I've previously stated my opinion on steroids and the backup of players on the Hall of Fame ballot so I'll spare those details again.
The most significant change for me this year is I have finally come around on Tim Raines and Alan Trammel (and the removal of Jeff Kent / addition of Curt Schilling). Raines has too many intangibles (that don't always show up in a box score) in addition to his numbers not to make it in. For Trammel, I see the comparisons to Barry Larkin and just don't quite understand how Larkin gets in so easily and how Trammel could never get enough traction.
For Kent, the more I think about it I feel that he was just a little to one dimensional for enshrinement. I am on the fence about him though, especially with the offensive numbers he put up as a second basemen.
With Schilling, I really struggled with if I would give my vote to him or Mike Mussina. When you weigh everything out, it is a flip of the coin for me so I gave it to the Red Sox with an impressive postseason resume. But, I could have just as easily voted for Mussina (and maybe should have). Regardless, there are not enough pitchers from the era in the Hall so I feel responsible to start voting for a few when possible.
My 2016 MLB Hall of Fame vote is as follows:
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Ken Griffey Jr
Trevor Hoffman
Fred McGriff
Mike Piazza
Tim Raines
Curt Schilling
Alan Trammel
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/3/16):
Griffey Jr 96%
Piazza 78%
----------
Raines 71%
Bagwell 67%
Hoffman 63%
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
January 3, 2016
January 4, 2015
MLB Hall of Fame Voting 2015
This year, again, I am using all ten spots. In my opinion, it’s pretty hard not to right now. Based on space, I have only left Bonds/Clemens on from those tied fairly directly to steroids. To me, their awards, stats, etc. are too exceptional to leave off.
The backup of players into the Hall over the last handful of years will unfortunately cause some players to fall off the list who otherwise wouldn't have. As I have said before, I don't believe you can ignore that time period so I am of the belief that we should be voting in the statistically deserving players, regardless...but it's ultimately not going to happen based on the requirements around the number of players that can be on a ballot, etc.
Who’s to blame? Most significantly, MLB for ignoring the steroids until they were forced to and for raking in the money along the way. But, I also blame a decent percentage of the Baseball Writers for continuing to think they are bigger than the game.
My 2015 MLB Hall of Fame vote is as follows:
Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
Jeff Kent
Pedro Martinez
Fred McGriff
Mike Piazza
John Smoltz
Smoltz is the tough one for me this year. I think there is a chance he misses in his first year of eligibility but I am pretty confident he ultimately will be voted into the Hall, next year at the latest.
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/4/15):
Johnson 96%
Martinez 89%
Biggio 81%
Smoltz 78%
----------
Piazza 68%
Bagwell 62%
Bonds 60%
The backup of players into the Hall over the last handful of years will unfortunately cause some players to fall off the list who otherwise wouldn't have. As I have said before, I don't believe you can ignore that time period so I am of the belief that we should be voting in the statistically deserving players, regardless...but it's ultimately not going to happen based on the requirements around the number of players that can be on a ballot, etc.
Who’s to blame? Most significantly, MLB for ignoring the steroids until they were forced to and for raking in the money along the way. But, I also blame a decent percentage of the Baseball Writers for continuing to think they are bigger than the game.
My 2015 MLB Hall of Fame vote is as follows:
Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
Jeff Kent
Pedro Martinez
Fred McGriff
Mike Piazza
John Smoltz
Smoltz is the tough one for me this year. I think there is a chance he misses in his first year of eligibility but I am pretty confident he ultimately will be voted into the Hall, next year at the latest.
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/4/15):
Johnson 96%
Martinez 89%
Biggio 81%
Smoltz 78%
----------
Piazza 68%
Bagwell 62%
Bonds 60%
January 3, 2014
MLB Hall of Fame Voting 2014
The list is getting long so some of last year's guys were cut. This year, I am using all ten spots. In my opinion, It's pretty hard not to right now. Based on space, I have only left Bonds/Clemens on from those tied fairly directly to steroids. To me, their awards, stats, etc. are too exceptional to leave off.
