My View on the 2009 Nominees for the MLB Hall of Fame

There are 23 former players on the Hall of Fame ballot for voters to consider for election this year. Thirteen are holdovers, which is a record low, from last year, and there are ten newcomers in their first year of eligibility and consideration. Here is whom I would vote for selection and enshrinement in the Hall and some brief comments I have towards each candidate.

Harold Baines: 3rd year on ballot; YES -- his numbers and longevity are of merit for election.

Jay Bell: 1st year on ballot; NO -- very good fielder, but an average hitter at best for the most part.

Bert Blyleven: 12th year on ballot; YES -- solid consistent numbers over a lengthy career.

David Cone: 1st year on ballot; NO -- borderline with his numbers, may yet get in.

Andre Dawson: 8th year on ballot; YES -- absolutely with impressive consistent career numbers.

Ron Gant: 1st year on ballot; NO -- nothing noteworthy for consideration.

Mark Grace: 1st year on ballot: YES -- did just enough to merit selection over his career.

Rickey Henderson: 1st year on ballot; YES -- as outstanding a candidate as could be.

Tommy John: 15th (final) year on ballot: YES --deserves entry but probably not anytime soon.

Don Mattingly: 9th year on ballot: NO -- not as qualified as Grace by any measure.

Mark McGwire: 3rd year on ballot; NO* -- steroids connection will keep him out for years to come.

Jack Morris: 10th year on ballot; YES -- solid numbers and was a clutch performer through his career.

Dale Murphy: 11th year on ballot; YES -- good solid numbers plus intangibles merit selection.

Jesse Orosco: 1st year on ballot; NO -- good numbers and longevity may get him in down the road away.

Dave Parker: 13th year on ballot; NO -- average numbers comparatively and cocaine scandal will always keep him out.

Dan Plesac: 1st year on ballot; NO -- better than average numbers may not be enough for him to ever gain entry.

Tim Raines: 2nd year on ballot; NO** -- eventually will get in, but he will wait for a number of years for entry.

Jim Rice: 15th (final) year on ballot; YES --as qualified as many already in with his consistent solid career numbers.

Lee Smith: 7th year on ballot; YES -- one of the best relief pitchers ever in the history of the game.

Alan Trammell: 8th year on ballot; YES -- did just enough throughout his career as 2B to merit entry.

Greg Vaughn: 1st year on ballot; NO -- clearly did not do enough in any way.

Mo Vaughn: 1st year on ballot; NO -- steroids and too short a career doom him to never getting in.

Matt Williams: 1st year on ballot, YES -- solid steady career with very good numbers. He will get chosen in the coming years.

*I think McGwire should be in the HoF at some point, but I will wait for nine more years before voting for his induction.

**Like McGwire, Raines made some questionable at best personal choices while a player, deciding to use cocaine while in position of being a role model for millions of youth globally and then being convicted of this as a federal crime in a federal court. I will wait seven more years before voting for him for induction.

I predict Henderson, Rice, and Dawson will get selected this year. The results of the ballot election will be announced on either Tuesday 6 January or Wednesday 7 January at Noon EST. Other candidates that may get chosen include Blyleven and Grace. It is also very likely the Veterans Committee will make some selections for either or both pre-1943 and post-1943 players and others with an announcement to be made on Monday 8 December.

The '10 ballot includes Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, and Fred McGriff whom should get elected. In 2011, the ballot will include Jeff Bagwell and John Franco.

And of course it is also long past time to discuss Pete Rose. His accomplishments as a player make him superbly worthy for enshrinement in spite of his deep transgressions as a manager. At some point he should be made eligible for election, perhaps in 2015 or sooner, or after a new commissioner takes office. If Rose has his eligibility reinstated at some point in the future, the same step must be taken simultaneously or previously for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who also should be in the Hall for his accomplishments as a player as history and research has largely exhonerated him of any participation in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal posthumously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting,_2009

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/vetcom.jsp

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/bbwaa.jsp

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87941-mlb-hall-of-fame-2009-whos-in-whos-not

http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/1313/190/

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3737005

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Breaking-down-your-2009-Hall-of-Fame-ballot?urn=mlb,125820

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