Bert Blyleven Responds to Reggie

As Barry Larkin preps his speech for Sunday’s Hall of Fame induction, dozens of the game’s greats have already made their way to Cooperstown.

But one guy who won’t be there…Reggie Jackson.

Reportedly, Jackson has opted to stay away from the weekend's festivities...and it's probably for the best.  You see, "Mr. October" was pretty vocal a couple of weeks ago, blasting some of his fellow Hall members.

Among those included…2011 inductee Bert Blyleven.

“No. No, no, no, no,” Jackson said when asked if the pitcher belonged in the Hall of Fame. “Blyleven wasn’t even the dominant pitcher of his era, it was Jack Morris.”

So when the 287-game winner hit Cooperstown Saturday, he swung by the museum to make sure his plaque was still there.

“I wanted to make sure Reggie didn’t take it down or anything,’’ Blyleven responded.  “God gives us many holes in our body…and [Reggie] just spoke out of the wrong one.’’

Oh, in case you were wondering (you weren’t), Blyleven got the best of Jackson on the field as well.  In 140 plate appearances, the slugger hit just .214 with six homers and 49 strikeouts.

Ouch.

It's Official! Alomar, Blyleven and Gillick Get Inducted

"Only the top one percent makes the Hall of Fame."

National Basball Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark

From Yogi Berra to Rickey Henderson, Sandy Koufax to Tony Gwynn…all the game’s greats were there.

In fact, 47 of the 65 living Hall of Famers were in attendance Sunday to watch Cooperstown’s Class of 2011 get inducted and true to form, the ceremony did not disappoint.

"My time in Toronto was the best of my career," baseball’s newest Hall of Famer, second baseman Roberto Alomar told the Blue Jays fans in the crowd.  "You embraced me from day one, you worked with me throughout my ups and downs, and I am so proud to represent you as the first Toronto Blue Jay inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame."

In 2010, Alomar missed induction by just eight votes. His 73.7% of the vote was the highest percentage of votes in any player's first year on the ballot without being elected.

A year later, he would receive 90% of the vote.

Alomar finished his big league career with more Gold Gloves (ten) than any other second baseman out there, a .300 batting average, 2724 hits and two World Series rings.

He is the third Puerto Rican in the Hall of Fame, after Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda.

Fellow inductee Bert Blyleven’s road to the Hall of Fame was a little bumpier than Alomar’s. It took the former pitcher 14 tries to get in.

In 1999, the hurler’s second year on the ballot, he mustered only 14.1% of the vote…a far cry from the 79.7% he received this past January.

It’s been a great couple of weeks for the former pitcher. During a recent game, the Minnesota Twins retired Blyleven’s number.

For his career, he amassed 287 wins, 3701 strikeouts (good for fifth all-time), an equally impressive 60 shutouts and a 3.31 ERA. Not too shabby for 22 big league seasons.

And while much of the day’s attention was focused on Alomar, Blyleven and one of the game’s finest general managers, Pat Gillick, there was a tribute to those Hall of Famers who have passed since last year’s induction…Bob Feller, Sparky Anderson, Duke Snider, Harmon Killebrew and Dick Williams.

"I don't even feel like being here," Hall of Famer Johnny Bench said of his missing colleagues. "I'm doing it for Bert and Roberto. It's just the worst year ever.”

Also noticeably absent was 2003 inductee Gary Carter who could not make it to Cooperstown because he is in Florida battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

But that didn’t stop him from reaching out to Blyleven on the eve of the pitcher’s big day.

"He apologized because he couldn't be here," Blyleven told The New York Post. "It was pretty touching."

So, with the 2011 induction now in the books…is it time to start looking ahead to next year’s induction ceremony?

With no shoe-ins among the first ballot guys, will 12-time All-Star Barry Larkin make his way in? Will we see anyone at the podium?

Only time will tell.

But until then, let’s not be so quick to push Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven and Pat Gillick off the Clark Sports Center stage. It’s still 2011. It’s still their year to shine.

The Obligatory 2011 Hall of Fame Re-cap

Alright, I'll ask the question...now that Bert Blyleven has had his ticket punched, whose cause is the internet going to champion?  Seriously, I'm going to miss the non-stop Blyleven tweets and blog posts eleven months from now.

