Baseball Hall of Fame

The result of the Hall of Fame elections were announced today. Bruce Sutter was the lone person to receive the required 75% of the vote needed to gain entry, getting 400 votes from the 520 ballots cast. Fourteen players were on the ballot for the first time, and twelve failed to receive the 5% necessary -- only Orel Hershiser and Albert Belle will be on the ballot next year, and as their combined vote total was below 100, it's doubtful either will ever get elected. Next year, first time candidates Tony Gwynn, Mark McGwire, and Cal Ripken, Jr., are all likely to be elected (and it's unlikely anyone else will be, in that election).

A few current players on the ballot that I think merit election:
Bert Blylevin and Tommy John -- the two pitchers with the most career victories who are eligible for election but are not yet in the Hall. If they had won 13 and 12 more games, respectively, they would have reached the 300 mark, which would pretty much have guaranteed their election. Bert Blylevin was victimzed by poor run support, and Tommy John missed an entire season when he had to undergo the surgery that's named after him (and doesn't having a surgery named after you boost your Hall of Fame credentials?).

Andre Dawson -- victimized by playing in Montreal from 1976-1986, due to the low visiblity that comes with playing there, and the turf which tore up his knees. He's still one of only four players to have 300 homers and 300 steals (the others are Barry Bonds, his father Bobby Bonds, and Barry's godfather Willie Mays). He also had over 2750 hits, 500 doubles, 1500 RBI's, and 1300 runs. His 438 homers, and the other numbers, look better after some of the luster has come off recent statistics due to the steroid scandal.

Jack Morris -- had a lousy ERA by Hall Standards, which is why he's not in. He was an excellent big-game pitcher, though. It's a close call, but I think he deserves in.

Goose Gossage, but not Lee Smith -- I'm not big on relievers, usually they were mediocre (or worse) starters. Especially today, as relief has become more of a single-inning thing. Gossage was not babied like today's closers, and he was the most dominant reliever in the game for a string of years. Lee Smith holds the record for most career saves, but was not as dominating. Gossage was a close call for me, so Smith didn't make it.

I'm iffy on Jim Rice. He does have better averages than Dawson, but benefits from playing at the hitter-friendly park, a short career, and being able to DH in about a quarter of his games. He just misses for me, but that's subject to further review.