2018 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

[Della9250]

BBWAA announces the three finalists for the Spink Award: Star Tribune's Patrick Reusse, Akron Beacon Journal's Sheldon Ocker, and Ft Worth Star Telegram's Jim Reeves

Reeves was the runner-up last year. Surprising that Juan Vene got dumped from a finalist, especially with the meeting happening in Miami, after two straight third-place finishes and Furman Bisher missed by 28 votes in 2015 but hasn't been finalist since.

 

[Della9250]

2018 Ford C. Frick Award Ballot

The eight finalists for the 2018 Frick Award are: Buddy Blattner, Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Al Michaels, Joe Morgan and Pee Wee Reese.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I am still a Spink voter, and it's starting to become really difficult because of knowing all the nominees. Hate the feeling I screwed two people I like and respect.

 

[CD Boogie]

2018 Ford C. Frick Award Ballot

The eight finalists for the 2018 Frick Award are: Buddy Blattner, Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Al Michaels, Joe Morgan and Pee Wee Reese.

Ya gotta be ****ing kidding me.

 

[Della9250]

I think at this point it's obvious the national ballot is getting pretty thin. No offense to Pee Wee Reese but he's by far the weakest candidate and he's technically the eighth-best candidate. Of course with Costas, Michaels and Buck lined up, that covers the next decade worth of elections.

 

[manky_jimy]

BBWAA announces the three finalists for the Spink Award: Star Tribune's Patrick Reusse, Akron Beacon Journal's Sheldon Ocker, and Ft Worth Star Telegram's Jim Reeves

Reeves was the runner-up last year. Surprising that Juan Vene got dumped from a finalist, especially with the meeting happening in Miami, after two straight third-place finishes and Furman Bisher missed by 28 votes in 2015 but hasn't been finalist since.

Where is Rivera on that ballot? He retired in 2013, therefore is eligible next year.

 

[Della9250]

Where is Rivera on that ballot? He retired in 2013, therefore is eligible next year.

This doesn't even make sense

 

[HanSenSE]

Good explainer on the Frick Award choices. Still, Michaels? Except for one game with Costas on MLB Network, I can't remember the last network baseball game he did.

Finalists Announced for Ford C. Frick Award – Inside the Seams

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

I'm not crazy about Costas anymore...but is there another broadcaster who should be in before him?

 

[The Big Ragu]

The first six years they gave this award, it went to Mel Allen, Red Barber, Bob Elson, Russ Hodges, Ernie Harwell, Vin Sculey and Jack Brickhouse.

Maybe I am doing the thing where you make people more legendary after the fact. And pioneers tend to be remembered particularly fondly. Plus, I have no memory of any of those broadcasters during their time. I know the legends more than their actual work. Still, as good as Buddy Blattner, Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Al Michaels, Joe Morgan. etc. were/are, it feels like a completely different conversation to me. Anyone else feeling that?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The first six years they gave this award, it went to Mel Allen, Red Barber, Bob Elson, Russ Hodges, Ernie Harwell, Vin Sculey and Jack Brickhouse.

Maybe I am doing the thing where you make people more legendary after the fact. And pioneers tend to be remembered particularly fondly. Plus, I have no memory of any of those broadcasters during their time. I know the legends more than their actual work. Still, as good as Buddy Blattner, Joe Buck, Bob Costas, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Al Michaels, Joe Morgan. etc. were/are, it feels like a completely different conversation to me. Anyone else feeling that?

Those legends were all local-first broadcasters, associated with one team for decades and beloved by those teams' fan bases as part of their fandom. All the names for 2018 are national-first or indeed only national broadcasters. It is an inescapable part of sports that the same fans who love their local announcers hate national ones. I dunno why, but it's been true my whole life long.

 

[playthrough]

Good explainer on the Frick Award choices. Still, Michaels? Except for one game with Costas on MLB Network, I can't remember the last network baseball game he did.

Finalists Announced for Ford C. Frick Award – Inside the Seams

Definitely remember him from the 1989 Earthquake WS, plus a whole lot more '80s baseball.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Al Michaels, fashioning an entire career of the dumb luck of being at the two biggest bookend events of the '80s. Ugh.

I'm with Elliotte, Costas' grand ol' game spokesman act has grown tiresome & his fastball wouldn't get pulled over on my cul-de-sac anymore. But I wouldn't be offended if he got in, unlike Michaels, Buck and you must be ****ting me Joe Morgan.

 

[Della9250]

I do get the hate for Buck, but he's got a Hall of Fame resume -- and he's not even 50.

He's called 20 World Series. That's basically double everybody else. He could do 40 straight like its nothing.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Not for nothing, but Michaels was also the play-by-play guy for the Big Red Machine, at least for a while.

 

[X-Hack]

Sure, Buck has called 20 World Series. And those are 20 World Series that I'd have loved to have anyone else calling.

Oddly, Joe Morgan has never bothered me as much as he's bothered other people. I wouldn't give him the Ford Frick Award, but there are others I've liked a lot less (Tim McCarver and Buck Martinez for starters).

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I honestly don't think Buck is that bad. He's mechanical and sticks with production meeting talking points too long, but he doesn't call a terrible game. Also, he's let Smoltz do a lot of the talking, which doesn't hurt.

 

[Steak Snabler]

The tragic irony of Joe Morgan is that he hated sabermetrics, but because of his on-base skills, efficient base-stealing and power from a non-power position he was many sabermetricians' all-time favorite player.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The tragic irony of Joe Morgan is that he hated sabermetrics, but because of his on-base skills, efficient base-stealing and power from a non-power position he was many sabermetricians' all-time favorite player.

Those metrics, which hadn't been quantified but were recognized as things that happened, were why he got an MVP. I think he just hated math. Many do.

 

[Huggy]

Sure, Buck has called 20 World Series. And those are 20 World Series that I'd have loved to have anyone else calling.

Oddly, Joe Morgan has never bothered me as much as he's bothered other people. I wouldn't give him the Ford Frick Award, but there are others I've liked a lot less (Tim McCarver and Buck Martinez for starters).

Here in Canucikistan we can choose from the international or Fox feeds of the World Series. the international feed has Matt Vasgersian and Buck Martinez who is light years better in his role as a colour guy than he is as the Jays' TV PBP voice. I hope Sportsnet can figure out a way to get Dan Shulman to increase his schedule of Jays games....