2007 MLB HOF candidates

by slobberknocker on Nov 27, 2006 8:12 PM PST Comment 35 comments

Who's in? Who's out? Who gets enough votes to get another chance?

Harold Baines
Albert Belle
Dante Bichette
Bert Blyleven
Bobby Bonilla
Scott Brosius
Jay Buhner
Ken Caminiti
Jose Canseco
Dave Concepcion
Eric Davis
Andre Dawson
Tony Fernandez
Steve Garvey
Rich "Goose" Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Orel Hershiser
Tommy John
Wally Joyner
Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Paul O'Neill
Dave Parker
Jim Rice
Cal Ripken Jr
Bret Saberhagen
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Devon White
Bobby Witt

Bios

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Comments

My choices

I think Tony Gwynn, Big Mac & Cal Ripken, Jr are obvious choices. Andre Dawson, Orel H, Tommy John and Jim Rice are interesting and could/should make it in. This looks like an above average year.

by slobberknocker on Nov 27, 2006 8:07 PM PST reply actions

4 votes here....

Gwynn, Gossage, McGwire, Ripken.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Nov 27, 2006 9:00 PM PST reply actions

Because I'm a nice guy...

I suggest:

Harold Baines
Bert Blyleven
Andre Dawson
Rich "Goose" Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Mark McGwire
Dale Murphy
Dave Parker
Jim Rice
Cal Ripken Jr
Lee Smith

The biggest class ever!

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Nov 27, 2006 9:04 PM PST reply actions

I thought you could only vote for 10...

My list is shorter, but familiar...

Andre Dawson
Rich "Goose" Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Mark McGwire
Cal Ripken Jr

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Nov 27, 2006 9:44 PM PST up reply actions

That may be true

I voted for 10 players and 1 goose.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Nov 27, 2006 11:36 PM PST up reply actions

I wouldn't minds seeing Murphy make it

but Murphy is a virtual impossibility. He's been on the ballot since 1999, and never gotten too much over 20% of the vote - and last year he was down to around 10%. If he could have gotten over the 400 home run plateau, he might have stood a better chance - and I think some voters might have been put off by his .266 lifetime batting average.

by IM4Oakgal on Nov 30, 2006 12:13 AM PST up reply actions

Mine:

Gwynn
Ripken
That's it.

"That's one osteoporitic offense." - Jeepers, on the SF Giants

by Ozzz on Nov 27, 2006 9:26 PM PST reply actions

mine sez

gwynn
ripken (how come no one ever accuses him of steroids?)
blyleven (read too much Neyer)
morris

Hi, I am closetasfan, and I am a NRAF, and an ANA

by closetasfan on Nov 27, 2006 10:13 PM PST reply actions

5 for me

Ripken
McGwire
Gwynn
Belle
Blylevin

by chri5 on Nov 27, 2006 10:47 PM PST reply actions

Wow...Al Belle huh?

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Nov 27, 2006 10:57 PM PST up reply actions

Why not Belle?

He pioneered the era of steroids, corked bats and mandatory anger management classes. He excelled in a crowded field.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Nov 27, 2006 11:37 PM PST up reply actions

Albert Belle was a great hitter

His extra-base % is unreal: 103 extra-base hits in 1995! Too bad his hip gave way. Plus he was not well liked by the press, so he has a tough road to the HOF.

by slobberknocker on Nov 28, 2006 12:00 PM PST up reply actions

Belle

The reason I vote for Belle is that the precedent for voting in players with career ending injuries is already there, and has recently been seen with the induction of Puckett. IMO, Belle is far better suited to the HOF than Puckett.

Belle averaged a Warp3 of 8.9 over his 10 full years (I dont count the partial seasons he played in 89 and 90). Career line of 295/369/564 with an OPS+ of 143

Puckett averaged a 7.9 warp3 in his full 12 years. Career line of 318/360/477 with an OPS+ of 124.

IMO, letting people in the HOF with shortened careers should be reserved to the elite. Belle was one of those hitters. For a long period he was one of the top 3 hitters in baseball. I know he won't get in in real life, but if Kirby is in (which i don't think he should be), Belle should be too.

by chri5 on Nov 28, 2006 5:15 PM PST up reply actions

Kirby factoids

--No player in the history of major league baseball reached 2,000 hits faster than Kirby Puckett.
--His .318 career BA is the highest BA posted by a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio
--he won 6 Gold Gloves
--He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting 7 times in his 12-year career
--He was a 10-time All-Star in his 12 year career

If that doesn't make you a Hall of Famer, I'm not sure what does.

