MLB HoF includes

[creekster]

one cool thing about going to see the Monstah in person....you can see all the dents in the wall from fly balls banging into it.

hard to see from this angle, but this was me looking directly down the Green Monster

You're right, it is very hard to tell. But thanks for sharing Davi . . .err trpilet.

[Hot Lunch]

Somehow Bert Blyleven doesn't make it again. The BBWAA are idiots.

I don't think Bert should be in. I don't think someone should be awarded for playing for 22 years and staying healthy. He has almost as many losses as he does wins, only won 20 games in one season and he was only named to 2 all-star teams. He did log a ton of innings, had 60 shutouts and has a bunch of strike outs. He did pitch the majority of his seasons before the steroid era though. I can see arguments for both sides.

I will be honest I don't remember much of him as a player but those numbers don't scream hall of fame to me.

I think I am going to side with the writers on this one. I wonder what the writers will think of his interview on Mike and Mike this morning.

[Surfah]

I don't think Bert should be in. I don't think someone should be awarded for playing for 22 years and staying healthy. He has almost as many losses as he does wins, only won 20 games in one season and he was only named to 2 all-star teams. He did log a ton of innings, had 60 shutouts and has a bunch of strike outs. He did pitch the majority of his seasons before the steroid era though. I can see arguments for both sides.

I will be honest I don't remember much of him as a player but those numbers don't scream hall of fame to me.

I think I am going to side with the writers on this one. I wonder what the writers will think of his interview on Mike and Mike this morning.

Rome was talking about this tonight. I agree that Bert shouldn't be in also. He was mostly talking about Rice though and how his admission has lowered the bar for future HOFers. In fact he said, "If I'm Dale Murphy I'm taking notice."

The point that he made that I liked and agree with was that if you have to make an argument for someone to be in the HOF then he shouldn't be in the HOF.

[wuapinmon]

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. 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

[il Padrino Ute]

The best argument for Murphy is that he did what he did on the field without steroids. He could have used "performance enhancing drugs" - that description makes me snicker - to prolong his career, but he didn't.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I don't think Bert should be in. I don't think someone should be awarded for playing for 22 years and staying healthy. He has almost as many losses as he does wins, only won 20 games in one season and he was only named to 2 all-star teams. He did log a ton of innings, had 60 shutouts and has a bunch of strike outs. He did pitch the majority of his seasons before the steroid era though. I can see arguments for both sides.

I will be honest I don't remember much of him as a player but those numbers don't scream hall of fame to me.

I think I am going to side with the writers on this one. I wonder what the writers will think of his interview on Mike and Mike this morning.

Bylevin is actually an easy case for the HoF and it isn't just about 22 years and staying healthy. It is about the fact that he was a great pitcher. He didn't win 20 games because he wasn't on good teams. Wins shouldn't even be factored in when choosing a pitcher for the Hall of Fame.

He is 5th in career strikeouts and 8th in shutouts. He has a career ERA+ of 118.

It should be an open and shut case for Blyleven.
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives...all_of_fam.php

[DrumNFeather]

I find it interesting that the MLB veteran's committee doesn't get more players in the hall of fame. In the NFL, the veteran's committee serves as a means of getting deserving players in who were passed over. The MLB veterans committee seeks to keep deserving players out for some reason.

Doesn't make much sense.

[cougjunkie]

The Green Monster didn't help him at all. If you think it did, you're underestimating how difficult it really is to play a carom off of that wall, especially in the wind.

Gold Gloves in the OF are not a good standard to measure OF defense. They don't award Gold Gloves for specific OF positions, just the general OF. There have only been 19 Gold Glove winners in LF in the AL. Earstad got a Gold Glove in 2000 when he played LF. The last guy to in LF to get it was Dave Winfield in '83. Unfortunately for MLB players, LF is like RF in little league. You put the guy in there and just hope he doesn't screw up.

When I say outstanding defense, these are the numbers for Rice for his career (1543 games played as an OF):

137 assists
66 errors
.980 fielding percentage

Compare those numbers to Ozzie, who is considered the greatest SS ever (2511 games):

8375 assists (as SS, we know there will be far more assist opportunities)
281 errors
.978 fielding percentage

Rice was a helluva defensive player. Combined with his good offensive game, IMO, he's a HoF guy,

I am sorry but you cant compare the fielding percentage of a shortstop to that of a Left fielder. The fact that they are close proves my point. Lets look at the fielding percentages of other Redsox left fielders that had to deal with the monster:

Manny Ramirez: .980
Mike Greenwell: .981
Troy O'Leary .985
Yaz .982

None of these guys were considered great defensive players and Rice would be the worst of them.

[cougjunkie]

Bylevin is actually an easy case for the HoF and it isn't just about 22 years and staying healthy. It is about the fact that he was a great pitcher. He didn't win 20 games because he wasn't on good teams. Wins shouldn't even be factored in when choosing a pitcher for the Hall of Fame.

He is 5th in career strikeouts and 8th in shutouts. He has a career ERA+ of 118.

It should be an open and shut case for Blyleven.
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives...all_of_fam.php

strikeouts are more of a product of longevity than anything else.

[il Padrino Ute]

I am sorry but you cant compare the fielding percentage of a shortstop to that of a Left fielder. The fact that they are close proves my point. Lets look at the fielding percentages of other Redsox left fielders that had to deal with the monster:

Manny Ramirez: .980
Mike Greenwell: .981
Troy O'Leary .985
Yaz .982

None of these guys were considered great defensive players and Rice would be the worst of them.

What are the rest of the defensive stats of these others?

[cougjunkie]

What are the rest of the defensive stats of these others?

Jim Rice: 66 errors and 166 assists in 1543 games. .042 errors per game and .107 assists per game.

Manny Ramirez: 65 errors and 117 assists in 1673 games. .037 errors per game, and .069 assists per game.

Troy O'Leary: 30 errors and 59 assists in 1072 games. .027 errors per game and .055 assists per game.

Mike Greenwell: 42 errors and 85 assists in 1164 games. .036 errors per game and .073 assists per game.

Carl Yastrzmeski: 82 errors and 195 assists in 2076 games, .039 errors per game, and .093 assists per game.

So Rice committed an error more often than all of the above players, he does obviously have the strongest arm.

[il Padrino Ute]

Jim Rice: 66 errors and 166 assists in 1543 games. .042 errors per game and .107 assists per game.

Manny Ramirez: 65 errors and 117 assists in 1673 games. .037 errors per game, and .069 assists per game.

Troy O'Leary: 30 errors and 59 assists in 1072 games. .027 errors per game and .055 assists per game.

Mike Greenwell: 42 errors and 85 assists in 1164 games. .036 errors per game and .073 assists per game.

Carl Yastrzmeski: 82 errors and 195 assists in 2076 games, .039 errors per game, and .093 assists per game.

So Rice committed an error more often than all of the above players, he does obviously have the strongest arm.

Fair enough. You've persuaded me to change my mind.

[DrumNFeather]

Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven get in. A big day for MpFunk.

[cougjunkie]

What a joke Blyleven getting in is. The hall of fame has become a complete sham.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven get in. A big day for MpFunk.

It is about damn time that Blyleven got in. This is a good day for the Hall of Fame.