2023 NFL Hall of Fame Class

2023 NFL Hall of Fame:  I always enjoy NFL Hall of Fame selections and all the talk that goes with it.  The 2023 class was released this week.  No arguments with any of them.  I don't always think about every players as a Hall of Famer when I watched them play but that's why there are smarter guys than me helping vote these guys in.  This year's class was defense heavy but Joe Thomas headlined the class in my opinion.  Elected his first time on the ballot he was a six-time All-Pro, Pro Bowl selection every year he played and a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team.  I always got a good vibe from the guy and no matter how bad Cleveland was he was a class act and a beast on the offensive line.

Zach Thomas waited a while for his induction but he was a 2000s All-Decade team pick, five-time All-Pro, and seven-time Pro Bowl selection.  Happy to see him get in as well and well deserved.  Just took too long.

Ken Riley is a guy I knew about growing up.  He was always talked about amongst the best corners but somehow never made a Pro Bowl but was selected as an All-Pro once.  Still talked about as one of the greats I'm happy to see him join elite.

I could say a lot about all these guys.  I watched Joe Klecko growing up and wow how is Don Coryell just now getting in?  Such an innovator and many offenses can thank him for where the league has gone.  Again, no issues with any of the selections this year.  I know these selections don't mean as much to others but I always enjoy it.  Congratulations to all those who made it into the NFL Hall of Fame.

2021 NFL Hall of Fame Class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Calvin Johnson, Drew Pearson, Alan Faneca, Bill Nunn, John Lynch, and Tom Flores as part of their 2021 class.  No arguments with any of these.  I love the Hall of Fames across all sports and the honor it is to be inducted so I look forward to this time of the year.  Manning, Woodson and Johnson were no brainers.  Superstars in the sport they probably took the least amount of debate.  I'm a big fan of Drew Pearson from my days growing up in New Mexico and watching the Cowboys every week.  You can see the video of him getting the news here and it was nice to see.  I know Flores' overall coaching record won't wow folks at first look but he won two Super Bowls with the Raiders while winning 61% of his games coaching in Oakland and Los Angeles.  I was a bit surprised Lynch got in but he was definitely one of best safeties in the game.  Faneca was excellent as well.  Seems like NFL players have to wait a long time to be inducted and this guy was one of those but none the less deserving.  Reading up on Nunn he sounds like he had a lot to do with those legendary Steelers teams that started in the seventies.  Great class this year.  I love Peyton Manning as much off the field as I did when he was between the lines.  Woodson is a Michigan alum who was so dominant.  Fun to go down memory lane during this time of year.  Congrats to all the inductees.

2020 MLB Hall of Fame - Derek Jeter and Larry Walker

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were voted in to the MLB Hall of Fame today.  Jeter, though a Yankee, was a great player and deserves all the accolades he receives.  He's a huge reason New York won five World Series during his career.  He had so many outstanding years and is definitely one of the all-time greats at the position.  He was crazy durable and consistent.  

  As David Schoenfield (ESPN) mentioned, Larry Walker probably benefited from voters who rely more on modern stats and are willing to overlook someone who doesn't necessarily have the longevity we are used to seeing in many hall of famers.  I wouldn't have voted for him but I've been swayed before and he might be one I could come around on.  Walker had some over the top dominant seasons and was great defensively.  To me he was a hustle guy that everyone would want as a teammate.  His bat, his glove and they way he played the game made him an outstanding player.    

I love Hall of Fames and the passion that goes behind the arguments for and against different players.  I will say one of the few things I really don't like is someone saying a player isn't a "first ballot hall of famer".  A player either is or he isn't qualified to join the hall of fame.  It's cut and dry.  If you would vote for a guy in year two, three or four then he deserved the vote in year one.  Rant over.

2019 MLB Hall of Fame Class

Mariano Rivera was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame receiving 100% of the vote.  I’m glad to see the “I won’t vote for first time ballot guys” holdouts are gone.  Rivera is truly deserving and as dominant a closer as we’ve ever seen.  His numbers are staggering – 13X all-star, first all-time with 652 saves, career 2.21 ERA and he was even better in 141 postseason innings with a .70 ERA and 42 saves.  Eleven seasons of a sub two ERA as well as nine seasons with 40 or more saves.  Nothing short of amazing and his final year at age 43 he saved 44 games and had a 2.11 ERA.  You can’t ask for more than that from the greatest closer ever.  

