray Lankford, 1996 American League Cy Young Award Winner Pat Hentgen, Todd Zeile, 1992 National League Rookie of the Year Eric Karros, Mark McLemore, Fernando Vina, Shane Reynolds, Dave Burba, David Segui and Andy Ashby.

ON THE BUBBLE.

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.

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, his name is Harold Baines.

Alright…so those are the names on the ballot for the 2010 induction. Basically, I think Alomar is in and, perhaps, Dawson or Blyleven (or both) will join him.

Keep coming back the rest of the week for 2011, 2012, 2013 and, you guessed it…2014.

Holy Cow...Someone Died

"Here's the windup, fastball, hit deep to right, this could be it! Way back there! Holy cow, he did it! Sixty-one for Maris! And look at the fight for that ball out there! Holy cow, what a shot! Another standing ovation for Maris, and they're still fighting for that ball out there, climbing over each other's backs. One of the greatest sights I've ever seen here at Yankee Stadium!"

- some guy saying something about someone doing something in 1961

I don't know if it is because I didn't watch baseball in the 40s and 50s or perhaps I'm just jaded (likely)...but is it THAT big of a deal that Phil Rizzuto died? If you watched ANY television last night, you saw that Rizzuto died and the world was in mourning. I'm pretty sure I even heard that flags were to be lowered.

I mean...the guy is a Hall of Fame player and all, but I can't figure out why or how.

His stats are underwhelming by Hall standards...273 avg., 1588 hits and only a .968 fielding percentage. Granted, he had one MVP award, but c'mon...so did Barry Larkin.

Which leads me to...Barry Larkin!

Is Larkin a Hall of Famer? Ask anyone just north of Covington, Kentucky (yes, that's a random shout out) and they'd say "ayup". Ask anyone else and they'd be left scratching their heads.

Me?!? I say "yes".

BUT...it has to be done soon before Omar, A-Rod, Jeter and the like start banging on Cooperstown's doors. The case for Larkin goes like so...295 avg., 2340 hits, 198 homers and a .975 fielding percentage.

Oh, he also has that one MVP award and a World Series ring.

Compare his stats to Ozzie Smith and Pee Wee Reese and they are comparable if not better. Ozzie's average was thirty points lower but had 120 more hits (he also played in 400 more games than Larkin...getting close to 1400 more at bats). Fielding average (the key to Ozzie's greatness)...978. Larkin came in at .975.

Yikes.

Wait, you mean to tell me that Barry Larkin DWARFED the "Wizard of Oz (or was it Ahs)"?!?

Ayup.

For git and shiggles, I went to Baseball Reference to see where some other notables rank compared to Larkin. Omar Vizquel rating was 119 (they say a rating of 100 means you are a shoe-in)...Larkin came in at 118. So does Jeff Kent.

Hmmm...that gives me an idea.