Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

[rufusandherschel]

Re: Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

The HOF voting process has become a 'JOKE' ! I give less and less attention, and care less, to the entire affair with each passing year. Sad but true!

[cjclong]

Re: Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

I think the writers feel they have to elect someone every year. So if a player is at the top of a weak group one year he has a good chance of getting in just because the writers pick someone every year. If there was a real superstar on the ballot they wouldn't get in. I think it would improve the caliber of players in the HOF if the writers took the position that some years that there isn't anyone on the ballot who really qualifies.

[gnishiyama]

Re: Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

Has there ever been a year where nobody got in? As others mentioned
it seems like they're pressing every year to get at least one player in. I think
Barry Larkin deserved it but once Santo got in and now talks of Morris,
we're beginning to lower the HOF standards into a gray area that can forever
tarnish what it is to be a true hall of famer. I mean is this because the
whole HOF is a business? I mean a player inducted every year means
tourism, $$ to Cooperstown economy, etc.

Are we going to start labeling certain HOFers into the "they only got in
because there was nobody else?" sub-category? That's not good.

As mentioned countless times even if it takes you few tries maybe because you
were eligible with too many first/second ballot candidates, once
you're in there shouldn't be much debate after wards on whether he
deserved it or not.

Donnie Baseball will forever be my favorite player of all time but
for everybody's sake how long are they going to keep him and other
fringe superstars on the ballot when they simply don't deserve to be in?

In Japan they have two separate Hall of Fames. Players become eligible
to gain membership in the Meikyukai when he reaches a certain milestone
set by the Meikyukai committee. Although not as prestigious as the
getting into the Yakyu Dendo which is the equivalent of the HOF here,
when players reach milestones set forth such as 2,000 hits and 200 wins
its celebrated much more than just a milestone. With longer schedules
and more players in MLB, obviously the those numbers would have to
be changed but I wouldn't mind seeing something similar here where
a player with "not quite HOF #'s but outstanding career #'s" gets
recognition. I'm sure that it will never happen but just saying...

Just as a Yankees fan I can see Bernie Williams, Johnny Damon,
Mattingly, Posada, Mussina, Andy Pettitte in this category.

[momen55]

Re: Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

i will go visit the shrine because i have never been there, plus i want my son
to see it as well. other than that, i don't care for it anymore as there doesn't
seem to be enough talent left to induct. some of the ones inducted in the past few years are because there weren't any others to pick from. not to mention it is all about money.
personally, i would love to see sangy or al oliver in. they had better numbers than some recent inductees.

[Mark17]

Re: Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

I used to care, but Ron Santo's election finally pushed me to the I don't give an F'. How do you vet a guy for 30 years? What changed? How can he be passed for so long then finally get in? And when do you finally say, no and mean it? It's absurd.

Then I read that boneheaded article by SI's Tom Verducci saying that next year he will vote for Jack Morris. So let me get this straight, next year Jack Morris will be a Hall of Famer in your opinion, but not this year? That reasoning defies logic. Why next year? Morris isn't going to add to his stat totals. Perhaps Tom believes Morris will have a stellar year doing radio color commentary for Twins games. I swear, when baseball writers get a ballot in hand they become stupid, and in some cases, more so than usual.

As much as I liked Jack Morris as a kid and still believe Game 7 of the 1991 World Series was the greatest pitching performance ever, at this point I couldn't care less if he is ultimately elected. In my opinion, if a player's case can't be made in the affirmative in five years, well then it has been made in the negative.

Agree 100%.

As a Twins fan, I was really annoyed that it took the writers so long to elect Harmon Killebrew. With well over 500 career home runs, everyone knew he was a HOFer, so why didn't they just put him in as soon as he was eligible. Instead, they waited several years, and then elected him. What was the point of that? To embarrass him??

And there wasn't a nicer player around, either. It made me feel bad for him, and for the process.