Baseball Hall of Fame

[BuB]

Good to see Bert (be home) Blyleven and Robbie Alamar both get elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. Also good to see that McGwire, Palmeiro, and Gonzalez all get less than 20% of the votes needed. Palmeiro earning 11% was very telling. This pretty much sets the tone for Bonds and Clemens. I can't believe highly respected baseball reporters Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjien both said on ESPN that they voted for McGwire and Palmeiro.

I really don't know what to think of the Jeff Bagwell situation. He kind of got lumped in with those other cheaters even though he has never been linked to or caught with PED's. By most accounts he has been a major power lifter his whole life until he hurt his shoulders late in his career. He did get 41% of the vote. This does not set a good tone for players like Thomas, Griffey, or Thome who have not cheated but are 2nd ballot worthy. I think Barry Larkin and Lee Smith both will get in but closers have not gotten much respect in the past from the voters.

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/05/hall-of-fame-voting-results-2011/

[Braves4Life]

I think Griffey gets in first ballot. The others that you mentioned are borderline worthy IMO. I'm just not sure any of the others are HOF material.

[SFP]

I think Griffey gets in first ballot. The others that you mentioned are borderline worthy IMO. I'm just not sure any of the others are HOF material.

Griffey is 1st ballot worthy and I was surprised though about Larkin not getting in. He was the dominant short stop in the NL for a long period of time. Jack Morris was also a beast but I'm not sure what his numbers were but he could flat out pitch.

[Beninator]

I think that Griffey is first ballot worthy as well. Larkin should get in next year and IMO Morris will get into the HOF eventually. I think that Clemens, Bonds, and ARod will get in as well as these players would have been HOF'ers without steroids. Clemens, Bond, and ARod should not receive first ballot HOF consideration though. As for Lee Smith, I think that he is a HOF'er but I KNOW he won't want to be a Baltimore Oriole on his HOF plaque. (just a funny personal experience when I had Smith sign an Oriole jersey a couple of years ago!)