BBTF.org/m/hall_of_fame : Schulman: Bonds, Clemens should be in Hall

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Posnanski: Andy Pettitte and the Van Doren Gene

(joeposnanski.blogspot.com)

posted 5 days ago by Repoz to hall of fame, history, media, yankees | 161 comment(s)

600* BBWAA writers voted, but no one saw a thing.

* give or take

This, I think, was what made the Bert Blyleven-Jack Morris Hall of Fame discussion so interesting. The statistics made it abundantly clear that Blyleven was not just a better pitcher than Morris but light years better. But Blyleven just doesn’t have the Van Doren Gene … and Morris does. And so the debate over which pitcher was better raged on; in some quarters it rages on still. People don’t just see Morris as a Hall of ...

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1. Bitter Calculus Instructor posted on December 21, 2012 at 02:50 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I didn't put it in the intro since I submitted it before I actually read the article, but:

I still could be swayed on Dale Murphy and Alan Trammell.

And he leaves his email and twitter there. So if anyone wants to send him their case for Biggio, Murphy, or Trammell, go ahead.

2. esseff posted on December 21, 2012 at 03:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

My favorite part is where he calls Barry Bonds a "Grade A Tool" and the phrase auto-links to ads for tools.

3. Dale Sams posted on December 21, 2012 at 03:53 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I voted yes for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on my Hall of Fame ballot.
I also voted for Jeff Bagwell, Jack Morris, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling and Lee Smith. Before I feed the ballot into my fax machine, I also might check Craig Biggio.

I still could be swayed on Dale Murphy and Alan Trammell

Again (as i said in the other thread) where is Sosa? Or Palmiero?

edit:

I did not vote for Sammy Sosa because, steroids aside, he is not first-ballot material. He hit 609 home runs. He also is tied for 186th all-time in OPS-plus. (McGwire is tied for 11th.)

How can you in one hand be progressive and in the other say such nonsense as 'first ballot material'. You either are or you are not a HOFer.

4. cercopithecus aethiops posted on December 21, 2012 at 04:12 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

There actually is a plausible argument for "first ballot material." It just isn't the one that' commonly used. But if you've already got ten names on your ballot and there are a couple of newly eligible players that you think also deserve to get in but rank lower than the ten guys you're voting for, then it seems like you've got little choice but to hope that you get another chance to vote for those players after some of the guys you rank higher have been elected.

5. Walt Davis posted on December 21, 2012 at 07:22 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Again (as i said in the other thread) where is Sosa? Or Palmiero?

C'mon, the guy's got Morris and Smith on there ... he's using a rather mysterious set of criteria.

6. Bhaakon posted on December 22, 2012 at 03:56 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

How can you in one hand be progressive and in the other say such nonsense as 'first ballot material'. You either are or you are not a HOFer.

He's got precedent on his side, and the length of ballot eligibility strongly suggests that that voters are well withing their mandate to hold off on enshrining players for whatever silly or legitimate reasons they see fit.

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Posnanski: Andy Pettitte and the Van Doren Gene

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