My HOF Ballot

    Since there are those that I suspect of using my work as a basis for their own anyway, perhaps we can make this constructive if I post my own Hall of Fame ballot with yays or nays and brief reasons why:

• Brady Anderson-No way.
• Harold Baines-A good player and a nice man, but no Hall of Famer.
• Rod Beck-No.
• Bert Blyleven-I’ve been swayed. He’s waited long enough and should be elected.
• Dave Concepcion-No—-Concepcion Doesn’t Cut It.
• Andre Dawson-I can understand the argument for not putting him in, but I’d vote yes.
• Shawon Dunston-No way.
• Chuck Finley-No.
• Travis Fryman-No.
• Goose Gossage-Absolutely. Should’ve been in long ago.
• Tommy John-If Blyleven gets in, John will have a strong case. I was for John before I was for Blyleven. That he revolutionized the game by being the first to return and thrive from the ligament replacement surgery that now bears his name should enhance his candidacy over the top and get him in.
• Dave Justice-If he’d lasted until 41-42 and had some strong years, he’d be a viable candidate, but no.
• Chuck Knoblauch-No.
• Don Mattingly-When baseball allowed Kirby Puckett into the Hall because of his career-ending injury to his eye and postulated what he would have achieved had he not gotten hurt, Don Mattingly had some ammunition to say that he too should have been afforded the same courtesy because of his back problems. Mattingly’s too humble and classy to do that; I’d vote no.
• Mark McGwire-I’d vote yes.
• Jack Morris-Yes. Morris is a Hall of Famer.
• Dale Murphy-In looking at his numbers, he’s quite close; like Mattingly, he doesn’t quite make it.
• Robb Nen- Respectable, gutsy career, but no.
• Dave Parker-Fine player and leader, but no Hall of Famer right now. I might be able to be swayed eventually to support him.
• Tim Raines-Definitely not on the first ballot. Maybe after waiting a few years.
• Jim Rice-We’ve gone over this numerous times. Rice should’ve been in long ago.
• Jose Rijo-No.
• Lee Smith-The "stat-compiler" argument applies more so to relievers than it does to any other pitcher or player. Closers who are elected should be dominant; guys who make the other team start packing their gear when they enter the game; I’m talking about Gossage, Bruce Sutter, Rollie Fingers and Mariano Rivera. Smith was something of a journeyman who was a good closer, but no Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination.
• Todd Stottlemyre-No.
• Alan Trammell-Yes. Trammell was underrated as a player and is a Hall of Famer.