It's Goose's Time
At least it should be. Thankfully, (hopefully) we'll be talking about the Hall of Fame inductees for a few days instead of just steroidsHGHsteroidsPEDs constantly.
Gossage is the most deserving candidate, and it's a shame it's taken this long for voters to realize that "closers" have changed and evolved over the years. You can't compare Gossage to Hoffman or Rivera - they'd never pitch three or four innings for a save. It's long past due for Goose to get his reward, especially since Sutter made it two years ago.
The other names I'd check on my hypothetical ballot?
Raines
Blyleven
McGwire
No to Dawson, Rice, Morris, John. They just aren't Hall-worthy. Lee Smith I'm a bit torn on, and I'd like to see him get some votes next year. I've addressed Mattingly before and while I didn't think he'd played long enough to be in the Hall, voters inducted Puckett on the first ballot, and if a guy is good enough to make it on the first ballot and has nearly identical yet inferior stats to another guy... well, he should probably make it too, don't you think?
Yes I know McGwire most likely used drugs, but it seems it was so rampant back then, how can you choose to just punish one player? I thought perhaps the first year exclusion was enough. The guy was the premeire homerun hitter of his day and finished with nearly 600. You can't keep him out forever.
That people keep comparing Raines to Henderson is ridiculous, but not as much as people believing Vince Coleman was better than him. Raines deserves a spot.
Rice seems to be getting support from Boston area sportswriters (Gammons) who are pressuring their peers to vote in his favor (Gammons). He doesn't deserve it... not even close.
I'd be surprised if Dave Concepcion gets in, but so many writers have falled for Joe Morgan's campaigning in their articles lately. Let me state this clearly - Concepcion had a few years as an average hitter and a full career as an awful one. Concepcion should have to buy a ticket if he ever wants to see the Hall of Fame.
My guess is it winds up with just Gossage, which is an affront to Blyleven, but we'll see. These inductions are voted on by sportswriters, and any regular reader of this blog knows how I feel about their kind.Labels: bert blyleven, goose gossage, hall of fame, mark mcgwire, tim raines
posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:09 AM
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1 Comments:
GOOSE IS LOOSE ~!
After personally meeting and partying, yes partying, with the goose, I have so many nice things to say about him as a person, let alone as a ball player. I am glad he finally got his due. Weird how he went from 21 votes shy last year at 71% to a full 86% this year. Must have been his dance skills and ability to hold his liquor. A hell of a guy and Congrats to him.
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