Monday, November 29, 2004
The Hall of Fame ballot has been announced: names preceeded by an "x" are on for the first time: x-Jim Abbott, Bert Blyleven, x-Wade Boggs, x-Tom Candiotti, Dave Concepcion, x-Chili Davis, Andre Dawson, Steve Garvey, Rich Gossage, Tommy John, x-Mark Langston, Don Mattingly, x-Jack McDowell, x-Willie McGee, x-Jeff Montgomery, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, x-Otis Nixon, Dave Parker, x-Tony Phillips, Jim Rice, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, x-Terry Steinbach, x-Darryl Strawberry, Bruce Sutter, Alan Trammell.
Too bad about Straw-- I don't see that he'll ever make it, and yet, when we were watching him in his prime it looked like he was as close to can't miss as it was possible to be. Dave Parker, too, and for some of the same reasons. Can't say I was ever a Boggs fan, but home and away wives won't be enough to keep him out forever. It might be enough to keep Garvey out, though. If I had a vote, I'd go with Gossage, Murphy, Rhino Sandberg and Sutter. Relief pitchers are under-represented, and they were two of the guys who defined the role when "fireman" meant something more than it does today. Sandberg and Murphy were simply great to watch, even though they labored for terrible teams-- you could make a case for each of them being the bast in the game at points during their careers. You could make the same case for Donnie Baseball, of course, but I think his career was too short.
Too bad about Straw-- I don't see that he'll ever make it, and yet, when we were watching him in his prime it looked like he was as close to can't miss as it was possible to be. Dave Parker, too, and for some of the same reasons. Can't say I was ever a Boggs fan, but home and away wives won't be enough to keep him out forever. It might be enough to keep Garvey out, though. If I had a vote, I'd go with Gossage, Murphy, Rhino Sandberg and Sutter. Relief pitchers are under-represented, and they were two of the guys who defined the role when "fireman" meant something more than it does today. Sandberg and Murphy were simply great to watch, even though they labored for terrible teams-- you could make a case for each of them being the bast in the game at points during their careers. You could make the same case for Donnie Baseball, of course, but I think his career was too short.
