The last bow of a legend came in his home country. Irchiro Suzuki announced his retirement after the second game of the early season. As MLBTR stated:
With these two games, the 2653rd game of his MLB career, Ichiro, 45, has now appeared in parts of the last 28
seasons in both Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball,
completing one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the
sport. Over 951 games with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan and then 2653
games with the Mariners, Yankees, and Marlins in North America, Ichiro
recorded more professional hits than any player ever.
Heading into today’s action, Ichiro had an incredible 4367 career
hits — 1278 in NPB, and 3089 in MLB, reaching the 3000-hit club in the
majors despite not playing his first North American game until he was
already 27 years old.
After nine years as a star in Japan, Ichiro made a
heavily-anticipated jump to the majors prior to the 2001 season after
the Mariners won a posting bid to acquire his services. The transition
was more than just seamless — Ichiro’s debut in the Show saw him hit
.350/.381/.457 over a league-high 738 plate appearances for a 116-win
Mariners team. He became just the second player to win both the Rookie
Of The Year and MVP Awards in the same year, also winning the first of
three Silver Slugger Awards and the first of 10 Gold Gloves.
Ichiro’s smooth left-handed hitting stroke and quick acceleration out
of the box made him a threat to reach base every time he made contact.
Perhaps the most notable of his many achievements was setting a new
single-season hits record in 2004, as his 262 hits broke the 84-year-old
mark formerly held by Hall-of-Famer George Sisler.
Ichiro’s defense and baserunning were perhaps just as impressive as
his exploits at the plate. He stole a league-best 56 bases in 2001, and
finished his career with 509 steals, tied for 35th-most in Major League
history. As a right fielder, Ichiro unleashed a throwing arm that
instantly drew comparisons to Roberto Clemente in terms of both power
and accuracy.
While his skills inevitably declined with age, Ichiro did his best to
stave off Father Time, playing past his 45th birthday due a fitness regime and nonstop preparation. This work ethic helped make
Ichiro one of the most respected players of recent times, idolized by
both fans and teammates alike all over the world.
Irchiro ends his MLB career with a 59.4 WAR, .311 career BA, 117 HR, 780 RBI, 509 SB and 3,089 hits. His career is comparable to Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Lou Brock and Tony Gwynn. Despite his accomplishments, Irchiro probably had the "quietest" superstar career in MLB history.
Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
March 22, 2019
January 25, 2018
HOF 2018 CLASS DISCUSSION
It was announced that the Hall of Fame has elected four new members.
Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman compose the BBWAA's 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame class.
The only person that had any real debate was Hoffman, a closer. Many HOF junkies still cannot grasp the fact that closers, with limited innings per year, are Hall of Fame worthy. Many think of closers as being the "NFL kickers" of baseball; a member of the ball club but mostly on the roster for "chip shot" points.
Previously, five pitchers are currently in the Hall, chiefly for their accomplishments as relief pitchers: Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, and Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley, who was considered the first modern closer pitching exclusively in ninth inning situations, also had a significant career as a starting pitcher and even threw a no-hitter in 1977. Another pitcher entered the Hall in 2015 was John Smoltz, who was primarily a starter, but spent four seasons as a dominant reliever for the Braves.
The history of baseball began with the starting pitcher pitching the entire game. It was expected when he took the mound in the first inning, he would be on the mound to the last out in the 9th. Early century teams had only a few pitchers on the rosters to begin with . . . a three man rotation was not out of the question. Lanky, rubber arm pitchers were the norm in the dead ball era.
Then in the 1920s and 1930s, the concept of a "fireman" came into the game. A relief pitcher would come into the game to "put out a fire" or rally by the opposing team. In the past, a starter was really only taken out if he had gotten injured or shelled beyond hope of recovery.
The lone fireman concept evolved slowly into the modern bullpen, where a manager has seven or eight relief pitchers on the roster to mix and match against hitters in every single game. From the modern bullpen concept, the 9th inning "closer" emerged as the most valuable reliever on a staff.
Closers are used when a team is ahead in the final inning by 3 runs or less. The "save" concept was created by the dean of baseball writers, Jerome Holtzman, as a way of trying to quantify the effect a relief pitcher has on the game's outcome. Many people have been critical of the "save" stat as being overblown to irrelevant. Purists believe that every inning has the same importance; getting three outs.
