The 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame election results are in. I think this all turned out well except for Jim Rice. Rice has only two more years and next year's crop of other eligible players looks weak. Here are the full results:
Relief pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage fell 21 votes shy of election with 388 (71.2%). The only other players receiving more than half the vote were outfielders Jim Rice with 346 (63.5%) and Andre Dawson with 309 (56.7%).Needless to say, McGwire can wait a long long time as far as I am concerned.Of the 15 players other than Gwynn and Ripken on the ballot for the first time, only two received sufficient support to remain in consideration, first baseman Mark McGwire and outfielder-designated hitter Harold Baines. Players must be listed on five percent of the ballots (28 this year) to stay on the ballot for up to 15 years. McGwire had 128 votes (23.5%) and Baines 29 (5.3%).
In his 15th and final year on the ballot, Steve Garvey got 115 votes (21.1%). Also dropping off the ballot in his second year was pitcher Orel Hershiser (4.4%). Other holdovers who will remain on the ballot are Bert Blyleven (47.7%), Lee Smith (39.8%), Jack Morris (37.1%), Tommy John (22.9%), Dave Concepcion (13.6%), Alan Trammell (13.4%), Dave Parker (11.4%), Don Mattingly (9.9%) and Dale Murphy (9.2%).
Comments
gr - January 10, 2007 9:33 AM
Tommy John and Dave Parker: seems they should be higher up the list.
Alan - January 10, 2007 9:47 AM
Tommy John if only for the surgery.
Mike - January 10, 2007 10:08 AM
They should induct History's Greatest Outfield (Dewey, Rice and Freddie) together, not to downplay their individual accomplishments.
gr - January 10, 2007 10:11 AM
Why doesn't Rice get more respect?
I taught his son Chauncy Rice in high school. He was a big, very handsome, athletic, friendly guy who was a very poor student, not too hard working. I met his....mother. Mr. Rice was always busy with Red Sox this and thats. Mrs. Rice could kick some a$$, and Chauncy kinda needed that.
Paul of Kingston - January 10, 2007 10:57 AM
I guess Conseco will have to wait until baseball actually thinks performance enhancing drugs are a bad thing and not just a PR hot potato.
Hans - January 10, 2007 11:47 AM
Gwynn & Ripken are deserving. I think Lee Smith ought to get in.
As for the rest of them, its hard to see why Andre Dawson is higher than Steve Garvey or Bert Blyleven higher than Jack Morris. Nobody remembers the also rans? Next year might be more interesting.
oldejoe - January 10, 2007 3:33 PM
I'm pulling for a Rice induction, but the one I wonder about is Jack Morris. The guy was probably the dominant pitcher of his time, particularly in the playoffs.
portland - January 11, 2007 12:54 AM
because you can't compare across eras (you really can't) i don't have a problem with mcgwire. hold your nose and do it. making him sweat it for a few years would be good though. i know that's hypocritical but so what? you know why i don't care if bonds breaks aaron's record? because it doesn't matter how many or how he does it, i still know that aaron was a better man and that ruth was a better ballplayer.
rice deserves to go in, gossage too, and certainly jack morris. it's gotta be about more than statistics. fame is partly about stats but it's also about what you meant to the fans and your team and even the game itself. it's the tony perez arguemnt all over again. jack morris was freaking heroic in huge games through huge seasons with teams that he carried on his shoulders. he should be there.
my favorite player was always hawk dawson but you know what?; as much as i love him, as good as he was, as big as he was in chicago that one year, if he goes in, it's a total joke. it's a lot like parker. a very good player, some great years, not immortal by a long shot.
as for garvey, i can't bring myself to comment because i hated him so much when he was a player.
and dale murphy? who knows? who cares?
BaseballBest - May 4, 2007 9:49 AM
I know that Rice is very real with people. Not being a manipulator, he just says what is on his mind. So, he is a little abrasive at times, and that is how he misses out on a lot that he might otherwise deserve.