My Hall-of-Fame Ballot

On Tuesday, the latest inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced. I have a strong opinion about this subject over which, as with most sports topics, I have absolutely no influence whatsoever. But if I had a vote, here's who I'd induct:

Tony Gwynn: About a decade ago, Sports Illustrated put Gwynn on the cover, with the caption "The Greatest Hitter You'll Ever See". Truer words have not been spoken. Since Teddy Ballgame, nobody else could work as effectively and as consistently at the plate as Tony Gwynn could. He hit .338 over his career and won five batting titles while amassing 3,141 hits. He also stole 316 bases - including 56 in 1987! A class act and a joy to watch, Gwynn ought to be a first-ballot inductee.

Cal Ripken, Jr.: There once was a time when all shortstops were little guys, all glove and no bat. Remember the "Three Bad National League Shortstops Named Rafael"? Well, while they were stinking it up in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Queens, Cal Ripken, Jr. revolutionized the position. Lost in the glory of his consecutive games streak are his awesome statistics: .276, 431 homers, 1,695 RBI, 3,184 hits. These numbers indicate why Ripken played in 2,632 games - because he was frickin' awesome. In my mind though, his greatest legacy, in a career full of great moments, was one evening in September 1995 - when he broke Gehrig's record, trotted around Camden Yards, high-fived the fans, acted every bit the gentleman he's always been, and helped baseball take its first real step toward the post-strike recovery for which so many of us yearned.

Andre Dawson: My approval of Dawson's candidacy, and rejection of Jim Rice's, may simply reflect my pro-Cubs bias. Guilty as charged. Ok, that's out of the way, so let's look at Hawk's accomplishments: Rookie of the Year in '77 and an MVP in '87. Career BA of .279, 483 homers, 314 stolen bases. His 2,774 hits are the most of anyone who's not in the Hall. Oh, and let's not forget his eight Gold Gloves. This guy was flat-out one of the best at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field. How on earth can Dawson be kept out?!?!

Bert Blyleven: The Eddie Murray of pitchers, Bert "Be Home" Blyleven quietly put together a long, terrific career. He's fifth all-time in strikeouts, and won 287 games over 22 seasons. As Tim Kurkjian notes, there have been 21 pitchers in history who have thrown 4,500 innings and had a career ERA at least half a run better than the league average. 17 are in the Hall. Three are named Clemens, Maddux, and Glavine. The 21st is Blyleven. He should be rewarded for his consistency and longevity - not to mention his excellence.

Lee Arthur Smith: As the era of the one-inning closer began, there simply was nobody more feared in the 9th inning than Lee Smith. He was Samuel L. Jackson on the mound, before any of us knew who Samuel L. was. His 478 career saves are second all-time (Trevor Hoffman just passed him in '06). If Bruce Sutter is in, and if Goose Gossage deserves enshrinement (as he does; see below), then Smith must go as well, to round out the group.

Goose Gossage: Another long-time dominant closer, Goose absolutely belongs in Cooperstown. He was a 9-time All-Star and a key part of the winning Yankee teams of the late 70s and early 80s. I don't remember him well enough to comment personally on his skills - but he compares well with Sutter, and if Sutter's in, Goose goes, too.

Here's who I'd ultimately leave off (after much internal debate):

Jim Rice: Maybe it's because my 1980s baseball attention was focused on the National League - but while I remember Rice as a highly-regarded player, I never thought to place him among the all-time greats. Don't get me wrong: he was very, very good, and very much feared at the plate. But his solid numbers (.298, 382 HR, 1451 RBI) just don't scream Cooperstown to me. To be fair, he was an 8-time All-Star, a three-time HR champ, and has an MVP award to his name. I won't be upset if Rice gets inducted, but I won't shed any tears for him, either. I think he's legitimately a guy who falls just short.

Mark McGwire: You knew this was coming. Bill Simmons' column, discussed at this blog last week, has weighed on me quite a bit. After reading Simmons' take, I found myself without any strong justification to reject a player whose gargantuan numbers are truly unparalleled in baseball history - until I saw this quote from Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News:

"He doesn't want to talk about the past? Then I don't want to consider his past."

Simmons' excellent argument acknowledged, there remains something about McGwire's attitude toward the whole steroid issue that I cannot come to terms with and that I cannot accept. Excoriate me for this if you must. Maybe I'll soften in years to come; maybe Big Mac will. But in 2007, if McGwire wants to go to Cooperstown, he should be made to buy a ticket.