As it is...by now, you know that the Dutchman, with 79.7% of the vote, will be enshrined in Cooperstown alongside Roberto Alomar this July.

Alomar, who fell eight votes shy last year, tallied, perhaps, the quiestest 90% of the vote ever. I mean, of the 13 guys who have gotten 90% of the vote or more in the last 20 years...can you think of someone who did it with less fanfare?

The guy ended up with the third most votes (behind only Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn) in history!

But I digress.

More interesting than the two who did make it...might be the 31 who didn't.

Barry Larkin (62.1% this year, 51.6%)
Sure, Alomar had the biggest jump (16.3%) of anyone on the ballot...let's not discredit the 10.5% increase in Larkin's totals. With a paper thin crop of potential first ballot nominees next year...all the 1995 National League MVP needs to do is add another 13% to his total from this year, and he's in.

Jack Morris (53.5%, 52.3%)
I'm thinking that Morris fans were hoping for more of an increase in this, the righty's 12th year on the ballot.  Turth be know...it's going to be tough for Morris to make the Hall at this rate.  While no one of note is on the 2012 ballot, a 22% jump is not going to happen.  That said, the 2013 (with Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling) and 2014 ballots (with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine) aren't going to do Morris any favors.  I know it is premature, but see you on the Veterans Committee ballot, Jack...it was a good run!

Jeff Bagwell (41.7%, first year on the ballot)
Bagwell did surprisingly well this year considering the late push by some to try and link him to the steroid era.  A look ahead could see "Bags" in Cooperstown alongside Randy Johnson 2015 or Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016.  Pretty good company considering the Boston Red Sox once traded him for Larry Andersen.
Larry Walker (20.3%, first year)
Another first ballot guy, Walker actually fared worse than I expected.  I kinda thought the former National League MVP would have finished at about 35-40%...but, then again, I've been pimping the cause of Harold Baines for the last five years as well.  But don't fret Walker fans...Joe DiMaggio went in on his fourth try.

Tim Raines (37.5%, 30.4%)
Alright, "Rock" is going to get his due...mark my words.  In 2010,  dude went from 22.6% to 30.4% and this year...added another 7%.  Raines is my prediction to be the darling of the "internet zealots" in the upcoming years.

Alan Trammell (24.3%, 22.4%) and Dale Murphy (12.6%, 11.7%)

Cases can be, and have been made for both of these guys. At times, each represented the best of the best at their respective positions. I'm guessing both will stay around for the duration of their maximum 15 years on the ballot.

Which leads me to...

Dave Parker (15.3%, 15.2%)
"The Cobra" is now, officially, off the Hall of Fame ballot.  After a 15 year stint on the ballot, the iconic Pirate was never really able to catch the voter's eye.  The best he ever fared...24.5% in 1998.  The best case for Parker now is The Badass Hall of Fame...won't you help me in getting this done?

Lee Smith (45.3%, 47.3%), Edgar Martinez (32.9%, 36.2%), Fred McGriff (17.9%, 21.5%) and Don Mattingly (13.6%, 16.1%)
The fact that all four of these guys lost percentage points is a little bit of a shock.  I honestly thought both Smith and Martinez would increase (with Lee Arthu getting over the 50% hump) their totals.  That said, all four are poised for a collective 60 years on the ballot...with Martinez having the best chance to get in.  Alongside former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016 perhaps?  We'll have to wait and see.

Aaaaaah, steroids.

Mark McGwire (19.8%, 23.7%) and Rafael Palmeiro (11.0%, first year)
One admitted to using and lost votes...the other was found guilty of using and could only find 64.  Both players are among the all-time leaders in multiple categories, but both will certainly be continually punished for the era they played.  I've heard, read and made the "level playing field" argument...but, it appears, if you've actually used PEDs (and not just taken the field alongside those who did) you're not going to get the vote of the writers who turned a blind eye to your usage.  Oh well.

Juan Gonzalez (5.2%, first year)
The candidacy for Gonzalez keeps me up at night.  His numbers are incredible and, potentially, Hall-worthy.  The cloud of suspicion that hangs over his head, however, is going to, more than likely, push "Gonzo" off the ballot in a year or two.  It's a shame really...because dude was incredible to watch.

