I would love to have heard the rationale of the five souls who voted no to Seaver. Had to be a "refuse any first ballot guy" reason.

At least the former players, coaches and managers have played the game.

 

It may not relieve them of their biases, but it gives their vote more credibility to me.

 

What qualifications do guys like John Fay & Jay Mariotti possess? As far as I'm concerned, they're talking heads.

 

FWIW, I love John Fay's blog. I'm simply using him as a local example.

 

Lamest excuse ever. It completely discounts the writer's ability to watch and learn. Or, perhaps you think Hal McCoy doesn't know anything about baseball, despite observing it closely for 30+ years? Maybe Rickey Henderson is better equipped to be a voter because he played?

Alomar most definitely has Hall of Fame numbers and deserves to get in one day.

 

Alomar is clearly a HOF-caliber player ...

 

I don't disagree with that. I just think Jack Morris is far more worthy, and for Alomar to score 20 percentage points higher than Morris is a crime.

I would love to have heard the rationale of the five souls who voted no to Seaver. Had to be a "refuse any first ballot guy" reason.

 

Ryan, Bench, Mays, Aaron, Gehrig, Ruth, Ripken, etc . . . None of these players were worthy of a unanimous vote? I think that if any player that receives 98% or higher, those voting against that player should be publically identified and have to explain their vote. Then, just to make things fair, there should be some type of vote (maybe by all the existing HOF'ers?) whether that particular voter should be allowed to continue to vote in the future. You want to make a joke of the process, then make you don't need to be a part of it any longer.

I think Gehrig and Ruth received the exact same number of votes by the same voters. Makes you think the same eleven or so voters probably voted no to both of them.

 

While we are talking Hall of Famers, what Hall of Famer said, " Blind people come to the park just to hear him pitch."

 

And what HOF'er was he referring to?

I think Gehrig and Ruth received the exact same number of votes by the same voters. Makes you think the same eleven or so voters probably voted no to both of them.

 

While we are talking Hall of Famers, what Hall of Famer said, " Blind people come to the park just to hear him pitch."

 

And what HOF'er was he referring to?

 

Walter Johnson?

I think Gehrig and Ruth received the exact same number of votes by the same voters. Makes you think the same eleven or so voters probably voted no to both of them.

 

While we are talking Hall of Famers, what Hall of Famer said, " Blind people come to the park just to hear him pitch."

 

And what HOF'er was he referring to?

 

I'll say Nolan Ryan, said by Reggie Jackson. I only make that guess because I know Jackson also said about Ryan, "Every hitter likes fastballs just like everyone like ice cream. But nobody likes it stuffed into you by the gallon, which is how it feels to face Ryan." (or something like that).

 

Next guess would be Sandy Koufax, said by Aaron.

 

Next guess would be Bob Feller, said by I don't know who.

I'll say Nolan Ryan, said by Reggie Jackson. I only make that guess because I know Jackson also said about Ryan, "Every hitter likes fastballs just like everyone like ice cream. But nobody likes it stuffed into you by the gallon, which is how it feels to face Ryan." (or something like that).

 

Next guess would be Sandy Koufax, said by Aaron.

 

Next guess would be Bob Feller, said by I don't know who.

 

 

 

Jackson said it about Tom "Terrific."

Jack Morris was money, winning a title while in Detroit has to carry some weight, doesn't it?

Lamest excuse ever. It completely discounts the writer's ability to watch and learn. Or, perhaps you think Hal McCoy doesn't know anything about baseball, despite observing it closely for 30+ years? Maybe Rickey Henderson is better equipped to be a voter because he played?

 

Obviously there are exceptions. My post addressed writers like Jay Mariotti, John Fay and other writers / bloggers who haven't been around the game for so long.

All Hall of Fame voting confuse the heck out of me, but baseball's irritates me the most.

 

I wish Hall of Fame voting went like this -

 

Year 1: No brainer, first ballot, elite of the elite. Examples: Ruth, Cobb, Mays, etc. These guys should be transformational type players with 0 debate. With that said, these "voters" or whatever they are that vote on this never unanimously vote in some of these guys.

 

Year 2: Hall of Fame, but not the cream of the crop.

 

Year 3: Off the ballot. Why do you get year after year to make the Hall? What changes with said player to make them better?

I have a hard time figuring out how Andre Dawson got better and better over the past 9 years. ROY, MVP, 8 gold gloves, 8-time all-star. Those didn't all happen in the decade of the 2000s. He was good enough to get in no later than year 2 of eligibility, IMO.

 

I don't have nearly as much problem with the "I'm gonna vote for him in year 2 and not in year 1" writers (see post above) as the ones who vote for the Kevin Appiers of the world.

 

I don't have nearly as much problem with the "I'm gonna vote for him in year 2 and not in year 1" writers (see post above) as the ones who vote for the Kevin Appiers of the world.

No kidding.

 

Kevin Appier? Seriously? I also noticed David Segui and Pat Hentgen received a vote.

I don't disagree with that. I just think Jack Morris is far more worthy, and for Alomar to score 20 percentage points higher than Morris is a crime.

 

I think both should get in but what makes you think Morris is far more worthy. Make a case to support your argument. I think Alomar should get in before Morris and here's why:

 

* Both won 2 World Series

 

* Alomar was on 12 All Star Teams, Morris was on 5

 

* Alomar was in the top 10 in MVP Voting 5 times, Morris 0

 

* Alomar won 10 Gold Gloves, Morris 0

 

* Alomar won 4 Silver Slugger Awards, Morris won a TSN Pitcher of the Year Award. I put these together because they were unique to their position.

 

* Alomar finished with a lifetime .300 average which is considered outstanding while Morris finished with a career 3.90 ERA which is quite frankly, average especially considering the bulk of his career was spent before the offensive explosion in 1993.

 

* Both players performed well in the postseason. Morris ERA in postseason was 3.80 compared to his 3.90 regular season ERA. Alomar hit .313 in the postseason compared to .300 in the regular season. Alomar was the 1992 ALCS MVP while Morris was the 1991 WS MVP.

 

I see no rational argument, besides personal bias, that supports the fact that Morris is far more worthy of being voted into the Hall of Fame than Alomar. Personally, I couldn't stand Alomar and really liked Morris. However, Alomar was the best second baseman in the game during his era while Morris was a reliable workhorse who was always among the leaders in wins. I just don't see him as more deserving than Alomar.

One of my biggest gripes is the guys that turn in a blank ballot. Since the election depends on receiving 75% of the vote that really screws players over. I think blank ballots should not be considered in the percentages.