2012 Hall of Fame Ballot Out Today

[schmidtfan20]

Are you really going to put up a plaque of Larkin next to Mantle and Ted Williams?

What a joke the hall has become.

Kevin

 

[trauty]

Are you really going to put up a plaque of Larkin next to Mantle and Ted Williams?

What a joke the hall has become.

Kevin

He doesn't have to go next to them, he can go next to the number of marginal guys that have been in for 40 years or more. I'm not a small hall guy at all. Larkin would make a decent HOF'er, certainly not top tier but better than a lot already in. I never understand why people get worked up over the hall getting diluted by marginal guys. The cream ALWAYS rises to the top. When there were 25 guys in the hall everybody talked about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. more than any others, now that there are 200+ people are still talking about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young along with a a few newer greats we've added along the way (like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Sandy Koufax, etc.) These are still the guys with the spotlight on them. There is plenty of room for the marginal guys, they'll never be taken as seriously as the huge stars of the game but there is definitely a spot for them.

-- Andy

 

[sportscardtheory]

Are you really going to put up a plaque of Larkin next to Mantle and Ted Williams?

What a joke the hall has become.

Kevin

He doesn't have to go next to them, he can go next to the number of marginal guys that have been in for 40 years or more. I'm not a small hall guy at all. Larkin would make a decent HOF'er, certainly not top tier but better than a lot already in. I never understand why people get worked up over the hall getting diluted by marginal guys. The cream ALWAYS rises to the top. When there were 25 guys in the hall everybody talked about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. more than any others, now that there are 200+ people are still talking about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young along with a a few newer greats we've added along the way (like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Sandy Koufax, etc.) These are still the guys with the spotlight on them. There is plenty of room for the marginal guys, they'll never be taken as seriously as the huge stars of the game but there is definitely a spot for them.

-- Andy

Stop talking sense.

 

[AndruwHRJones]

Possibly Larkin, although I never really thought of him as a HOFer while he was playing. He might also get in just because nobody else will.

The guy has no 'black ink' - he never led the league in any category.

He did lead the league in MVP votes in 1995 however.

With that said, I think Larkin is deserving and will likely get in this year.

I also think another player will get in just because not many players on the current list will have much of a chance the next 3 or 4 years with these players becoming eligible:

2013
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Mike Piazza
Sammy Sosa
Curt Shilling
Craig Biggio

2014
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Tom Glavine

2015
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
John Smoltz

 

[MaineMule]

Larkin, which means Trammell SHOULD already be in. Morris has been building momentum, given the "weak" list this year, he may make it. Bagwell I think is another year out, at least.

Larkin was a better SS.

Um, no. Larkin and Trammell are virtually identical, with WARs of 66.8 and 68. Trammell has better stats/performance than all but 4 HOF shortstops (as does Larkin). Not dissing Larkin, he deserves it & will get it. But Trammell deserves it, too.

Larkins defensively was better. That was my point. It isnt all about stats.

Nope. Trammell 4 Gold Gloves, Larkin 3 Gold Gloves. Again, not dissing Larkin (who was excellent defensively, too), Trammell was exceptional defensively with textbook form positioning, fielding, and throwing. Again it's not an either/or, both deserve to be in the HOF.

...from '86-92 (Larkin's first 7 years) Ozzie had a stranglehold on the GG....

 

[muskiesfan]

Are you really going to put up a plaque of Larkin next to Mantle and Ted Williams?

What a joke the hall has become.

Kevin

He doesn't have to go next to them, he can go next to the number of marginal guys that have been in for 40 years or more. I'm not a small hall guy at all. Larkin would make a decent HOF'er, certainly not top tier but better than a lot already in. I never understand why people get worked up over the hall getting diluted by marginal guys. The cream ALWAYS rises to the top. When there were 25 guys in the hall everybody talked about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. more than any others, now that there are 200+ people are still talking about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Cy Young along with a a few newer greats we've added along the way (like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Sandy Koufax, etc.) These are still the guys with the spotlight on them. There is plenty of room for the marginal guys, they'll never be taken as seriously as the huge stars of the game but there is definitely a spot for them.

-- Andy

Excellent post. People keep talking about how the Hall is getting diluted, but there is a very, VERY small percentage of players that get elected. When you look at the thousands that have played MLB and only ~200 have made it in, I don't think it's that watered down at all. At bare minimum, there will 750 people play MLB this season alone.

 

[Hendersonfan]

I say Lee Smith. We was a toned down version of Rivera before Mariano played. Lee was leader in saves and was a dominant closer for years. Might not be 1st ballot, but I would like to see him get in sometime.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Elect no one. This isn't the Hall of Very Good. It's the Hall of FAME. Barry Larkin was not a guy who put asses in the seats.

 

[PeteD]

Murphy put his numbers up clean.

Different era

30/30 guy which was rare then. 2 time MVP and great defensive player.
400 HR's (396 I know) and over 1200 RBI"s was a ton in his era.

If Palmerio or Walker were to get in Murphy sure the hell should.

HOF needs quality guys in it...Murph fits the bill. Back in the day (most of the 80's) he was the man. On the cover of every baseball guide and mag. When the '89 UD error surfaced, that was the card ppl wanted...not the Griffey rc.

Also he started out as an catcher, not sure if he played the pos in the bigs.

 

[TNP777]

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

How does playing on one team affect Larkin and Trammell's chances - - would they be close if they hadn't been on the same team their entire careers?

 

[mikefrank]

How does playing on one team affect Larkin and Trammell's chances - - would they be close if they hadn't been on the same team their entire careers?

One theory is that they played only in one league, so half the writers didn't see them play regularly (being before interleague play). Also, if they had been traded in their primes to the other league, Trammell would have won more Silver Sluggers & Larkin more Gold Gloves. Of course being traded to NY in their prime would have made them locks...Rizzuto, Reese, et al.

 

[Pine Tar]

Re: 2012 HOF Ballot out today.

http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/2012-hall-fame-ballot-out-today" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Lets just call this, the 'Who will get zero votes?' ballot.....


The ballot:

Jeff Bagwell
Jeromy Burnitz
Vinny Castilla
Juan Gonzalez
Brian Jordan
Barry Larkin
Javy Lopez
Edgar Martinez
Don Mattingly
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Bill Mueller
Terry Mulholland
Dale Murphy
Phil Nevin
Rafael Palmeiro
Brad Radke
Tim Raines
Tim Salmon
Ruben Sierra
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Larry Walker
Bernie Williams
Tony Womack
Eric Young







Is there anyone on this list who is a shoe-in?

Nope
But I would dig it if Brad Radke made it.....Since we share the same last Name. :lol:

 

[19braves77]

If Jack Morris was to get in, I wouldn't have a problem with it. This may be his biggest year.

 

[beefycheddar]

Larkin will make it this year, statistically he was one of the best at his position of his era. He deserves it.