Fifteen guys (John Franco, Kevin Brown, Tino Martinez, Marquis Grissom, Al Leiter, John Olerud, B.J. Surhoff, Bret Boone, Benito Santiago, Carlos Baerga, Charles Johnson, Bobby Higginson, Raul Mondesi, Kirk Rueter and Lenny Harris) got less than the five percent necessary to stick around next year. Suffice it to say, these guys won’t be missed come 2012...but I did think both Franco and Brown would've gotten enough to be there a year from now.

In this, his fifth year of candidacy, legendary DH Harold Baines (4.8%, 6.1%) is now, officially, off the Hall of Fame ballot.  I've been championing the cause for Baines' candidacy for a while now and I can honestly say I'm disappointed.  The idea of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate those that were the best at their position while they played, right?  Well, throughout the late 80s and 90s...Baines was the game's designated hitter of record.  Sure, sure, the named the annual designated hitter award after the afore mentioned Martinez...but it was Baines and his 2866 hits that I'll most remember.

Rant over.

And Your Cooperstown Class of 2011 is...

After breaking down each player on the ballot for the past five weeks...it's finally official.

With an amazing curveball, 287 wins, 3701 strikeouts and the groundswell of internet support...Bert Blyleven was the odd's on favorite to make it into the Hall of Fame is year. 

Well, "zealots"...he pulled it off by garnering 79.7% of the vote after falling five short last year.

Joining Blyleven in Cooperstown will be Roberto Alomar.  The second baseman missed induction a year ago by eight votes, but cleared the hurdle easily today by garnering 90% of the vote.

Blyleven and Alomar will join Veterans Committe selection Pat Gillick, Ford C. Frick Award winner Dave Van Horne and J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Bill Conlin in Cooperstown July 24.

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

Roberto Alomar (90%, 73.7%)
Bert Blyleven (79.7% this year, 74.2% in 2010)
Barry Larkin (62.1%, 51.6%)
Jack Morris (53.5%, 52.3%)
Lee Smith (45.3%, 47.3%)
Jeff Bagwell (41.7%, first year)
Tim Raines (37.5%, 47.3%)
Edgar Martinez (32.9%, 36.2%)

A complete breakdown of the 2011 Hall of Fame selection is on the way...believe it!

Your 2011 Hall of Fame Class:

ROBERTO ALOMAR
Second Year on Ballot

PLAYING CAREER: San Diego Padres (1988–1990), Toronto Blue Jays (1991–1995), Baltimore Orioles (1996–1998), Cleveland Indians (1999–2001), New York Mets (2002–2003), Chicago White Sox (2003), Arizona Diamondbacks (2004) and Chicago White Sox (2004)

ACHIEVEMENTS: Career batting average of .300, with 2,724 hits, 1508 runs, 210 home runs and 474 stolen bases. 12 straight All-Star Games (1990-2001), 10 Gold Gloves in an 11 year stretch (1991-2001) and back-to-back World Series rings in 1992 and 1993.



BERT BLYLEVEN
14th Year on Ballot

PLAYING CAREER: Minnesota Twins (1970–1976), Texas Rangers (1976–1977), Pittsburgh Pirates (1978–1980), Cleveland Indians (1981–1985), Minnesota Twins (1985–1988) and California Angels (1989–1992)

ACHIEVEMENTS: Career 287–250 record with a 3.31 ERA in 22 seasons. Ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts (3701), eleventh in starts (685), ninth in shutouts (60) and 14th in innings pitched (4970). Threw no-hitter September 22, 1977. Twice an All-Star (1973 and 1985).

The Hall of Fame Class of 2011...by the Numbers

After a marathon Hall of Fame Eve live chat last night…I think one thing everybody can agree on is that baseball really is a game about numbers.

Whether you’re a metrics guy, a black/gray ink guy or something else…it’s the numbers that make you a fan.

56 games, 61* home runs (or 70 for that matter) and 4192 hits all mean something to someone.  And while we wait to see who going to get enshrined in Cooperstown next…here are some more numbers to play with.

3701
Much is made of Bert Blyleven’s other stats (and the “zealots” out there know what I am talking about), but to me…his 3701 strikeouts is the most impressive. How impressive? Only two players (Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton) had more when Blyleven retired…and I think they’re both household names.

