2013 MLB Hall of Fame Screechfest

More fun logic:

http://www.patriotledger.com/blogs/dirtywater/x719509955/My-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-Ballot

Mike Fine picks nine names, including Bonds, Clemens and Palmerio.

And then says "There are several others who, I feel, are worthy, and will get my consideration next year."

Which is great, except he has another slot on the ballot for someone he didn't vote for — like Piazza or Biggio — yet would vote for next year. Which makes no sense, because the only person to come off his ballot is Dale Murphy. If no one gets in, the same eight he voted for this year will be there next year, including the addition of two 300-game winners. And this is why we have logjams.

 

Added Schilling to mine today by the way. Then sent it in.

Bags
Bonds
Clemens
McGwire
Raines
Piazza
Schilling

 

BB,

Just curious, what makes Biggio a no for you?

 

Smallest ballot so far — Joe Capozzi goes with Morris and Raines

 

He was close. I looked at him twice.

In the end when I ranked all the second basemen, he just didnt finish real high in hardly anything. He was decidedly behind Alomar and Kent and Sanberg in his era. I like to pick guys who are better than other HOFers, so Im not just adding in the lowest guy (because then it just gets more and more watered down).

His best attributes were his longevity which allowed him to compile a lot.

I certainly could change my mind in future years. He was close. I don't begrudge anyone who votes for him. He just didnt meet my standard, which is pretty high.

 

Gosh, BB, doesn't the fact his first five seasons were as a catcher count for something? That speaks to a pretty high level of ability at the sport to move from catcher to middle infield. And he played some centerfield in there, too.

 

It was only 3 seasons as a catcher. It counts for something, but not much.

And I have two problems with WAR, one is the defensive component. In this case, we're talking about the offensive component only, which I like much better, but it's still got the problem of being cumulative. So it's a counting stat that he can compile the same way he compiled all those hits, by playing forever.

If anyone is going to try to make a case that Biggio was a better offensive player than Jeff Kent, then I don't know what to tell you.

There are 149 guys in MLB history who have played at least 1000 games who played the majority at 2b. Here's where Biggio ranks among them...

AVG: 37th
OBP: 23rd
SLG: 19th
OPS: 18th
OPS+: 21st

His strengths are only in the compiler stats:
H: 2nd
R: 1st
RBI: 8th
HR: 3rd

The dude was just a very good player for a very long time, but he was never, to me, one of the greats. He was never the dominant player at his position for even a single year, let alone a string of years. He was always one of the top three or four, and he continued to do that forever.

If you wanna give him points for longevity, or points for changing positions or points for staying with one team, I can accept that. Those are all reasonable. They are the reasons he almost makes it for me. I'll continue to look at him when the ballot comes next year.

Again, just one man's opinion.

 

I'd put Biggio's 1994, 95, 1997 and 1998 seasons up against any second baseman from those years.

Kent's pretty close in 1998 but Biggio can probably play claim to being the best second basemen for that five-year stretch since his 1996 is a hair below those out four.

 

A ballot tracker is at 8 percent of the vote and Bagwell is leading with 69.9 percent. Morris has dipped to 60.9 percent.

We are getting close to the "will need to be on every remaining ballot to get in" territory.

 

He's got about a 120-vote cushion, assuming 600 ballots.

And we have a winner for worst ballot so far:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20121223_Inside_the_Phillies__Baseball_writer_wrestles_with_a_landmark_Hall_of_Fame_ballot.html

Bob Brookover, who is voting only for Dale Murphy as a stand for the morals clause.

Of course last year Brookover voted for Larkin, Trammell, McGriff and Smith.....BUT NOT Dale Murphy

 

Another one of these jackasses who thinks he is supposed to make a statement with his ballot rather than use it to vote for guys who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

Technically yes. Kenny Lofton has gotten one vote. He needs to be on 449 of the 550 ballots. Extremely unlikely.

Morris needs to be on 420 of the 550 out there. There's a very good chance that happens, but his margin of error isn't that great, unless every voter that doesn't reveal their vote is a yes.