Roy Halladay made into the Hall on his first ballot.  He was a dominant starter who didn’t mind going the distance (led the league in complete games seven times) earning two Cy Young awards while finishing in the top five in voting for the award five more times.  He had six seasons with a sub 3 ERA and five more sub 4 ERA seasons.  He also finished with 203 wins and 2117 strikeouts.  He was a force in the league for ten seasons and somebody no team wanted to face.  I’m happy he was voted in though it is sad they he passed away in 2017.

Edgar Martinez was voted in in his 10th year on the ballot.  A career .312 hitter he won two batting titles and finished with 2247 hits.  He led the league in on base percentage three times finishing at .418.  The knock against him was that he was primarily a DH and possibly that he didn’t reach the 3,000 hits milestone which used to be the gold standard.  Bottom line is Martinez was a great hitter and one the greatest right handed hitters of our time.  He was close to age 27 before his first full big league season so he missed out on quite a few hits despite playing until age 41.  It is nice to see him recognized for his prowess at the plate.  When you look at his stats they really do pop.   

Mike Mussina played 18 years for the Orioles and the Yankees.  He finished with an outstanding 270 wins and 2813 wins.   I have to admit those numbers surprised me.  When he was playing I just never thought of him when hall of fame discussions were had.  That may be a mistake on my part.  He had many good years though you won’t see dominant years like when you look at Roy Halladay.  A very good pitcher this was his sixth year on the ballot and there had been an up swell of support in the last few years.  I think many who look past ERA and wins at the SaberMetric world had much to do with that.  

The 2019 Hall of Fame class is a fun one and I’m happy for all the new inductees.  Next year we’ll see Larry Walker (54%) in his tenth and final year on the ballot. And where will Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds land – all of whom will be on their 8th ballot?  Derek Jeter will be on the ballot next year for the first time and will undoubtedly be voted in.  I don’t see any other first timer with a realistic chance of making it next year.  Until next year…    

The Curios Case of Harold Baines and his election to the MLB Hall of Fame

I'm a big Harold Baines guy with him being a top 10 all-time favorite for me.  That being said his election to the Hall of Fame has me conflicted.  Baines, who was dropped off the writer's ballot after only five years maxed out at 6.1% of the vote in 2010.  That tells you there never was much of an argument for him.  He was an excellent hitter but really didn't bring much else to the table.  He did lead the league in slugging one year but power really wasn't his deal (he did finish his career with 384 homers).  He played 22 years, much of it at DH which is an obvious knock on him in the eyes of most voters (though I think that view is changing).   

When I watched him play back in the day I just never thought "this guy is a Hall of Fame guy".  Again he was an excellent hitter.  You don't get 2,866 hits and a career .289/.356/.489 slash line over a career without being very good.  Unfortunately he is now the center of the argument about how these guys get in and the "good ole boy network".  And that bugs me that he'll always be thought of in that way - he's that guy.  You won't talk about how great a player he is but how he got in.  I'm still happy for him but I too will forever look at this and wince a little.

The story behind the Harold Baines autographed card above can be found here.

Lee Smith of course loses out in all this as well.  He at least received up to 50% of the vote in his days being voted on by the writers but the Baines narrative has overshadowed that some.  I think there is a strong argument for him and think he is deserving.  How the closer has been looked upon of course affected the voting for him.  I'm happy to see Lee Smith get in the Hall of Fame. 

2018 NFL Hall of Fame

The 2018 NFL Hall of Fame class was announced and included Bobby Beathard, linebacker Robert Brazile, safety Brian Dawkins, guard Jerry Kramer, linebacker Ray Lewis, wide receiver Randy Moss, wide receiver Terrell Owens, and linebacker Brian Urlacher.  

 I think this is a great class led by Ray Lewis.  A true great among historic linebackers this was a no brainer.  I really enjoyed seeing Brian Urlacher get in as well.  Watching him, he was a machine and so good.  Not quite the bawdy resume that Lewis had but a true hall of famer.

Brian Dawkins was another defensive guy who truly deserved to be on this list.  Man he could cover receivers.  Speaking of, two of the all-time greats got in in Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.  Like others I was OK to overlook Owens to some extent due to his personality and off the field issues but he really should have been voted in on the first ballot.  Moss was just a freak who was fun to watch.

No issues with the rest of this class as well.  It'll be interesting to see what next year's ballot looks like.  I don't think we'll see quite the slam dunk picks while maybe some of those who are deserving may finally get the call.  

