Who gets my vote?
Recently, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced the names on the ballot for the 2005 Induction. Along with 15 players previously listed, 12 newcomers have been added. If I were a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, here is who I would vote for (voting members are allowed to vote for up to 10 players), and the teams I think the Hall of Fame should have them represent:
Wade Boggs (Red Sox) - The only newcomer I would vote for, his hitting exploits (seven straight 200 hit seasons, 3,010 career hits) qualify him as one of the top third basemen of all time.
Jim Rice (Red Sox) - One of the "understood" criteria of Hall of Fame entrance is whether or not the player was considered the best at his position for a significant length of time. Beginning in his rookie season of 1975 until 1986, including his 1978 MVP campaign, he was one of the more feared hitters in baseball. He finished in the top five in the MVP voting six times in 12 seasons. His dominance was even more evident if you look at the period from 1975 to 1979 when he was in the top five of the MVP voting four times in five years.
Ryne Sandberg (Cubs) - I still cannot believe he was not a first ballot Hall of Famer. When he retired, he was the all time leader in home runs for a second basemen, was an MVP (1984), and won nine Gold Gloves. He is arguably the best to ever play second base.
Lee Smith (Cubs) - The all time leader in saves should be elected for being one of the best in the business for 13 seasons, starting in the early 80's before closers started pitching only an inning at a time through the beginning of the closer explosion.
Bruce Sutter (Cardinals) - A real classic closer, he was the best in the business when being a closer wasa much more difficult job. It is time the Hall began recgonizing the pioneers of this role in the game.
Alan Trammell (Tigers) - His career numbers do not make one think "Hall-of-Famer". However, four Gold Gloves, three top 10 MVP finishes, and was a great offensive shortstop when shortstops generally provided great defense but no offense. Comparing Trammell to the shortstops of today does not afford him the credit he deserves.
There are some candidates I am continuously debating, including Bert Blyleven (287 wins, 3,701 strikeouts), Andre Dawson (438 home runs and great defense), Rich Gossage (another classic closer), and Jack Morris (big game pitcher with 254 wins, but high ERA). The six candidates above stand out above the rest, and should all be elected this year.
Wade Boggs (Red Sox) - The only newcomer I would vote for, his hitting exploits (seven straight 200 hit seasons, 3,010 career hits) qualify him as one of the top third basemen of all time.
Jim Rice (Red Sox) - One of the "understood" criteria of Hall of Fame entrance is whether or not the player was considered the best at his position for a significant length of time. Beginning in his rookie season of 1975 until 1986, including his 1978 MVP campaign, he was one of the more feared hitters in baseball. He finished in the top five in the MVP voting six times in 12 seasons. His dominance was even more evident if you look at the period from 1975 to 1979 when he was in the top five of the MVP voting four times in five years.
Ryne Sandberg (Cubs) - I still cannot believe he was not a first ballot Hall of Famer. When he retired, he was the all time leader in home runs for a second basemen, was an MVP (1984), and won nine Gold Gloves. He is arguably the best to ever play second base.
Lee Smith (Cubs) - The all time leader in saves should be elected for being one of the best in the business for 13 seasons, starting in the early 80's before closers started pitching only an inning at a time through the beginning of the closer explosion.
Bruce Sutter (Cardinals) - A real classic closer, he was the best in the business when being a closer wasa much more difficult job. It is time the Hall began recgonizing the pioneers of this role in the game.
Alan Trammell (Tigers) - His career numbers do not make one think "Hall-of-Famer". However, four Gold Gloves, three top 10 MVP finishes, and was a great offensive shortstop when shortstops generally provided great defense but no offense. Comparing Trammell to the shortstops of today does not afford him the credit he deserves.
There are some candidates I am continuously debating, including Bert Blyleven (287 wins, 3,701 strikeouts), Andre Dawson (438 home runs and great defense), Rich Gossage (another classic closer), and Jack Morris (big game pitcher with 254 wins, but high ERA). The six candidates above stand out above the rest, and should all be elected this year.
posted by Josh at 1:44 PM
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