Rickey will get in (and should)
Rice will get in (and shouldn't)

McGwire won't get in (and...um, maybe?)

McGwire won't get in (and...um, maybe?)

I think he should. As an A's fan, it would be fun to see Rickey and Mac go in together. Also weird, since Rickey debuted 7 years before Mac. Blyleven will get screwed again. Raines will get screwed again. Trammell, too.

Blyleven will get screwed again. Raines will get screwed again. Trammell, too.

At least Blyleven's screwings are decreasing each year, and Raines started his screwings at a level which could eventually lead to enshrinement. Trammell, on the other hand, is receiving such a screwing that his only chance to be de-screwed is the VC.

Rice in and Trammell out makes my head hurt

And RICKEY would like to thank RICKEY for being RICKEY. And RICKEY would like to thank God for giving RICKEY RICKEY'S great speed!

It's going to be one of the great acceptance speeches of all time. I'm thinking of heading over to Cooperstown depending on who else is inducted just to see it.

Rice will get in (and shouldn't)

Could you imagine the frenzied wailing from the mediots (like the mediots who bemoaned Pujols over Howard for MVP) if Rice fails by one or two votes?

Could you imagine the frenzied wailing from the mediots (like the mediots who bemoaned Pujols over Howard for MVP) if Rice fails by one or two votes?

This image fills my evil heart with joy.

Could you imagine the frenzied wailing from the mediots (like the mediots who bemoaned Pujols over Howard for MVP) if Rice fails by one or two votes?

A BBWAA civil war? Sweet!

I made the mistake of looking at the first few reader comments on this article. Bad idea.

I made the mistake of looking at the first few reader comments on this article. Bad idea.

I've stopped doing that. America frightens me when I read user comments in main stream news outlets.

Could you imagine the frenzied wailing from the mediots (like the mediots who bemoaned Pujols over Howard for MVP) if Rice fails by one or two votes?

I suspect it will rival the frenzied wailing from some posters here if he makes it by a vote or two.

America frightens me when I read user comments in main stream news outlets.

I end up reading the comments for college football news and sometimes the Rivals.com boards, because their are no message boards like this that I know of for the sport. Scary stuff.

I suspect it will rival the frenzied wailing from some posters here if he makes it by a vote or two.

Maybe, but no one cares about us.

The outrage of Jim Rice getting either 75.02% or 74.99% of the vote both pale in comparison to the revolting certainty of Rickey Henderson getting anything other than 100.0%.

As for my ballot, I’ve already spilled the beans on Rice.

Why not add a healthy helping of Spam while you are at it?

I suspect it will rival the frenzied wailing from some posters here if he makes it by a vote or two.

I think most here have already steeled themselves for that eventuality. I think the pro-Rice contingent in the MSM believes he will make it this time- (That's what really set off the pro-Howard brigade after the MVP vote- they were far more vocal about voting for Howard prior to the vote than the Pujols voters were- and so they assumed Howard would win and were shocked when he didn't- I OTOH was pleasantly surprised)- and so will be enormously disappointed and ANGRY if he falls short.

I think most here have already steeled themselves for that eventuality. I think the pro-Rice contingent in the MSM believes he will make it this time- (That's what really set off the pro-Howard brigade after the MVP vote- they were far more vocal about voting for Howard prior to the vote than the Pujols voters were- and so they assumed Howard would win and were shocked when he didn't- I OTOH was pleasantly surprised)- and so will be enormously disappointed and ANGRY if he falls short.

Actually, the pro-Howard brigade was more vocal about casting their theoretical ballot, since most "xxxx for MVP" articles are written by people who don't have votes. Moreover, the outlandish "xxxx for MVP" stories are more likely to be linked here than the straightforward Pujols for MVP ones. That, as much as anything, is why us thinking fans so thoroughly misjudged the outcome of the MVP race.

Finally, and related, we got links to the handful of outraged writers, not the vast majority of writers who didn't see a deserving MVP as a time to vent.

However, if Rice falling just short of election in his final year of eligibility causes an outcry and results in the BBWAA and HOF reviewing the voting procedures and standards for future elections, it would be a good thing. The BBWAA is not electing enough deserving players, and that problem only figures to get worse going forward. So if an undeserving guy falling short is the catalyst, let the men wail.