Who I Like

by adarowski on Jan 5, 2011 10:20 AM EST

I'm starting this little FanShot as a side conversation of who you all support for the Hall. I realized I actually support twelve candidates, which seems really high to me. Of course, it's not my fault the BBWAA is clogging the ballot!

In groups (and roughly my order of support):

Elite all time greats:

- Bert Blyleven
- Jeff Bagwell

No doubt Hall of Famers:

- Roberto Alomar
- Barry Larkin
- Edgar Martinez
- Tim Raines
- Alan Trammell

I've come around on them after digging deeper:

- Larry Walker
- Kevin Brown

PEDs, but I'm no moral police:

- Mark McGwire
- Rafael Palmeiro

Because of precedent:

- Lee Smith

You're only allowed ten votes, so if I'm forced to drop Palmeiro and Smith, I'm fine with that. But the other ten? Particularly the top seven? They have to go in.

I say Lee Smith "because of precedent" because I've become harder on relievers over the years. I believe the only ones who should be inducted are Mariano Rivera (the best of them all by far), Goose Gossage and Hoyt Wilhelm. I don't consider Dennis Eckersley a reliever (instead a hybrid) because most of his value came as an underrated starter.

This only includes players on the ballot, not those who have been snubbed (*cough*Ron Santo*cought*) in the past (*cough*Lou Whitaker*Ted Simmons*So Many Others*cough*).

Also worth saying that I'm a Big Hall guy. Why? Because it already is a Big Hall. They're not going to start taking people out. Play by the rules you're given.

Who do you like?

And you?

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Comments

Your first ten are my ten. I’d support Palmeiro eventually, but he’s definitely the one I’d drop off. I don’t think being a little better than Bruce Sutter should get you in the hall, though.. I’d consider voting for Olerud eventually too, though of course after this year no one will get the chance to.

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by billp on Jan 5, 2011 10:24 AM EST reply actions

Same for me.

If you wanted to talk small hall, I think only Bert and Bagwell are worthy.

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by Sky Kalkman on Jan 5, 2011 10:24 AM EST reply actions

Wow, how small is your small Hall?

by Dan Turkenkopf on Jan 5, 2011 10:53 AM EST up reply actions

Not really sure. There's no good cutoff.

I see all those guys (beyond Bert/Bags) as similar, with a gap between them and Bert/Bags. It’s either all or none — actually that’s probably what I should have said.

I think I have it right that about 100 non-pitchers have at least 60 rWAR, but only 50 more than 70 rWAR. That’s probably in the ballpark of a cutoff. Probably another on around the top 20 and top 7ish.

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by Sky Kalkman on Jan 5, 2011 11:08 AM EST up reply actions