Running 2012-2013 Hot Stove League Thread, aka Ervin's a Royal

This is not a big deal.

Unlike the old days, a qualifying offer is one universal standard, a $13.3M one year tender required for any free agent to get compensation. None of the 3 really merit that kind of outlay; even as much as I like them.

 

I'm not usually too crazy about owners being put in the Hall unless they were pioneers, but I'd think Ruppert should get in. The Yankees were one of the poorest and mis-managed franchises until he and Huston took over and made them the crowning jewel of the game.

 

Great list, Gehrig. The only change I would make is to put Ruppert at the top — frankly, I think he should have been elected 60 years ago and I'm surprised he isn't in yet.

Dahlen and White should have been locks years ago. Reach probably should be in too, simply for his overall influence on the game (like his sporting-goods-magnate counterpart, Al Spalding).

http://sabr.org/research/deacon-white-overlooked-19th-century-legend

The others? Pass. Mullane's interesting but ultimately inferior. None of the others are even close.

 

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Pre-Integration Era ballot includes Hall of Fame members Bert Blyleven, Pat Gillick, Phil Niekro and Don Sutton; major league executives Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Gary Hughes, and Bob Watson; along with eight historians and veteran media members Jim Henneman, Steve Hirdt, Peter Morris, Phil Pepe, Tom Simon, Claire Smith, T.R. Sullivan and Mark Whicker.

If I had a vote, I'd choose Bill Dahlen, Hank O’Day, Jacob Ruppert and Deacon White

I would listen to arguements on Samuel Breadon and Tony Mullane and Al Reach.

From recent voting: in 2010 O'Day got eight votes when 12 were needed. Voters picked Doug Harvey over him; Ruppert got seven votes when 9 were needed. Breadon got fewer than three votes.

I don't know how you would rank umpires but there are nine who have been inducted. As a 30-year-old who has a pretty good knowledge of history, I recognized the names of five. O'Day is an historical ump who probably gets put in with that group.

I'd also point out that the birthdates for the nine umps are -- 1870, 1874, 1884, 1896, 1899, 1900, 1900, 1915, 1922, 1930. O'Day would be the oldest at 1862.

 

Thanks for posting the information. Learned a lot about players that I didn't know anything of prior to today.

 

After a day of reflection on that ballot, it makes me wonder how long that committee will meet? Half of the players that up for election are clearly not Hall of Famers and if a good number get voted in this time, should 2015 be the last time anyone before 1947 be considered?

At that point it's almost a 70-year gap since the end of that era and I can't imagine there would be anyone else overlooked

 

Dan Haren is pretty much guaranteed to be traded today by midnight Eastern.

 

Haren to the Cubs, reportedly for Marmol.

Unsurprisingly, David Ortiz has re-signed with the Red Sox.

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8584904/source-carlos-marmol-traded-chicago-cubs-los-angeles-angels

Story has the Marmol part. The Haren part is unconfirmed.

 

New link:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-cubs-marmol-20121102,0,2929651.story

 

Ken Rosenthal is now tweeting that the deal is definitely not done, just possible.