2010 Baseball Hall of Fame - Ballot

It's that time of year again - time to see who goes into the baseball Hall of Fame.  The ballot can be found here (and let's you choose who you would pick - try to keep it to 10 like the actual voters do.)  I have not done this for a while but thought it might be a fun exercise this Sunday.  Let's look at each player on the ballot.

Roberto Alomar - Yes

2,724 hits; 474 SB; 1,134 RBI; .300 lifetime avg.

He has lower numbers for what used to be the typical hall of famer, but recall he was a second baseman.  He only had 210 HR, but I recall him coming up with a few well timed dingers.  Mostly, however, he was just a hitter and a feared one.  Feared because he knew how to swing the bat.  He wasn't half bad as a fielder too.  He was the clear best second baseman of his age for a lengthy period which is what the Hall tends to reward.  I think it's likely a first year entry as long as the spitting incident doesn't hurt him.  I don't think it will at this late date.

Kevin Appier - No

169-137 record; lifetime ERA of 3.74; 1,994 K

For a period in the 90's, Appier was one of the best.  But it really only lasted for a few years, 1993 being his best year.  He played on until 2004 without ever having a season that good again. He would only have three more 15 win seasons after that '93 year.  While he was very good for a short period of time, he was mostly average for the rest of his career.  Nice to see him on the ballot as a memory but 169 wins without being a complete stud pitcher does not make a hall of famer.

Harold Baines - No

2,866 hits; 384 HR; 1,628 RBI, .289 lifetime avg.

Baines has always been a bit of a quandary.  His numbers look fairly good if not quite up to par for a hall of famer.  The RBI speak out but the HR are low, especially for a man who played for a long time (22 seasons.)  He was a bit of a statue in the field from what I recall, and extended his career for quite some time as a DH.  While he used to look good to me for the Hall, another full time DH enters the ballot this year which offers a clear comparison.  We'll look at those below but this year I have to say no to Harold Baines in the Hall.

Bert Blyleven - Yes

287-250 record; lifetime ERA of 3.31; 3,701 K (5th on the all time list); 242 complete games and 60 shutouts (last time you'll see those numbers)

The record must be what has kept Blyleven out of the Hall all these years.  Otherwise I cannot figure it out.  When he first got on the ballot, he was actually 3rd all time in strikeouts.  Johnson and Clemens rightfully passed him but his numbers still speak up there.  And I think everyone knows by now that his record is more a reflection on his teams than it is on himself.  Years with losing teams will make a record look like that.  Recall the argument with Phil Neikro, and to a lesser extent Nolan Ryan, was that you had to be a really good pitcher to lose that many games.  That he came up 13 wins shy of 300 should not penalize him.  Blyleven belongs in the Hall.  Now.

Ellis Burks - No

2,107 hits; 352 HR; 1,206 RBI; .291 lifetime avg.

I am a little surprised at the HR totals for Burks.  He only hit over 30 HR four times in his career (one 40 HR season) and surprise, surprise that two of those came in Colorado.  While he could be a feared hitter as a DH, I do not recall anything special about him in the field.  He was an All Star only twice, and landed 3rd on the MVP in 1996 (again, in Colorado.)  I don't see him as a hall of famer.

Andre Dawson - Yes

2,774 hits; 438 HR; 1,591 RBI; .279 lifetime avg.

As another player to compare to Baines above, Dawson has less hits and RBI but a better HR total.  The big dig on Dawson is his lifetime on base % of .323.  Baines was .356.  However, while Baines only had 6 All Star nods and was twice in the top 10 of the MVP vote without ever winning one, Dawson was not only a Rookie of the Year, but so too an MVP in 1987 (hitting 49 HR at a time when that was a big deal), with a top 10 finish in MVP voting another 3 times.  He won 8 gold gloves as an outfielder and went to 8 All Star games.  That's where things start to look down on Baines and way up on Dawson.  He was considered one of the best for at least a decade during the 80's.  While he may not stack up with the best of the best in the hall, he still belongs (and with better credentials than some others already ensconced.)

