Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Announced on Wednesday

If steroids automatically equals 350 Wins and 700 HRs, then everyone who played during the 90s should have 350 Wins and 700 HRs.  This entire exercise is ridiculous.  Those guys deserve HOF and it's an affront to baseball fans everywhere that we allow a star chamber of incompetent sportswriters to decide who does and doesn't get in.

What I think is even more ridiculous is that fans would prefer to see some 6'4", 260 lb bull hit a long fly home run. The outfielders stand and watch it. The infielders and umpires fold their arms and make sure the bases are touched, the base coaches give a swat to the behind of the home run hitter, the pitcher turns and stares, and eventually asks for the next baseball, etc., etc. Reminds me of those slow-pitch softball leagues. (That same batter strikes out in his other at bats). 

for those who don't believe me that closer is an overrated position, here are the closer stats from 2015.  Aside from Fernando Rodney of Seattle, who only pitched in 22 save opportunities, all MLB closers had save percentages over 80%.  It's my opinion that if anybody a team runs out there is successful 8 times out of 10, it's not a particularly challenging thing to take over a clean inning with a lead and get 3 outs. 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/closers

@ml1, just to clarify, the discussion was in regards to "great" closers. I get that people might disagree with me regarding whether or not Lee Smith was a great closer. I happen to think he was. I don't think your 80% number is meaningful. If closer A is successful 80% of the time, and closer B is successful 94% of the time, there is a significantly different impact on that team's success. 

Probably every player in MLB successfully converts a play in the field 90% or more of the time. But there is a huge gap between the poor fielders and the great fielders, and it is very impactive to their teams.

I don't follow pro sports much any more. So I do not know much about the new measuring sticks on performance. 

it wont happen, but it would be amusing to have seen Clemens and Piazza on the podium being inducted together.

hankzona said:

it wont happen, but it would be amusing to have seen Clemens and Piazza on the podium being inducted together.

hankzona said:

Shakespeare...didn't he play in Queens?

DaveSchmidt said:

Princeton grad, natch.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/learki01.shtml

You win, DaveSchmidt. I was going to go with this guy.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bardda01.shtml

Or if we include middle names, the all-time champ.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclisca01.shtml

Piazza is in!

Junior too! Of course. Who else is going to Cooperstown?

will Piazza go in as a Dodger? Or as an Athletic?

Bagwell and Raines 15 and 23 votes short respectively. Mussina and Edgar were in the 40s percentage-wise (I think they should be in) and Bonds and Clemens also in the 40s (I think they should be in but wont be broken up if they don't get in).

Stoughton said:

hankzona said:

Shakespeare...didn't he play in Queens?

DaveSchmidt said:

Princeton grad, natch.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/learki01.shtml

You win, DaveSchmidt. I was going to go with this guy.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bardda01.shtml

Or if we include middle names, the all-time champ.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclisca01.shtml

One old blowhard in "Hamlet" was enough. Imagine if there had been two or more:

Congrats to Junior and to the pride of Phoenixville, Pa.

hankzona said:

will Piazza go in as a Dodger? Or as an Athletic? ">

Bagwell and Raines 15 and 23 votes short respectively. Mussina and Edgar were in the 40s percentage-wise (I think they should be in) and Bonds and Clemens also in the 40s (I think they should be in but wont be broken up if they don't get in).

Definitely a Dodger, I'd say. Unfortunately. (Ignoring the A's comment ;-). )

Piazza's years with LA .330BA. Dropped to a career BA of .308 after Mets (and A's) tenure. Beat years were in LA. Hope I'm wrong and the interlocking N-Y are on that cap.

DaveSchmidt said:

Congrats to Junior and to the pride of Phoenixville, Pa.

Junior was born in PA as well, but might not even be the best hitter from his tiny town.

His semi-godfather, Tommy,  might have something to say about it.

ETA: In response to Jim.

DaveSchmidt said:

Stoughton said:

hankzona said:

Shakespeare...didn't he play in Queens?

DaveSchmidt said:

Princeton grad, natch.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/learki01.shtml

You win, DaveSchmidt. I was going to go with this guy.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bardda01.shtml

Or if we include middle names, the all-time champ.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclisca01.shtml

One old blowhard in "Hamlet" was enough. Imagine if there had been two or more:

Brilliant! Though being true to thine own self isn't always the best way to go.