2018 MLB Hall of Fame Class

I love the halls of fame and Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman were just announced to join Veteran’s Committee appointees Alan Trammell and Jack Morris in the 2018 MLB Hall of Fame class.  As a Brave’s fan seeing Chipper go in is great.  I loved him as a player and his switch hitting career stands up against the all-time greats who hit from both sides of the plate.  A career .303 hitter he played all 19 of his seasons with Atlanta and won a batting title at age 36.  It is great when a legend can spend their entire career with the same team so it was fun to see it all take place with the Braves.

Jim Thome had a heck of a career.  His slugging and on base stats were crazy good while doing it all with a career batting average of .276 over 22 years.  He’s 8^th all-time in homeruns.  Really glad to see Thome make it in on the first ballot.  Well deserved.

I was a bit slow coming around to Vladimir Guerrero but if you pay any attention to his stats you just say “wow”.  Maybe the best right handed hitter of his era this guy put up great numbers each year.  For his career he batted .318 with 449 homeruns, and got on base at a .379 clip for 16 years.  This guy could hit!

In the discussion for closers there is Mariono Rivera and then there is Trevor Hoffman who are in a class of their own – numbers one and two.  Then there the guys well below them in this conversation.  Even if you aren’t a believer in the closer role there is something to be said for a guy who took the ball in the 9^th for 18 years and excelled.  Major props to his wife for wearing the AC/DC shirt when he got the call from the Hall of Fame representative (his walk up song was Hells Bells). 

Glad to see Alan Trammel and Jack Morris get in.  I always thought Trammel deserved to be in and was on the fence with Morris.  In 20 years with the Tigers Trammel had a .285 average and was great with the glove.  Morris won 254 games and was the epitome of ace during two World Series which helped cement his legacy.  

2017 MLB Hall of Fame Inductees

MLB Hall of Fame (HOF) inductees have been named and I am a huge fan so I look forward to these announcements each year.   Jeff Bagwell was one of those guys who was always on the cusp of my HOF radar.  Loved him as a player but was never quite sure he was there.  While total numbers may not quite pass the test you have to look at him as a total hitter from his 15 years in the league.  He was nothing short of a stud.  2314 hits, 449 homeruns, 1529 RBIs, 202 stolen bases, .297 BA, .408 OBP, .540 SLG.  Bagwell was a four-time all-star and the 1994 NL MVP.  He was a guy who all pitchers were scared of and was a main cog of the Houston Astros  offense that powered their great run from ’98 to ’05 during which they lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox.  I’m on board with him getting into the Hall of Fame.  The more you look at his numbers you see how dominant and consistent he was.  Great to see him make it.

Tim Raines is a guy who was on his final year of HOF eligibility but also deserves his place among the game’s best.  It wasn’t until about 8 years ago that I got on the Tim Raines train.  If you are a stats driven guy like myself  you can get too caught up in players not reaching the “automatic thresholds” for players getting in to the HOF.  His stats line looks like this:  2605 hits, 808 stolen bases (5^th all-time), .294 BA, and .385 OBP.  Raines could get on base and when he did he wasn’t afraid to run.  A seven time all-star he led the league four times (’81 to ’84) in steals and is 13^th all-time in steals percentage.  He also scored himself a batting title in 1986 with a .334 batting average (also led the league in OBP that year at .413).  But don’t stop there.  His batting average and on base percentage coupled with his 2605 hits make him a no brainer.  Again I was slow to jumping on his band wagon but I’d drive it now if asked.  Raines also won a ring with the Yankees in 1996 and it is always great to see the all-time greats get one.  Raines was fun to watch and it will be even more fun to see him enter the HOF this year. 

Ivan Rodriguez was a guy you just knew was a hall of famer when he played.  His defense coupled with his outstanding hitting skills made this a slam dunk for me.  Voters thought the same thing electing him his first time on the ballet.  Rodriquez finished with 2844 hits, 311 homeruns, 1332 RBIs, a .296 BA, and .334 OBP.  He was the AL MVP in 1999 and an all-star 14 times.  He picked up a World Series ring his one year with the Florida Marlins in 2003.  As good a hitting catcher as he was he was best known for his arm and his defense.   He was a 13 time gold glove winner and is also the all-time leader in games played at catcher.  His resume speaks for itself but again I’ll say that while he played you just knew he was going to be enshrined one day.

