Worst Hall of Fame ballot ever? Worst Hall of Fame ballot ever.

Oh, I don't doubt that short of giving the vote to fans my suggestions would be a "disaster."

My question to journalists is, "Why does that disaster matter to you?"

 

I'd argue that sportswriters, by and large, are the most credible baseball historians

 

I think it would work better if they took the list, had a couple preliminary votes and then had 10 HOF finalists. Voters can vote for none, or they can vote for all 10.

I think we'll get a few more people inducted and there will be less shenanigans.

I think it would be great if current Hall of Famers voted, because they want to make sure getting inducted remains an honor that only the truly deserving (and Tony Perez) have bestowed on them.

Current players and managers voting would be a joke.

 

Does that include the sportswriter who put BJ Surhoff on his ballot?

 

That would be not unlike the NFL system -- except for having the cabal of 40 locked in a room politicking for votes for "their guy". That is an even more flawed system than the current BBWAA vote.

And why do we need more people in the Hall? For the most part, the BBWAA gets it right, despite a few whackos like Stanton.
Not many guys who deserve to be in the Hall aren't there and most of the weak choices were put in by the Vets committee.

 

If memory serves it was John Lopez who voted for Jim Deshaies several years ago. I don't remember the name of the guy who voted for Travis Fryman.

 

That's why I said by and large. You can cherry pick an idiot from any group

 

It matters to me as a lifelong baseball fan.
It matters to me as a former baseball writer (never got my 10 consecutive years in BBWAA to get a Hall vote).

I don't buy for a second that there is any ethical dilemma in having writers vote for the Hall or any other award. That is all self-righteous bullshit.

 

I just looked it up. Two people voted for Travis Fryman.