Comments on: The Baseball Analysts: Miscellaneous BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballots in Quotes http://www.manisfam.com/2007/12/30/the-baseball-analysts-miscellaneous-bbwaa-hall-of-fame-ballots-in-quotes/ Manis family news Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:14:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Doug http://www.manisfam.com/2007/12/30/the-baseball-analysts-miscellaneous-bbwaa-hall-of-fame-ballots-in-quotes/comment-page-1/#comment-42409 Doug Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:12:24 +0000 http://www.manisfam.com/2007/12/30/the-baseball-analysts-miscellaneous-bbwaa-hall-of-fame-ballots-in-quotes/#comment-42409 <p>Statistically, Mark McGwire definately belongs in the Hall, but if someone wants to leave him out specifically because of steroid use, I wouldn't argue. I don't know if I agree with that sentiment, but it is a defensible position.</p> <p><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/riceji01.shtml" rel="nofollow">Jim Rice</a> is a borderline candidate to me. Fenway helped him a lot (.320 BA, .374 OBA, .546 SLG at home), obviously, but his road numbers are still pretty good (.277, .330, .459 away). He was a great hitter, but just wasn't great long enough to pile up the big Hall of Fame milestones (500 homers, 3,000 hits) that voters love. By age 34 he was an average hitter, by 36 he was a hole in the lineup. If he could have aged better, he might have caught a nice second wind during the power boom of the mid-1980s and chased 500 homers to make voters' decisions easier.</p> <p>But he didn't. There are worse players in the HOF, but Jim Rice doesn't look automatic to me.</p> Statistically, Mark McGwire definately belongs in the Hall, but if someone wants to leave him out specifically because of steroid use, I wouldn’t argue. I don’t know if I agree with that sentiment, but it is a defensible position.

Jim Rice is a borderline candidate to me. Fenway helped him a lot (.320 BA, .374 OBA, .546 SLG at home), obviously, but his road numbers are still pretty good (.277, .330, .459 away). He was a great hitter, but just wasn’t great long enough to pile up the big Hall of Fame milestones (500 homers, 3,000 hits) that voters love. By age 34 he was an average hitter, by 36 he was a hole in the lineup. If he could have aged better, he might have caught a nice second wind during the power boom of the mid-1980s and chased 500 homers to make voters’ decisions easier.

But he didn’t. There are worse players in the HOF, but Jim Rice doesn’t look automatic to me.

]]> By: Gary Violette http://www.manisfam.com/2007/12/30/the-baseball-analysts-miscellaneous-bbwaa-hall-of-fame-ballots-in-quotes/comment-page-1/#comment-42404 Gary Violette Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:20:45 +0000 http://www.manisfam.com/2007/12/30/the-baseball-analysts-miscellaneous-bbwaa-hall-of-fame-ballots-in-quotes/#comment-42404 <p>MLB.com talks about Mark McGwire being voted into the Hall of Fame with a career that was chemically enhanced and pitching was watered down. </p> <p>When are other baseball writers going to acknowledge Jim Rice and his accomplishments during a time when baseball was real?</p> <p>I would choose Rice over anyone on the ballot today.</p> <p>Sincerely, A real fan</p> MLB.com talks about Mark McGwire being voted into the Hall of Fame with a career that was chemically enhanced and pitching was watered down.

When are other baseball writers going to acknowledge Jim Rice and his accomplishments during a time when baseball was real?

I would choose Rice over anyone on the ballot today.

Sincerely, A real fan

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