HOF Voting Happened Last Week- But Let's Keep Complaining About It

Murray Chass, dipshit among dipshits, says:

The ballot almost didn’t make it. I was talking on the telephone to a friend, also a baseball writer, about three hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve when I realized that I hadn’t submitted my Hall of Fame ballot. The deadline was upon me.

It's great that you take the honor of being able to immortalize players so seriously. It's not like the results of that vote are debated intensely by millions of baseball fans all over the country many of whom desperately wish they had a say in the matter. You're one of 500 or so people whose vote actually counts... and you have to be reminded by someone to fill out and send in the ballot. Asshole. It's people like Murray who put Jim Rice in.

I had already put an X next to Jack Morris’ name,

Jack Morris does not belong in the HOF. Career ERA+ of 105. Anemic strikeout totals. Only 254 wins, if you're into that kind of thing. OH BUT ONE TIME IN A WORLD SERIES CLINCHING GAME HE PITCHED AN AWESOME AND WAS CLUTCH, SO HE BELONGS IN. FUCK IT LET'S PUT JEFF WEAVER IN TOO AS SOON AS HE'S ELIGIBLE. ACTUALLY NO LET'S JUST DO IT RIGHT NOW.

but I still had to decide on five other players – two repeat candidates, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven, and three first-timers, Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar and Edgar Martinez.

"So I started by thinking about these players. Were they FEARED? Did you BUY A TICKET TO WATCH THEM PLAY? Do I like them for some RANDOM AND UNQUANTIFIABLE REASON? If so, I would vote for them."

On Dawson, I came to the same conclusion as I had previously – outstanding player but a just-miss.

Agreed. I'm not totally against his inclusion, although the fact that he ended up being the only person in this year's class is pretty embarrassing.

I felt the same way about Blyleven, though with new ammunition for my decision. As good as Blyleven was in winning 287 games, he had some of his worst years when his team had good years.

The best example of that dichotomy came in 1988 when the Twins finished second with a 91-71 record while Blyleven had a 10-17 record and a 5.43 e.r.a.

This is great, he's using the same argument style as people who want to "prove" that Creationism is correct. You start with your conclusion, and then build analysis around it. Don't use the numbers to form an opinion; form the opinion first, then find numbers which might support it. It's especially great that this particular factoid means absolutely nothing. Oh, and Jack Morris isn't even in the same time zone as Blyleven. He's not even in the discussion, by comparison.

I found Martinez the most difficult to decide. I probably came closer to voting for him than I had for any player I had not voted for. As a result, if he is not elected to the Hall this week, he gets an automatic rehearing from me for the next election.

Look, vote either way you want. But it's ridiculous to vote one way, then have the overall result match your vote, and reconsider said vote as a result. What is this, Congress? Is this like when a senator believes that a bill which increases taxes is good legislation, but doesn't want to vote for it so he can tell his constituents that he voted against tax hikes? If Martinez isn't in, in part because you didn't want him in, why the fuck would you then decide that he needs to be in?

I voted for Larkin and Alomar, though not with the same enthusiasm as I voted or would have voted for some previous first-timers, such as Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount in 1999, had I been permitted to vote then.

A slap in your face, Barry and Roberto! You received a relatively unenthusiastic vote! Just know that Murray voted for you, but wasn't THAT excited about doing so.

In conclusion: the BBWA should be disbanded and hall of fame ballots should be distributed to a random sample of autistic 8 year olds. They'd make decisions just as logically as the fucktards who have access to the ballots now.