Others suggest that the "pressure" of closing a game is a special skill that not all pitchers can handle. One example of this was the Cubs 2016 mid-season trade for Aroldis Chapman, a dominant closer who helped the Cubs end their long championship drought.
Indians manager Terry Francona added the concept of a "stopper" in Andrew Miller to the bullpen mix. He used Miller in any inning, from the third to the 9th, to put out rallies or to keep the game within reach. The idea of a floating "closer" to be used throughout the game has increased the overall importance of the bullpen depth.
The Kansas City Royals, on their run to a championship, decided that an unstoppable bullpen was more valuable than a dominant starting five rotation (which is hard to find). By having a set of terminators for the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th innings, all the Royals asked their starters to do was to throw 5 quality innings. It saves wear and tear on their starters, and gave the entire bullpen "ownership" of games and victories.
Whether Hoffman or any relief pitcher is worthy of a Hall of Fame plaque is one of those baseball discussions that fans and writers will have forever.
Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman compose the BBWAA's 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame class.
The only person that had any real debate was Hoffman, a closer. Many HOF junkies still cannot grasp the fact that closers, with limited innings per year, are Hall of Fame worthy. Many think of closers as being the "NFL kickers" of baseball; a member of the ball club but mostly on the roster for "chip shot" points.
Previously, five pitchers are currently in the Hall, chiefly for their accomplishments as relief pitchers: Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, and Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley, who was considered the first modern closer pitching exclusively in ninth inning situations, also had a significant career as a starting pitcher and even threw a no-hitter in 1977. Another pitcher entered the Hall in 2015 was John Smoltz, who was primarily a starter, but spent four seasons as a dominant reliever for the Braves.
The history of baseball began with the starting pitcher pitching the entire game. It was expected when he took the mound in the first inning, he would be on the mound to the last out in the 9th. Early century teams had only a few pitchers on the rosters to begin with . . . a three man rotation was not out of the question. Lanky, rubber arm pitchers were the norm in the dead ball era.
Then in the 1920s and 1930s, the concept of a "fireman" came into the game. A relief pitcher would come into the game to "put out a fire" or rally by the opposing team. In the past, a starter was really only taken out if he had gotten injured or shelled beyond hope of recovery.
The lone fireman concept evolved slowly into the modern bullpen, where a manager has seven or eight relief pitchers on the roster to mix and match against hitters in every single game. From the modern bullpen concept, the 9th inning "closer" emerged as the most valuable reliever on a staff.
Closers are used when a team is ahead in the final inning by 3 runs or less. The "save" concept was created by the dean of baseball writers, Jerome Holtzman, as a way of trying to quantify the effect a relief pitcher has on the game's outcome. Many people have been critical of the "save" stat as being overblown to irrelevant. Purists believe that every inning has the same importance; getting three outs.
Others suggest that the "pressure" of closing a game is a special skill that not all pitchers can handle. One example of this was the Cubs 2016 mid-season trade for Aroldis Chapman, a dominant closer who helped the Cubs end their long championship drought.
Indians manager Terry Francona added the concept of a "stopper" in Andrew Miller to the bullpen mix. He used Miller in any inning, from the third to the 9th, to put out rallies or to keep the game within reach. The idea of a floating "closer" to be used throughout the game has increased the overall importance of the bullpen depth.
The Kansas City Royals, on their run to a championship, decided that an unstoppable bullpen was more valuable than a dominant starting five rotation (which is hard to find). By having a set of terminators for the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th innings, all the Royals asked their starters to do was to throw 5 quality innings. It saves wear and tear on their starters, and gave the entire bullpen "ownership" of games and victories.
Whether Hoffman or any relief pitcher is worthy of a Hall of Fame plaque is one of those baseball discussions that fans and writers will have forever.
January 9, 2016
2016 HOF
I have no real problem with the two new Hall of Famers.
Ken Griffey was elected in his first year on the ballot. He received 99.32 percent of the vote, the highest total in history. Tom Seaver was the all-time leader at 98.84 percent. Nolan Ryan (98.79 percent), Cal Ripken Jr. (98.53 percent), and Ty Cobb (98.23 percent) round out the top five.
