Baseball Hall of Fame

[mcmav37]

My favorite baseball player of all time, Ryne Sandberg, has finally been inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Go Ryno.

Wade Boggs was also inducted today.

www.baseballhalloffame.org

:D

[emw]

That's awesome about Ryne - I was hoping he'd make it in! One of the best, for sure.

[msugarpants]

AMEN! boggs got me interested in baseball

[dsharits]

Congrats to Wade Boggs. He definitely deserved it. I remember when he hit his 3000th base hit with a two-run HR, not too far from where I live.

Daniel

[MacNut]

Im glad Boggs is in, but I'm still wishing for Don Matingly.

[Counterfit]

Good to see that Wade is wearing a Sox hat :D

And is Mattingly eligible yet?



What do itinerant cranberry harvesters do near Boston?

They Wade Bogs and Mo Vaughn (Move On) :D

[wdlove]

Good for Wade Boggs. Just a little more honor for the Red Sox. :cool:

[MacNut]

Don't forget that Wade Boggs got his World Series ring as a Yankee, And yes Don Mattingly is eligible for the Hall of Fame, 5 years after retirement, he retired after the 95 season.

[Counterfit]

Don't forget that Wade Boggs got his World Series ring as a Yankee Well, he apparently enjoyed playing in Boston more than New York :p And yes Don Mattingly is eligible for the Hall of Fame, 5 years after retirement, he retired after the 95 season. It's about darn time he got in then!

[aloofman]

I don't know why it took so long for Sandberg to get in. He was the best second baseman in the game for ten years. Duh.

Honestly, I don't think Mattingly deserves to get in. He was great, but he wasn't great for very long. There was a time in the mid-'80s when he was the best player in the game, but he couldn't put together enough great/good seasons to achieve legendary status. As a Dodger fan, I go through this same thing over Gil Hodges and Steve Garvey. My heart tells me they should be in, but my head says that neither of them really reached that pinnacle.

[MacNut]

I understand that Mattingly will probably never make the Hall of Fame but just as a fan favorite and one of the most popular Yankees of all time he should get in by default. If Kurby Puckett can make it in with his numbers so should Mattingly.

I am biased tho as Mattingly is my favorite sports figure of all time and the reason I am a Yankee and baseball fan. I guess thats why i'm not a Hall of Fame voter. :o

[JosiahPB]

It's K-i-rby Puckett, look at his performance in the 91' world series, plus he was the fastest player in major league history to 2,000 hits.

[MacDawg]

Baseball's Hall is the toughest to get in...
Mattingly won't make it. Puckett probably shouldn't have on the basis of one WS performance. Good players, great players, but not Hall of Famers in my opinion.

A list of those great players NOT in will sober you.

Granted, there are a number of players who ARE in that shouldn't be... but that is not a reason to dilute it even more.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[dsyntax]

Well, he apparently enjoyed playing in Boston more than New York :p

I was listening to boggs on the radio and he said players no longer choose their hats for the hall. Cooperstown decided to put the boston hat on him, he had no choice, and seemed very happy that he didn't have to decide.

[MacDawg]

I was listening to boggs on the radio and he said players no longer choose their hats for the hall. Cooperstown decided to put the boston hat on him, he had no choice, and seemed very happy that he didn't have to decide.

I will always remember him as a Red Sox
Wonder what hat they will put on Roger Clemens?

I hope he goes in as a Red Sox as well.

Assuming they don't keep him out like Mattingly ;)

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[aloofman]

I will always remember him as a Red Sox
Wonder what hat they will put on Roger Clemens?

I hope he goes in as a Red Sox as well.

Assuming they don't keep him out like Mattingly ;)

Woof, Woof - Dawg

Clemens is a lock. It's been argued that he's among the top five right-handed pitchers of all time and I think that's true. His best individual seasons were in Boston, so I'm guessing that's the hat he gets unless he makes some big stink over it prior to induction. With Clemens, that kind of surliness is always a possibility.

