Maddux, Glavine, Thomas elected to Baseball Hall of Fame; Biggio just misses

Who is the only Hall of Famer to have played but never had a hit?

 

That's the problem when bemoaning someone "not getting more support." Every candidate's vote total is an aggregate of yes/no decisions: Is he a HOFer or not? If the switches flip "yes," fine. But if the switches flip "no," how do you scale the guy's support to somehow reflect his worthiness over others who receive few votes?

Voters get blistered when they vote for guys who many decide shouldn't get into the Hall. Yet there are complaints if someone's percentage is "too low," or if they fall off the ballot. What's to be done, designate X number of voters to choose a guy just so his percentage is respectable, but without risking a wrong outcome?

 

Walter Alston.

 

0-for-1. Fanned by Lon Warneke in lone at-bat. OPS+ of =100. SO% of 100.

Often forgotten: A career fielding percentage of .500.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193609270.shtml

 

If Jack Morris had been elected, he would have been the second (0-for-1 in regular season, 0-for-4 in postseason).

 

It would be great if as many people cared about baseball as this stupidly self-serving election.

 

It's fluid.

A lot of people care about baseball, just not all 162 games. NFL 16, NBA 82, NHL 82?

 

La Russa and Maddux go in without logos. I can understand La Russa, but Maddux?

My wife Kathy and I grew up in baseball in Chicago, and then we had just an amazing experience in Atlanta with the Braves. It’s impossible for me to choose one of those teams for my Hall of Fame plaque, as the fans of both clubs in each of those cities were so wonderful. I can’t think of having my Hall of Fame induction without support of both of those fan bases, so, for that reason, the cap on my Hall of Fame plaque will not feature a logo.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/01/greg-maddux-will-not-go-into-the-hall-of-fame-as-an-atlanta-brave/

 

I tuned out at "My wife ..."

Seriously, this is the same gene that possesses sports editors to pick "Co-coaches of the Year."

Make a damn decision for God's sake.

 

LaRussa's cap should have a syringe on it.

 

I fully understand Maddux's personal feelings on this (after all, he spent 12 years in the Cubs organization, including 10 in the majors). What I don't understand is why the Hall went along with it ... especially after making such a big deal about the Wade Boggs kerfluffle and taking the decision out of the players' hands.

The only other time a Hall of Fame player went in with a "plain" cap logo was Catfish Hunter in 1987. (Modern MLB player, I mean. The 19th-century guys and Negro Leaguers often didn't have logos.)

The Hall could make the tough decision on noted two-team stars like Carlton Fisk, Dave Winfield, Boggs, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson (which went over his wishes) ... but they draw the line on Maddux? I just don't get it.

 

Why did Hunter go in sans logo?