Piazza, meanwhile, appeared on 83.0 percent of the ballots. This was his fourth year on the ballot and his support increased with each passing year. Piazza appeared on 57.8 percent of the ballots in 2013, 62.2 percent in 2014, and 69.9 percent in 2015. Seventy-five percent is needed for induction.
Griffey, now 46, was the best and most exciting player in baseball for much of the 1990s. He spent the vast majority of his career with the Mariners and Reds, and, during his peak from 1991-98, Griffey hit .304/.386/.596 (157 OPS+) while averaging 39 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 110 RBI per season.
During his 22-season career Griffey amassed 2,781 hits and 630 home runs. He is sixth on the all-time home run list, trailing only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Alex Rodriguez (687), and Willie Mays (660). Griffey is a career .284/.370/.538 (136 OPS+) hitter who went 13 All-Star Games, including 11 consecutively from 1990-2000. He was also the 1997 AL MVP.
Piazza was one of the greatest power-hitting catchers in baseball history. He retired as a career .308/.377/.545 (142 OPS+) hitter with 2,127 hits, 427 home runs, and 1,335 RBI. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and ranks first among all catchers in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS+. He played the majority of his 16-year career with the Dodgers and Mets.
The Hall voters continue to penalize alleged PED users such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. Under the strict reading of the Hall criteria, character is part of the selection process so many voters saying that using illegal performance enhancing substances lacks character or integrity to the game. Griffy and Piazza got into the Hall even though their was once a weak allegation whisper about them.
Now, many fans believe that baseball players have been using illicit substances since the beginning of time: abusing alcohol, tobacco products, uppers, pain killers, steroids, HGH, etc. And many of those abusers are in the Hall. On the other hand, this is a more enlightened time in the sport where branding, marketing and reputation are highly valued commodities.
Some proponents of letting everyone in the Hall say that Bonds, Clemens, Sosa and McGwire deserve to be in Cooperstown for their achievements. But, they are in the Hall by their various accomplishments in the official record books. It is the ultimate honor to have a plaque on the wall which is reserved for the best of the best. Until the vast majority of baseball writers change their opinion on the illegal PED era, many record breakers will have to stay on the outside with Pete Rose.
Ken Griffey was elected in his first year on the ballot. He received 99.32 percent of the vote, the highest total in history. Tom Seaver was the all-time leader at 98.84 percent. Nolan Ryan (98.79 percent), Cal Ripken Jr. (98.53 percent), and Ty Cobb (98.23 percent) round out the top five.
Piazza, meanwhile, appeared on 83.0 percent of the ballots. This was his fourth year on the ballot and his support increased with each passing year. Piazza appeared on 57.8 percent of the ballots in 2013, 62.2 percent in 2014, and 69.9 percent in 2015. Seventy-five percent is needed for induction.
Griffey, now 46, was the best and most exciting player in baseball for much of the 1990s. He spent the vast majority of his career with the Mariners and Reds, and, during his peak from 1991-98, Griffey hit .304/.386/.596 (157 OPS+) while averaging 39 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 110 RBI per season.
During his 22-season career Griffey amassed 2,781 hits and 630 home runs. He is sixth on the all-time home run list, trailing only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Alex Rodriguez (687), and Willie Mays (660). Griffey is a career .284/.370/.538 (136 OPS+) hitter who went 13 All-Star Games, including 11 consecutively from 1990-2000. He was also the 1997 AL MVP.
Piazza was one of the greatest power-hitting catchers in baseball history. He retired as a career .308/.377/.545 (142 OPS+) hitter with 2,127 hits, 427 home runs, and 1,335 RBI. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and ranks first among all catchers in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS+. He played the majority of his 16-year career with the Dodgers and Mets.
The Hall voters continue to penalize alleged PED users such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. Under the strict reading of the Hall criteria, character is part of the selection process so many voters saying that using illegal performance enhancing substances lacks character or integrity to the game. Griffy and Piazza got into the Hall even though their was once a weak allegation whisper about them.
Now, many fans believe that baseball players have been using illicit substances since the beginning of time: abusing alcohol, tobacco products, uppers, pain killers, steroids, HGH, etc. And many of those abusers are in the Hall. On the other hand, this is a more enlightened time in the sport where branding, marketing and reputation are highly valued commodities.
