No matter who gets in, the debate about which player, or players, that didn't get in, will be debated about all day, and will continue through the summer inductions into Cooperstown.
⚾⚾⚾ As a member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance I have the privilege of voting annually for their HOF balloting... here's my ballot from January 3rd. ⚾⚾⚾⚾
While our ballots for the HOF don't count, it's a great community of baseball fans and bloggers who have a magnificent passion for our National Pastime.
Here's a few HOF related things I've come across lately...
⚾ The great thing about being a baseball fan this time of the year is all the HOF banter we get on Twitter, and that includes the Hall of Fame tracker Ryan Thibadaux.
Ryan tracks every ballot made public...
....including writers who, for some reason, unreasonably leave their HOF ballots blank.
When a baseball writers sends in a blank ballot in protest, or making a stand on a certain issue, they're not making a statement, they're making it harder for players to get in, because a player needs 75% of the writers votes to be elected.
⚾ One of best baseball writers I follow is Graham Womack, who wrote a terrific piece on which player could be the FIRST ever unanimously elected into the HOF.
No baseball player has ever gotten every single vote cast by the BBWAA, not Ty Cobb, not Hank Aaron, not Mickey Mantle, not Stan Musial.
Since no player was unanimously voted in on the original 1936 ballot, writers belive that if Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson didn't get 100% of the vote, then neither should Cal Ripken, Rickey Henderson, or Pedro Martinez.
⚾ Jayson Stark of ESPN writes about what he believes will be a historic day for baseball writers on Wednesday.
Jason also has new HOF trivia. ... I didn't do to well, just 2/5 right...damn analytics got me again.
⚾ One player I hope makes it this year, whom I also vited for, is former Seattle Mariners 3rd Baseman and Designated Hitter Edgar Martinez.
The Seattle Times had a terrific article on Edgar Martinez gaining momentum this year in HOF balloting.
⚾ ⚾⚾ The Baseball Hall of Fame is a very exclusive club...but it's too exclusive.
While it should be hard to get it to the HOF, it shouldn't be impossible, and that's what it's become.
Players like Dale Murphy, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Alan Trammell have been denied election because writers have been held unaccountable over the years for voting based on bias towards players, not watching games, and just plain arrogance that their word, or words, are scripture.
Let's hope that there are some must deserved phone calls to Tim Raines, Vladimir Guerrero, and Edgar Martinez tomorrow from the HOF with the great news that they have become the newest members of the greatest club in sports.
Play Ball!
I was thrilled to see Pudge and Bagwell get the call. When I began collecting in 93, these two men became part of my first player collections.
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