2866
With 2866 career hits, Harold Baines has the most of any Hall-eligible player (not named Rafael Palmeiro…more on him later) not in the Hall of Fame. In his fifth year on the ballot, Baines is looking to improve upon the 6.1% of the vote he got last year.

405
All that was needed to get past the doors of the Hall of Fame last year was 405 votes. Andre Dawson made it in with 420. Bert Blyleven (400 votes) and Roberto Alomar (397) fell a combined 13 votes short…the closest any two players have gotten to getting in in the same year and didn’t.

70
Last year, Bert Blyleven (74.21%) and Roberto Alomar (73.65%) became the 22nd and 23rd players to receive more than 70% of the vote and not gotten into the Hall of Fame. That said, all 21 previous cats that cleared the barrier ended up making it in.

47
Of all the Hall of Famers enshrined…only 47 of them spent their entire big league careers playing for just one team. This year, Barry Larkin, Jeff Bagwell and Edgar Martinez look to add to that total. Larkin spent his career at shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, Bagwell (after being traded by the Boston Red Sox while in the minors) suited up in the Majors only for the Houston Astros and Martinez made a name for himself with the Seattle Mariners.

14
Much has been made about this being Bert Blyleven’s 14th time on the Hall of Fame ballot. Should he make it in this year, he’ll be only the third player (Rabbit Maranville and Bill Terry are the other two) that made it in on lucky number 14.

10
The slick fielding Roberto Alomar brought home ten Gold Gloves in an eleven year span (1991-2001)…the most of any second baseman in history. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is next on the all-time list with eight.

10
After emphatically shaking his finger at Congress in March 2005, Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for using anabolic steroids in August of the same year. What resulted was a ten day suspension and, more than likely, a one way ticket out of the Hall of Fame.

6
Only six BBWAA Hall of Fame electees have been born outside of the United States...two others got in courtesy of the Veterans Committee. This year, the ballot of 33 consists of eight foreign born players including Hall of Fame frontrunners Bert Blyleven (Netherlands) and Roberto Alomar (Puerto Rico).

-0.9
And lastly, I couldn’t leave without feeding my SABRmetric friends (do I have any?) at least one stat. Lenny Harris’ WAR of -0.9 is the worst by anyone on the Hall of Fame ballot since 1985 when Jesus Alou bested (worsted?) everyone with a ballot low -2.3.

So there you have it, gang…your Hall of Fame election by the numbers. Now sit back, relax and wait for the Class of 2011 to become official!

Twitter Tuesday: Bert Blyleven vs. Jack Morris

In the Fall of 1994, a little movie called "Pulp Fiction" hit the scene and in it...one of its main characters questioned another on the type of person he is.

My theory is that when it comes to important subjects, there are only two ways a person can answer. Which way they chose, tells you who that person is. For instance, there are only two kinds of people in the world, Beatles people and Elvis people. Now Beatles people can like Elvis and Elvis people can like the Beatles, but nobody likes them both equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice. And that choice, tells you who you are.

Prepare to feel old, gang, but here we are more than 16 years later and the same question could be asked about the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2011 announcement that is going to announced tomorrow.

Are you a Bert Blyleven guy or a Jack Morris guy? Because, apparently, you can't be both.

Now, without re-hashing the annual Jon Heyman Bashtravaganza that took place Monday on Twitter...here are some noteworthy Blyleven and Morris tweets from the last couple of days.

@goldenmonkey: the problem is, there are some BAD players in already, and blyleven/morris look good comparitively.

@HunterFelt: Something you non--baseball geeks don't know: Bert Blyleven's HOF case is the Israel-Palestine conflict among baseball writers

@commnman: Will be happy to support Jack Morris for the Hall of Fame, but only after Bert Blyleven is ushered in.

@DustinInTulsa: Blyleven never dominated as a pitcher, his numbers are from longevity, which is good, but IMO he falls short of HOF.

@williamnyy23: Jack Morris' "moment" belongs in the Hall of Fame, but he doesn't. Conveniently, that's why the museum has a Great Moments Room.

