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January 10, 2006

Hall of Fame 2006

As numerous writers have noted, 2006 is a bit of a slim year for the Baseball Hall of Fame with no clear candidates for inclusion. With the results of the election due in only a few hours, I thought I'd post my own ballot. As I am not a member of the Baseball Writer's Association of America, my ballot has no bearing on the results of the election, but I'll post it anyhow for the purpose of spurring a little discussion.

Before noting who I would vote for, I will note that my opinions come from the theory there is no insult in not being elected to the Hall of Fame. There are many very good players who will never see their face on a plaque in Cooperstown. The idea that a player is insulted by his exclusion from the Hall turns the entire concept of the Hall on its head. Cooperstown exists to honor the best baseball players who ever lived. Failing to clear that bar is hardly an insult. Even in cases where the Hall has erred (Tinker to Evers to Chance, anyone?), it should be our goal to avoid such mistakes in the future rather than using them as a new basis for what constitutes a Hall of Fame ballplayer.

Looking at this year's ballot, I could see three candidates I consider worthy of inclusion: Bert Blyleven, Goose Gossage, and Tommy John. Blyleven and John, while not stereotypical Hall of Fame players, simply won too many games not to be enshrined, and Gossage really is what we think of when we think Hall of Fame: he was a nonpareil ballplayer whose abilities were far beyond his peers.

A few notes on those I would not select.

Jack Morris. I find little more amazing than writers who will vote for Morris, but who leave Blyleven and John to languish. Yes, I realize that Morris pitched one of the greatest games of the century in the 1991 World Series, but the Hall of Fame is about a career, not just one game, no matter how important. And Morris simply doesn't stack up against true Hall of Famers.

Jim Rice. This was a tough one. Rice was an amazing hitter for an eleven year span. But after that, he fell off the table. Does eleven years of good hitting make up for what was, effectively, a short career? Ultimately, I come down against him. He wouldn't drag down the standards of the Hall were he inducted, but I think his career really falls in the next tier, players who were good, but who weren't quite Hall of Famers.

Bruce Sutter. Sutter is the most likely candidate from this year, but the fact is he's not on the same level as Gossage. Twelve seasons isn't much of a career, and while he was terrific, he would have had to have been unhittable to justify the Hall for only 1,000 innings.

Let the debate begin.