2016 MLB Hall of Fame Inductees: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame voters voted Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza into the Hall of Fame yesterday.  Griffey broke the record for the greatest percentage of votes with 99.3% of the vote while Piazza goes in with 83% of the vote.  Great job by the voters (except for those 3 leaving Griffey off their submission).  Both are great players and both deserve enshrinement.  The breakdown of the vote can be seen here. 

Griffey was thought to have the ability to be one of the all-time greats prior to ever playing a game.  And he didn't disappoint...  While the numbers will say it all he was one of those guys you watched and just knew.  And if injuries hadn't robbed him of so many games who knows what we'd be saying about this guy.  He only played 140+ games twice in his last 10 seasons.  Still you always knew.  The great swing, the great defense, his ability to run the bases, he did it all and he did it all great.  I'm very happy the voters recognized his greatness and made this a slam dunk.

Mike Piazza is the best offensive catcher I've ever seen.  There are others that deserve to be in the conversation but he is it for me (no offense to Pudge).  Not only did he hit for average (career .308 and 6 straight seasons of .300+ at one point) and power (427 homers) but he also got on base at a career .377 clip.  Detractors will point to his defense but you have to look at the total package and he was so dominant on the offensive side, that the fact that he was an average defender (maybe below average) can be overlooked.  (Note:  I really didn't get to see Johnny Bench until he was past his MVP years but he is definitely better than Piazza). 

I also believe Jeff Bagwell, Trevor Hoffman, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds should be in the hall of fame.  I waffle on Tim Raines year to year and this year I'm not positive he should be in.  With the Hall of Fame trimming the fat as it be by getting rid of those voters who haven't been active in reporting on the sport for 10 years I think there is more hope than ever in getting more fair votes.  Clemens and Bonds didn't improve as much as I'd hoped but it doesn't mean they are doomed.  If nothing else, the fact it is so hard to get in definitely means that only the elite will make it.  Doesn't mean I always agree but there are only a handful of players that have been inducted of late that I would have issues with.  Good job by the voters this year with getting Jr. and Piazza in where they rightfully belong. 

Baseball Hall of Fame Selections: Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio goes in to the hall of fame on his third try.  He had the magic 3,000 hits but may not have been that dominant player many look for when electing a player to the hall of fame.  He did go to seven all-star games but was never an MVP and didn't lead the league in any of the sexy categories.  Still he did get 3,000 hits, ended up 5th all-time on the doubles list, won four gold gloves, and finished second all-time in hit by pitches.  He also played his entire career with Houston which is not easy to do and did so during the great run the Astros made in the 2000's including making it to the World Series once.  I think he is well deserved of this honor.  He got 3,000 hits which is a magic number and has to be looked at for what it is.  Not all players do it the same way.  He deserved this and I'm happy he made it in.  

Baseball Hall of Fame Selections: John Smoltz

One of my all-time favorite Braves, John Smoltz, was elected to the hall of fame with 82% of the vote.  Smoltzy was a difficult candidate to gauge due to his dual role as a starter and a reliever.  He goes in as the only pitcher with 150 saves and 200 wins.  Like Pedro Martinez he didn't have the automatic numbers but I'll say that when I saw him I definitely thought hall of famer.  He played 21 seasons ending with a 3.33 ERA and over 3,000 strikeouts.  He was selected to eight all-star games and won one Cy Young award.  I really believed it might take a few year for Smoltz to be elected so this was a surprise.  He was a huge part of all those Braves teams that went to post season after post season for 15 years.  And when they needed a closer he said yes, reluctantly, and was dominant in his three years in that role.  In the post season he was just as good posting a 15 and 4 record in 209 innings with a 2.67 ERA.  As a Braves fan I couldn't be happier and I'm especially happy for Smoltz. 

Baseball Hall of Fame Selections: Pedro Martinez

Next in my look at those players recently voted into the baseball hall of fame is Pedro Martinez.  Pedro was another dominant pitcher though he didn't put up the gaudy numbers Johnson did.  Still he was about as dominant a hurler as there ever was in seven years from 1997 through 2003.  He ended his career with a .687 winning percentage, 3,154 strikeouts, and a career 2.97 ERA.  I'm glad voters didn't get hung up on his lack of total win numbers while voting him in with 91% of the vote. He had three Cy Young wins as well as eight all-star game appearances.  Pedro helped Boston win their first World Series championship in a gazillion years cementing himself as a Red Sox legend.  He is also famous for his "bout" with New York Yankees' coach Don Zimmer.  More funny than fight but people will always look back at that as a classic Yankees-Red Sox moment.  And of course Pedro had those jerry curls...  Very happy to see Pedro go in.  Well deserved. 

