How did Blair "miss Joe Morgan"? Blair's easily in his mid to late 50's, if not 60's, which means he would have been in his 20's when Morgan was winning MVP awards, and maybe in his 30's during the end of Joe's career. Amazes me that some guy who apparently didn't start watching baseball until he had to cover it in 1989 gets a ballot.

How did Blair "miss Joe Morgan"?

He said "seen in person." He covers the Blue Jays. I presume Blair has lived in the Toronto area most or all of his life, which would then, in my opinion, be a valid excuse for never having seen Morgan play in person, even if he had been covering Morgan during Morgan's prime. Morgan played in the NL his whole career except his last year, by which he was a shell of his former self. A Blue Jays beat writer would have had a chance to cover Morgan only at the All-Star Game or World Series, and there's no guarantee that someone else on the paper wouldn't have gotten that assignment. Maybe you could say he should have caught a Jays-A's game in 1984, but would that really have counted as having seen possibly the greatest second baseman ever?

Surely to god the spitting incident from 13 years ago that has been re-hashed and apoligized for ad nauseum won't keep Alomar out the HOF. As far as I'm concerned its the only thing that could keep him out. No, he may not have deserved all 10 of his Gold Gloves, but don't try and tell me he wasn't a great fielder.

He said "seen in person." He covers the Blue Jays. I presume Blair has lived in the Toronto area most or all of his life, which would then, in my opinion, be a valid excuse for never having seen Morgan play in person, even if he had been covering Morgan during Morgan's prime.

Actually, #2, Blair started out covering baseball with the Montreal Gazette, and even after he joined the Globe and Mail (a Toronto paper that repositioned itself as a national newspaper) he continued to be based in Montreal for several years. So he did see a lot of NL baseball. However, before he started at the Gazette he worked for papers in Calgary and Winnipeg. His bio says that he listened to Reds and Cards games on the radio as a kid and first saw a baseball game in Winnipeg, from which I infer he probably grew up in Manitoba. I'm not sure of the exact timing of his career, but my guess is that he was probably living and/or working in the prairies throughout Morgan's NL career (and certainly through his heyday). Which would be a very good excuse not to have ever seen Morgan in person, even if you're a Reds fan (as Blair apparently was).

Actually, #2, Blair started out covering baseball with the Montreal Gazette, and even after he joined the Globe and Mail (a Toronto paper that repositioned itself as a national newspaper) he continued to be based in Montreal for several years. So he did see a lot of NL baseball. However, before he started at the Gazette he worked for papers in Calgary and Winnipeg. His bio says that he listened to Reds and Cards games on the radio as a kid and first saw a baseball game in Winnipeg, from which I infer he probably grew up in Manitoba. I'm not sure of the exact timing of his career, but my guess is that he was probably living and/or working in the prairies throughout Morgan's NL career (and certainly through his heyday). Which would be a very good excuse not to have ever seen Morgan in person, even if you're a Reds fan (as Blair apparently was).

OK. I couldn't find his bio in a quick and easy web search. I think the main thing is that #1 was thinking Blair had never even seen Morgan on TV, rather than in person.

A "moderate" Google Image Search for Jeff Blair reveals that he's got great tits.

I got an email from the HoF once, does that count?