Gwynn, Ripken elected to Hall of Fame (McGwire isn't)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/news/story?id=2725461 ^

[mainepatsfan]

Gwynn, Ripken elected to Hall of Fame

ESPN.com news services

NEW YORK -- Mark McGwire fell far short in his first try for the Hall of Fame, picked by 23.5 percent of voters while Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. easily gained baseball's highest honor.

Tarnished by accusations of steroid use, McGwire appeared on 128 of a record 545 ballots in voting released Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ripken was picked by 537 voters, appearing on 98.5 percent of ballots, falling just short of the record percentage of 98.84 set by Tom Seaver when he was selected on 425 of 430 ballots in 1992.

Gwynn was just behind with 532 votes, 97.6 percent.

Goose Gossage was third with 71.2 percent of the vote, falling just short of the 75 percent needed.

The induction will take place July 29 in Cooperstown.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[foreverfree]

Are Ripken and Gwynn eligible to take part in next month's Vets Cmte. election? Or must they wait until they are formally inducted, which means they must wait until 2009 to take part in the VC election, which is biennial?

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[foreverfree]

Caaaaal-e-brate good times, come on!

(Sorry, I saw a pun in there. :-))

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[foreverfree]

And lest I forget...

Come on without, come on within.

We di'n't see nothing like the migh-ty Gwynn.

(Sorry, Mr. Dylan.)

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[Alberta's Child]

I agree. Rice was one of those odd players who was a dominant player on a good team, but didn't play long enough to put up big career numbers. I would put Milwaukee's Cecil Cooper -- another great player from that era -- in the same category.

I think Rice also hurt himself in this regard by steering clear of the media spotlight as much as possible (if I remember correctly). It's almost like he was a dominant -- but quiet -- player in his prime.

[Alberta's Child]

In one respect, among position players Gwynn is the closest thing this era will get to a legendary "throw-back" player in the mold of Ruth, Mays, etc. He didn't get a lot of attention because he played in a small market and didn't play on any championship teams, but when you look at his numbers you realize just how (quietly) dominant his was throughout his career.

His .338 career batting average is #20 on the all-time list -- and everyone above him on that list is either a mythical, legendary figure from the past (e.g., Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, etc.) or a player whose career pre-dated the modern age of baseball (post-1900).

[Alberta's Child]

I wouldn't have voted for McGwire even if there was no suspicion of steroid use in his past. In all the publicity about his record-breaking 1998 season and subsequent controversy in Major League Baseball involving performance-enhancing drugs, one thing that gets overlooked is that McGwire was not an exceptional ballplayer by any stretch.

He put up great power numbers in his career and played on some good teams, but his "steroid-induced" performance in the late 1990s basically resurrected what had been a pretty decent -- but not great -- career. He was hampered by injuries much of the time, was a mediocre fielder at best, and his lifetime batting average of .263 (which -- unlilke most players -- was inflated at the end of his career and would have been lower if he had retired five years earlier) wasn't Hall of Fame material at all.

In fact, at no time in his career would I have considered McGwire one of the top ten players in the game of baseball -- and to me, this is a minimum qualification for a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

[The G Man]

McGwire's legacy?

[MikeD]

So let me get this straight -- Mark McGuire doesn't make the Hall because of steroid accusations. Yet Dale Murphy, the 2-time MVP who led the 1980's in total bases despite playing for the horrible Atlanta Braves, doesn't get in. Again. Yes, Murphy trailed off towards the end of his career, but for six years he was the second best hitter in the National League (behind Mike Schmidt). Plus, you won't find a better character in baseball.

Just my two cents of course, from a die-hard fan of the Murph.

[GB]

Murphy's stats, except for home runs, are below Rice's, but I think he's still in the same boat as Rice. He was great, but he may not have been great long enough to seal the deal for Hall of Fame status.