2015 Baseball Hall of Fame Selections: Randy Johnson

With baseball spring training coming up very soon I want to look at the new Baseball Hall of Famers who were named recently to be enshrined in Cooperstown.  This is a great class and I'm excited for each of them.  Randy Johnson was a no brainer.  Twenty-two years, 303 wins, 3.29 ERA, and 4,875 strikeouts.  He was selected to 10 all-star games and won five Cy Young awards.  He also added a World Series MVP while helping Arizona win their only title to date.  Definitely one of those guys who deserved 100% of the vote (he received 97.3%).  My favorite Johnson  moment was in an all-star game where a pitch got loose unnerving batter John Kruk.  On the next pitch Kruk bailed before the pitch ever came close to the plate.  It was great fun though Johnson as he was anytime he was on the mound wasn't in the mood to laugh.   



 

2014 NFL Hall of Fame Class Announced

Front row (from left): Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey and Derrick Brooks. Back row: Aeneas Williams and Andre Reed and Walter Jones.

The NFL Hall of Fame class of 2014 was announced this weekend.  I love the hall of fame's of each sport and Saturday's announcement was very fun.  While I was excited for the entire class (Claude Humphrey, Michael Strahan, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Aeneas Williams, Andre Reed and Ray Guy) there are always those whom I'm especially happy for.  Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey and Andre Reed fall in to that category that this year. 

I grew up watching Ray Guy kicking the ball.  He was the best there was and was widely recognized as the best of the best punters when he retired.  I don't know why Guy, a punter, resonated with me.  Maybe because punting is something as a kid I always thought I could do since I didn't have the arm to be a good quarterback.  I was one of the thousands of kids who competed in the Punt, Pass and Kick competition in the 70's.  I didn't win but it was fun.  I'm sure part of my love of Guy was his being a part of the Raiders and the mystique that came with being one of the black and silver.  No matter why, I'm very happy to see him finally get in.  Not sure the reason voters have such a hard time voting kickers and punters in but hopefully this will help open the door to future inductions. 

Being a Buffalo Bills homer seeing Andre Reed get in is fun.  He'll join Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly from the great Bills teams that went to four straight Super Bowls.  It is too easy to say that receivers accumulate numbers and that they weren't quote "Hall of Famers".  There is truth to that in some cases but it shouldn't obscure the fact that many of these receivers are legit hall of fame players.  Art Monk and Lynn Swann were others who had to fight this argument for years.  Back to Reed.  His is deserved of this honor and I'm always happy to see another Bill enter the hall.

Speaking of being a homer, Claude Humphrey of the Atlanta Falcons (and Eagles) also gained induction to the hall.  While I have scant memory of his playing everything I've read he has deserved this honor for some time.  Sacks weren't an official stat when he played but I've read that 122 is what he has been credited with including 14.5 sacks with Philadelphia helping them get to Super Bowl XV. 

Derrick Brooks was definitely a player I always enjoyed.  He was a beast on defense and helped Tampa Bay win their only Super Bowl title.  Glad to see him get in on his first ballot.  Walter Jones is also a guy who deserved to get in first time out.  Aeneas Williams was a surprise to me.  Having played for the St. Louis Rams I've heard talk about Williams quite a bit on the local radio stations.  While they all said the right things they weren't convinced he'd make it either.  Michael Strahan is a guy who while I acknowledge how good he was resisted his getting in until late.  I didn't appreciate him while he played mostly due to the fact his Giants kept beating Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.  But once he retired and I've gotten to see him on Fox and his morning show how can you not like this guy?  It opened me up to really looking at him as a hall of fame candidate.  And he deserves his spot among the other greats.

I can't argue with any of this year's class which is nice.  Of course with the NFL's back log of good players waiting to get in I may not have any good arguments for a while.  Big names who will be first time eligibles next year are Kurt Warner, Junior Seau, Orlando Pace, and Isaac Bruce among others.  I do like the NFL Hall of Fame selection process.  It is very unique in that voters get to be in the same room and make their case for players.  That is just too awesome.  I would love to hear some of those conversations.  Well only one more year to see who will get in.  I'm thinking Seau and Pace are locks but won't be surprised if Warner also gets in.  His career is a bit of an enigma so it is hard to define but that is a story for another day.  It will be fun talking about when the time comes and I'm sure I'll post something then.

