2013 MLB Hall of Fame Screechfest

Well, we know Bonds, McGwire, Clemens and Sosa used. We know A-Rod used. We know Manny Ramirez used. Does that mean they don't belong in the HOF?

 

There is no way for the voters to look good on this in future years. Either they stick with these no votes on Clemens and Bonds, continuing to look stupid; or they switch en masse in the next year or two and confirm the widespread suspicion that their no votes were just foot-stomping morality and they took it upon themselves to "punish" the guys by withholding their first-ballot status, which makes the voters look even more stupid.

 

I guess it is unfair to blame the voting body when the majority are getting it right.

It's the mechanism that lets 26% of the voters get off on being withholding that causes the problems.

 

RE: "They were Hall of Famers before they started juicing."

How the fuck do you know when they started taking PEDs?

 

Meaning?

 

Meaning looking at the list of players that was put in front of them this year and concluding that some of them were Hall of Famers.

If you can look at that list and decide that none are worthy of induction, then you aren't serious enough about this to deserve a vote (or possibly are too serious and it's causing you to lose proper perspective).

 

I know you don't mean this, but it sounds like you're saying only those who submitted blank ballots got it wrong. What about the person who voted for Aaron Sele? Didn't he or she get it wrong?

 

Honestly, I'm saying that everyone who didn't vote for about seven or eight guys got it wrong, but at a minimum everyone who didn't vote for Biggio or Bagwell got it egregiously wrong.

 

I'll say that I don't hang with the in-crowd of baseball writers anymore, therefore, haven't had face-to-face contact. It's pretty shitty if a group banded together, said they weren't voting for the PED guys and encouraged other not to (same with political voting). But I guess, as has been pointed out, it happened. Just not to me.
I'll reveal my ballot. You digest all of the reasons for/against a guy, then decided which reasons you believe to be most valid. I don't believe in the "no first ballot" thinking. I decide if I think a guys is a Hall of Famer or not. If I think he is, I vote for him. If I don't think he is, I don't. I believe some of the PED guys were HOF quality before using. I believe the PED hitters were facing PED pitchers (partly based on info I got from a friend who was a major league batting coach during that time). I have always voted for a lot of guys and I am unhappy that the BBWAA vote doesn't allow more than 1 or 2 -- or none -- a year.
Pick it apart of you want. I'm not coming back to defend every criticism of my picks. Don't waste your time saying, "if you voted for X, why didn't you vote for Y?"
Smith, Raines, Piazza, Morris, McGwire, Clemens, Bonds, Biggio, Bagwell.

 

^Got it right.

 

He voted for Jack Morris and Mark McGwire, but not Sosa. Did not get it right. Got it close. Did not get it right.

 

The entire system has always struck me as odd. I still can't figure out how a player can not get in after eight years and then inexplicably merits induction in his ninth try. It's not as though his stats got any better.