Posted on 01/09/2013 11:12:23 AM PST by massmike
Baseball writers didn't elect Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday, making an apparent statement on their suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs.
In fact, they failed to elect anyone, something that has only happened twice in the Hall's history.
Since 1965, the only years the writers didn't elect a candidate were when Yogi Berra topped the 1971 vote by appearing on 67 percent of the ballots cast and when Phil Niekro headed the 1996 ballot at 68 percent. Both were chosen the following years when they achieved the 75 percent necessary for election.
Also on the ballot for the first time were Sammy Sosa and Mike Piazza, power hitters whose statistics have been questioned because of the Steroids Era, and Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits — all for the Houston Astros. Curt Schilling, 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in postseason play, was another ballot rookie.
Several holdovers from last year also were on the 37-player ballot, including Jack Morris (67 percent), Jeff Bagwell (56 percent), Lee Smith (51 percent) and Tim Raines (49 percent).
In advance of Wednesday's announcement, The Baseball Think Factory website compiled votes by writers who made their opinions public and with 159 ballots had everyone falling short of admission. Biggio was at 69 percent, followed by Morris (63), Bagwell (61), Raines (61), Piazza (60), Bonds (43) and Clemens (43).
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcsports.msnbc.com ...
I don’t like this “not worthy of the first ballot” stuff you either belong in or you don’t. Even if you don’t put Bonds and Clemens in cause of the ‘riods there are several who should have got in. Right? Biggio? Raines? Piazza (riods?)?
Poor Ran Santo died before they let him in.
And even the best of the best players don’t get in unanimously, I think the closest was Tom Seaver but a couple idiots still voted no. Who do those sportswriters think they are? Presidential electors in 1820?
Designer statistics such as WAR tell me absolutely nothing. I can derive all I need to know about a batter's season or career by looking at his BatAvg, SlgAvg, OBP, Hits, 2Bs, 3Bs, HRs, Runs, RBIs, SBs, Walks, and maybe one or two other stats.
Completely and totally irrelevant to the fact that Babe Ruth was one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
“Okay, so the 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee class goes to a restaurant, who pays the tab”
“Nobody”
“But Nobody was just inducted into the Hall of Fame!”
“That’s right.”
“Third base!”
Didn’t Sylvia Jane Kirby have a big hit with a song about this year’s HoF class?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhrcmDFt02c
“Who do those sportswriters think they are? Presidential electors in 1820?”
“And even the best of the best players don’t get in unanimously”
They are a cabal of self-important, self-supporting sports mullahs that are in no better position to judge people than a crystal meth distributor out looking to score Robitussin.
“either belong in or you don’t.”
Agreed. Neither Jim Rice or Tony Perez belong. Ron Santo, “Ran” to his friends and family, should have got in decades ago.
:-) Great minds, and all that.
IMHO, unless the pitcher is a reliever (so they won't get wins), or there is an unusual circumstance (say, someone like Sandy Koufax, whose career was cut short by injury) then the 21 players you mention don't belong in the HoF, either.
Bottom line, there should be fewer players in the HoF, not more.
Totally agree. First step should be to get rid of the "veterans committee". Everyone from the pre-1970 era who should legitimately be in, is in.
And the standards for selecting non-players should be much more strict. Only those who really transformed the game (e.g. Ban Johnson, Branch Rickey) should get the nod.
How about all the players who used greenies?
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