@Bencjacobs: I get the feeling that Kevin Brown is going to be the next Bert Blyleven, with HOF voting, only less Dutch and more overpaid

@DashTreyhorn: Thought: If the internets were around during Blyleven's career, then he's in The Hall within five years. He's a latter-day King Felix.

@bigmike05: Take the 5 best Blyleven and Morris seasons and compare. Do the same with their 5 worst seasons and see what the results are.

@molly_knight: My Twitter feed is upset about Bert Blyleven and I have no idea what's going on but I think it's Internet zealot- related??

@bravesjournal: Just because I advocate mass suicide if Blyleven doesn't make it this time doesn't make me a zealot.

@scratchbomb: at this point, I think Heyman, Pearlman et al are not voting for Bert Blyleven just to piss off nerds

@MattZakrowski: I hope Jack Morris get into the Hall of Fame, but only to pave the way for Geoff Blum down the road.

@itsmetsforme: new year's resolution: total honesty-- I don't care at all about HOF or Blyleven. Any hall w/o Keith Hernandez or Batman holds no interest.

For me, I kinda want Blyleven to get 75% of the vote tomorrow so I can have a clean feed and not miss whatever the @veryfakebr gang is tweeting.

But then again, I really would like Blyleven to, once again, fall short...and it has nothing to do with his qualifications. I just don't think that the cachet of the 2012 Hall of Fame ballot consisting of Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla is all that worthy of discussion.

Oh, and for the record, I'm a Jerry Lee Lewis guy.

Sorry Elvis.

Sorry The Beatles.

Cooperstown 2011: Bert Blyleven

BERT BLYLEVEN
14th Year on Ballot  (2010 - 74.2%)

PLAYING CAREER:  Minnesota Twins (1970–1976), Texas Rangers (1976–1977), Pittsburgh Pirates (1978–1980), Cleveland Indians (1981–1985), Minnesota Twins (1985–1988) and California Angels (1989–1992)

ACHIEVEMENTS:  Career 287–250 record with a 3.31 ERA in 22 seasons.  Ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts (3701), eleventh in starts (685), ninth in shutouts (60) and 14th in innings pitched (4970).  Threw no-hitter September 22, 1977.  Twice an All-Star (1973 and 1985).  

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ON TWITTER:

@zzazazz:  How can Bert Blyleven not be in the Hall of Fame? He's 5th all time in Ks. The fifth all time in hits is in the hall.

@magranger:  Bert's the best! hope that's realized in january!

@TRAVELLMAN:  It is about time that Bert Blyleven gets into the Hall of Fame!!!.!!! 

HOVG THOUGHTS:  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 the other day 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?

All that aside...Blyleven will probably get the call January 5 to be inducted this upcoming July.

Breaking Down the 2011 Hall of Fame Ballot

On Monday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the 2011 Hall of Fame ballot.

All in all, there are 33 candidates (up from 26 last year)...19 newcomers and 14 holdovers. And while there are no shoe-ins...there are definitely some great storylines.

Last year, pitcher Bert Blyleven came five votes shy of induction. In this, his second-to-last time on the ballot, the Dutchman is looking to grow his 74.2% to the 75% necessary.

Also coming just short last year was Roberto Alomar. Along with Blyleven, he was one of two candidates that came within ten votes shy. With 397 votes (405 were needed), the second baseman received the most votes of any first-year candidate without being elected.

Two other players were named on more than half the ballots...pitcher Jack Morris (52.3%) and shortstop Barry Larkin (51.6%)

Other notable holdovers...Lee Smith (47.3%), Edgar Martinez (36.2%), Tim Raines (30.4%), Mark McGwire (23.7%), Alan Trammell (22.4%), Fred McGriff (21.5%), Don Mattingly (16.1%), Dale Murphy (11.7%) and Harold Baines (6.1%).

Dave Parker, who received 15.2% a year ago, will be appearing on his 15th and final ballot.

The most notable newcomer to this year's ballot is also, arguably, the most accomplished...Rafael Palmeiro.

Of course, the fact that Palmeiro is only one of four players with more than 3000 hits and 500 home runs (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray are the others) is overshadowed by that pesky steroid suspension that was handed down in August 2005.

While his 1835 RBI is spectacular and his 5,388 total bases rank him tenth all-time, there isn’t a snowball’s chance that a guy who pointed his finger to Congress and proclaimed “I have never used steroids, period” gets in a mere six years after being found guilty of doing the opposite.

