First of all, welcome to our Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend Blog. Throught the next two weeks we'll post blogs concerning different subjects, all of course relating to the Hall. We will also post different opinion polls to see what you think. Our first poll concerns the new Hall of Fame prospects for 2008.
Now, this years class is stellar. You couldn't ask for a more upstanding duo than Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. However, five years ago everyone in Central New York was drooling over the possibility of having another big three year like we did in 1999 when Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount were enshrined. Sadly, no Mark McGwire this year. Or is it sad? It would have meant thousands more fans and alot more money for the area. However, according to the Baseball Writers, Big Mac has some explaining to do. A few years back, in front on congress, was not his shinning moment. Since then, the writers have made their own determination that McGwire was cheating.....without drug test result whatsoever. So, he suffered in silence back in January when the calls went out to Ripken and Gywnn. Should we feel sorry for him only garnering 23.5 perecent of the vote? No, the one you feel sorry for is Goose Gossage, who next year should be a shoe in with a lackluster first time group. He missed by the narrowist of margins.
Don't feel bad for Big Mac, he knows what he did if anything. However, I feel sorry for the writers, who once again assume someone is guilty before proven guilty. But then again, thats what this country is built on. Freedom to choose. The writers chose Ripken and Gywnn. We'll bask in that on July 29th.
Let me know what you think, should McGwire have been elected this year, or at least did he deserve more votes? Does he ever deserve to be in the Hall?
There will be more posts soon and thanks for checking us out.
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2 comments:
As much as I'm so much against the steroid era...and I've been really strongly against those players that do it receiving any accolades, I think you need to just look at the times. It was rampant...we know that, and I think that despite the ugliness surrounding it, McGwire was one of the best players of the era. And I think he deserves to be in the Hall. It's like with Bonds now...he's a hall of famer...no question. But I think the perception will be that Griffey hitting 600 home runs is probably more monumental than Bonds hitting 756. The public perception will work itself out. But if the voters are selecting the best players, I think McGwire deserves to be in...and although this sends a nice message (not selecting him now), I think he'll get in within a few years. But there are a few players left out that I feel deserve it before McGwire... Dawson, Lee Smith, Gossage to name a handful....just out of respect and fairness to them and the game. Just my own $0.02
I think that McGwire does deserve to be in, but I like that the writers are trying to send a message. You need to put the best players of the era in, and there's no doubt...allegedly...beyond the steroids or whatever it was...allegedly... that McGwire was one of the best of his era. I think with time the public perception will distinguish the good from the bad, so I don't think putting someone like a McGwire or a Sosa (not that I think he had a career worthy of being selected) or a Bonds in would harm baseball's reputation. People will probably still view Maris' and Aaron's records as the benchmarks. Even this year...if Griffey can get to 600, it will mean a lot more than Bonds hitting 756. I just feel that if you're electing the best of the best, you can't look past McGwire. However, I do think they need to give respect to the Dawson's, Gossage's and Lee Smith's and elect them with or before Big Mac. My $0.02.
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