[Counterfit]

I will always remember him as a Red Sox
Wonder what hat they will put on Roger Clemens?

I hope he goes in as a Red Sox as well.

Assuming they don't keep him out like Mattingly ;)

Woof, Woof - Dawg Clemens not making the HoF? HA! But I think he'll go in as a Yankee :(

[MacDawg]

C'mon guys... didn't you see the ;) wink, wink!!

Of course Clemens is going in.... unless of course we find out he bet on baseball! :o

Nah, he's in... go ahead and induct him.

Yankees/Sox... could be a toss up
Wish they would do something that accommodated both
I still think he should be a Red Sox

BTW, got my picture made with the Red Sox WS trophy :cool:

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[jxyama]

mattingly has no chance... nor should he even come close.

puckett probably didn't deserve to be a first ballot HoF, but he's certainly HoF worthy...

man, people didn't pick up on the clemens' joke by macdawg? :D

clemens was a HoFer 5 years ago.
and he'll probably go in as a sox...

i wonder about randy johnson: mariners or diamondbacks? (i'm thinking arizona...)

rafael palmeiro? i think he'll eventually make it... as a ranger or an oriole?

bonds will go in as a giant...
maddux will go in as a brave...
sosa will go in as a cub...
biggio will go in as an astro...

any others who will retire in the few years?

off topic, but i'm hoping ichiro will play enough seasons in MLB so that he can make it with just the MLB numbers... give him 6 more years... ~2500 hits, 4 or so batting titles, 8 or so gold gloves, 1 or 2 MVPs, RoY, a .400 and 270 hit season probably ought to do it. ;)

[MacDawg]

i wonder about randy johnson: mariners or diamondbacks? (i'm thinking arizona...)

rafael palmeiro? i think he'll eventually make it... as a ranger or an oriole?

bonds will go in as a giant...
maddux will go in as a brave...
sosa will go in as a cub...
biggio will go in as an astro...


Johnson as a Diamondback - I agree
Palmeiro - toss up for Ranger or Oriole
Maddux - as a Brave, definitely
Sosa - could be borderline in spite of numbers
Biggio - borderline in my opinion

But Bonds...
Not as a Pirate for sure...

But for me... keep him out :mad:

I know, I know... but I just can't get past it.
Its too flagrant, too arrogant, too whatever.

I wish he would retire without breaking 714 or 755
Its the only thing left that he could do to show any class as far as I'm concerned.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[MacNut]

I hope bonds if found of using roids so he wont be able to pass Ruth and I don't want him to be in the HOF, as for Puckett being in and Mattingly not, they have identical numbers so how can you let one in and not the other.

[MacDawg]

I hope bonds if found of using roids so he wont be able to pass Ruth and I don't want him to be in the HOF, as for Puckett being in and Mattingly not, they have identical numbers so how can you let one in and not the other.

I'm not doubting you, but post them here for comparison...
just for the sake of the discussion.

I'd say keep Puckett out, but he's already in...

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[MacNut]

Mattingly
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/stats_historical/mlb_individual_stats_player.jsp?playerID=118443
*
Puckett
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/stats_historical/mlb_individual_stats_player.jsp?playerID=120790

This is the easiest way I could do it.

[MacDawg]

http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/Mattingly.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/Puckett.jpg

I would agree that they are fairly comparable.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[jxyama]

MacDawg,

that's really cool. i also checked the defensive stats and both puckett and mattingly were gold glovers... given puckett played CF, a more important position, he gets a slight edge, but probably not enough to make one a HoFer while not the other... postseason heroics also helped, but probably not enough as well...

i think the big factor is the "what if?" factor. you can clearly see that puckett's numbers were at least steady, if not improving, when he abruptly retired due to glucoma. such can't be said for mattingly. mattingly played his full career and was great for the first half of his career but then the numbers steadily declined...