Another player under the "did he" or "didn't he" cloud of suspicion is two-time American League MVP Juan Gonzalez. With a lifetime .295 batting average, 434 home runs and 1404 RBI...he would fit in well in Cooperstown. The fact that it is unknown if he was clean or not will make him lucky to see his name pop up on a quarter of the ballots.

A guy that stands to get a bunch of love is Astros legend Jeff Bagwell. "Bagpipes" played the game right compiling 449 home runs, 1517 runs scored, 1529 RBI and a .297 batting average before calling it quits in 2005.

Seven-time Gold Glove winner Larry Walker is also on the ballot for the first time. With a career .313 batting average, 383 home runs and 1311 RBI, the 1997 National League MVP is looking to become only the second Canadian-born player in the Hall of Fame.

Reliever John Franco compiled a huge number of saves over his 21 year career. His 424 saves rank him fourth all-time behind Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith. But until Smith gets the call...Franco won't get anywhere near Cooperstown.

Also on the ballot for the first time...Carlos Baerga, Bret Boone, Kevin Brown, Marquis Grissom, Lenny Harris, Bobby Higginson, Charles Johnson, Al Leiter, Tino Martinez, 1994 National League Rookie of the Year Raul Mondesi, John Olerud, Kirk Reuter, 1987 National League Rookie of the Year Benito Santiago, and B.J. Surhoff.

Players receiving votes on 75 percent of the ballots will garner an invite to the enshrinement ceremony July 24th in Cooperstown. Results of the vote will be announced January 5th and each day until then, The Hall of Very Good will be breaking now one of the 33 candidates.

Alright, so let's jump back to the beginning...there are no shoe-ins this year, but Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar look to be the two guys with the best chance of enshrinement. Rafael Palmeiro would have been looking at being named on nine out of ten ballots if not for the failed steroid test. But unfortuantely, he won't be seeing the inside walls of the Hall of Fame without first buying a ticket.

So who do you think will make it this year? Let your voice be heard in the comments section!

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.

More Hall of Fame thoughts

First off, a big thanks to those who found the time to join in on the Live Chat last night. I don’t know if much got accomplished…but it was fun talking the Hall of Fame with some of my co-horts.

To re-cap my picks (if I had picks) from early in December, I would go with Roberto Alomar, Harold Baines, Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff and Lee Smith. Admittedly, I am still on the fence about Bert Blyleven, Edgar Martinez and Tim Raines and wouldn’t be able to give them my vote this year.

Soon we’ll know who will be making arrangements for that July induction in Cooperstown, New York.

Last July, I had the pleasure of talking about the Hall of Fame (among other things) with former big league pitcher Dick Drago.

Following the Live Chat, I, again, caught up with Drago and he clued me in to who he would vote for if given the chance…Alomar, Baines, Dawson, Larkin, Martinez, McGriff, Jack Morris, Raines and Smith.

Why no Blyleven?

“Blyleven spent a lot of years to get his numbers,” Drago said, “his win-lost record was not great. I'm a friend of his but not sure I would vote for him.”

But when I reminded Drago that he could vote for up to ten players, he changed his mind about Blyleven, laughed and called it a “courtesy pick”.

The Hall of Fame election results will be announced at 1pm CST and can be watched online over at MLB.com.

Hall of Fame 2010: Bert Blyleven

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.

Up until recently, if you sat down with the fellas and had a discussion about “who is” and “who isn’t” a Hall of Famer…Bert Blyleven probably didn’t get brought up in the discussion.

Here’s a guy that plenty of writers are pimping for enshrinement, but, for some reason, people out in the “real world” aren’t really bringing his name up in polite conversation.

The guy played professional ball in four decades (Bert was drafted in 1969, but didn’t make the bigs until June 1970) for five different teams (twice with the Twins). He even has two World Series rings…and both times, one could argue that he was his team’s "go to" guy!

And yes, I know, I just went on and on about Harold Baines and now…I’m about to slam Blyleven. But let’s face it…the guy was a compiler.

A damn good compiler…but a compiler nonetheless.

