Mike Piazza’s name will appear for the first time on the Hall of Fame ballot.
Today’s question is a no-brainier…..Will Piazza make the Hall on his first try?
Dec 30
The Sunday Question
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16 comments
ColoradoMetsFan
12/30/2012-8:51am at 8:51 am (UTC -4)
This is a stupid question. Not because it’s a stupid question as posed, but because of all the noise surrounding it. The definitive answer is yes. Any vote to the contrary is irresponsible and disingenuous, at least in my mind. The fact that induction to the HOF is dictated by the wretches of yellow journalism, otherwise known as sportswriters, who are too often driven by personal agendas, is a travesty. That said, I don’t claim to have a better system, but clearly the present one is tainted.
srt
12/30/2012-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
Not all these writers with a vote feel the same way. Take a look at this article. TJ Quinn explains why he’s giving up his HOF vote permanently, even though he’s entitled to vote.
The world of baseball could use a few more men with the integrity of Mr. Quinn.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8769398/a-writer-gives-hall-fame-vote
ColoradoMetsFan
12/30/2012-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks for sharing. There’s no easy answer to any of this, so I appreciate Mr. Quinn’s decision to recuse himself.
Stickguy
12/30/2012-9:19am at 9:19 am (UTC -4)
he certainly should, but I could see enough voters not putting him down (either due to “first ballot” phobia or some unfounded Roids notion) that he falls below 75%. But not by much. If he does not make it this year, certainly he makes it next year.
srt
12/30/2012-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
He absolutely should, but I have a feeling he won’t.
Too many voters have this prejudice about what constitutes a first time HOF.
To me, bottom line is if he’s HOF worthy, what difference does it make if he gets in on the first go ’round?
Stick
12/30/2012-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
I actually understand the feeling about the real stars needing special recognition. But, the HOF has already been way watered down from just the cream of the crop. Plus, the grading is really just pass/fail (so 75.1% is the same as 99.9%)
So in effect, the writers have taken it upon themselves to address this shortcoming by implementing a 1st ballot special set of unwritten rules.
srt
12/30/2012-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
Thing is, I think it’s been like that all along with first time HOF votes. I don’t think that’s anything new with voters.
gategem
12/30/2012-7:10pm at 7:10 pm (UTC -4)
You’re correct. This tradition dates back to before even I was born. Since Mets fans have not complained about it in the past and they’re only doing so now because it’s Piazza up for induction then it’s not the writers that are the guilty of yellow journalism but rather Mets fans are guilty of being hypocritical. I hope when they dismount from their horse they don’t fall and break their necks since they are on the tallest horse since the big bang.
darknova306
12/30/2012-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
A player is a hall of famer or he isn’t. Mike Piazza is. I don’t know why it’s anymore difficult than that.
If they want to start putting the ballot number on players’ plaques in Cooperstown or start grouping the plaques by vote% or something, then the discussion of ‘first ballotness’ becomes a real thing. Without that, it’s just a bunch of desperately pathetic writers trying to put their marks on a game they could never play at an elite level themselves.
TX
12/30/2012-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
They should admit that there was PED use and use it as a teaching tool for the youth. Call it the PED Era or something like that, much like the dead ball era. And they should elect the clowns who deserve it. Clemens, bonds, etc.
The voters should have unlimited number of votes, ie not limited to just picking 10, and the players who are being voted on should only have one shot. None of this stupid “he’s a hall of famer, but not a first ballot hall of famer so I’ll skip him this year but vote for him next year” crap. They either are or are not hall of famers. One year isn’t going to change that.
Last 2 thoughts on the HOF. Pete Rose should be in there. And they should create a HOF of HOFers, like the elite of the elite. A place where Ruth and DiMaggio would be but Sutton and the like would not.
kingman 26
12/30/2012-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
I agree with TX on the PED Era—players who were HOFers without drugs should be in, a la Bonds and Clemens, but guys who were not clear HOFers pre-PED use, a la McGwire and Sosa, absolutely should not be in.
However, I think the voting system DOES create the elite HOF—guys elected the first time on the ballot are these elite–Seaver, Ruth, Mantle, and yes, Piazza, who absolutely should be a 1st-time electee.
And Rose? So very tough. I lean towards the idea that he should be in, but perhaps with some sort of strictly worded line(s) on his plaque regarding the gambling.
Everyone may not agree, but the vicious racism that existed in the game for decades was much more of a blight than one man’s gambling. One could argue quite well even that the stats of Ruth and Gehrig and DiMaggio and others were most definitely inflated by not playing the very best competition, as players have for the last 50 years with the huge numbers of Latino and African American players.
Imagine how some players would have had their offense in the NL increased by not having to face Gibson and Marichal several times every year.
So, to me, the hysteria over Rose is very much overdone. Should he be found to have bet against his own team, then he must be kept out. Otherwise, he should be in.
Kennesaw Mountain Landis was a racist who helped keep the game segregated for his entire tenure as commissioner—if this guy is in the HOF, it is an insane joke to keep Rose out.
Stick
12/30/2012-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
people seem to forget that the HOF is a museum, not some official MLB entity.
And technically Pete Rose is in the HOF plenty of times. Just not as an inducted player!
Mike Kennedy
12/31/2012-6:23pm at 6:23 pm (UTC -4)
Great points made here. Especially about pre-segregation players padding their numbers against many many players who wouldn’t sniff MLB if they competed against the blacks and Latinos.
As for Piazza…the voters have two options-induct him or openly accuse him. The numbers don’t lie. He belongs. Case closed.
ColoradoMetsFan
12/30/2012-3:10pm at 3:10 pm (UTC -4)
My conflict is that I see no difference between betting for or against your team, in that betting for your team may result in acts of commission whereas betting against your team may result in acts of omission. Either way, your judgment could be compromised so that you’re not acting the best interests of your team.
Stick
12/30/2012-5:20pm at 5:20 pm (UTC -4)
I agree about that.
srt
12/30/2012-4:52pm at 4:52 pm (UTC -4)
Pete Rose…dummy….
I think he gets in someday – I think he deserves to be in.
Yes, he broke the rules but so did so many others. Look at Steinbrenner. Banned for life, then got a pardon a couple of years later. What makes him more deserving of a pardon than Rose?