Some proponents of letting everyone in the Hall say that Bonds, Clemens, Sosa and McGwire deserve to be in Cooperstown for their achievements. But, they are in the Hall by their various accomplishments in the official record books. It is the ultimate honor to have a plaque on the wall which is reserved for the best of the best. Until the vast majority of baseball writers change their opinion on the illegal PED era, many record breakers will have to stay on the outside with Pete Rose.
November 27, 2014
2015 HOF BALLOT
The
Baseball Writers’ Association of America 2015 Hall of Fame ballot,
released Nov. 24, features 34 names, including 17 holdovers from
previous elections and 17 newcomers.
The new candidates on the ballot include Cy Young Award winners like Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, along with sluggers Carlos Delgado and Gary Sheffield, two-time batting champion Nomar Garciaparra and closer Troy Percival.
Other first-time candidates include: Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Tony Clark, Jermaine Dye, Darin Erstad, Cliff Floyd, Brian Giles, Tom Gordon, Eddie Guardado and Jason Schmidt.
The 17 candidates returning to the BBWAA ballot (with their 2014 election percentages) are: Craig Biggio (74.8%), Mike Piazza (62.2%), Jeff Bagwell (54.3%), Tim Raines (46.1%), Roger Clemens (35.4%), Barry Bonds (34.7%), Lee Smith (29.9%), Curt Schilling (29.2%), Edgar Martinez (25.2%), Alan Trammell (20.8%), Mike Mussina (20.3%), Jeff Kent (15.2%), Fred McGriff (11.7%), Mark McGwire (11.0%), Larry Walker (10.2%), Don Mattingly (8.2%) and Sammy Sosa (7.2%).
Mattingly is eligible for the BBWAA ballot for the 15th-and-final time. If he is not elected in January, he will become eligible for consideration by the Expansion Era Committee beginning in the fall of 2016.
Biggio came within 2 votes of election last time. Most writers believe that he will be inducted in this ballot.
The Big Unit, Johnson, is clearly a first time Hall of Famer. His 22 year career totals: 303 wins, 166 losses, 3.29 ERA, 1.171 WHIP and 104.3 WAR.
Martinez is a "likely" HOFer because of the East Coast baseball bias. But his numbers don't stack up to Johnson's. Martinez's 18 year career totals: 219 wins 100 losses, 2.93 ERA, 1.054 WHIP and 86 WAR. BR has Roy Halladay, Curt Schilling and Tim Hudson as comparable pitchers. When 300 wins was the "gold" standard for starting pitchers, Martinez falls well short of that total. But he pitched in some big games with a major franchise so he may squeak by as a first timer because the rest of the ballot is weak.
The most interesting candidate is Smoltz. He was a dominate starter early in his career, with a Cy Young season in 1996, then became a dominate closer with a 55 save season in 2002. During his 21 year career, his record was 213-155, 3.33 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 154 saves and 66.5 WAR. The WAR and number of wins would put Smoltz on the fence or falling short. He is compared to Schilling and Kevin Brown. But the idea of being a starter-closer-then starter during a career is a unique aspect of Smoltz during his era.
The new candidates on the ballot include Cy Young Award winners like Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, along with sluggers Carlos Delgado and Gary Sheffield, two-time batting champion Nomar Garciaparra and closer Troy Percival.
Other first-time candidates include: Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Tony Clark, Jermaine Dye, Darin Erstad, Cliff Floyd, Brian Giles, Tom Gordon, Eddie Guardado and Jason Schmidt.
The 17 candidates returning to the BBWAA ballot (with their 2014 election percentages) are: Craig Biggio (74.8%), Mike Piazza (62.2%), Jeff Bagwell (54.3%), Tim Raines (46.1%), Roger Clemens (35.4%), Barry Bonds (34.7%), Lee Smith (29.9%), Curt Schilling (29.2%), Edgar Martinez (25.2%), Alan Trammell (20.8%), Mike Mussina (20.3%), Jeff Kent (15.2%), Fred McGriff (11.7%), Mark McGwire (11.0%), Larry Walker (10.2%), Don Mattingly (8.2%) and Sammy Sosa (7.2%).
Mattingly is eligible for the BBWAA ballot for the 15th-and-final time. If he is not elected in January, he will become eligible for consideration by the Expansion Era Committee beginning in the fall of 2016.