Baseball Hall of Fame - Maddux, Glavine and Thomas Oh My!

Great week for baseball as three of the greats were elected to the baseball Hall of Fame.  Greg Maddux, Tom Maddux and Frank Thomas will join the legends in Cooperstown come this July.  I wouldn't even begin to argue against any of these picks.  As a Braves fan I'm so excited to see Maddux, Glavine and manager Bobby Cox go in together.  The only thing better would have been to see John Smoltz go in as well.  Joining them is one of the great hitters of his era in Frank Thomas. 

Maddux was a slam dunk.  I have to say, and I don't think there is any bias here, he is the greatest pitcher I've ever seen in their prime.  And I got to see a lot of him.  It was awesome.  His command was amazing.  He always seemed in control and did not shake easy.  There are tons of antidotes that will show you there is another side to him you don't expect.  Yes he is a guy who knows pitching inside and out but he also has a sense of humor as well as being a quirky type of guy.  Oh and he is one of the best sports golfers there is.  Ranked 67th I think? 

His numbers ooze hall of fame.  355 wins (8th all-time).  Four straight Cy Youngs in the 90's.  Eighteen gold gloves.  ERA leader 4 times/top 5 ten times.  Top 10 in WHIP 10 times (led four times).  3,371 strikeouts good for 10th all-time.  Sub three ERA in 9 seasons.  3.16 career ERA.  A 2.09 ERA in 5 World Series starts.  You could go on and on.  Just a great pitcher.  Enough said. 

Tom Glavine is a guy who was drafted in the 4th round of the 1984 NHL draft ahead of greats like Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille even though he had told teams he was committed to playing baseball.  Glavine is a self admitted man crush of mine.  He's in the top 5 of my favorite baseball players all-time.  There was just something about how he handled himself on and off the field.  I'm so excited he goes into the hall of fame as a first ballot guy.  There was just a little talk of him maybe not making on this, his first time on the ballot so I am very happy to seem him go in with slam dunk 91.9% election percentage. 

His numbers don't lie.  2 Cy Youngs.  Top 3 in the Cy Young voting 6 times.  305 wins.  5 20 win seasons.    11 times he was in the top 9 of wins.  8 times he was in the top 8 of ERA.  He average 33 starts and 215 innings for his career.  Wow.  He is mister consistent to me.  His pitches were gonna be right there on the edges of the plate every day frustrating hitters even though they knew where the pitches were going.  His career highlight has to be game six of the 1995 World Series when he won the first and only championship for the Braves since they moved to Atlanta.  He did it in style with eight innings of one hit ball and for that was named the World Series MVP.  Glavine had a 2.06 ERA in eight World Series starts.  It may be due more to how pitchers are handled today but Glavine could well be one of the last 300 game winners we see in a long time.  That speaks to just how good he was.  Again his consistency in taking the ball every time he was asked to and his greatness was exactly what makes him a perfect Hall of Fame selection.   

I was actually surprised to see Thomas make it on his first time on the ballot.  That isn't a knock against him but because voters are so tough I thought he would fall short.  Two time MVP.  Career .301 average, .419 on base percentage (20th all-time), .555 slugging percentage (22nd all-time), 2,468 hits, 521 homeruns (18th all-time), 1,667 walks (10th all-time).  I do wish he had not been quite so injury prone.  His numbers would have been HUGE.  I always enjoyed Thomas' big smile.  He just looked like someone who enjoyed the game.  Of course it helps when you are spraying balls all over the field while you are doing it. 

Joining these three are three great managers.  Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox.  This is one of the greatest groups going into the Hall in a long time.  Wish I could be there.  I know it will be a great weekend. 

No matter what I've said or not said the careers of these players say it all.  Go to their individual baseball reference pages to see the whole story - Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas. 

2013 NFL Hall of Fame Inductees

The NFL Hall of Fame class of 2013 includes head coach Bill Parcels, guard Larry Allen, wide receiver Cris Carter, tackle Jonathan Ogden and defensive tackle Warren Sapp. Seniors candidates Curley Culp and Dave Robinson will also be inducted.  I love the Hall of Fame for the different sports as well as the debate the election process brings up each year. 

