Did Hall voter do the right thing?

[Rainey]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

Some people just like to be noticed.

[MassNole]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

But at the same time, no proof they didn't take steroids. Gwynn could have been juicing the entire time he played, just because he didn't hit HR's doesn't mean he wasn't juicing. Same with Ripken, maybe that's how he kept in such good shape to play everyday.

I don't believe either did take steroids for the record. Just saying, with the era and the assumptions of McGwire...

I see what you are saying, but at some point you need to look at a guy and take a leap of faith. Both Ripken and Gwynn had declines as they aged, whereas players like Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens all seemed to find a new prime. If he doesn't feel anyone belongs in the HOF this year, so be it, wasn't it just a couple of years ago only a Veteran got in, so it happens. But when you have what I and I presume most would consider to be the epitome of everything that was once right in baseball coming up for election, it is a slap in the face of the game to do this, and as such this idiot should lose his right to vote. But hey, at least we know where he stands, something we never know about the farce that is the NFL HOF.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

I see what you are saying, but at some point you need to look at a guy and take a leap of faith. Both Ripken and Gwynn had declines as they aged, whereas players like Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens all seemed to find a new prime. If he doesn't feel anyone belongs in the HOF this year, so be it, wasn't it just a couple of years ago only a Veteran got in, so it happens. But when you have what I and I presume most would consider to be the epitome of everything that was once right in baseball coming up for election, it is a slap in the face of the game to do this, and as such this idiot should lose his right to vote. But hey, at least we know where he stands, something we never know about the farce that is the NFL HOF.

I agree, as I feel both Ripken and Gwynn are 100% deserving to be in there. There's no question in my mind about it.

[rubisco43]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

I agree, as I feel both Ripken and Gwynn are 100% deserving to be in there. There's no question in my mind about it.

and for the rest of the sane world...

[bergie56]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

When will this years class be announced?

[BaseballCtchr]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

Golic said it best when he asked the reporter why not vote Ripken or Gwynn in now if you are going to do it next year anyway. But guess the voter will not have to face that next year, since they got in.

[EWRMETS]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

I see what you are saying, but at some point you need to look at a guy and take a leap of faith. Both Ripken and Gwynn had declines as they aged, whereas players like Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens all seemed to find a new prime. If he doesn't feel anyone belongs in the HOF this year, so be it, wasn't it just a couple of years ago only a Veteran got in, so it happens. But when you have what I and I presume most would consider to be the epitome of everything that was once right in baseball coming up for election, it is a slap in the face of the game to do this, and as such this idiot should lose his right to vote. But hey, at least we know where he stands, something we never know about the farce that is the NFL HOF.

Even so, I think Bonds and Clemens have to make the Hall of Fame. They both were Hall of Famers before the steroid era.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

Even so, I think Bonds and Clemens have to make the Hall of Fame. They both were Hall of Famers before the steroid era.

Huh? They were?

[SPTO]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

You can make the case that Clemens was a HOFer or at least borderline before he went to Toronto where he had a rebirth to his career.

Bonds is a harder case as he was more of a 5 tool player in Pittsburgh and the first couple years in San Fran then became this superhuman slugger. He completely changed his style of play after going on roids (or whatever)

[Skerik]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

It's more offensive to me that Ripken was piped fastballs for the last few years of his career because everyone was afraid of hitting him than it would be to learn he took steroids or whatever else the rest of baseball was taking at the time.

Bottom line on McGwire, Sosa and the rest of the so-called "cheaters" - baseball enabled these guys. MLB, straight up through the commissioner's office, knew what was going on and turned a blind eye to the game's problems to repopularize it. Now these guys have outgrown their usefulness and the game is back on the map among fans, Selig and company are throwing them under the bus to appease the fans who are asking for a crackdown.

I'm not going to fault McGwire, Sosa or anyone else for taking advantage of a culture that MLB enabled.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

Bonds was definitely a HOFer before he "started" taking 'Roids. Which we assume was in the 2000s.

[aukevin]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

I'm afraid Murph will never make it in

[dkgojackets]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

No one should be unanimous with the current precedent, but its obvious that this guy just wanted to get his ten minutes of fame by sending in a blank one.

[MassNole]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

Huh? They were?

Bonds definitely was, IIRC some major outlet named him the Player of the Decade in the 90's, which given his charming personality says a lot with Ken Griffey Jr. out there.

As for Clemens, as great as he was in Boston, I don't think he had seasoning to be a HOFer, his Toronto and NYY stint put him in. So I guess his election would depend on when he started juicing, to which something tells me he was a pioneer.

[MassNole]

Re: Did Hall voter do the right thing?

It's more offensive to me that Ripken was piped fastballs for the last few years of his career because everyone was afraid of hitting him than it would be to learn he took steroids or whatever else the rest of baseball was taking at the time.

Bottom line on McGwire, Sosa and the rest of the so-called "cheaters" - baseball enabled these guys. MLB, straight up through the commissioner's office, knew what was going on and turned a blind eye to the game's problems to repopularize it. Now these guys have outgrown their usefulness and the game is back on the map among fans, Selig and company are throwing them under the bus to appease the fans who are asking for a crackdown.

I'm not going to fault McGwire, Sosa or anyone else for taking advantage of a culture that MLB enabled.

That is a fair enough take on the issue. I can go either way, it usually depends on my mood to be honest. The way I see it, they weren't breaking any rules of MLB, it isn't their fault that MLB was 25 years behind the steroid times (I'd bet this easily dates back to Canseco in the 80's). So it doesn't seem fair to punish them, as in essence it was an even playing field.