Andre Dawson to MLB HOF

[DrumNFeather]

From what I recall about his career, he is very deserving. Looks like he's the only one this year.

[Mormon Red Death]

Finally the hawk get his due!!!

[MartyFunkhouser]

It is pathetic and just another clear example of the stupidity of the BBWAA that Blyleven is not in the Hall of Fame. At least he is close and probably will make it next year.

[New Mexican Disaster]

It is pathetic and just another clear example of the stupidity of the BBWAA that Blyleven is not in the Hall of Fame. At least he is close and probably will make it next year.

Agreed on Blyleven, inexcusable. Congrats to Andre Dawson.

[Surfah]

It is pathetic and just another clear example of the stupidity of the BBWAA that Blyleven is not in the Hall of Fame. At least he is close and probably will make it next year.

The baseball HOF is kind of a joke period. Cool to see Hawk get in. But I agree on Bly.

[happyone]

Wasn't he one of the few to win an MVP with a losing team (Cubs)?

FWIW, I think he is very deserving

[MarkGrace]

Congrats to The Hawk. I have fond (losing) memories of watching him play as a kid.

[cougjunkie]

I am surprised Robbie Alomar did not get in.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I am surprised Robbie Alomar did not get in.

I think the spitting episode may be held against him by some of the "Protector's of the the Game"

[MartyFunkhouser]

Dawson was a borderline guy and I don't have a problem with him being in the Hall or out of the Hall.

[Hot Lunch]

Did anyone watch "Play Ball with Andre Dawson" as a kid? I loved that show while growing up.

[Parrot Head]

I agree with funk that he could be in or out and I wouldn't object either way. Alomar will be in for sure next year and it looks like Bert will get in, too. The big disappointment for me was that Robin Ventura only got 7 votes (1.3%) and is now off the ballot. I would have wholeheartedly voted for him on the stipulation that they proudly display the shot of his beatdown at the hands of Nolan Ryan who was, what, twice his age?

[Fiyero]

It's absurd that some of these players fail to receive 75% until their eligibility is about to expire, and that some voters refuse to allow any first-timer receive 100%, for "historical reasons."

Anyone who doesn't put Greg Maddux on their first ballot should have their voting rights revoked.

[cougjunkie]

From Deadspin, the worst hall of fame voters.

Second runner-up: Jay Mariotti

Jay turned in a blank ballot this year, which is certainly his prerogative. But let's look at his reasoning:

I didn't vote for anybody in the baseball hall of fame this year. Ya know why? To me…the first ballot is sacred. I think Roberto Alomar is an eventual Hall of Famer, not the first time. Edgar Martinez, designated hitter, eventually, but not the first time. Same goes for maybe Fred McGriff. As far as Blyleven and Dawson…if they haven't gotten in for years and years I cannot vote them in now."

Forget that hooey about first-time induction being special. It's stupid reasoning, but Mariotti's not alone. Let's instead look at his bizarre statement that if someone hasn't been elected yet, they're not good enough and aren't deserving of a vote. This is also acceptable, if it's a principled stand. Yet Mariotti voted for Jim Rice last year, on his 15th try. Want to know who else he found deserving last year? Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven.

First runner-up: Lisa Olson

Olson also turned in a blank ballot, as she has every year since she's become eligible. I can only assume it's some kind of protest, though ineffective at anything except getting everyone all riled up. There's the slim chance that she's protesting the hypocrisy of letting journalists contribute to what amounts to PR for the sport they cover, and because of that, she doesn't get the top spot.

(Update: It comes to my attention that Olson did not send in a blank ballot, but rather abstained from the voting process altogether, which does not count as a "no" vote against anyone. So direct your venom elsewhere; namely, the voters above and below her.)

Winner: Bill Conlin

Oh Bill. Usually it's the cranky old men who take this thing seriously. But then we read this:

I voted for Tim Raines his first year of eligibility. But when he failed to get 25 percent of the vote, he was moved to the back burner. Sorry, that's just the way it has to be. Maybe more eligible ballwriters should have measured the Rock's career numbers in all phases against those of analog basestealer and first-ballot inductee Lou Brock. Try it, you'll be amazed.