 

The NFL is the one of big three sports in which I rarely have issues.  The process itself isn't perfect but I do like it.  A bunch of smart football guys in a room hashing out who will be inducted.  That is the way it should be.  Folks in the know making the case for different players and being able to argue it out when there are disagreements.  Compared to the very flawed drive by voting process of Major League Baseball football has something I can at least feel content with.

 

When it comes to players in any sport I have two critiria for making the respective hall of fame.    1)When you watched them play during their career did you think they were a hall of famer?  Some players become hall of famers after their career.  For those players I think sentimentality tends to weigh more heavily as time goes by.  I won't say time doesn't shed a different light on eras or players but it should be obvious in the day.     2)The stats must be there.  The numbers have to back up the arguments to some extent but there are of course those exceptions due to injuries or eras.    If those two factors pass the test then the other arguments should fall in line. 

 

To this year's NFL class I won't argue against any of them.  They are all deserving (though I can't speak to Culp and Robinson) and I'm happy for each.  I was just wetting my feet with this post.  I'm much more passionate in my MLB Hall of Fame discussions which I hope to have up soon. 

Roger Clemens Acquitted

Roger Clemens was acquitted of lying about steroid use to a Congressional panel.  From everything I've read it looked as though the government's case was shaky from the start.  The accuser, Brian McNamee, was a disaster waiting to happen.  He was not credible and the evidence he brought to the table was iffy at best.  Clemens' longtime friend Andy Pettite testified "against" Clemens but by saying there was a 50-50 chance he misunderstood Roger Clemens he sunk the prosecution.  The DNA evidence seemed to have issues, not if it was Clemens', but how it was obtained.  Was it from an injection or an infection?  And McNamee really kept this stuff for eight years?  That is downright weird in itself.  In the end the jury didn't believe the evidence was there to convict Roger Clemens.  From an outsider's view I have to agree.  That is not to say he never used steroids just that the jury did not find enough evidence to convict him of the charges of lying. 

As a fan I'm left to wonder where Roger Clemens goes from here.  As a Red Sox fan he'll always have a special place in my heart even if he did play and win two World Series with the New York Yankees.  I blame his leaving the Red Sox on then general manager Dan Duquette.  Not to say Clemens was always the most lovable of fellas.  Still he had a wonderful career spanning 24 seasons with Boston, Toronto, Houston and New York in which he won 354 games, losing 184, while finishing with a career ERA of 3.12.  Wow.  He is likely part of a dying breed of 300 game winners.  The advent of the five man rotations and managers who now seem to want to go to the bullpen at any hint of a problem means we'll see less pitchers reaching this milestone.  Only three pitchers have reached 300 wins since Clemens did so in 2003 (Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson).  Only two active pitchers have over 200 wins and they are both over 40 years of age or older (Jamie Moyer 269 and Andy Pettite 243) with little to no chance of reaching 300.   

So with his wonderful career and the alleged use of steroids, is Roger Clemens a hall of famer?  I'll start with the alleged steroids use.  Steroids, or what it has done to baseball, makes me cringe and I wish it would just go away. But it isn't. I think baseball should address this issue within the hall of fame process.  Maybe by just stating the era for what it is.  Players within this era are all under some suspicion so just put it out there within the hall.  There are other eras - pre-1900,  expansion and the dead ball era to name a few.   Then let everyone make their own judgement.  I also wish this could apply to hall of fame voters but I'm afraid it is going to take quite a bit to get voters to get past their issues with players suspected of using steroids which is a shame.  We need to move on.  I think by trying to ignore those who did use the drug and those suspected of using performance enhancing drugs will mean players who should be in won't be while players like Ken Griffey Jr. will get in with no issues because he is likable and there have been no allegations thrown his way.  But we don't know if he took steroids.  Nor do we know if Jeff Bagwell did but I truly believe voters think he did.  He has also never been accused of any wrongdoing.   

Clemens' stats are slam dunk hall of fame stats in any era.  Given my thoughts I discussed in the previous paragraph I think he should be voted in.  There is no proof he took steroids.  Let the stats stand alone.  If we let what we think to be true cloud our judgement it gets way too complicated.  I would also apply this to other players.  I'm OK if a player admitted using performance enhancement drugs or was caught not making the hall.  But if it isn't definitive then we must ignore the conjecture that springs from stereotypes and our biases.  So let Roger in!