The backup of players into the Hall over the last handful of years will unfortunately cause some players to fall off the Hall of Fame list who otherwise wouldn't have. As I have said before, I don't believe you can ignore that time period so I am of the belief that we should be voting in the statistically deserving players, regardless, but it's ultimately not going to happen based on the requirements around the number of players that can be on a ballot, etc.
However, on the flip side, I am still honoring McGriff because I think he played the right way during his career. It doesn't hurt that he was my favorite player for a decade as well.
My 2014 MLB Hall of Fame vote is as follows:
Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Tom Glavine
Jeff Kent
Greg Maddux
Fred McGriff
Mike Piazza
Frank Thomas
It took me a long time to add Glavine and Thomas this year. I'd guess they will both get in this year. If not this year, they will next year I would think.
I do believe there are two levels of Hall of Famers though, the no doubt first timers (like Maddux) and the exceptional players that should ultimately make it but they may need to be a little patient (which I would classify Glavine in for sure and Thomas for the most part as well).
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/7/14):
Maddux 93%
Glavine 79%
----------
Biggio 73%
Thomas 72%
Piazza 70%
Morris 67%
Bagwell 65%
The backup of players into the Hall over the last handful of years will unfortunately cause some players to fall off the Hall of Fame list who otherwise wouldn't have. As I have said before, I don't believe you can ignore that time period so I am of the belief that we should be voting in the statistically deserving players, regardless, but it's ultimately not going to happen based on the requirements around the number of players that can be on a ballot, etc.
However, on the flip side, I am still honoring McGriff because I think he played the right way during his career. It doesn't hurt that he was my favorite player for a decade as well.
My 2014 MLB Hall of Fame vote is as follows:
Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Tom Glavine
Jeff Kent
Greg Maddux
Fred McGriff
Mike Piazza
Frank Thomas
It took me a long time to add Glavine and Thomas this year. I'd guess they will both get in this year. If not this year, they will next year I would think.
I do believe there are two levels of Hall of Famers though, the no doubt first timers (like Maddux) and the exceptional players that should ultimately make it but they may need to be a little patient (which I would classify Glavine in for sure and Thomas for the most part as well).
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/7/14):
Maddux 93%
Glavine 79%
----------
Biggio 73%
Thomas 72%
Piazza 70%
Morris 67%
Bagwell 65%
December 30, 2012
MLB Hall of Fame Voting 2013
For those curious, I explained myself last year about the reasoning for my voting process (see 2012 vote).
I considered punishing Bonds/Clemens/Sosa for one year but ultimately decided that was ridiculous. Ultimately, you're either your going to vote for those three or you're not. Bonds and Clemens have no doubt HoF stats and you can make a case that Sosa is at least in the ballpark of that classification too.
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/8/13)
Biggio 81%
----------
Morris 70%
Bagwell 69%
Piazza 67%
My 2013 Hall of Fame vote is as follows (I am using nine of my possible ten voting spots):
Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Mike Piazza
Sammy Sosa
I considered punishing Bonds/Clemens/Sosa for one year but ultimately decided that was ridiculous. Ultimately, you're either your going to vote for those three or you're not. Bonds and Clemens have no doubt HoF stats and you can make a case that Sosa is at least in the ballpark of that classification too.
My guess at players with >=60% of the vote this year (1/8/13)
Biggio 81%
----------
Morris 70%
Bagwell 69%
Piazza 67%
January 20, 2012
MLB Hall of Fame Voting 2012
I've been trying to figure out a gateway back into blogging at least semi-consistently in 2012 and I think I found a way to at least get the first blog entry of the year off my back.
I want to start recording my MLB Hall of Fame voting every year so that I know how I compare to what the baseball writers are doing over the years. Next year I plan to do this before the results are released.
Personally, I am over the steroid stuff.
I believe what the players did was absolutely wrong, but I also think that MLB failed (at least on some levels) to have policies in place at the time and that keeping a guy like McGwire out of the Hall is doing more of a disservice to the game of baseball than letting him in does.
This has been a fairly significant change in philosophy for me over the years.
