"fame" (one measure of which might be all-star game starts) is not a criteria for induction into the hall of fame:
5. Voting — Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.
i found this other rule amusing:
6. Automatic Elections — No automatic elections based on performances such as a batting average of .400 or more for one (1) year, pitching a perfect game or similar outstanding achievement shall be permitted.
Totally unrelated to this post but worth mentioning-- Phil Mushnick in today's NY POST:
"Also, in the top of the inning, the Mets had Marlon Anderson at second, Ramon Castro at third, none out, when Jose Reyes grounded to short. Castro scored, Anderson held at second.
Joe Morgan then went into one of his Baseball World of Joe Morgan riffs, the ones that leave us to consider whether Morgan's world and the real world are worlds apart.
Morgan gave credit to Reyes for driving in the game's first run, then said Reyes should have done more; he should have allowed Anderson to get to third. "A better play would have been to hit the ball to the right side," Morgan said.
OK, but if Jose Reyes could hit Randy Johnson where he chose to hit Randy Johnson, Randy Johnson wouldn't be Randy Johnson and Jose Reyes wouldn't be batting .267.
While it stands to reason Reyes might have been pleased to have hit the ball anywhere, Morgan, as he often does, would have us believe that all batters can "take" all pitchers in any direction they choose."
Kruk says this on BBTN a lot also. I want to believe that, if Reyes's ball had found the hole, Morgan would still have chastised him for hitting a two-run single instead of making the smart play, namely taking a weak, defensive chop at the ball to push it directly at the second baseman, assuming he makes contact on Johnson at all. I still believe that a world exists in which Joe Morgan says this on the air, but then I am an idealist.
Oh, and the complete list of baseball players who have hit 500 home runs and have collected 3000 hits: Hank Aaron Willie Mays Eddie Murray
Individually, each of those figures used to mean automatic inclusion into the HOF. Soon, Palmeiro will have both. Ken, I implore you to stop watching "Cold Pizza" for many reasons, not limited to but including poor sports analysis.
I don;'t usually watch the show -- I was flipping by and saw a repeat. But, isn't poor sports analysis a fantastic reason to watch the show, considering how much of my time I devote to this blog? What do you want me to do instead? Read books, go to work, and spend time with my fiancee? Come on, dude.
Some idiot on "Cold Pizza" (the worst show on television, including "Girlfriends") argued tonight that Raffy Palmeiro shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. Why not? Because he's never started an all-star game.
A thing that does not matter.
A thing that is determined by the opposite of logic -- namely, fan opinion.
Not voting for someone because he never started an all-star game is like not voting for a congressman because he was never voted "most likely to be a congressman" in high school.
Palmeiro will soon have 3000 hits. He has 563 HR. He is a model of consistency. His lifetime RC27 is almost 7 (higher than, among others, Dave Winfield and Willie Stargell), including one year over 10. Think he only achieved the stats because of his home parks? His career OPS+ is 132 (Eddie Murray 129, Yaz 130, Frank Robinson 139).
Baseball-reference.com lists the following 10 guys as the most similar through age 39:
Eddie Murray (898) * Frank Robinson (884) * Carl Yastrzemski (816) * Fred McGriff (812) Al Kaline (805) * Reggie Jackson (792) * Willie Mays (783) * Dave Winfield (755) * Mike Schmidt (736) * Andre Dawson (725)
I know that reasonable people may disagree on this, but in my opinion, he is a hall of famer. Maybe not very first ballot, but he is a hall of famer. To me, Fred McGriff is the borderline case (very similar RC27 and OPS+ to Raffy, not as good raw numbers), and Canseco is the "not a chance in hell" case, even before the steroids flap. Raffy is, to me, a pretty clear-cut "he's in" case.
Regardless, the point is, whether you think he's in or not, "he never started an all-star game" is a completely, utterly, thoroughly irrelevant and stupid and meaningless thing to bring up in the argument. Take that, "Cold Pizza."
6 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment form"fame" (one measure of which might be all-star game starts) is not a criteria for induction into the hall of fame:
5. Voting — Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.
i found this other rule amusing:
6. Automatic Elections — No automatic elections based on performances such as a batting average of .400 or more for one (1) year, pitching a perfect game or similar outstanding achievement shall be permitted.
-jimmy ballgame
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/rules.htm
7/01/2005 7:38 AM
Totally unrelated to this post but worth mentioning-- Phil Mushnick in today's NY POST:
"Also, in the top of the inning, the Mets had Marlon Anderson at second, Ramon Castro at third, none out, when Jose Reyes grounded to short. Castro scored, Anderson held at second.
Joe Morgan then went into one of his Baseball World of Joe Morgan riffs, the ones that leave us to consider whether Morgan's world and the real world are worlds apart.
Morgan gave credit to Reyes for driving in the game's first run, then said Reyes should have done more; he should have allowed Anderson to get to third. "A better play would have been to hit the ball to the right side," Morgan said.
OK, but if Jose Reyes could hit Randy Johnson where he chose to hit Randy Johnson, Randy Johnson wouldn't be Randy Johnson and Jose Reyes wouldn't be batting .267.
While it stands to reason Reyes might have been pleased to have hit the ball anywhere, Morgan, as he often does, would have us believe that all batters can "take" all pitchers in any direction they choose."
7/01/2005 10:27 AM
Kruk says this on BBTN a lot also. I want to believe that, if Reyes's ball had found the hole, Morgan would still have chastised him for hitting a two-run single instead of making the smart play, namely taking a weak, defensive chop at the ball to push it directly at the second baseman, assuming he makes contact on Johnson at all. I still believe that a world exists in which Joe Morgan says this on the air, but then I am an idealist.
7/01/2005 11:24 AM
Oh, and the complete list of baseball players who have hit 500 home runs and have collected 3000 hits:
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Eddie Murray
Individually, each of those figures used to mean automatic inclusion into the HOF. Soon, Palmeiro will have both. Ken, I implore you to stop watching "Cold Pizza" for many reasons, not limited to but including poor sports analysis.
7/01/2005 11:34 AM
I don;'t usually watch the show -- I was flipping by and saw a repeat. But, isn't poor sports analysis a fantastic reason to watch the show, considering how much of my time I devote to this blog? What do you want me to do instead? Read books, go to work, and spend time with my fiancee? Come on, dude.
7/01/2005 6:32 PM
By "don;'t" I mean "don't."
7/01/2005 6:33 PM