Cooperstown: Does it Matter to You?

[frikativ54]

First of all, congrats to Barry Larkin. Let me say that by writing this, I am not trying to diminish his honor or anything like that. That being said, I was wondering if anybody shares my sentiments regarding the Baseball HOF. For me, increasingly, I don't really care if the players I grew up idolizing make it.

I watched Edgar Martinez growing up, but do I care if he's in Cooperstown? I value Edgar for his game winning double in the 1995 ALDS. As for Bagwell, his career means a lot of me, but I don't really care what others think about it. If writers want to feel like he's a steroid cheater, that's their business.

What, if anything, does Cooperstown mean to you?

[AWA85]

Having my favorite player of all time that I watched growing up make it to the HOF means a lot to myself. Meeting him and getting his autograph when I was 7 years old set me a Reds fan forever. He will forever be known as a Hall of Famer, it doesn't get any better as a fan and collector of the player.

[vdsporty25]

Great day for Barry Larkin and Reds fans everywhere!! Such a great honor to be recognized as an outstanding player, leader and team mate that he was. I couldn't be happier for him. Seeing the Reds sweep the A's in 1990 was the first World Series I remember being on TV when I was a little kid and Barry Larkin along with Eric Davis and the crazy manager Lou Pinella that threw bases the coolest guys around! I loved the under dogs and they were just that.... making them my team from then on. I will make my first trip to the HOF in July to see him get enshrined!

[asr1084]

Having my favorite player of all time that I watched growing up make it to the HOF means a lot to myself. Meeting him and getting his autograph when I was 7 years old set me a Reds fan forever. He will forever be known as a Hall of Famer, it doesn't get any better as a fan and collector of the player.

Lets see some of those Larkin items in honor of him?

[legaleagle92481]

The Hall of Fame is a total joke. Your either a HOFer or your not. The way the writers don't vote for someone one year then do the next to me is absurd. Also many people have gotten in just so they could have a ceremony that year. Would anyone have traded Bery Blynn for Jack Morris in their primes? Or Tony Perez for Mark McGwire? And alot of the guys in there are worse then guys not in, in many cases alot worse. McGwire, Palermiro, McGriff, Bagwell and Morris all should be HOFers but most will never make it. Steroids to me don't matter because noone knows who was really clean.

[Bondsgloves]

The Hall of Fame is a total joke. Your either a HOFer or your not. The way the writers don't vote for someone one year then do the next to me is absurd. Also many people have gotten in just so they could have a ceremony that year. Would anyone have traded Bery Blynn for Jack Morris in their primes? Or Tony Perez for Mark McGwire? And alot of the guys in there are worse then guys not in, in many cases alot worse. McGwire, Palermiro, McGriff, Bagwell and Morris all should be HOFers but most will never make it. Steroids to me don't matter because noone knows who was really clean.

100% agree, couldn't have said it much better.

[sox83cubs84]

It mattered plenty to me when Ron Santo finally got in. He should have been there decades ago.

Dave Miedema

[sylbry]

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.

[Titans74]

Cooperstown means squat to me. I'm a diehard Palmeiro fan. I doubt he will ever be inducted and it doesn't matter to me in the least.

[gingi79]

Great question. LegalEagle said enough to close the thread, you can't really add on anything necessary. So instead, I'll add to other great thoughts, already in progress.

Bert took 30 seasons and then got in. It's insulting as a fan to think anything changed other than the fact he died. Is that a credential for what some writers saw as borderline? How did his death enhance his numbers or values as a ballplayer? He can't even enjoy the so-called "sympathy" election. (Not saying he didn't deserve it, just saying it is under weird circumstance) Whether he deserved it or not, either it was too late or not necessary.

I like Barry Larkin. If you grew up in the 1980's, if someone said "Who plays for the Reds?", either you said Chris Sabo (at least briefly) or you knew the game and said Barry Larkin. The guy played hard, with class and had enough talent to make the Hall. He played 20 seasons with the same team. No one dreams he used steroids. If he didn't play in the same league as Ozzie Smith, he'd have more than 3 Gold Gloves (Being the second best SS in the NL behind a HOF like "The Wizard" for 15 seasons? Not shabby)

However in almost two decades: He only has 2,340 hits for an average of 123 a season. He averaged less than 10 HR a season and less than 51 rbi. He wasn't a threat to steal. Is it possible that he was elected because he is a clean anti-Steroid player from a decade drowning in them?

Agree or not, aren't these questions allowing entirely too much debate of whether or not he ever deserves to be there? A real HOF should be filled by guys no one doubts. Has anyone said Mickey, the Duke, Willie, the Babe, Gehrig, Stan the Man, Ozzie, Cal, Schmidt, The Yankee Clipper, Brooks.....etc don't belong there? (Eclectic mix, right?) I think Larkin becomes a no brainer in 10 seasons when and if none of the steroid users get in.