[aloofman]

Is anyone else really surprised that Puckett has so many more triples and stolen bases than Mattingly? Who woulda thunk it?

:eek:

[MacDawg]

Is anyone else really surprised that Puckett has so many more triples and stolen bases than Mattingly? Who woulda thunk it?

:eek:

The element of surprise...
Actually, KP was fairly quick for a man of his build if I remember correctly.

Can't be too slow and play center field.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

[MacNut]

So can anyone explain why Gossage still cant get the number of votes needed.

[IJ Reilly]

So can anyone explain why Gossage still cant get the number of votes needed.

Maybe he could use a little goose?

[xsedrinam]

Maybe he could use a little goose?
You beat me to the pitch.

[Unspeaked]

So can anyone explain why Gossage still cant get the number of votes needed.

Maybe because relievers are way overrated?

[topgunn]

Maybe because relievers are way overrated?
If nobody is voting for him because relievers are overrated, wouldn't that imply that ther aren't?

Sorta like the famous quote from another HOF'er, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

[MacNut]

Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn are in.

[aloofman]

Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn are in.

I'm happy with only those two going in. I feel like no more than one or two should be inducted in a given year.

[silentex]

And, on top of this, they're two of the finest players that have ever been in the game. I'm just waiting for Clemens . . . Of course, Lord knows when he'll retire. Maybe this year :confused:

[MacNut]

What has Ripken done besides the streak. He really isn't that great a player, nowhere close to Gehrig.

I am never going to be happy until Mattingly gets in.

Top 5 votes:
Votes Pct.
Cal Ripken Jr. 537 98.5
Tony Gwynn 532 97.6
Rich Gossage 388 71.2
Jim Rice 346 63.5
Andre Dawson 309 56.7

[iRachel]

And Goose still doesn't make it. (missed by 21 votes).

[aloofman]

What has Ripken done besides the streak. He really isn't that great a player, nowhere close to Gehrig.


Ripken is at or near the top of almost every category among shortstops, which is the most demanding defensive position. It's easy to say now that his numbers aren't that great because we live in the Jeter-Rodriguez-Nomar-Tejada era and we've come to expect power at the shortstop position. In the '80s and early '90s, he was the best all-around shortstop at his position. (Although Ozzie Smith was pretty damn close except for the power difference.) Ripken is one of those guys -- like Eddie Murray -- who was very, very good for a really long time without ever being a superstar. Ripken would be in the Hall even without the streak.

Gehrig's greatness has never been disputed. Except for the streaks, they really aren't comparable at all. Completely different eras, different teams, different positions.

[MacNut]

And Goose still doesn't make it. (missed by 21 votes).He missed by 4 percent. He got 71 needs 75.

[topgunn]

And, on top of this, they're two of the finest players that have ever been in the game. I'm just waiting for Clemens . . . Of course, Lord knows when he'll retire. Maybe this year :confused:
Roger is another player who has the steroid cloud surrounding him. It isn't brought up as much by the media but he has been accused of using more that most anyone else. And look at the guy, he is a beast and he has been around for more than 20 years. I am sure he will get in (barring a positive test) but I don't think he will get 95+% of the vote.

[furcalchick]

i seemed to notice that ripken gets most of the attention of the two, mostly because he was the first at his postion to prove power works over there, and of course, the public's fasination of the homer. gwynn in comparsion had only 135 homers, but he was the greatest hitter of this generation, and possibly in the top ten of greatest hitters, but he gets ignored due to the lack of power. a lifetime batting average of .338 isn't nothing to shake a stick at, and over 3000 hits is impressive. due to our homer fascination, i doubt we'll see much of this anytime soon.

and regarding the shortstop postion. i think arod-jeter-tejada are the exceptions to shortstops being high average and high speed and lower power guys. i'm worried that overall that we will put home run power above all other hitting attributes. trying to hit for homers all the time leads to lots of fly outs and strikeouts, good rally killers. i'm good for a single with two runners on scoring position, and besides, chicks dig the rbi single;)

[aloofman]

i seemed to notice that ripken gets most of the attention of the two, mostly because he was the first at his postion to prove power works over there, and of course, the public's fasination of the homer. gwynn in comparsion had only 135 homers, but he was the greatest hitter of this generation, and possibly in the top ten of greatest hitters, but he gets ignored due to the lack of power. a lifetime batting average of .338 isn't nothing to shake a stick at, and over 3000 hits is impressive. due to our homer fascination, i doubt we'll see much of this anytime soon.

