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Next year's Hall of Fame Class

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by PhilaYank36, Jul 30, 2007.

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Which of these players would you want to see get voted into Cooperstown next year (max. 5 players)?

  1. Bert Blyleven

    46 vote(s)
    45.5%
  2. Dave Concepcion

    7 vote(s)
    6.9%
  3. Andre Dawson

    46 vote(s)
    45.5%
  4. Rich "Goose" Gossage

    74 vote(s)
    73.3%
  5. Tommy John

    10 vote(s)
    9.9%
  6. Don Mattingly

    17 vote(s)
    16.8%
  7. Mark McGwire

    16 vote(s)
    15.8%
  8. Jack Morris

    35 vote(s)
    34.7%
  9. Robb Nen

    1 vote(s)
    1.0%
  10. Tim Raines

    20 vote(s)
    19.8%
  11. Jim Rice

    38 vote(s)
    37.6%
  12. Lee Smith

    26 vote(s)
    25.7%
  13. Alan Trammell

    20 vote(s)
    19.8%
  14. No one

    4 vote(s)
    4.0%
  1. PhilaYank36

    PhilaYank36 Guest

    My votes:
    • Bert Blyleven: 287 wins, .534 winning percentage, 3.31 lifetime ERA, 242 complete games, almost 5,000 innings pitched, 3,701 strikeouts against 1,322 walks (2.80:1 strikeout/walk ratio), 1.20 WHIP, one of the best damn curveballs over the last 30 years.
    • Rich "Goose" Gossage: Hands down, one of the most intimidating and effective closers in division-era play, nine-time All-Star, routinely pitched multiple innings for saves; 124-107 record, .537 winning percentage, 3.01 lifetime ERA, 310 saves, 1,002 appearances, 1,502 strikeouts/732 walks in 1,809.1 innings, 7.47 K/9 ratio
    • Tommy John: was the first to undergo revolutionary elbow surgery that helped extend not only his career, but hundreds of other Major Leaguers, four-time All-Star; 288-231 record, .556 winning percentage, 3.34 lifetime ERA, 162 complete games, 2,245 strikeouts/1,259 walks in 4,710.1 innings, 1.28 WHIP as a sinkerballer.
    • Jack Morris: Winningest pitcher in the 1980s, signature moment was pitching a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, five-time All-Star, seven-time Top 10 Cy Young finisher; 254-186 record, .577 winning percentage, 3.90 lifetime ERA, 175 complete games, 2,478 strikeouts/1,390 walks in 3,824 innings.
    • Tim Raines: Arguably the second-best leadoff man in division-era play, seven-time All-Star, three-time Top 10 MVP voting finisher, second in ROY voting (1981); .294 average & .385 on-base percentage, 2,605 hits (430 2Bs, 113 3Bs, 170 HRs), 1,571 runs scored, 808 stolen bases in 954 attempts - .847 success rate (in comparison, Rickey Henderson went 1406-for-1741, an .808 success rate)


    Obviously, Rickey would be on this list, but I have absolutely no clue when (or if) he officially retired. Anyone know when he's eligible for election?

     
  2. Goose, Morris and Dawson get my vote.
     
  3. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Holy Crap! McCain's advertising on SportsJournalists.com? Don't know if that says more about his campaign or the site.

    I voted for Rice and Goose. But if it was just one it would be Goose because after he arrived, what team didn't have a big fastballer with a number in the 50s?. Paging Dave Beard and Eric Plunk of the A's....
     
  4. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Blyleven, Morris, Dawson, Gossage and Rice. Sorry, Rock.
     
  5. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Goose gets in. He'll probably be alone.
     
  6. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    I voted for Morris, Gossage, Blyleven and Rice. All four should have made it already. The omission of Morris, in particular, still bugs me. He was a front-line pitcher for a long time and he had some great post-season performances.

    Rickey Henderson is eligible in 2009, when he should be a unanimous selection. But of course, a few assholes will refuse to vote for him just because they think nobody should ever get in unanimously.
     
  7. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    Rickey's the headliner in 2009.

    Raines should make it at some point, but I can't see him getting in on the first ballot with someone like Goose or Rice having to wait for this election because there was no way anyone got in last time besides Ripken and Gwynn. The waiting game never ends with the Hall — it just pushes people back even further.

    At least by 2010, Rice, Concepcion and John will all be off in addition to those voted in. That will shrink the pool considerably.
     
  8. Boobie Miles

    Boobie Miles Active Member

    Not once in his career did I think of Tim Raines as a Hall of Famer. It actually surprises me to see he made 7 AS teams.
     
  9. Boobie Miles

    Boobie Miles Active Member

    Now that'll be a speech.
     
  10. Dawson should make it in at some point, surely.
     
  11. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    It shouldn't. Look at the stats. He had the misfortune of being the second-most electric player in baseball from 1981-88. And his 1987 season remains my favorite season of all-time.
     
  12. novelist_wannabe

    novelist_wannabe Well-Known Member

    BR has Rickey's last year as 2003.

    I was looking at the list of first-year eligible players, and Raines is the only one even remotely close, and I think he's a borderline case. This might be a year when Blyleven picks up some steam.

    Tommy John's career numbers are great, but damn, he had a lot of 11- and 12-win seasons, and he won 288 mainly because his career spanned 26 years. The case for him has to hang on how important he was as a medical case pioneer. That has to be worth something, though clearly voters haven't been sold on it in the past.

    Blyleven falls into the same category, although his strikeouts push him a notch ahead of John in my estimation. His average season was 14-12 and he won 20 just once. Sorry, but a starting pitcher needs to win more. Having said that, I'll say this: Don Sutton had basically the same career as Blyleven, only he won 37 more games. If you're of the stare decisis crowd, it's hard to keep Blyleven out.

    Gut feeling is Raines won't ever make the cut.
     
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