Is Jeff Kent a Hall of Famer?

It will be either taken away from the BBWAA or greatly diluted, especially as BBWAA becomes less and less significant in the changing media world.

 

You heard very, very wrong.

 

I never talked to Kent. I got very lucky with a one-on-one with Bonds where I got him on a good day when the beat writers were cowering in the corner because there were so used to being told to go fuck themselves. I think that was 1997 or 1998.

I know two beat writers who said the Giants players hated Kent more than Barry. I think SI wrote something to that effect as well. To be fair, the guys who told me that, did so before Bonds was going after the record. I'm guessing he didn't get more lovable as the years went on.

 

Kent has more HRs than any other second basemen. His 1,516 RBI are third all time among second basemen behind only LaJoie (1,599) and Hornsby (1,584). Kent's 560 doubles are fourth all time among second basemen. Only Biggio (668), LaJoie (667), and Gehringer (574) had more doubles. Even in runs, Biggio has the 9th most ever by a second baseman.

Now, these stats are not necessarily the best way to evaluate Kent but the HOF voters love stats like HRs and RBI and Kent has lots of both. It doesn't make sense that the HoF voters will see the HRs and the RBI's and the MVP and only 50% will vote for him. Also, Kent was a great hitter for more than a "handful of years". He was the best hitting second basemen. Some hammer on Kent for his supposedly low OBP (.355) yet Sandberg's OBP was ever lower (.344). Also, Sandberg's hitting stats were great inflated by his home park. Kent played most of his career in tough pitcher's parks (Shea Stadium, Candlestick Park, AT&T Park, and Dodger Stadium) Kent is clearly the superior hitter to Sandberg.

 

Is that simply your opinion?

I doubt the HOF people want to make that kind of break too soon and have a bunch of bloggers and sabergeeks who donl;t know what they're doing make these decisions based on -dWAR -- whatever the fuck that is.

 

The same can be said of old time media members who believe wins are a great way to evaluate a pitcher. You have to admit, there has to be a happy medium. By the way what the fuck is DWAR.

 

It's my educated guess.

MLB doesn't like having its HOF held hostage by a bunch of badly-dressed moralists, and that's becoming more of an issue as more PED suspects come up for election.

MLB doesn't see any logic in a system that gives a vote to Norm MacLean, but no say to Bob Costas and Vin Scully.

BBWAA is much less of a big deal these days -- the people who were radicals about the organization are fading away. There are fewer newspapers and fewer guys who will spend 10 years covering MLB. There are more people who don't think journalists should vote on awards and Halls.

Put it all together and it's an ideal environment for MLB to overhaul the system and go to something like pro football has where voters are hand picked. BBWAA could still be an element in some multi-headed monster that would also include a blue ribbon panel selected by MLB. And if they could sell a lucrative sponsorship, there could even be a fan participation component involved somewhere in the process.

What's the romance with a process that gives ballots to people who have been out of the business for 40 years and allows votes on the vague basis of "he always came through in the clutch?"

 

Maybe they should do it like the NFL and just have a voter from each market.

For the record, I hate the way the NFL does it because a grudge held by a handful of writers can keep a guy out. It's gotten better in the last few years, but at one point the median age of those writers was around 65.

But if you're not covering the sport anymore, you should not have a vote.

 

But Smasher, MLB has nothing to do with it.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an independent operation. MLB does not run it.
And I think you're educated guess is way off the mark. And a fan participation component is about the dumbest thing imaginable.
The BBWAA voting system is not changing anytime soon.

 

I would agree with that. I can't imagine they would change it even if they're pissed at the steroid era players (I seriously question if this is true) being kept out of Cooperstown.

 

Saberphobe!

 

Is the only difference between a second baseman and a shortstop is the shortstop having a better throwing arm?