Andres Galarraga - No

2,333 hits; 399 HR; 1,425 RBI; .288 lifetime avg.

I loved The Big Cat back in the day, especially after he got past his cancer.  He was considered a great defensive 1st baseman, but he only won 2 gold gloves.  6 times he finished in the top 10 of MVP voting (this surprised me) but the highest he ever got was 6th place.  Five years he hit over 30 HR, and 3 with over 40.  While much of that was in Colorado, he did hit 44 homers for Atlanta during the 1998 season.  Let's not forget as well that after a year off from cancer recovery he came back in 2000 to hit 28 HR, 100 RBI with a .302 avg.  It was one of the great seasons for a player coming back like that.  Unfortunately that was his last good season.  Hate to say it, but the numbers just don't add up for him.

Pat Hentgen - No

131-112 record; 4.32 lifetime ERA

I really don't need to add anything else here after looking at those numbers.  While Hentgen had one 20 win season in 1996, he only had two other seasons with 15 or more wins.  He clearly does not belong in the Hall.  Not even sure why he is on the ballot.

Mike Jackson - No

62-67 record; 3.42 lifetime ERA; 142 saves

For a good portion of his career, Jackson was a very dependable relief pitcher.  But the Hall still doesn't really have a place for these players, much less while they are still figuring out how to deal with closers.  While a losing record should not necessarily kill a relief pitcher, it doesn't help his chances.  Just looking at the numbers trying to find anything to give him a shot (such was my opinion of him when he played) I still can't find anything to make a case for him.  4 times he came in with an ERA under 3.00 as a reliever.  That's as close as I can get and it certainly doesn't make him a hall of famer.

Eric Karros - No

1,724 hits; 284 HR; 1,027 RBI; .268 lifetime avg.

While the numbers above clearly suggest Karros is not a Hall worthy player, let us recall that he hit over 20 HR for 8 of 9 consecutive seasons.  He was a rookie of the year for the Dodgers and was a steady player for them for pretty much the entire 90's after his debut.  But he could not match the impact of his fellow Dodger RoY, Mike Piazza.  He petered out in 2001 and did not play after age 36.  Had he a second decade like his first, he would have clearly made it.  He just couldn't keep it up.  So the answer is no.  I'm actually curious to see if he gets more votes than Albert Belle who was another player that petered out quickly but was such a masher during his heyday (I DO think Belle belongs.)

Ray Lankford - No

1,561 hits; 238 HR; 874 RBI; .272 lifetime avg.

I was actually looking forward to looking at the numbers for Lankford, recalling him to be a good player in his day.  I was underwhelmed by what I found.  For a period of time during the mid 90's, Lankford straddled that 30-30 line but never got the HR and SB in the same year to make it.  Only one All Star game and no other great achievements keep the man out.  Still, he was an anchor for the Cardinals during the entire decade of the 90's and should be proud of his career even if it isn't Hall worthy.

Barry Larkin - Yes

2,340 hits; 198 HR; 960 RBI; 379 SB; .295 lifetime avg.

This is a year of quite a few 90's team anchors.  Larkin was the Reds' Cal Ripken.  He didn't get to the same numbers and did not have the power Ripken had, but Larkin was a bit of a middle man in the SS position.  He was a bit smaller than Ripken so he did not get lumped in with that big SS of the future like A-Rod, Garciaparra and Jeter did later.  Yet Larkin had more pop that a typical short-stop of that time.  And he could run.  And he could field.  The Wizard he was not, but 12 All Star nods go along with 3 gold gloves and 2 seasons in the top 10 in MVP voting, winning the award in 1995.  What Alomar above was for the American League, Larkin was to the National League during this time.  He entirely deserves to go into the Hall, though may have to wait a couple of years.

Edgar Martinez - No

2,247 hits; 309 HR; 1,261 RBI; .312 lifetime avg.

