Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Master H,

As good as his numbers for the first three seasons would have been better if crack wasn't his hobby. To whatever extent his drug use had a deleterious effect on his latter career, no one can know. Would he have sustained great numbers longer? Well, crack didn't lengthen his career or enhance his performance. Did it contribute to health problems later in life? Can't say yes or no definitively.

o-<

 

And that could be his downfall. While we want to think these guys will go in on the merits of their play, but the extras count and that includes defining moments. For me, when I think of Raines, I think of the cocaine viles in the socks, his "Rock Raines" baseball card and collusion in 86/87. Overshadows the numbers probably unfairly. It is somewhat of a perception problem. As was stated earlier, Raines may have been the second best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years, but he was an exact contemporary of the best in Henderson.

His numbers merit it, but he may be stuck on the outside for awhile with guys like Blyleven, who despite numbers, most voters look at him and think not a hall of famer because he had not defining moment unless you count a killer beard.

 

Very late to the thread. But I've been a pimp for Alomar since I joined the board. No-brainer HOFer.

Other than he, the light crop this year may be good news for Blyleven, Raines and/or Dawson. I doubt all three make it, but two of the three may.

And anyone who votes for a career DH for the HOF should turn in his BBWAA card immediately.

 

No way all three make it (among the returnees, only Dawson and Blyleven got as much as half the vote last year). Most likely to occur: Dawson squeaks in by a thin Rice-like margin, a Vets Committee guy or two makes it in and 15,000 people show up in Cooperstown next year. Alomar and Blyleven just miss.

Less likely to occur, but quite conceivable: The BBWAA doesn't vote anybody in for the first time since '96 and 2,200 people show up to Cooperstown to see a Vets Committee guy or two get inducted. But that could open the door for Alomar, Dawson and Blyleven to get in together in '11.

 

Raines should have been in long ago. I would have to mull Alomar. And Blyleven belongs...in the Gopher Ball Hall of Fame.

 

Dools picking a fight with Zeke with that last comment.

 

This seems like a kind of hardline stance to take - It's part of the game. However, I think it's going to be a hypothetical discussion for awhile, since Martinez probably won't get in, Ortiz doesn't look like he has the career length to be a viable candidate, and Thomas spent half his career at 1B, IIRC. I'm of the mindset that if the DH didn't exist, Martinez and guys like him would have just been planted at 1B instead.

 

Not necessarily. First base might be the "easiest" position to play, but you still gotta do it. And you still gotta stay healthy to do it.

If Martinez had played first base, we'd give him credit for playing first base. But he didn't -- doesn't make any sense to compare him to real first basemen.

That said, I'm also of the mind-set that the DH is part of the game and we should assess these guys' careers based on what they did and what they were asked to do, not what we wish wasn't part of the game. Same goes with closers.

 

Eh, I just like to imagine him stamping his feets and throwing things.

 

Since 1900, Bert Blyleven ranks 5th in career strikeouts, 8th in shutouts, and 17th in wins.

 

And No. 7 in home runs allowed.

 

Fair enough — didn't mean to start a holy war.