There is always enough Indians stuff to talk about that it is hard to fit in a post about baseball (or other things) not involving the current Cleveland Indians organization. But it is HOF ballot time and time to weigh in on that ballot. Here is the list and my comments on each:
General: First, I love the big Red machine. I was in Cincinnati during that time and, while being an Indians' fan, loved watching winning, history-making baseball. That being said, the inclusion of Tony Perez into the HOF has created problems for me ever since. Hey, Perez was a very, very solid player, maybe even great at times but, in my opinion, there are hundreds of guys like him who aren't in the HOF and, frankly, shouldn't be...just like Perez.
I think this year's HOF ballot gives us a chance to separate great players from HOF players, the way it should be. I think this ballot also has guys on it who will eventually make it through the veteran committee process, like Perez probably should have.
I think Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel will get in, although I worry about Thome being thrown out with the dirty PED bathwater. There are probably more non-PED guys worthy of getting in but I think they will split the vote between them with a few more guys than normal just falling short.
Here are my individual comments:
Barry Bonds - Unfortunately, like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, there are a lot of reasons other than performance that will keep statistically-deserving players out. So, no on Bonds.
Chris Carpenter - Good when he was good but not even long enough to earn a second year on the ballot.
Roger Clemens - See Bonds.
Johnny Damon - not even at Perez's level. This should be his first and last year on the ballot.
Vladimir Guerrero - Here is a guy, like Kirby Puckett, who was so good so long he should be in the HOF. Yeah, injuries made it so he didn't have eye-popping, no-doubt career numbers but he should be there.
Livan Hernandez - TCahe Cuban guys are tough but I think he falls short as it is too hard to predict a full career for him that would make him HOF-worthy.
Trevor Hoffman, - The voters love him but will that love go away this year with the ballot being as stuffed as it is? I hope he makes it this year but I doubt he will.
Orlando Hudson - No
Jason Isinghausen - Part of the reason that Hoffman may not make it is that some voters may be split between him and Isringhausen. Got to meet the man this past year because his daughter played volleyball at the same school my daughter did. He is a good guy who I saw pitch for years in St. Louis. I think he is borderline HOF material and I hope he eventually makes it.
Andruw Jones - I love this Jones but, using my Tony Perez yardstick, I think Jones falls short of Perez and so doesn't get in.
Chipper Jones - Normally I would say first ballot HOFer and he may do that. In this year, however, he may fall just short making him an easy second ballot HOFer.
Jeff Kent - Just like Tony Perez, Kent dominated a relatively weak offensive group at second base, especially power-wise, during his career. That being said, he falls short of Perez and so definitely short of the HOF.
Carlos Lee - To me, just a really good player, but not a HOFer
Brad Lidge - Good but not a HOFer and certainly not while Hoffman and Isringhausen are on the ballet.
Edgar Martinez - The best DH of all time but, on this ballot, and in this era where everyone hits, and the fact that he wasn't really a rounded player being a DH, I don't see him getting in, maybe ever, when you use the Tony Perez as the bottom rung argument. Plus, there is Thome if you want a mostly-DH guy, at least later in his career.
Hidecki Matsui - One of the first big Japenese imports, you have to question whether he should have his Japanese stats factored in. I say no and to all those who say 'yes', then Julio Franco should already be in the HOF as his foreign stats put him well over 3000 hits, among other normal HOF indicators.
Fred McGriff - See Tony Perez. McGriff was a great player but not HOF material.
Kevin Millwood - Very solid ML player. No HOFer, though.
Jamie Moyer - Like Julio Franco, this guy played so long that he might be on the HOF ballot AND be considered by the Veterans' committee in the same year (JK). When Franco gets in, so should Moyer.
Mike Mussina - I don't get it. He should get in but I guess his numbers are not so overwhelming that people just ignore him. He will get in one day but it may be at the Veterans' Committee level.
Manny Ramirez - PEDs will keep him out but it might be a blessing in disguise. He might have embarrassed himself by getting lost and missing his own induction.
Scott Rolen - I wish he could get in. By the Perez yardstick maybe he makes it. However, I think the list will be so good for so many years now that Rolen won't get in. And, frankly, he was just a really, really, solid player but falls just short of HOF numbers.
Johan Santana - Not good enough for long enough.
Curt Schilling, - See Mussina
Gary Sheffield, - No
Sammy Sosa - No
Jim Thome - Look, he is in if I have a ballot. As has been said by others, he is a certified slugger but without the PED stigma. He would have been Ruthian if he played when Ruth played.
Omar Vizquel - I have had the pleasure of watching two of the greatest, if not the two greatest, defensive shortstops of all time, repeatedly and in person: Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel. Omar is a first ballot HOFer as his offense, like that of Smith, improved over the course of his career while maintaining HOF defense. Vizquel should be in.
Billy Wagner - See Brad Lidge
Larry Walker - Solid but no HOFer.
Kerry Wood - If you got into the HOF for pre-career hype and your first couple of years of performance Wood is in. Unfortunately the HOF path is a marathon and Wood ran a world class 100 meter dash in that path.
Carlos Zambrano - On weak ballot years a guy like Zambrano might hang around a couple of years before being taken off the ballot for low vote totals. With this list, however, Zambrano is likely not to be on next year's ballot.
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