There's a bunch of talk about the Baseball Hall of Fame now.
Three guys Tony Gwynn. Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mark McGwire.
Gwynn and Ripken are no-brainers. Gwynn is one of my all-time favs. I won a signed picture/plaque of his at the Baseball Breakfast of Champions a few years ago and it hangs proudly on my wall. (This year's BoC features Nolan Ryan!!!). I heard a stat somewhere that Gwynn could have struck out 2,000 times and his career batting average still would have been over .300. That's incredible.
Ripken is just awesome. I will never forget watching him on the day he broke Gehrig's streak. The guy was class and a pro.
Both Gwynn and Ripken were great players. And shoo-ins. The only question is if either one will get 100 percent of the vote. (Nobody ever has ... not Mantle ... not Mays ... not Ruth). And they deserve it. But let's face it, they were boring. Gwynn was never a home run guy or an RBI guy. He just got hits. A lot of them. But usually they were a slap into the opposite field. Pretty boring. Ripken's greatest achievement was for basically never calling in sick. He played every day. And, yes, that's incredible, but it's also kinda boring. (Please remember I love both of these guys and I'm not saying they shouldn't be first ballot...)
So, that leaves us with McGwire. I'll admit I am biased. I remember his rookie season with Oakland. A season when people were talking about him breaking Maris' record at the All-Star break. He fell short that year, but he was always exciting to watch. He lit up the scoreboard. With his Bash Brother, Jose Canseco, they scared the pee-water out of opposing pitchers. And there are very few people who would disagree that when McGwire and Sosa broke Maris' record in that incredible summer, they brought droves of people back to the game -- people who swore to never return after the strikes. He helped save the game.
Of course everyone talks about the steroids. Possible steroids. Did he take 'em? Probably. Can anyone EVER prove it? NO! So, get over it. What if alcohol became a banned substance? Would we have to wipe out Ruth's records? Of course not. Could Mantle have been dosing on illegal pain killers to help him play? Maybe. Doesn't mean we ban him from the Hall. Plus, WE CAN'T PROVE IT!
So, obviously I think McGwire should be eligible for the hall. I also think he should get in. His impact on the game is larger than any other person in the 90s. However, looking at his stats, I don't think he's a first round guy. That's hard for me to say because I loved watching him play. But he didn't get to 2,000 hits and he didn't play for as long or as well as Gwynn and Ripken. They should go in together and then next year we could have McGwire and FINALLY Goose Gossage.
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2 comments:
Way to stay with Nano, Jared. Good work.
I agree with you on all points. I don't think Marky Mark gets in that first year, and I say because of the steroids. In fact, I think they make him sweat it out for a few years. I'm not saying don't let him in - your points are good ones - but I also think a few years of penance would be good for him.
I hope Tony or Cal don't get 100 percent. They don't deserve it. Class acts, wonderful players and first-ballots, definitely, but not 100 percent. Arguments, then, for voting against them. Tony had no power and wasn't spectacular in the field, and Ripken had a great career but wasn't stellar every year...without that streak, he's not a first ballot player, I don't think (still a haller though).
The only guy who deserves 100 percent by his stats along is Barry Bonds, and he'll be lucky to get in on the first ballot, if at all. Again, a few years of penance is OK, I think. And you could argue even without the steroids no 100 percent because he never won a title.
I agree about the 100 percent thing. If Mays, Ruth and Mantle didn't get 100 percent, nobody should. (However, doesn't it make you question those who didn't vote for them ... I mean what were they thinking, "Hmmm, Willie, you've done just about everything anybody could ever do in baseball, but I don't think you should be in the HOF...")
Bonds will be an interesting case when he comes up. Again, nobody has ever proved anything (except that he's a jerk!). I like the idea of pennance, but it's hard to argue that either one should not be in there. But I'm also the one who feels the Hall is a joke because it will never house the all-time hits leader. Just pathetic.
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