Walker, Palmeiro on Hall of Fame ballot for first time

For the record, there is a screening committee that decides who is on the ballot. It's not automatic to get on just with 10 years.

http://bbwaa.com/hof-elec-req/

BBWAA Screening Committee — A Screening Committee consisting of baseball writers will be appointed by the BBWAA. This Screening Committee shall consist of six members, with two members to be elected at each Annual Meeting for a three-year term. The duty of the Screening Committee shall be to prepare a ballot listing in alphabetical order eligible candidates who (1) received a vote on a minimum of five percent (5%) of the ballots cast in the preceding election or (2) are eligible for the first time and are nominated by any two of the six members of the BBWAA Screening Committee.

 

Lenny Harris is the all-time leader in pinch hits, so I think he's worth getting a token one-year appearance on the ballot. There's no limit to the number of names on the ballot, so he's not keeping anyone else off.

 

I'm getting so tired of that line of excuse. The current group of players, like it or not, are very good to near-HOF worthy.

Alomar and Blyleven are my two choices for '11, and if Bert doesn't in next month, I have a feeling that Bert will do more than mumble about it. He might go off on the BWAA and Cooperstown in a meltdown for the ages.

Larkin and Bagwell, I can see in '12 or '13. McGriff could be a '12. Bagwell a '12, '13, or a '14.

 

Where in that post did I mention Alomar and Blyleven weren't hall worthy?


There were players on his list that are most definitely not, including Walker, Mattingly. McGriff is far from a lock.


Brush up on the comprehension. My post commented on that poster's choices, not the entire ballot.

 

Last year I voted for Alomar, Blyleven, mcGwire, Raines and Larkin. (Dawson too.)

Will vote for those guys again.

Not sure on Bagwell or Palmeiro. Would lean toward no on both. Bagwell stronger case than Palmeiro, who I consider the ultimate compiler.

Will reconsider McGriff, Edgar, Trammell. They were my bubble guys last year.

 

I don't know if I told y'all but we're mighty proud of all Raffy's done in his baseball career, even after the two NCAA regionals and subsequent CWS appearance in his final campaign of 1985. His three seasons at State led to the recent completion of the Palmeiro Center, an indoor workout facility second to none.
The juicing's sure got me down about 'ol Raffy and I wish he'd not done that.
Does he belong in the Hall, I don't think so.
There've been lots of MLB greats who've hit tons of big balls but overall, he wasn't "super-great" as a pro and thus shouldn't be included among that high list at Cooperstown.

 

Maybe no direct link, but he flunks, with flying colors, any sort of smell test.


Was also very tight with Ken Caminiti.

I wouldn't decline to vote for the guy b/c I'd bet my fortune he was on ample amounts of juice. I wouldn't vote for him b/c, in an era of overinflated power numbers, he didn't distinguish himself enough from the rest of the field.

 

I'll spare everybody another one of my rants about assuming guys juiced with such flimsy evidence.

I am a little surprised so many people don't think of Bagwell as a Hall of Famer. Coming up well short of 500 home runs (he finished with 449) probably cost him some votes, but he was so much more than a power hitter.

Bagwell batted .297 for his career, but what really jumps out in his ratios is the .408 on-base percentage. He had an OPS over 1.000 five times. He is 21st all-time in MLB history with a career OPS of .948. He did that despite spending nine of his 14 full seasons in the majors playing his home games in the Astrodome, arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in the game at the time.

The guy could do a lot more than hit. He was an excellent defender and brought the kind of threat on the bases you rarely see from a power-hitting first baseman. He stole 202 bases in his career, going over 30 twice. He won an MVP award in 1994 and finished second once and third once.

I think people forget how well-rounded he was.

 

During Bagwell's prime (1991-2004), he ranked third in the majors among 1B in OPS+

McGwire 173
Thome 151
Bagwell 149
Giambi 148

He was also top 10 for MVP six times, including winning it once.

His most-similar players are Chipper, Delgado, Thomas, McGriff and Galarraga. Of that group, I'd say Chipper and Thomas are HOFers and the others are borderline. (Delgado not really that borderline.)

Not an easy call.

 

Look at the guys you just mentioned. How many were in Bagwell's class defensively? Maybe Galarraga. None of them could run like him. That's why I think Bagwell is in. He is right up there with the other top sluggers of his era, but he did things they couldn't do.

 

I'll be curious who the first person who is either guilty/presumed guilty of juicing to make it into Cooperstown.

It won't be McGwire or Palmeiro.

 

A-Rod in 12 years or so.