How many of the following active players would you vote into the HOF?

I'm not a big fan of Kent's, either. Someone remind me: Did he usually bat before or after Barry? I'm thinking it was often Barry 3 and Kent cleanup.

 

Dooley, can you explain A. Jones over Vlad?

& I agree that Kent should be in, annoying as it is.

 

I know I would. Of course, I saw Kent when he was a young guy in New York. He came over from Toronto with Ryan Thompson for David Cone back in 1992 (and that's not using B-R). I was OK with the Mets getting rid of him for Carlos Baerga, but regretted it soon after. I'll stop in front of his plaque. I know that.

And I believe he batted behind Bonds for the most part, I believe.

 

OK, so maybe Rogers was a little bit better -- maybe (with his .358 average and 2,930 hits and 541 doubles and 169 triples and 1,584 RBIs). But name one more second baseman with numbers like Kent's.

 

I'm on the East Coast and I've heard talk about Tony Gwynn prior to Cooperstown coming calling. There are two other things that I think merit Gwynn being in AND SOSA NOT BEING IN. Gwynn wasn't 'roided up AND was an ambassador for the game. Sosa was an effin' cheat.

Cheaters never prosper, nor do they deserve enshrinement. I'd also favor revoking HOF memberships for people who are found to cheat. Gaylord Perry? If he's in, get his cheating ass out of there and into a Hall of Shame erected where BALCO's headquarters used to be.

 

My list:

Derek Jeter 41 (5.4%)
Barry Bonds 37 (4.9%)
Sammy Sosa 21 (2.8%)
Alex Rodriguez 45 (5.9%)
Roger Clemens 46 (6.1%)
Greg Maddux 47 (6.2%)
Tom Glavine 44 (5.8%)
John Smoltz 39 (5.1%)
Pedro Martinez 34 (4.5%)
Randy Johnson 44 (5.8%)
Frank Thomas 34 (4.5%)
Craig Biggio 37 (4.9%)
Trevor Hoffman 32 (4.2%)
Mariano Rivera 42 (5.5%)
Manny Ramirez 35 (4.6%)
Andruw Jones 7 (0.9%)
Jeff Kent 7 (0.9%)
Ivan Rodriguez 35 (4.6%)
Mike Piazza 28 (3.7%)
Ken Griffey Jr. 44 (5.8%)
Vladimir Guerrero 25 (3.3%)

 

Interesting tidbit. The only unanimous choice through 47 votes is Greg Maddux.

 

Derek Jeter
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
John Smoltz
Frank Thomas
Craig Biggio
Trevor Hoffman
Mariano Rivera
Ivan Rodriguez

Everyone else gets either a "nyet" or a "not yet."

 

I think both Hoffman and Rivera are going to break down the barrier to contemporary closers (hybrids like Eck and Smoltz excluded) getting into the Hall of Fame. It's a specific skill but one that, as the game evolves, will come to be seen on a plane with elite-level starters.

 

Dearest Baseball-Reference,

I feel there's so much I don't know about you. I apologize for using you simply for the usual stat checks, awards and transactions. Although I continue to sing your praises, I feel I've wronged you for not using you to the best of your abilities. From now on, I will devote more of my time to exploring your countless amount of features, for every bell is as important as the next whistle.

I'm sorry.

With love,

mike311gd

 

Yeah, that's the argument, isn't it. I mean, if you're a good player for a long time, like, say Craig Biggio, you're going to rack up some Hall of Fame level stats. If you're a good hitter at a weak position, like Jeff Kent, you'll be dubbed "the best-hitting second baseman ever," by those who forget Rogers Hornsby. If you match the numbers of some other boderline candidate, like Mike Piazza does Gary Carter, well, then, you get in. And the end result is the aforementioned Hall of Very Good. It's a crowded place. And kind of a boring one.
"Hall of Fame" seems to suggest something greater, something accomplished when the World Series is on the line, or at least in the heat of pennant races. You need a good strong career, sure, but also a few years of utterly dominant pitching, Koufax-style, or, yeah, a couple of seasons of epic home run hitting. Or a Curt Schilling bloody sock kind of moment. That's what people remember and tell their kids about, not "Jeff Kent was a real solid hitter, better than you'd think for a 2nd baseman."

 

You're right on that one. I'm just waiting for the days when the Scot Shields and the Steve Karsays of the game get recognized. Where's the love for the holds?