Posted By:
Jay behrens This years HOF ballot is out. Here is the list (alphabetical):
• Bert Blyleven
• Joe Carter
• Dave Concepcion
• Danny Darwin
• Andre Dawson
• Doug Drabek
• Dennis Eckersley
• Jim Eisenreich
• Cecil Fielder
• Steve Garvey
• Rich Gossage
• Keith Hernandez
• Tommy John
• Jimmy Key
• Dennis Martinez
• Don Mattingly
• Kevin Mitchell
• Paul Molitor
• Jack Morris
• Dale Murphy
• Randy Myers
• Dave Parker
• Terry Pendleton
• Jim Rice
• Juan Samuel
• Ryne Sandberg
• Lee Smith
• Dave Stieb
• Bruce Sutter
• Bob Tewksbury
• Alan Trammell
• Fernando Valenzuela
Blyleven - spent most of his career with really bad teams in brutal parks not friendly to pitchers. If you've read any of Bill James' or Pete Palmer's books, you will see Blyleven's name all over the best season and career rankings. If you saw him pitch, you know he is far better than his record says.
Dawson - Awesome arm, outstanding bat and decent speed until his knee gave out on him. Major props for staying in the NL when he could have gone to AL, DH'd and prolly put up even better numbers.
Eckersly - If Koufax goes in for 5 great years and mediocre career at best if you remove those, then Eck gets in easily. The definition of what a team wants in a closer.
Molitor - How do you stop and pause to think about whether or not the player that is 9th all-time in hits belongs in the Hall, but I did. On some levels, he doesn't stike me as a HOFers, but he was damn good for a long time. Not great, but damn good.
Morris - doesn't have great numbers, but in the 80s, if I needed to win one game, I'd want Morris on the mound. No one was better than him during the 80s, and that's generally the definaition of a HOFers, the best at his position during his era.
Rice - The most feared hitter in the game in the late 70s and early 80s. He was the Barry Bonds of his day. Gets in under the "Koufax Rule".
Sandburg - the prototype for today's speedy, power hitting 2Bs.
Lee Smith - All-time leaders in Saves, a record that will prolly never be touched.
Anyone that votes for Mattingly gets slapped with a dead mackeral. :p No one would even give this guy a second glance if he plays with anyone but Yankees.
Jay