We can't ignore baseball history or pretend that the power hitters of the '90s and early '00s never existed. And when suspicion alone, even when there is not even remote evidence of proof (like in Bagwell's case) is going to keep players out then it turns into a catastrophic issue for the game of baseball and what the hall of fame represents. Right now, baseball writers are delusional and have more fear that they will put a guy in that used (learning after the fact) than they are about getting the voting right.
My 2012 Hall of Fame Ballot (up to 10 allowed)
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Larkin
Fred McGriff (see Just missed my ballot below...this is a sentimental vote)
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Just missed my ballot (it's not the Hall of the Really Really Good it's the Hall of Fame)
Jack Morris
Tim Raines
Alan Trammel
Click here for the actual 2012 Hall of Fame voting results
I want to start recording my MLB Hall of Fame voting every year so that I know how I compare to what the baseball writers are doing over the years. Next year I plan to do this before the results are released.
Personally, I am over the steroid stuff.
I believe what the players did was absolutely wrong, but I also think that MLB failed (at least on some levels) to have policies in place at the time and that keeping a guy like McGwire out of the Hall is doing more of a disservice to the game of baseball than letting him in does.
This has been a fairly significant change in philosophy for me over the years.
We can't ignore baseball history or pretend that the power hitters of the '90s and early '00s never existed. And when suspicion alone, even when there is not even remote evidence of proof (like in Bagwell's case) is going to keep players out then it turns into a catastrophic issue for the game of baseball and what the hall of fame represents. Right now, baseball writers are delusional and have more fear that they will put a guy in that used (learning after the fact) than they are about getting the voting right.
My 2012 Hall of Fame Ballot (up to 10 allowed)
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Larkin
Fred McGriff (see Just missed my ballot below...this is a sentimental vote)
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Just missed my ballot (it's not the Hall of the Really Really Good it's the Hall of Fame)
Jack Morris
Tim Raines
Alan Trammel
Click here for the actual 2012 Hall of Fame voting results
October 6, 2008
January 29, 2007
Baseball bliss and The Last Kiss
Outside of hanging out with Amy and Joe on Friday night (which is always a good time) and attending the crappie fish fry at Gina's parents on Sunday, there were two noteworthy items for Gina and I this weekend.
Saturday, we went with the Messers to Baseball as America at the Minnesota Historical Society. The exhibit was well worth the time. A few other exhibits open on the third floor of the building were very interesting as well. One of the best exhibits (Open House) follows the 118 year history of a local home on the east side of . It talks about all of the former tenants and in each room of the house it shows what the place looked like during a specific decade of its existence.
The baseball exhibit was about what I had expected. I would have preferred to have seen a couple of different items there but overall it didn’t disappoint. There was even a 1980’s Strat-O-Matic box among the 500+ artifacts (which got a laugh out of Gina and Ann when the box said for ages 10-13).
My favorite item was an incasing of the uniform that Henry Aaron wore when he hit home run #715 in 1974. Within the case, there were also two pieces of mail that Aaron had received about the event (one positive and one negative). The negative letter really put in perspective what black ballplayers had to endure even after segregation had ended.
After leaving the exhibit, we made our way to Cosetta’s. It was wonderful.
The other event of the weekend was watching The Last Kiss. It was not the easiest movie to watch (in particular at this point in our lives) but was very intriguing. While Zach Braff did not write or direct the movie, I was reminded a lot of Garden State even though the overall perspective (positive vs negative) of the movies are very different. It was good but not in the same class as Garden State (which may be my favorite movie this decade).
The movie centers on reflection (specifically on relationships). The characters are compelling enough that you begin to reflect on your own life even after the movie is over (Zach Braff, Rachel Bilson and Tom Wilkerson were fantastic).
I won’t know the full impact of The Last Kiss for weeks. These kinds of movies take a while for me to digest. But, I applaud it for the affect it’s had on me so far. My guess is that I'll blog about it more specifically down the road.
I would suggest that if you enjoy Zack Braff and are OK with a fairly pessimistic outlook on relationshps, viewing this movie is likely worth your time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)