I think Ripken has just been more famous all along because of the streak and Gwynn played in the smaller media market of San Diego. Tony has gotten equal attention here though because the Padres are division rivals and we've seen him many times. Gwynn is also originally from Los Angeles, although he sometimes talks with kind of a southern drawl, which I've never had explained to me.

It's true that Gwynn got less attention because he hit fewer homers, but he's also a less valuable player because of it. Ted Williams had a similar BA and far fewer hits because he walked a lot, but he had over 500 homers and created a lot more runs for his team than Gwynn.

That power deficit is also the reason he isn't among the top ten all time hitters either. Not that Tony isn't a HOFer because he clearly is, one of the easiest Hall elections in my lifetime. Probably 20 players from before WWII were better all-around hitters than Gwynn, including Ruth, Wagner, Cobb, Hornsby, Speaker, Gehrig, Eddie Collins, Foxx, and Greenberg. Postwar, Mantle, Williams, DiMaggio, Aaron, Mays, Bonds, Schmidt, Frank Robinson, and McCovey, were all better than Gwynn, despite lower batting averages. These are just players I can think of off the top of my head. They're all in the HOF too, so Tony's in the right place.

[Counterfit]

I'm simply amazed that:
Ripken didn't get 100% (who the **** wouldn't vote for him?)
Jim Rice is still not in.

[MacNut]

Goose Gossage was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Gossage appeared on 86 percent of the ballots.

Jim Rice had 72.2 percent of the vote, just short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement.

[MacNut]

Rich "Goose" Gossage, who may be better known for his first tour with the Yankees (1978-83), was elected on Tuesday in his ninth year on the ballot. He'll join his former Padres manager, Dick Williams, on the stage behind the Clark Sports Center this coming summer.

Williams, who won the World Series twice as manager of the A's and will go in wearing an Oakland cap, teamed with Gossage in 1994, as the Padres won the first National League pennant in franchise history.

Jim Rice, the former star of 16 seasons, all with the Red Sox, barely missed by 16 votes as he fell 2.8 percent (72.2) below the necessary 75 percent to gain admission to the hallowed red-brick Hall on Main Street in Cooperstown. He'll undoubtedly go in next year, when Rickey Henderson will be an obvious first-time favorite. Rice then will be on the writers' ballot for his 15th and final year.

Gossage, who fell short by 21 votes in 2007, was this time named on 85.8 percent or 466 of the 543 ballots cast.

Andre Dawson, who hobbled on bad knees through many of his 21 seasons with the Expos, Cubs, Red Sox and Marlins, received almost a 10-percent uptick to 65.9 percent and may be right on the bubble in 2009. Voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America also are taking another look at Bert Blyleven, a pitcher whose career ended after 22 seasons, just 13 victories shy of 300. Blyleven finished fourth behind Gossage, Rice and Dawson with a healthy 61.9 percent of the vote.

In the wake of last month's Mitchell Report, Mark McGwire, the first star player tainted by the steroids era to face the electorate, finished at 23.6 percent, almost exactly the same place as last year, when he also received 128 votes despite hitting 70 homers in 1998 to win his famous record home run race against Sammy Sosa and finishing with 583 in his career. In 2007, McGwire also received an underwhelming 23.5 percent.

