That "WTF" person is pioneering labor lawyer Marvin Miller, of course.
Deserves in before any of the players on the list.
OK, lets look at the players.
Alan Trammell? Closest to sure-fire yes on this list. Even he's not a lock, though he should be, dealing with the Cal Ripken overshadowing. Arguably a junior "Wizard" Ozzie Smith defensively.
That said, if he's on the list, where the hell is Lou Whittaker? The list of nominees is a fail right there.
Simba's time? |
Luis Tiant? Borderliner with better advanced stats than Catfish Hunter among others.
Tommy John? If you want to vote him in as a pioneer for the surgery, OK. Baseball career? No. Nice "compiler" but nothing more. (That said, he too has better sabermetrics than Catfish Hunter, who I'd vote back OUT of the Hall, kind of like the "deleaguing" that British soccer does.
Steve Garvey? No. Shouldn't even be here. Don't cite Bill James' opinion, either. He was wrong. I mean, while Keith Hernandez also isn't a HOFer, he's a hell of a lot closer to deserving.
Dale Murphy? No. Not even as a two-time MVP. Overrated defensively, below 50 career WAR. Has a nice cult-myth aura about him, but it's not true. Part of that myth is his "cleanness" related to Dave Parker even if theyre pretty much the same player. Speaking of?
Dave Parker? I"m old enough to remember me some Cobra, but no.
Donnie Baseball Mattingly? Unfortunate back problems, but no Hall pass for that. No. (Also overrated as a fielder.)
Jack Morris? FUCK NO, and I've said that for years.
Among his contemporaries or semi-contemporaries, Brett Saberhagen, David Cone and David Wells are all more fitting candidates than Morris. So's Bob Welch.
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Tentative predictions?
The committee will get Tramm in. Will find a way to screw Miller again. (Sidebar: Will find a way to ignore Whittaker for at least another decade.) Will keep Simba out. 50-50 odds it puts Morris in. 50-50 one of the four of Dale, Dave, Donnie and Steve get in.
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