Here's the list of candidates:
• Harold BainesRickey Henderson is a no-brainer, and the other likely choice is Boston's Jim Rice, who is in his final year of eligibility. Most people are making them the favorites and I feel the same way.
• Jay Bell
• Bert Blyleven
• David Cone
• Andre Dawson
• Ron Gant
• Mark Grace
• Rickey Henderson
• Tommy John
• Don Mattingly
• Mark McGwire
• Jack Morris
• Dale Murphy
• Jesse Orosco
• Dave Parker
• Dan Plesac
• Tim Raines
• Jim Rice
• Lee Smith
• Alan Trammell
• Greg Vaughn
• Mo Vaughn
• Matt Williams
You could also make strong arguments for Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, and even Tim Raines. Although I doubt they'll find their names being announcened today.
Don Mattingly won't make it, but I wish he would.
Who would you vote for?
12 Comments:
Rickey, Jim Rice and Donnie Baseball would be my votes.
I second that.
Rickey Henderson(94%) got in no problem and Jim Rice(76%) barely made it
Thanks for the update anon. I'm not home so I haven't been able to post anything yet.
Both belong in...
Scott Proctor's Arm has the new Yankee Stadium patch that will be on the uniforms this year... it looks pretty nice.
Okay...You knew it was coming, so here goes. JIM RICE gets in the Hall and MATTINGLY doesn't even get 12% of the vote?? Come on!! Let's look at Rice versus Mattingly.
Mattingly Lifetime BA: .307
J. Rice Lifetime BA: .298
Mattingly MVP awards: 1
J. Rice MVP awards: 1
Mattingly Batting Titles: 1
J. Rice Batting Titles: 0
Mattingly All-Star Selections: 6
J. Rice All-Star Selections: 7
Mattingly Gold Gloves: 9!
J. Rice Gold Gloves: 0
Mattingly Years 30HR+ & 100+ RBI: 3
J. Rice Years 30HR+ & 100+ RBI: 4
Mattingly Years .300+ AVG: 7
J. Rice Years .300+ AVG: 7
Mattingly WS rings: 0
J. Rice WS rings: 0
It isn't as if Rice hit 500 HR's (or 400 for that matter). And in the same respect, its not as if he was a World Champion a bunch of times...Rice is the definition of BORDERLINE HALL OF FAMER (just like Donnie B) and the fact that Mattingly can't even scrape together 12% while this guy gets in makes me nuts.
What drives me nuts is that 6% of the sports writters did not vote for Rickey! How could you not vote for him?
I third that Trevor.
Great post Peter.
Dan I posted that back on November 5th. Here's the link: http://slidingintohome.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-stadium-inaugural-season-patch.html
I think Mattingly belongs in the HOF, but then again, that's under my own "rules" of who should get in.
I think peak talent should be rewarded over longevity. Just because you were mediocre for 22 years doesn't mean you should get in the Hall just because you have a lot of hits or a lot of HRs or something.
At his peak, while it was only a 3-4 year period, Mattingly was easily one of the top 5, if not THE top hitter in the game.
Does the fact that he got hurt detract that much from the legacy he leaves or what he meant to the game? That leads me to my second criterion:
Legacy, or how you impact the game of baseball. Can anyone deny what Mattingly meant to the game of baseball? How many children in the 80s/90s grew up idolizing Mattingly, and to this day call him one of their favorite players? Look at Mark Teixeira - season ticket holder to the Orioles, grows up with a Mattingly poster on his wall that's there to this day.
I think the HoF should be as much about what you meant to the game, both during your peak and after you've retired. Mattingly left a legacy, and while it wasn't with World Series rings or with compiled stats, it was through his utter dominance for those few years, and through his personality and the way he went about playing the game. He's one of the best ambassidors to the game of baseball who played in the 80s and 90s, he was among the best hitters in the game at his peak, and he remains perhaps the most popular Yankee since 1980.
While his legacy means more because of the uniform he wore, he should nevertheless be in the HoF, for all those reasons. If I had my way, that's what the HoF should be about. Heck, if McGwire or Bonds or Clemens aren't getting in the Hall because of what the did off the field, then Mattingly (and other similar players) belong [b]IN[/b] the Hall for what [b]they[/b] did off the field.
Sorry about the formatting mistakes, I forgot I was on blogspot and not a forum.
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