The average says something, no doubt.  But as a lifetime DH, it is hard to really take stock of the player.  Without fielding, one must only look at the offensive numbers and frankly...they just don't add up.  I recall in the day, Martinez was the best at what he did.  For nearly a decade, Martinez anchored those Mariners teams.  As feared as he might have been, however, I just don't think his numbers stack up.  Is it something to say you were the best DH ever?  Maybe I just don't respect the position.

Don Mattingly - No

2,153 hits; 222 HR; 1,099 RBI; .307 lifetime avg.

I'd love to say that the avg. helps Mattingly as certainly his 9 gold gloves suggest as well.  But his real numbers just don't add up.  Just because he anchored a decade of losing Yankees teams doesn't give him entrance into the HoF.  He had a very popular baseball card but that reputation just doesn't translate into a HoF career.  Sorry Donnie Baseball.

Fred McGriff - Yes

2,490 hits; 493 HR; 1,550 RBI; .284 lifetime avg

Hits and avg don't give him the credit he deserves.  Those 493 home runs do.  Between 1988 and 1994 McGriff hit over 30 home runs each season.  In fact, he had 7 additional seasons in which he hit at least 20 per year, 3 more times topping 30.  Six times he landed in the top 10 in MVP voting, getting as close as 4th in 1993.  It was a monster season and one that Braves fans will remember forever.  And while he doesn't have the gold gloves to show it, he was a pretty darn good 1st baseman.  I'll readily admit that the Crime Dog is a borderline hall of famer, but he should not be punished for not getting to 500 HR.  He remains a hall of fame player.

Mark McGwire - Yes

1,626 hits; 583 HR; 1,414 RBI; .263 lifetime avg.

If it were not for the 583 home runs, nobody would even discuss McGwire, frankly.  He was no stud on the defense and he only gets credit (rightly) for his home runs.  That he broke the record in 1998 gives him an added bonus, but without him so did Sammy Sosa and does anybody really think Sosa is a hall of famer?  That said, McGwire hit 49 home runs in his rookie season and if steroids are what is keeping you from looking at McGwire's actual career, then you need to look again.  This guy was a masher, and with Conseco and Eckersley, anchored those late 80's Oakland teams as well as the pre-Pujols Cardinals. He made a name for himself in the baseball world and so his numbers do not matter as much anymore.  You could liken him to Pete Rose or Sandy Koufax...either way, he belongs in the Hall.

Jack Morris - No

254-186 record; 3.90 lifetime ERA; 2,478 K; 175 complete games and 28 shutouts

There are two serious pitchers on this HoF ballot.  When you compare Morris with Blyleven...well, is there really a comparison?  If Bert comes out ahead, and still has not gained entry to the HoF, then why should Morris expect anything more?  254 wins is impressive as is the 1991 World Series game 7 where he pitched 10 innings of shutout ball...the last time that happened in a WS game (or perhaps any other.)  I recall him very much, but then I am a Braves fan.  Was he a hall of famer?  I am not so sure.  That 3.90 lifetime ERA really smarts for his case.  But he has a case, I will grant you that.  I just would not vote for him...not right now at least.

Dale Murphy - Yes

2,111 hits; 398 HR; 1,266 RBI; .265 lifetime avg.

Bill James used a criteria some years back called the Keltner list.  It is based on a specific player's borderline stats and asks questions to see if a player really deserves enshrinement.  Of all the baseball blogs I visit, Mac Thomason's Braves Journal is the best for my team.  There he looks at Dale Murphy's Keltner list.  Of course I am a Braves fan, as well as a Murphy fan (actually met him in person at a Morman church in Roswell, GA where I grew up.)  Murphy deserves the distinction of being one of the top 2 or 3 players in his decade of the 80's, yet he is now considered borderline.  I've mentioned Albert Belle before but I bring it up again to discuss Murphy.  Belle ended his storied career with 381 HRs compared to Murphy's 398.  Belle had 1,239 RBI to Dale's 1,266.  Belle only had 1,726 hits to Murphy's 2,111.  But Belle only played for 12 seasons. Murphy played for 18.  If Belle is not a hall of famer (and he dropped off the ballot in his first year of appearance with only 19 votes or 3.5% of the vote) then Murphy is not.  I happen to think Belle is deserving, and thus so too is Murphy.  At least that is what makes sense as a Braves and baseball fan.  In truth, Murphy seems to fall in with Mattingly (and Larkin actually in a way) - so many years with one team, and the stud of that team, but not enough to gain entry.  The Hall of very, very (very) good.

