I have participated again this year.
Here's my ballot of the players I listed on my ballot with a "Y" for induction.
Yes. I voted for my hero, Bill Freehan, and some other deserving Detroit Tigers, like Jack Morris.
I also didn't think Denny McLain or Willie Horton belonged in the HOF, and they played for the Tigers, so there.
My YES votes are...
Bill Freehan
Dale Murphy
Tim Raines
Jack Morris
Allan Trammell
Lou Whitaker
Mickey Lolich
Joe Torre
Don Mattingly
Harold Baines
Jeff Bagwell
Charlie Bennett
Curt Flood
Gil Hodges
"Shoeless" Joe Jackso
Thurman Munson
Mike Piazza
Fernando Valenzuela
Roger Maris
Orel Hershiser
Curt Schilling
Jim Kaat
Pepper Martin
Edgar Martinez
Lefty O'Doul
Buck O'Neil
Steve Garvey
Fred Lynn
Marty Marion
Minnie Minoso
Sadahara Oh
There are only 31 names listed above.
I listed 19 other ballplayers in the 50 BEST not in the HOF, but I don't believe they belong in the HOF.
While I believe that Pete Rose, baseball's All-Time leader in hits, Barry Bonds, baseball's All-Time leader in home runs, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Raphael Palmiero were great players, they do not, in my opinion, deserve to be in baseball's greatest shrine.
The steroid era in baseball has distorted hallowed records, and in the case of Rose, he violated baseball's highest rule, that of honor.
Before you ask me about Joe Jackson, I believe that while Jackson knew about the 1919 Black Sox fix, he played as hard as he could, in every at bat, in every play, and in every game.
Pete Rose would be in the HOF had he not, as the Manager of the Cincinnati Reds, bet on baseball, and his own team.
As for Sadahara Oh, he's the greatest player in Japanese baseball history, at least until Ichiro Suzuki retires, and I've always believed he deserved to be in the baseball HOF.
That's my list,
Please feel free to let me know your thoughts.
Play Ball!
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