[Mick]

HOF lost any small shred of credibility it had.  Scott Ostler pretty much nailed it.  Ortiz was linked to steroids.  But he was and is so likeable.  Bonds and Clemons otoh were colossal jerks. So, they don’t get in.  Middle school popularity contest.  

I’ll say it again, to have the guy that presided over the steroid era in and use steroids as a reason to keep players out is the height of hypocrisy.  

Schilling should be in also. He failed the popularity contest big time.  But that should have nothing to do with whether he’s in the Museum.  

Then there is Jeff Kent.  Who simply has some of the best numbers for a second baseman in history.  But for some reason they don’t count.  In part cause they have decided RBI’s don’t matter.  Yep, try winning without them.  I get it - not predictive.  So freaking what.  If a guy consistently produces runs, that freaking matters.  (So, if you need metric support look at his career RISP numbers.  They are slightly higher than his overall slash line.  An analytic way to determine the guy actually was a producer.) The question isn’t whether he will drive in runs if picked up as an FA by the Baltimore Orioles.  It’s about a career.  And all Kent did is produce at a level few other second baseman have.  But he too was a jerk. Hell, 32%. That’s absurd. 

Big Papi was loved.  And he played for the RedSox.  The darlings of baseball, along with their hated rivals.  I guess he got extra points for his fantastic defense.

What a freaking joke.

Totally agree with all of this.  Nine writers left Henry Aaron off their Hall of Fame ballot.  23 writers left Willie Mays off of their ballot.  The career AND season HR leader is not a member of the hall of fame.  Neither is the hits leader, or the walks leader, or the runs scored leader, or the games/plate appearances/at bats leader.  Neither is the #2 (Shoeless Joe Jackson) or the #3 (Lefty O'Doul) batting average leaders.

Kent has the most home runs of all second basemen with 354, 30 more than Cano, 79 more than Sandberg, 82 more than Rogers Hornsby.  But he also had a testy personality.  So he's not in.  Lefty O'Doul did more than any other person to bring baseball to Japan.  So he's not in.

[Mick]

HOF lost any small shred of credibility it had.  Scott Ostler pretty much nailed it.  Ortiz was linked to steroids.  But he was and is so likeable.  Bonds and Clemons otoh were colossal jerks. So, they don’t get in.  Middle school popularity contest.  

I’ll say it again, to have the guy that presided over the steroid era in and use steroids as a reason to keep players out is the height of hypocrisy.  

Schilling should be in also. He failed the popularity contest big time.  But that should have nothing to do with whether he’s in the Museum.  

Then there is Jeff Kent.  Who simply has some of the best numbers for a second baseman in history.  But for some reason they don’t count.  In part cause they have decided RBI’s don’t matter.  Yep, try winning without them.  I get it - not predictive.  So freaking what.  If a guy consistently produces runs, that freaking matters.  (So, if you need metric support look at his career RISP numbers.  They are slightly higher than his overall slash line.  An analytic way to determine the guy actually was a producer.) The question isn’t whether he will drive in runs if picked up as an FA by the Baltimore Orioles.  It’s about a career.  And all Kent did is produce at a level few other second baseman have.  But he too was a jerk. Hell, 32%. That’s absurd. 

Big Papi was loved.  And he played for the RedSox.  The darlings of baseball, along with their hated rivals.  I guess he got extra points for his fantastic defense.

What a freaking joke.

Totally agree with all of this.  Nine writers left Henry Aaron off their Hall of Fame ballot.  23 writers left Willie Mays off of their ballot.  The career AND season HR leader is not a member of the hall of fame.  Neither is the hits leader, or the walks leader, or the runs scored leader, or the games/plate appearances/at bats leader.  Neither is the #2 (Shoeless Joe Jackson) or the #3 (Lefty O'Doul) batting average leaders.

Kent has the most home runs of all second basemen with 354, 30 more than Cano, 79 more than Sandberg, 82 more than Rogers Hornsby.  But he also had a testy personality.  So he's not in.  Lefty O'Doul did more than any other person to bring baseball to Japan.  So he's not in.