Dave Parker - Yes

2,712 hits; 339 HR; 1,493 RBI; .290 lifetime avg.

This guy is a hard one.  He reminds me much of Jim Rice with his numbers.  They are not as good as ballot-mate Harold Baines, but Parker played the field and at an earlier time.  He is not on the ballot much longer.  He also reminds a bit of Dick Allen, with a feared history but not enough numbers to seal the deal.  They are not quite the 3,000 hits you want to see, nor even at 400 HR.  Not getting to 1,500 RBI really kills his case as I didn't see him play in person.  But recall that Allen only played for 15 seasons.  Parker for 19.  Allen still had more HRs.  And both probably belong in the HoF.

Tim Raines - Yes

2,605 hits; 980 RBI; 808 SB (5th all time); .294 lifetime avg.

Rock Raines is the poor man's Rickey Henderson.  I really don't know anybody that argues that point.  If Rickey gets into the Hall, which he rightly did last year, then Raines needs to follow close after as he was nearly a carbon copy.  Perhaps the coke thing keeps him out.  Or perhaps people have not considered him fully just yet.  Either way, he belongs.

Shane Reynolds - No

114-96 record; 4.09 lifetime ERA; 1,403 K

Is there any reason for this good but middling pitcher to be on this list?  No...not a hall of famer.

David Segui - No

1,412 hits; 139 HR; 684 RBI; .291 lifetime avg.

Again...let us not waste time on unworthy candidates.  No indeed.  A decent 1st baseman though.

Lee Smith - Yes

71-92 record; 3.03 lifetime ERA; 478 saves (3rd all time); 1,251 K

The man that at one time owned the all time saves record, now he must compete with Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.  He's not in the same company, though he is close.  If Sutter and Gossage are in the Hall, then so too should Smith see induction.  He really is part of that triumvirate.  And a 3.03 lifetime ERA...not bad for a reliever as he was for 18 seasons.

Alan Trammell - No

2,365 hits; 185 HR; 1,003 RBI; 236 SB; .285 lifetime avg.

Look, I understand that Whitaker and Trammell were the double play combo for the AL during the 80's. They were like Stockton and Malone in the NBA.  Whitaker had but a day on the ballot.  Trammell has stayed as an early version of what Ripken made popular.  Yet I just do not see the numbers to justify his enshrinement.  Where Ripken had over 3,000 hits, Trammell never got near that number.  Where Cal had over 1,600 RBI, Trammell was not even close.  Ripken far outweighed him in homers.  Trammell only wins in avg. and perhaps gold gloves.  We know who the superior player is.  Trammell is not it.  Nor does he belong in the hall, at least on this ballot.

Robin Ventura - No

1,885 hits; 294 HR; 1,182 RBI; .267 lifetime avg.

Though one of my favorite players, a hall of famer that does not make.  His numbers just are not there no matter how much I thought of the guy during the day.  Decent homer numbers though, but not as much as I thought actually.

Todd Zeile - No

2,004 hits; 253 HR; 1,110 RBI; .265 lifetime avg.

Pretty much just like Ventura, and not as good of a player really.  No, no and no again.

*    *    *

Well, that's the ballot and my choices.  Edgar probably deserves to get in eventually, as does perhaps Trammell from what I have read.  But on this ballot, I only have 10 choices to pick.  These are my 10.  We'll find out who makes it in a few days.  That is all.