SocraticGadfly: #ESPN fluffs #MLB non-#HOF players again

January 04, 2012

#ESPN fluffs #MLB non-#HOF players again

The baseball writers at ESPN have a VERY "wide" view of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and this new year is no exception. Jim Caple not only voted for Bernie Williams, he thinks writers should be able to vote for more than 10 candidates per years. David Schofield is a half-fluffer, saying he's "on the fence" for Jack Morris, while saying he "doesn't think" he can climb over it. Still too much wiggle room. He is right on Jeff Bagwell, though, giving the slugging power at 1B and Baggs' relatively short career, I don't think him waiting another year or two (although it will be dicey with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the roids issue, and some people's thoughts on Baggs on that) would be a "travesty." And, he's more right about Barry Larkin.

My predictions? Larkin gets in as a solo. Tim Raines breaks 50 percent. Bagwell breaks 50 percent, but not 60 percent. Williams breaks 40 percent just because he's a Yankee and because of yutzes like Caple.

None of the other returning players on the ballot makes major positional changes, despite Schofield's half-fluffing of Morris.

My personal thoughts. Larkin deserves in. I think Raines does, too. Rickey Henderson overshadowed him so that we don't realize how good he, Raines, was. Trammell? Torn on him. Nobody else on the list deserves in, in my opinion.

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