Good news for Raines, however. Yesterday, in one of the most bizarre elections in a bizarre process, he collected 30 percent and is now back on my radar.

[wuapinmon]

My ballot:

Andre Dawson: He was a monster

Jack Morris: See his post-season record to know why he deserves it. His 1991 WS pitching was amazing. He has three WS rings with 3 different teams. He started the opening game for his team every season from 1980-1993 (that has to be a record).


Don Mattingly His stats are equal to Kirby Puckett's. He was the big deal of the mid 80's. 10 homers in 10 games.

Dale Murphy:

(recycled)

I am completely biased because I consider Dale Murphy to be my all-time hero. His arm was one of the best in either league. Were it not for Mike Schmidt he could have been THE star of the National League at the time. As I said before, only he and Cal Ripken hit 20 or more homers every year from 1982-1990. He hit 40 homers once and 30 several times. He did make the 30-30 club back when it had few members (1983). He wound up with 398 homers. I'm not sure, but I think he is the all-time leader in home runs lost to rain-outs. That might be wrong, but I think I remember him passing Bobby Bonds for first place. He won back to back MVP's. He played in 740 consecutive games, the 12th longest streak ever. He was an All-Star in 1980, 82-87 and the top vote getter in 1985; he started five times. He hit .302 in 1983 when that was good enough for 6th place in the league. We cannot judge him by today's offense benchmarks. Imagine if someone hit .302 now and was 6th in the league! He led the National League in HR 1984-85, in RBI 82-83, runs in 1985, and OPS in 1983. He won five straight gold gloves from 1982-86 and four straight silver slugger awards from 1982-86. His number (#3) has been retired by the Atlanta Braves.But he shouldn't be measured solely for his on-field accomplishments. Let's not forget the class and honor that he brought to the game. He was a tireless supporter of the Huntington Disease Foundation, the 65 Roses Club, MDA, Make-A-Wish, The March of Dimes and many many others. He won the Lou Gehrig Award in 1985 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 1988. He was never ejected from a baseball game. He thanked reporters for interviewing him. In Philadelphia once, a stadium security guard didn't recognize him and wouldn't let him into the stadium. He just laughed it off. I can only imagine what Barry Bonds might have done in that situation. Murphy didn't have an "All suites" clause in his contract, nor did he have his team guarantee him charter jet flights home to his ranch during the season like Kevin Brown. I mean, he even had kind words to say about people like John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, and even Ozzie Virgil. I think we should point out that when Murphy finished 4th in homers in 1986 that he only had 29 homers. In 1987 he hit 44, but Andre Dawson had 49, so Murphy's awesome power that year was overshadowed in the NL, and by McGwire’s 49 and Jorge Bell’s 47. Homers were much harder to come by in that day and age. No one hit 50 from 1977 (George Foster) until 1990 (Cecil Fielder). If Murphy had connected twice more in his career, I think that he might've gotten into the Hall.Murphy was universally respected by all players (to be redundant). Imagine this scene: It's 1991, Braves vs. Phillies. Otis Nixon gets beaned by the Phillies pitcher next time up after hitting a homer. The bottom half of the inning, Tom Glavine has to respond and hit the first Phillies batter. Only it's Dale Murphy. He can't do it; no way. So he does the meanest thing he can bring himself to do; he throws Murph four high and inside fastballs to brush him back and put him on. Murphy got the base, and Glavine got the boot by the ump. Glavine said the ump later told him, "I only let you throw four, because that was Murphy and because I knew you wouldn't." It was not merely because they had been teammates, but because Murphy was so respected that he was off limits (by the umpires) for stunts like that. Glavine is a class act too, he's in the Hall for sure, and Murphy will make it somehow, someday, someway.If anyone deserves to get in, without the numbers we're used to seeing, he does, for being the nicest, most polite gentleman to ever grace the field.Murph's stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/murphda05.shtml