Biggio came within 2 votes of election last time. Most writers believe that he will be inducted in this ballot.
The Big Unit, Johnson, is clearly a first time Hall of Famer. His 22 year career totals: 303 wins, 166 losses, 3.29 ERA, 1.171 WHIP and 104.3 WAR.
Martinez is a "likely" HOFer because of the East Coast baseball bias. But his numbers don't stack up to Johnson's. Martinez's 18 year career totals: 219 wins 100 losses, 2.93 ERA, 1.054 WHIP and 86 WAR. BR has Roy Halladay, Curt Schilling and Tim Hudson as comparable pitchers. When 300 wins was the "gold" standard for starting pitchers, Martinez falls well short of that total. But he pitched in some big games with a major franchise so he may squeak by as a first timer because the rest of the ballot is weak.
The most interesting candidate is Smoltz. He was a dominate starter early in his career, with a Cy Young season in 1996, then became a dominate closer with a 55 save season in 2002. During his 21 year career, his record was 213-155, 3.33 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 154 saves and 66.5 WAR. The WAR and number of wins would put Smoltz on the fence or falling short. He is compared to Schilling and Kevin Brown. But the idea of being a starter-closer-then starter during a career is a unique aspect of Smoltz during his era.
September 29, 2014
HOF WORTHY?
Derek Jeter finishes his major league career and now waits for his first ballot Hall of Fame induction. There are a few cat calls about whether he is worthy of the shrine.
In 20 pro seasons, Jeter hit .310, 260 HR, 1311 RBI, 358 SB and career 71.8 WAR.
BR compares Jeter's career play to Craig Biggio, Paul Molitor (*), Robin Yount (*), Joe Sewell (*) and Joe Cronin (*). (*) indicates HOF player.
What puts Jeter into the Hall is a) he is a beloved Yankee in media heavy NYC; and b) he was a part of 5 World Series champion teams.
In contrast, Paul Konerko is also retiring. But there is little discussion about his Hall candidacy.
Konerko, in his 18 pro seasons, amassed a .279 BA, 439 HR, 1412 RBI, 9 SB and career 28.1 WAR.
BR compares Konerko to Andres Galarraga, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cepeda (*), Willie Stargell (*), Bernie Carbo, Alvin Davis, and Fred McGriff.
What puts Konerko outside an immediate Hall discussion is a) he played in Chicago; and b) he won only one World Series.
Both men have been classified as good clubhouse leaders. Both have the reputation of being highly professional.
But for most stats geeks, a current Hall of Famer should have a career WAR in excess of 66. Jeter meets that criteria, Konerko falls well short. Jeter's average WAR is 3.59 which is only 0.41 from All-Star quality throughout his career. Konerko's average WAR is 1.58 which is only 0.42 from major league starter quality throughout his career.
Konerko was a good player but not a great one in his era. Jeter maybe considered a very good player on great teams. And that is the probable distinction for Hall of Fame voters. Konerko will probably hang around for several rounds of votes, but he probably places in the second tier of major league players.
In 20 pro seasons, Jeter hit .310, 260 HR, 1311 RBI, 358 SB and career 71.8 WAR.
BR compares Jeter's career play to Craig Biggio, Paul Molitor (*), Robin Yount (*), Joe Sewell (*) and Joe Cronin (*). (*) indicates HOF player.
What puts Jeter into the Hall is a) he is a beloved Yankee in media heavy NYC; and b) he was a part of 5 World Series champion teams.
In contrast, Paul Konerko is also retiring. But there is little discussion about his Hall candidacy.
Konerko, in his 18 pro seasons, amassed a .279 BA, 439 HR, 1412 RBI, 9 SB and career 28.1 WAR.
BR compares Konerko to Andres Galarraga, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cepeda (*), Willie Stargell (*), Bernie Carbo, Alvin Davis, and Fred McGriff.
What puts Konerko outside an immediate Hall discussion is a) he played in Chicago; and b) he won only one World Series.
Both men have been classified as good clubhouse leaders. Both have the reputation of being highly professional.