Of the 11 first-timers on the ballot, only one -- Tim Raines -- received the requisite 5 percent to remain on the ballot. Raines earned 132 or 24.3 percent. Dave Concepcion, the shortstop on Cincinnati's great "Big Red Machine" teams of the 1970s, received 88 votes or 16.2 percent on his 15th and final chance among the writers.

Williams was one of five managers and executives elected last month by a separate, newly formed Veterans Committee.

World Series-winning managers Williams and Billy Southworth were elected along with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss.

All will also be inducted on July 27, although Williams is the only living member of the quintet.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080108&content_id=2341502&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Unspeaked]

This all shows what a weak class we had this year; worst in recent memory.

I still would have picked Rice over Gossage...

[MacNut]

This all shows what a weak class we had this year; worst in recent memory.

I still would have picked Rice over Gossage...I still would like to see Mattingly get in. How does he not have more votes then McGwire.:confused:

[IJ Reilly]

Gossage is a good choice. I think we forget how much harder relief pitchers worked in his era. He'd pitch two or three innings routinely, but was still dominant.

[Unspeaked]

I still would like to see Mattingly get in. How does he not have more votes then McGwire.:confused:

Agreed. Rice and Mattingly were the two most feared hitters of their era in the AL.


Gossage is a good choice. I think we forget how much harder relief pitchers worked in his era. He'd pitch two or three innings routinely, but was still dominant.

He was certainly an over-powering pitcher, but I just don't see anything on his resume that screams "Hall of Famer" to me.

Jim Rice comparisons aside, how can Gossage be voted in over Blyleven? I think it's a case of the market he played in winning over the voters.

[MacNut]

If Goose played like todays relievers he would be one of the greatest ever. The way they used relievers back then was a lot different then how they are used now.

[IJ Reilly]

He was certainly an over-powering pitcher, but I just don't see anything on his resume that screams "Hall of Famer" to me.

If Goose played like todays relievers he would be one of the greatest ever. The way they used relievers back then was a lot different then how they are used now.

Yup, that's it. Gossage was one of the first of his breed -- a real relief specialist. Still this was before closers started working only the ninth inning of games in which their team is leading.

[aloofman]

I still would like to see Mattingly get in. How does he not have more votes then McGwire.:confused:

As great as Mattingly was, he just wasn't great for very long. He was good for several more years before having to retire way too soon. There are quite a few non-HOF players like him who were great for a little while or were very good but not for long enough. Gil Hodges is another player who was very good, but apparently not good enough for long enough. Going by the numbers though, Rice has a much better case for the Hall than Mattingly, putting up very good offense for about a decade. I've always really liked Mattingly. You can't NOT like him.


Jim Rice comparisons aside, how can Gossage be voted in over Blyleven? I think it's a case of the market he played in winning over the voters.

That's a good point. Starters are so much more valuable than relievers, but people are quibbling over Gossage more than Blyleven. One can make the argument that Blyleven really wasn't much better than, say, Tommy John or Jim Kaat. John and Kaat are in that same group of pitchers who played forever and racked up pretty good numbers, but didn't have many great years, didn't get many Cy Young votes, and no one remembers as dominant during any stretch of their careers. On the other hand, Blyleven played for some weak teams on which he was often the unappreciated ace, so he's probably a bit better than his numbers.

I remember a fascinating chapter in the Bill James book, "What Ever Happened to the Hall of Fame", in which he debated whether Don Drysdale belongs in the Hall or not. He came up with convincing arguments either way. One of the "against" arguments was that his career numbers are almost exactly like those of Milt Pappas, who no one ever really thought of as being HOF material.

The arguments never end! :D

[MacNut]

I know Mattingly probably will never make the hall but compare him to some of the players that are using steroids. I would say he was a better role model and suffered through the pain of his injuries better then they do now. Imagine if he used steroids how good his numbers would have been then I bet he would of been in the HOF already. The fact that Mark McGwire got more votes is a disgrace.