All-time, Blyleven’s stats stack up wonderfully to some of those already in the Hall. Over at Baseball Reference, his top ten comparisons feature eight Hall of Famers.

The two that aren’t…Tommy John and Jim Kaat. And let’s be honest, someone COULD make a case for both of them.Fifth all-time in strikeouts has to account for something right? I mean, 3701 is nothing to sniff at. Only Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton have more. Of the players with 3000 Ks or more, you could almost say that all of them should be enshrined, even if the jury is still out on Curt Schilling.

Not bad company to be in if you ask me.When making the case for the Dutchman, everyone mentions Blyleven’s low ERA (3.31) and points to his career 60 shutouts as a contributing factor. To put that into perspective…Ryan and Tom Seaver each have 61. Clemens, for sake of comparison, is 26th all-time with 46…Blyleven is ninth.

Allow me to go one step further…there are only TWO pitchers eligible for Hall induction that have thrown more scoreless games than Clemens. Luis Tiant is one…he has 49. Blyleven, obviously, is the other.

The magic number for career victories is 300. Every pitcher eligible for the Hall of Fame that has more than 300 victories is enshrined. But that’s where it falls off…275 to 299 victories must not mean as much. Blyleven’s career total resides at 287. And say what you want, had there not been a strike in 1981 or had he not been hurt in 1982, Blyleven might have gotten to 300.

But he didn’t.

Heck, had he retired following his last good year (1989), he would have topped off at 271. Again, he didn’t and therefore falls into the “almost…but not quite” company of John and Kaat.

All that being said, his career numbers are, if at the least…”Hall worthy”. So, I’m confused…how do people NOT know who this character is?

The layman’s argument for Blyleven’s inclusion sounds impressive when you lay them out over the span of a “normal” career…but Rik Aalbert Blyleven pitched longer than Christ walked the Earth.

He was also durable…which means even if he was slightly above average (at best), his numbers would still pile up. And they did.Let’s start with wins.No one seems to mention that fact that of those 287 victories…only once Bert topped 20 victories. And that was in a season where he went 20-17. 20 wins is great, but 20-17 is a record only Wilbur Wood would be proud of.

Once at 20, another time with 19…then what? Five seasons of 17 victories? Is that how we’re judging “greatness now?!?It should be noted that in that 1973 season when Blyleven was 20-17, his Twins were 81-81. It wasn’t like he played for the 1962 Mets. He was a slightly average pitcher on an average ballclub.

I won’t even mention the fact that there were TWELVE American League pitchers with 20 or more victories in 1973.Wait, I just did.Let’s face it…a .534 winning percentage isn’t all that spectacular, even if you played for some lousy teams. Look at Carlton’s 1972 Cy Young year. His team had 59 wins total…”Lefty” had 27 of them.

A Hall of Famer (to me) is someone who elevates his team to be better than they should be. And, admittedly, perhaps Blyleven’s record isn’t indicative of his worth. He did, of course, pitch his team to FIFTEEN 1-0 victories. Granted, he lost ten others…but you can’t blame a guy for lack of run support.

3701 is a tremendous number when it comes to strikeouts and Blyleven reaching that plateau is an equally tremendous feat. The fact that eight times scattered throughout an almost 21 complete seasons, Bert topped 200 Ks is good…but not an eye popper.

I’m not comparing the two, just using him as an example, but Pedro Martinez topped 200 Ks in ten out of eleven years during his climb to prominence…and twice he surpassed 300! That, to me, is the example of someone out there killing the opponent.

And of those years where Blyleven racked up some quality strikeout figures, did he ever blow away the competition and lead the league?

Once.

In 1985, he bested Floyd Bannister by 8 strikeouts. 206 compared to 198 and Bert pitched in almost 90 more innings…not really dominant.

“Dominance” shouldn’t be judged the number of times a guy leads the league in strikeouts, right? Basically, when I think of a “strikeout pitcher”…I think of a guy like Randy Johnson. Not a guy who benefited from a four-man rotation instead of the modern five.But that’s okay.

I mean, 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?

Plenty of writers will give a sympathy nod to Blyleven by labeling him “unlucky” and “colorful”. His vote totals have climbed steadily from 17.5% in 1998 to 62.7% last year.

It remains to be seen what 2010 brings.

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.

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!***