But for most stats geeks, a current Hall of Famer should have a career WAR in excess of 66. Jeter meets that criteria, Konerko falls well short. Jeter's average WAR is 3.59 which is only 0.41 from All-Star quality throughout his career. Konerko's average WAR is 1.58 which is only 0.42 from major league starter quality throughout his career.
Konerko was a good player but not a great one in his era. Jeter maybe considered a very good player on great teams. And that is the probable distinction for Hall of Fame voters. Konerko will probably hang around for several rounds of votes, but he probably places in the second tier of major league players.
July 28, 2014
HOF
No one can really argue that the six men inducted into the 2014 Hall of Fame did not deserve the honor.
Maddux, Glavine and Frank Thomas were all All-Star/MVP caliber players during their eras.
Cox, LaRussa and Torre all had long managerial careers, with plenty of playoff teams and at least one World Series title.
The Hall is in the process of changing its rules. Instead of a player being on the ballot for 15 years (if he continues to get 5% of the vote), it is going down to a 10 year window. Many have argued that if you are a Hall of Fame player, you should get on the ballot in the first year.
Yes and no. Yes, a player's stats don't change as the ballots pass from year to year. Yes, if you are Hall worthy, waiting a decade does not make a lot of sense. But, there are a few "no" issues. There are several sportswriters who believe that no one is entitled to first ballot selection, unless you are the monster equivalent of Babe Ruth, who totally transformed the game. So there is a current ballot bias. Also, each voter can only select up to ten candidates. And to get into the Hall, there needs to be 75% approval. Last year, 571 members voted. One needed to get voted in by 429 votes.
Besides ballot bias, there is also hometown and league bias. There is very little turnover in the sportswriter membership. Many will have to write columns about their own hometown players on the ballot. And many may not have seen much of the other league players (but with today's overexposure on internet and MLB.com that excuse should fade over time). So many voters are pressured to "waste" their votes on players who will not get 75%.
Since 10 years only gives a player a shorter chance to be elected to the Hall, writers may actually not use all their 10 selection votes in an attempt to narrow the process further to truly "worthy" candidates. In the same process, a worthy candidate may lose support quicker after a couple of years and never have a chance to be elected by the writers.
There has been no reason stated for the rule change. It could be to allow players falling off the ballot to be reviewed by a veteran's committee. But history has shown that the veteran's committee is a harder vote to get than from the writers.
Maddux, Glavine and Frank Thomas were all All-Star/MVP caliber players during their eras.
Cox, LaRussa and Torre all had long managerial careers, with plenty of playoff teams and at least one World Series title.
The Hall is in the process of changing its rules. Instead of a player being on the ballot for 15 years (if he continues to get 5% of the vote), it is going down to a 10 year window. Many have argued that if you are a Hall of Fame player, you should get on the ballot in the first year.
Yes and no. Yes, a player's stats don't change as the ballots pass from year to year. Yes, if you are Hall worthy, waiting a decade does not make a lot of sense. But, there are a few "no" issues. There are several sportswriters who believe that no one is entitled to first ballot selection, unless you are the monster equivalent of Babe Ruth, who totally transformed the game. So there is a current ballot bias. Also, each voter can only select up to ten candidates. And to get into the Hall, there needs to be 75% approval. Last year, 571 members voted. One needed to get voted in by 429 votes.
Besides ballot bias, there is also hometown and league bias. There is very little turnover in the sportswriter membership. Many will have to write columns about their own hometown players on the ballot. And many may not have seen much of the other league players (but with today's overexposure on internet and MLB.com that excuse should fade over time). So many voters are pressured to "waste" their votes on players who will not get 75%.
Since 10 years only gives a player a shorter chance to be elected to the Hall, writers may actually not use all their 10 selection votes in an attempt to narrow the process further to truly "worthy" candidates. In the same process, a worthy candidate may lose support quicker after a couple of years and never have a chance to be elected by the writers.
There has been no reason stated for the rule change. It could be to allow players falling off the ballot to be reviewed by a veteran's committee. But history has shown that the veteran's committee is a harder vote to get than from the writers.
January 10, 2014
THE LAST GREAT PITCHERS
In all the scant objective criteria for the Baseball Hall of Fame, nothing has been more true than a pitcher winning 300 games. Twenty-four men have accomplished this feat.
