Tuesday, December 27, 2011

SMALL HALL: As we did last year on a late December day when I didn't have anything else to blog about, I've created a Doodle poll for your votes for the 2012 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Vote for anywhere from 0-10 players; stats are here; hagiographies accumulating on the Hall site here.

My ballot is the same as last year's, minus Alomar's induction: Bagwell, Larkin, E Martinez, McGwire, Raines. I used to take Jack Morris more seriously, but in comparison with the starting pitchers who'll be inducted in the next five years -- Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, P Martinez, Clemens, Schilling, R Johnson and Mussina -- he just doesn't compare.

On McGwire, my answer remains constant: Induct, but Acknowledge. Just have the last sentence of his plaque read "Admitted to using steroids during his career," and let visitors put it all in context.

added: Joe Posnanski's ballot and reasoning.

11 comments:

  1. Adam C.9:12 AM

    Call me not a fan of the new commenting format I'm noticing this morning on previous posts (specifically, that the most recent comment is now at the top).  Is there a way to change?

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  2. Yeah, I don't know what happened.

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  3. Fixed, I think.

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  4. Adam C.10:09 AM

    Thanks - status quo ante, everybody!

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  5. Chin Music12:24 PM

    Giving Larry Walker more thought this year.  OPS+ takes into account the ballpark factor, right?  Cause his 140 OPS+ is standing out to me as being a very impressive credential, especially given the fact that his raw numbers are very good and he was a good outfielder with an excellent arm.  If you take away the ballpark effect and he is still in the same range as Bagwell and Martinez, then he might be worth a vote.  Of coruse, if OPS+ doesn't negate the Coors effect, forget all of this. 

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  6. StvMg1:56 PM

    I voted for Murphy for sentimental reasons. If this were an actual Hall ballot, I don't think I'd include him. I like Adam's idea on "induct, but acknowledge," but as long as the Hall isn't actually doing that, I have trouble voting for McGwire at all.

    I'm still stunned over the lack of support for Bagwell, Raines and Trammell in the actual Hall voting.

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  7. OPS+ on Baseball-Reference is ballpark-adjusted.

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  8. TimofArabia2:02 PM

    Only Larkin and McGwire, y'all. 

    I don't care about steroids re: McGwire and I never acknowledged Bagwell as an elite player during his era due to ignorance/TV schedule and have a hard time changing my mind now. I love Jack Morris, but talked myself out of it due to the fact that Dave Steib had five bWAR seasons greater than Morris's best.

    CAN WE GET TO THE NEXT FEW YEARS! 
    I've already set my DVR to record the Greg Maddux speech. He'll be all Awww-Shucks Valley Girl Modesty. 

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  9. Benner3:10 PM

    i don't like the idea of overlooking one of the top hitters of an era before the big time juicers in favor of guys like who put up stronger career numbers but weren't the best of their eras.  I voted Murphy over McGwire, since if hitting home runs is all you can do, and you're on steroids, at least hold the record for HRs in a season longer.  Walker, Bagwell, Raines, Larkin, and Martinez to round it out.  Trammell is a great player, but with Larkin on the ballot i can't see supporting him.

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  10. Chin Music4:22 PM

    It is interesting that the statistics for Trammell and Larkin are so similar (Larkin's #1 comp is Trammell) with Larkin's numbers consistently better by a small amount (though I think Trammell was better defensively than Larkin).  If Larkin gets in and Trammell doesn't it will create an almost perfect dividing line between what is and is not a hall of fame shortstop.  I'd like to see Trammell in the HOF, but I am OK with him serving as the bar that must be cleared for entry.

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  11. Joseph Finn8:42 PM

    Bagwell, Larkin, Raines, Martinez (though that one was just barely over the smell test) and a write-in for Baines. I can enjoy that as a class.  (Huh, minus one person I'm almost the same as Adams, which I didn't look at before voting.)  Lee Smith is the one that I feel the worst about leaving off but I just couldn't pull the trigger on him.

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