Stoughton said:

DaveSchmidt said:

Congrats to Junior and to the pride of Phoenixville, Pa.

Junior was born in PA as well, but might not even be the best hitter from his tiny town.

Ah, had to look it up. Did not know that. Thanks (man)!

jimmurphy said:

Piazza's years with LA .330BA. Dropped to a career BA of .308 after Mets (and A's) tenure. Beat years were in LA. Hope I'm wrong and the interlocking N-Y are on that cap.

He played most of his games for the Mets and he's already expressed his strong preference to have a NY cap on his plaque

DaveSchmidt said:

Stoughton said:

DaveSchmidt said:

Congrats to Junior and to the pride of Phoenixville, Pa.

Junior was born in PA as well, but might not even be the best hitter from his tiny town.

Ah, had to look it up. Did not know that. Thanks (man)!

As Bob Uecker once said, "The Cardinals honored me with a statue outside their ballpark. I didn't want to complain, but it's swinging lefty and I hit right-handed. The plaque says 'Stan the Man.' He must have been the guy who sculpted it."

ml1 said:

jimmurphy said:

Piazza's years with LA .330BA. Dropped to a career BA of .308 after Mets (and A's) tenure. Beat years were in LA. Hope I'm wrong and the interlocking N-Y are on that cap.

He played most of his games for the Mets and he's already expressed his strong preference to have a NY cap on his plaque

I guess we find out tomorrow. 

Bummed that Junior now has a higher percentage than Seaver. Getting rid of the old writers made that happen.

Edited to add that both deserve 100% though.

Stoughton said:

As Bob Uecker once said, "The Cardinals honored me with a statue outside their ballpark. I didn't want to complain, but it's swinging lefty and I hit right-handed. The plaque says 'Stan the Man.' He must have been the guy who sculpted it."

Alas, poor Uecker.

jimmurphy said:

ml1 said:

jimmurphy said:

Piazza's years with LA .330BA. Dropped to a career BA of .308 after Mets (and A's) tenure. Beat years were in LA. Hope I'm wrong and the interlocking N-Y are on that cap.

He played most of his games for the Mets and he's already expressed his strong preference to have a NY cap on his plaque

I guess we find out tomorrow. 

"If the Hall came to me and said, 'We want you to go in as a Dodger,' I'd say, 'Well, then I'll go in as nothing.' I just wouldn't feel comfortable with 'LA' stamped on my head for all of eternity."

Interesting tidbit from ESPN:  Piazza is currently the only eligible player who had a career .300 average and 400 homers to not be in the Hall of Fame.  The others: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams.

Yikes.  Had no idea.

ctrzaska said:

Interesting tidbit from ESPN:  Piazza is currently the only eligible player who had a career .300 average and 400 homers to not be in the Hall of Fame.  The others: Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams.

Yikes.  Had no idea.

Wow!  August company indeed!

Gonna be fun to see Piazza's wife at Cooperstown as well.  I tried to find a photo of her to post here, but could not find one that would not get me banned from MOL for a while.

DaveSchmidt said:

Stoughton said:

As Bob Uecker once said, "The Cardinals honored me with a statue outside their ballpark. I didn't want to complain, but it's swinging lefty and I hit right-handed. The plaque says 'Stan the Man.' He must have been the guy who sculpted it."

Alas, poor Uecker.

Nicely done.

Ok, time to start the drums beating for the 2017 class!

Bagwell is probably getting in next year.

Raines also will get in, and in his last year of eligibility to boot.

Hoffman is probably a year or two away from getting over 75%.

Newcomers to the ballot will not make a huge dent in the above three.  

Manny Ramirez has the numbers but there are those two failed drug tests, the last one prompting him to retire rather than face a suspension.  

Pudge Rodriguez deserves to be in, but the first ballot problem along with Canseco accusing him of PED use will push him back a few years.  Eventually he will join Piazza as one of the best catchers ever.

Vlad The Impaler Guerrero won't get in on his first ballot, but he will be in the Hall within 3 years.

But the one I am most going to push for is Tim Wakefield.  I just love that guy.  Sure his numbers are pedestrian, but he was a knuckleballer who lasted 19 years and had 200 wins!  

Isn't every knuckleballer supposed to last 19 years?   

ETA: I have the same soft spot for Jamie Moyer.

Griffey - sweetest swing I've seen in my 66 years; best smile too. Congrats, Junior.