1. Cy Young – 511
2. Walter Johnson – 417
3. Pete (Grover Cleveland) Alexander – 373
3. Christy Mathewson – 373
5. Pud Galvin – 365
6. Warren Spahn – 363
7. Kid Nichols – 361
8. Greg Maddux – 355
9. Roger Clemens – 354
10. Tim Keefe – 342
11. Steve Carlton – 329
12. John Clarkson – 328
13. Eddie Plank – 326
14. Nolan Ryan – 324
14. Don Sutton – 324
16. Phil Niekro – 318
17. Gaylord Perry – 314
18. Tom Seaver – 311
19. Old Hoss Radbourn – 309
20. Mickey Welch – 307
21. Tom Glavine – 305
22. Randy Johnson – 303
23. Lefty Grove – 300
Early Wynn – 300
All of them are in the Hall of Fame except Clemens and Randy Johnson (who will be on the ballot for the first time next year).
It takes an extra-ordinary and productive career to win 300 games in the major leagues. A pitcher would have to average 15 wins over 20 full seasons. And considering that most pitchers in five man rotations start 33-35 games at most, a candidate for the 300 win club needs to be the pitcher of record in more than half their games (more like 75% when losses are factored in). That means that a pitcher needs to throw deep in each and every game in order to get the win. And in an era of pitch counts, that does not happen much anymore.
The debate is also whether there will be another 300 game winner. Probably not. The closest acctive players with the most wins are far behind, such as Tim Wakefield – 200, Roy Halladay – 203, Tim Hudson – 205, Livan Hernandez – 178, CC Sabathia – 205 (33) Sabathia is the youngest at age 33. Hudson and Hernandez are 38. Sabathia would have to average 13.5 wins for the next 7 seasons to get to 300 wins. Considering his recent injury history and the amount of innings already pitched, it is doubtful he could reach 300.
So it is probable that Randy Johnson will be the last 300 hitter to be elected to the Hall of Fame (as voters are trending against alleged steroid uses becoming hall of famers such as perception of Clemens).
Baseball probably will not want to push development of stud pitchers anymore. Baseball executives, like most sports managers, want more offense to drive casual fan interest.
1. Cy Young – 511
2. Walter Johnson – 417
3. Pete (Grover Cleveland) Alexander – 373
3. Christy Mathewson – 373
5. Pud Galvin – 365
6. Warren Spahn – 363
7. Kid Nichols – 361
8. Greg Maddux – 355
9. Roger Clemens – 354
10. Tim Keefe – 342
11. Steve Carlton – 329
12. John Clarkson – 328
13. Eddie Plank – 326
14. Nolan Ryan – 324
14. Don Sutton – 324
16. Phil Niekro – 318
17. Gaylord Perry – 314
18. Tom Seaver – 311
19. Old Hoss Radbourn – 309
20. Mickey Welch – 307
21. Tom Glavine – 305
22. Randy Johnson – 303
23. Lefty Grove – 300
Early Wynn – 300
All of them are in the Hall of Fame except Clemens and Randy Johnson (who will be on the ballot for the first time next year).
It takes an extra-ordinary and productive career to win 300 games in the major leagues. A pitcher would have to average 15 wins over 20 full seasons. And considering that most pitchers in five man rotations start 33-35 games at most, a candidate for the 300 win club needs to be the pitcher of record in more than half their games (more like 75% when losses are factored in). That means that a pitcher needs to throw deep in each and every game in order to get the win. And in an era of pitch counts, that does not happen much anymore.
The debate is also whether there will be another 300 game winner. Probably not. The closest acctive players with the most wins are far behind, such as Tim Wakefield – 200, Roy Halladay – 203, Tim Hudson – 205, Livan Hernandez – 178, CC Sabathia – 205 (33) Sabathia is the youngest at age 33. Hudson and Hernandez are 38. Sabathia would have to average 13.5 wins for the next 7 seasons to get to 300 wins. Considering his recent injury history and the amount of innings already pitched, it is doubtful he could reach 300.
So it is probable that Randy Johnson will be the last 300 hitter to be elected to the Hall of Fame (as voters are trending against alleged steroid uses becoming hall of famers such as perception of Clemens).
Baseball probably will not want to push development of stud pitchers anymore. Baseball executives, like most sports managers, want more offense to drive casual fan interest.
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