I say lets judge a player by their actions on and off the field and put those players that actually loved the game in the hall.

If it wasn't for Mattingly I might not follow baseball today. I would rather see the true talented players in wether the numbers agree or not.

[fotografica]

Here's how the hall describes enshrinement:
Honoring, by enshrinement, those individuals who had exceptional careers, and recognizing others for their significant achievements.
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/museum/mission.jsp
"Exceptional careers" and "significant achievements" can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Obviously, titanic numbers qualify. But there's definitely room for interpretation.

In regard to Rice...The problem is, 1987 and 1988 were unremarkable, 1989 was atrocious. Without those three seasons, he actually looks a little bit better. He'd still have 351 home runs, a .303 career batting average, he'd still have that "feared hitter" label, and people could talk about how if he decided to play until he was 40, he'd have over 500 home runs and 3200 hits. Seems like if he had a few more seasons,he'd be in already. I believe next year is his last year of eligibility..

[MacNut]

Wasn't Rice also horrible to the writers so they won't vote him in now. Many think that if he didn't make it in this year he won't make it.

[zioxide]

Jim Rice had 72.2 percent of the vote, just short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement.

****

[Unspeaked]

That's a good point. Starters are so much more valuable than relievers, but people are quibbling over Gossage more than Blyleven. One can make the argument that Blyleven really wasn't much better than, say, Tommy John or Jim Kaat. John and Kaat are in that same group of pitchers who played forever and racked up pretty good numbers, but didn't have many great years, didn't get many Cy Young votes, and no one remembers as dominant during any stretch of their careers. On the other hand, Blyleven played for some weak teams on which he was often the unappreciated ace, so he's probably a bit better than his numbers.

I think an argument can be made for Tommy John, but the longevity thing was more of an issue with him because he had some great years in the middle of his career (late 70s), but not much before and after.

Blyleven, on the other hand, was really consistent. Aside from the problem of playing for some awful teams which you bring up, he was always a low-ERA, high-K kind of guy. The guyg got Cy Young votes as late as '89, which is pretty impressive since he was 38 at the time. And you can't use the longevity argument to keep a Mattingly out and use the exact opposite view on longevity with Blyleven!


I know Mattingly probably will never make the hall but compare him to some of the players that are using steroids. I would say he was a better role model and suffered through the pain of his injuries better then they do now. Imagine if he used steroids how good his numbers would have been then I bet he would of been in the HOF already. The fact that Mark McGwire got more votes is a disgrace.

I think Mattingly's short career should be treated like Koufax. I'm a Red Sox fan and I still can acknowledge how amazing his mid 80s streak was. There hasn't been a triple crown threat like him until Alex Rodriguez, and now maybe Albert Pujols. He was having 30 HR, 100 RBI .330 AVG seasons when it really meant something.


In regard to Rice...The problem is, 1987 and 1988 were unremarkable, 1989 was atrocious. Without those three seasons, he actually looks a little bit better. He'd still have 351 home runs, a .303 career batting average, he'd still have that "feared hitter" label, and people could talk about how if he decided to play until he was 40, he'd have over 500 home runs and 3200 hits. Seems like if he had a few more seasons,he'd be in already. I believe next year is his last year of eligibility..

Rice was a monster, though. He shouldn't be punished for leaving the game when his vision started to go. Would it have been better if he kicked around for a few more years to pad his numbers DHing in shame? He had 11 seasons as one of the best 2 or 3 hitters in the AL, period, and a few of those as the single best hitter in the game.

If he isn't voted in next year, I'm 100% sure the veteran's committee will vote him in eventually. But it would be nice if he did it without their help...

[fotografica]

dup post

[fotografica]

Rice was a monster, though. He shouldn't be punished for leaving the game when his vision started to go. Would it have been better if he kicked around for a few more years to pad his numbers DHing in shame? He had 11 seasons as one of the best 2 or 3 hitters in the AL, period, and a few of those as the single best hitter in the game.