"Look its either batman or batman and robin not robin w/o batman robin isn't sh@#."--cchefz71

by jeepers on Nov 29, 2006 7:53 AM PST up reply actions

Just one point here

cuz I don't know where else to say it: how many football players will be left out of the football Hall Of Fame because of steroids? And how many players elected to that HOF will have used steroids? Don't hear this mentioned too often.

by Philip Christy on Nov 28, 2006 1:24 AM PST reply actions

good point..

I wonder if Big Mac will even make it this year because of what happened in court. In this day and age with a vast majority of baseball players juicing, it would be a shame for the man who broke one of baseball's most amazing records not to make it in.

theres only one marky mark...and hes number 14

by wearit1175 on Nov 28, 2006 1:41 AM PST up reply actions

If you get 10 votes

Blyleven
Gwynn
Mcgwire
Ripken Jr, although i think he is overrated.
Trammel
Gossage
Davis
Fernandez
Smith
Concepcion

by jahs34 on Nov 28, 2006 6:29 AM PST reply actions

Blyleven MUST get in

The guy has very worthy lifetime stats (just based on victories and complete games he should be in), and was just a great pitcher with the best curve ball of his era.

I just finished watching a seven DVD set of the Pirates '79 WS victory over the Orioles, and Blyleven was FANTASTIC in the series. He came in in relief in game 5 (with Pirates down 3 games to 1) and totally shut down the Orioles for the win. Just one example of his brilliance.

It's absolutely appalling that this guy isn't in the Hall. If he'd played in a bigger market he'd have been in five or six years ago.

by Brian in 317 on Nov 28, 2006 7:17 AM PST reply actions

Blyleven brilliant -- yes, but...

3.90 Career ERA, no Cy Young & never led the league in wins or ERA.

by slobberknocker on Nov 28, 2006 12:07 PM PST up reply actions

Good counters

except for the wins part. He should not be held responsible for the suckitude of many of the teams for which he played.

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 28, 2006 1:07 PM PST up reply actions

Blyleven's career ERA was 3.31

Wins: 287 Losses: 250 and 242 Complete games! If you don't think he belongs in the hall you're nuts.

by Brian in 317 on Nov 28, 2006 2:03 PM PST up reply actions

Blyleven ERA

You are correct. I grabbed the Park Adjusted ERA. PS: 287 of 537 games=53%. I still contend that he was one of the greatest and deserves to be in the HOF. I'm just throwing out some numbers. ESPN has a probably the best argument as to why he should be in.

Also see: http://www.bertbelongs.com/

by slobberknocker on Nov 29, 2006 5:03 PM PST up reply actions

wow that's some website!

I guess others also feel strongly that he should be in! Thanks for the link.

by Brian in 317 on Nov 30, 2006 6:48 AM PST up reply actions

Brosius

i had to wipe my eyes when i saw his name on the list.

BIG MAC all the way!!!!!!!!!

KGrand

by bigmacattack on Nov 28, 2006 7:28 AM PST reply actions

My votes

Gwynn
Ripken
Gossage
Blyleven

maybe McGwire. I'm wavering on whether or not a statement should be made on him by having him get in on the second ballot. I think he belongs at some point.

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 28, 2006 9:14 AM PST reply actions

I forgot one

Alan Trammell belongs in the Hall of Fame.

"Look its either batman or batman and robin not robin w/o batman robin isn't sh@#."--cchefz71

by jeepers on Nov 29, 2006 2:37 PM PST up reply actions

Looks like McGwire won't make it

The AP conducted a phone survey of a sample of voters, and he's falling well short:

The AP contacted, via e-mails and telephone, about 150 of the approximately 575 present or former members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who are eligible to cast ballots. Of that number, 125 responded, including 25 AP sports writers. Most of the voters' names were obtained in the Major League Baseball media directory.

And the breakdown was:

74 will not vote for McGwire.
23 will vote for him.
16 are undecided.
5 refused to say.
5 aren't allowed to vote by their employers.
2 will abstain from voting.

