Perplexing Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot Released

The 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is out, and to be elected, a player needs to be listed on 75% of the ballots, which are only cast by members of the Baseball (sports)Writers Association of America. Those eligible are:

Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford,  Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile.

We're perplexed by this list.  Todd Ziele?  David Segui?  Pat Hengten?  Kevin Appier?  Really?

Ande Dawson and Bert Blyleven came close last year, and deserve election in Waxing America's opinion.  Roberto Alomar's solid career in Toronto needs more recognition, and some will argue for Don Mattingly, although he was a Yankee and therefore tainted by Steinbrenner.

The only other player on the list with solid HoF credentials: Tim Raines. He could fly around the bases and cover the entire outfield by himself. A feared leadoff hitter.  Another guy whose accomplishments were largely hidden under the dimmer media light of baseball played in Canada.

Mark McGuire?  Channeling Paul: "Phooey."

- Barry Orton

Comments

[Ty O'Mara]

Phooey for most of this list, however, Andre Dawson should be there. Those throws from right field were unbelievable and I mean unbelieveable. He would steal a base with those bad knees when it meant something. He was humble and played good til he was old. A power hitter who played defense, I couldn't help but love the man. He was trying to win, he played the whole game to his best ability, and he never took a called third strike.

[anon]

I hate to say it, but there's a case for Blyleven.

[Ben]

All you need to be eligible for HOF voting is to have played 10 years and to be retired for 5 years. If you don't receive 5% of the vote in any year that you are eligible, you are removed from consideration. As long as you receive at least 5%, you are eligible for 15 years (unless you reach 75% before then).

[Brad Clark]

My HoF ballot would include Blyleven (best curveball in the past forty years plus 287 career wins); Dawson; Raines (for reasons Barry outlines), Lee Smith (I'm a Cubs fan, what can I say, but for a number of years he WAS the all-time career saves leader), and, I suppose Roberto Alomar, if he promises not to spit on anyone if he doesn't make it first ballot. I would give Barry Larkin a long look, but probably not in his first year of eligibility, and I am really on the fence about Jack Morris, just because he came up pretty big in the postseason. Dale Murphy? Dave Parker? Hm. Mattingly? As much as I'd like to, his back problems cut his career short and cost him a place in the Hall.

[Jim Jones]

Bert Blyleven? Seriously?

Shouldn't a Hall of Famer have a record that's a little bit further over .500 and an ERA a little bit further away from 5.00?

[Micah]

Shouldn't someone who cares enough to reply to a baseball post know the (lack of) significance of stats like "record" and ERA?

[Jim Jones]

Winning games and scoring runs isn't significant? Seriously?

[Jack]

Alomar and McGwire should get in. Blyleven and Larkin maybe.