Posted By:
PaulI was actually a little surprised by the vote. I didn't think anyone would get voted in, but I also didn't think anyone would even come close. 75% just seemed an impossible hurdle for candidates who almost all would be marginal HOFers at best. But Gil Hodges came close, and so did Doug Harvey. (He must have been a hell of an umpire to get that much respect from the players voting for him).
In the balloting by the writers, when a player comes close one year, he tends to draw a few more votes the next year and eventually makes it in -- like Gary Carter. That may happen with the veterans committee too. The voters who didn't vote for Hodges or Harvey will probably take a closer look at them in the next election, and they may make it in. So, I'm not ready to conclude that the veterans committee is dead yet. They may let a few players (or an umpire) in. But I suspect they won't put in more than 2 or 3 before they run out of players who can gather much support.