How do you quantify the impact of bb-ref on the wildly subjective
is there an ease of access quotient in play now

Actually, I found Hal Bodley's to be the most amusing.

Henderson is this year's slam-dunk. If there ever was a player who should be a unanimous choice, it's Rickey Henderson. He was the best leadoff hitter in the history of baseball and could do it all: Get on, steal bases and hit for power, too.

Agreed, no issue there.


Rice has been knocking on the door the last few seasons and I think this is his year. He received 72.2 percent of the vote last year, just missing when Gossage was elected. The fact that this is his 15th and final season is significant. History tells me a player who comes as close as he did last year will make it the next year. No player has ever received that percentage (72.2 percent) and not been elected.

Notice not a mention of Rice's actual merits, just noting that given that its his final year on the ballot and his support last year, it's inevitable.


This is Morris' 10th year on the ballot. He finished sixth in the voting last year at 42.9 percent, which amazes me. He had three 20-win seasons, 11 with 200-plus innings and three 200-strikeout seasons. He never won a Cy Young Award, but received votes seven times. His credentials are as good, if not better, than some Hall of Fame pitchers.

I, too, am amazed that Morris has ~40% of the vote... but in a very different way. And what kind of endorsement is "he never won a CYA, but received votes seven times"? In two of those years, he only received one or two votes. And he was never a serious contender.

Henderson is an undeniable Hall of Famer by anyone who has ever heard of baseball.

"he never won a CYA, but received votes seven times"?

That's gotta be worth at least nine win shares, right?

This is Morris' 10th year on the ballot. He finished sixth in the voting last year at 42.9 percent, which amazes me. He had three 20-win seasons, 11 with 200-plus innings and three 200-strikeout seasons. He never won a Cy Young Award, but received votes seven times. His credentials are as good, if not better, than some Hall of Fame pitchers.

I, too, am amazed that Morris has ~40% of the vote... but in a very different way. And what kind of endorsement is "he never won a CYA, but received votes seven times"? In two of those years, he only received one or two votes. And he was never a serious contender.

The ONLY reason Bodley voted for Morris (he has NEVER voted for him before) was because Murray Chass talked him into it during a floundtable discussion on the YESNetwork a few weeks back.

Bodley was giggling like a coiffed madman that Chass has enlightened him to these "new findings"...Cy Young votes etc.

For nearly 40 years, from FDR's first term to Nixon's first term, Richard Russell was one of the two or three most powerful members of the Senate. But his biographical line in the Congressional Directory always read, in full:

Russell, Richard. DEMOCRAT, Winder, Georgia.

If you've really got it, no need for embellishment.

he never won a CYA, but received votes seven times"

It's the odd new meme previously phrased as "finished top 10 7 times over a 12-year period" ... without noting that with only 3 names per CYA ballot, there's usually about a 3-way tie for 7th and that Morris received only 3-4 first-place votes in that entire time.

Look, I don't want to brag, but I've finished top 10 in NL CYA voting for the last 12 seasons.

It's the odd new meme previously phrased as "finished top 10 7 times over a 12-year period" ... without noting that with only 3 names per CYA ballot, there's usually about a 3-way tie for 7th and that Morris received only 3-4 first-place votes in that entire time.

Not that it matters, but actually, it was 6 first place votes (out of a possible 28 each year).

1981: 0
1983: 2
1984: 0
1986: 0
1987: 0
1991: 3
1992: 1

But you don't understand! Morris had THREE 200-strikeout seasons. Not like that Blyleven hack who ... oh wait.

I saw the WS in 1984 and in 1991, and yeah, Morris was outstanding. But seriously? Jack Morris is like Dennis Leonard with a longer career. Mark Langston would be a better HOFer.

And I am a Tigers fan.

These guys are all longshots. For Kent, his poor defense, reputation for a bad attitude, and possible steroid concerns might cost him a chance at Cooperstown immortality.

Are there steroid concerns with Kent? He was certainly in the right place at the right time, and his career path is suspicious, but I've never heard/read any mainstream speculation. Which seems rather odd, because the circumstantial evidence for Kent's PED use is as strong as any player who hasn't tested positive or been the subject of a federal investigation. His reputation for assholery rivals Bonds and Sheffield, and I've even heard accusations of racism (though I've never seen anything to substantiate them). I hate playing the race card, but I can't think of any other reason why he'd get a pass.

The last left fielder to be elected -- his former Red Sox teammate Carl Yastrzemski in 1989 -- had 962 more hits, 70 more homers, 393 more RBIs, and was able to play seven more seasons.

I didn't/don't/won't support Rice's election, but as reasons for keeping him out, this has to be the worst. Basically, if I understand this correctly, the idea is that if Rice had managed 7 more seasons during his decline phase and averaged 137 hits, 10 HRs and 56 RBIs for those 7 seasons he would have been Yaz reborn.

I can't think of any other reason why he'd get a pass.

Bonds being one of the guys he was an a-hole about I think helped.

Rich Aurilia 2001 would seem to qualify under the "where did that come from" standard though clearly Barry stopped dealing him the good stuff after 2001.*

* in case any of Barry's lawyers are reading this, that was satire, not defamation. :-)

Hell of a peak though. From 1998-2007, Kent had a 133 OPS+. The next closest 2B with any playing time was Alomar at 111. Relative to position, that's probably more dominant than Pujols. AROD, Chipper and Edmonds are the only non-corner players ahead of him in that time and Piazza is right behind.

The biggest OPS+ gaps, 1998-2007, between #1 and #2 at each position (LF/RF as one position, 1B/DH as one position):

Bonds-Manny: 49
Pujols-Giambi: 12
Jones-Rolen: 23
Kent-Alomar: 22
AROD-Nomar: 25
Piazza-Posada: 5