If he isn't voted in next year, I'm 100% sure the veteran's committee will vote him in eventually. But it would be nice if he did it without their help...

You mean like Tony Perez?He was paraded around like a mascot by the Big Red Machine for his last years in Cinci.It's a shame that Rice's last year was absolutely abysmal. No doubt the veteran's committe will vote him in,but this is the way to go in...
And I don't agree that it was his atittude toward the media/writers that is keeping him out. He played in Boston during a tough time..I remember sitting in Fenway in the late 70's..Some of the things that the fans yelled at him when he it into one of his signature 6-4-3 DP's were horrible...

[aloofman]

And you can't use the longevity argument to keep a Mattingly out and use the exact opposite view on longevity with Blyleven!


I don't think I'm being inconsistent on this one. I was saying that Mattingly didn't have enough great seasons to get elected to the HOF. If a player has a short career but enough dominating seasons, he can get elected a la Koufax. If he has a lot of very, very good seasons, he can get elected a la Eddie Murray. My point was that Blyleven didn't fall into either category. One could argue that if Puckett is in, then Mattingly should be too, since their career numbers were very similar.

And besides, I didn't say that I wouldn't vote for Mattingly or Blyleven. I was saying why I thought he hadn't been elected yet. To be honest, I think there are too many HOFers already and that the standards should be higher.

[Unspeaked]

And besides, I didn't say that I wouldn't vote for Mattingly or Blyleven. I was saying why I thought he hadn't been elected yet. To be honest, I think there are too many HOFers already and that the standards should be higher.

I understand your argument; when I said "you" I meant "one," not you specifically - sorry about that!

:)

[aloofman]

I understand your argument; when I said "you" I meant "one," not you specifically - sorry about that!

:)

No prob, I just didn't want everyone to think I was anti-Donnie Baseball, since I'm definitely not. :cool:

[MacNut]

Ricky Henderson and Jim Rice going to the hall in 09.Rickey Henderson, widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of baseball, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Monday on his first ballot with 94.8 percent of the votes cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Henderson, the all-time steals leader, will be joined in Cooperstown by Jim Rice, who was in his final year of eligibility. Rice (76.4 percent), who fell 16 votes short in 2008, cleared the 75 percent threshhold required for election to the HOF by earning 412 votes, seven over the 405 (of 539) needed.

The two are the first left fielders elected to the Hall of Fame in 20 years. Right-fielder Andre Dawson and pitcher Burt Blyleven, both outside shots for election, fell short again.

Henderson's name appeared on 511 of the 539 ballots cast, falling a little short of the percentages for the last two first-ballot electees -- Tony Gwynn (97.6 percent) and Cal Ripken (98.5 percent), who holds the record for the highest percentage for a position player. Both were elected in 2007. Right-hander Tom Seaver received the highest-ever percentage (98.8 percent) when elected in 1992.http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090112&content_id=3740171&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Abstract]

Some of those players eligible for 2008 were absolute ****. I don't even believe they were average players, or at least for most of their careers.

I see Todd Stottlemyer on the list. He was a pitcher for the Blue Jays who had a really average career, except 1 or 2 seasons.

[MacNut]

Some of those players eligible for 2008 were absolute ****. I don't even believe they were average players, or at least for most of their careers.

I see Todd Stottlemyer on the list. He was a pitcher for the Blue Jays who had a really average career, except 1 or 2 seasons.Do they have to have a certain number of names on the list if they are good or not. What classifies being on the ballot. I guess all you need is to be retired for 5 years or is there more to it?

[YMark]

I guess all you need is to be retired for 5 years or is there more to it?

This is to become eligible. There is a selection committee that chooses the names placed on the ballot.

[MacNut]

This is to become eligible. There is a selection committee that chooses the names placed on the ballot.What are the qualifications that they look at, I'm sure some on the ballot have no business being there and others that are not on that should be.