That means if all the undecideds and those refusing to say voted for McGwire, and everyone else voted, McGwire would need 84 percent of the rest to get into the Hall.

This Ohio voter presents the case for why:

"There is a clause on the ballot indicating that character should be considered and after his nonperformance at the congressional hearings his character certainly comes into play," said the Dayton Daily News' Hal McCoy.

"He doesn't want to talk about the past?" he said, "Then I don't want to consider his past."

"Next thing you know, they'll have me taking an overdose of pills."--Milton Bradley

by jeepers on Nov 28, 2006 9:33 AM PST reply actions

From everything I have read....

I don't think he will be remotely close to getting in.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Nov 28, 2006 9:46 AM PST up reply actions

Not this time

I believe Big Mac will receive a lot of votes, but not enough this time. He may not ever get in. His character is in question.

by slobberknocker on Nov 28, 2006 11:55 AM PST up reply actions

Character

Character is a dumb reason (imo) to keep one of the all-time great hitters out of the Hall.

by chri5 on Nov 28, 2006 4:56 PM PST up reply actions

I agree wholeheartedly

I'm just noting how I think the voting will go.

by slobberknocker on Nov 29, 2006 6:55 AM PST up reply actions

My All-Characters HOF (in no particular order)

Mark McGwire
Jose (like Madonna, he needs no last name)
Albert Belle
Steve Garvey, and sons, and daughters, wives and various receptacles
Ken Caminiti
Goose Gossage
Nuke LaLooshe

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Nov 28, 2006 10:15 AM PST reply actions

I'm listing favorites I enjoyed watching

Because we know which two are going in.

Harold Baines: two years more would have done it.

Albert Belle: Didn't like the guy but he was a force.

Bert Blyleven: Wow! Warrior! Hated playing against him!

Jose Canseco: Baseball needs it's Yogi Berra's.

Dave Conception: You don't know what you missed, that good!

Andre Dawson: Tough Expo. You had to be! A guy you build a World Series Championship on.

Rich "Goose" Gossage: Probably does not belong but a damn lot of fun when he took the mound in the 9th inning!

Tony Gwynn: BELONGS, HOF was made for guys like this.

Mark McGwire: BELONGS. To bad it is tainted because he didn't need anything extra.

Jack Morris: Borderline but the guy you build a dynasty on.

Dave Parker: Great CFer Arm. Great hitter. Him and Pops had "We Are Family" goin' on before adding more Bash to the Bash Bros.

Jim Rice: World Series starved BoSox's annual hope to push through to the series. Tough Competitor. Consistency.

Cal Ripken Jr: Consecutive games record.

Lee Smith: Under rated closer. Here this guy is up for HOF considerations and I call him under rated! The fact is that he really is!

by A s Eh on Nov 28, 2006 8:45 PM PST reply actions

My ballot

McGwire -- one of the two greatest pure power hitters of all time. Exemplary batting eye and solid defense as well. (see the other thread for the less obvious stuff)

Ripken, Jr. -- A defensive marvel -- he was a pioneer, ushering in the era of big shortstops. There's also that consecutive games thing, though it was totally forced.

Gwynn -- A stalwart defender and excellent baserunner as a younger man, he was Ichiro long before there was Ichiro. San Diego's first legit HOFer.

Gossage -- From 1975 through 1985, when used as a reliever (every year except 76), he averaged 98 innings/year (979 ip), allowed a puny era of 2.08 and only allowed 6.4 hits every 9 innings. In short, he was better than Mariano Rivera. (2.29 era, 7.1 h/9, 881-2/3 ip)

Blyleven -- The man threw 4,970 very, very good innings. He threw nearly as many innings as Ryan with a better ERA+ and a better WHIP. He loses points because he was never better than very good -- but to me, he gets those back and more because he was almost never worse than very good, either. Blyleven posted 2 sub average era years during the meat of his career. Ryan posted 5.

Belle -- He was an absolute monster and I don't just mean as a person. He's batting's version of Sandy Koufax, except with a longer effective career. He also passes both the Black Ink and Grey Ink tests, despite both being tilted in favor of longevity.

That is all. Actually, it's a pretty long ballot. Belle, Bly and Goose definitely are not going in this year. Belle probably never will, Bly and Goose may eventually, but likely in a less top heavy year.

Another project of Devo's

by devo on Nov 29, 2006 10:42 AM PST reply actions