The bottom line is that the BBWAA should no longer be the sole arbiter of Hall status. Writers were the logical choice in the days before mass media because they were the only ones traveling around the country watching hundreds of games. With the proliferation of access to games, that is no longer the case. As a result, the honor of a Hall vote should be based on merit, not simply longevity in a labor union. Furthermore, the pool of voters should be more diverse than one profession. Why MLB and the Hall can’t see this is bewildering to me.

Oh, and Raines should be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. From 1981-1990, he was 3rd in RCAA, 5th in reaching base, and 2nd in steals. All-time, he is 58th in RCAA, 41st in reaching base, and 5th in steals. I think he’ll get in eventually, but it’s awful that he should wait at all – especially if a vastly inferior player such as Jim Rice gets in this year.

I’ve had a chance to meet Rock on a few occasions. No one that ever meet him would say he has no personality.
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FWIW, I was referring to Frank Thomas in my entry.

There is no “elite class” who ought to be in the HoF. Raines was one of the most productive players in the game…the fact that he wasn’t in the elite company of Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, Cobb, Mays, Mantle, etc. is irrelevant, unless you believe the Hall should only permit those rare players.

Actually, among catchers, Posada ranks
-11th in RCAA
-12th in HRs, 2B, and XBH
-6th in Walks
-7th in OWP (min. 5000 PA)
-3rd in OBA vs. league average
-9th in OPS vs. league
-14th in SLG vs. league
-5th in Total Average vs. league

It will be interesting to see how he hits for the next 3 years, but if he remains a productive player I think you can make a very strong case for the Hall of Fame. He might be hurt by a .277 average and his so-so defense, but he is actually one of the greatest hitting catchers in baseball history.

As a hitter, Posada’s OPS+ of 124 is definitely right on par with the best catchers in the history of the game. Because of a late start, however, Posada is probably missing the necessary ABs, but that could be resolved with another 2-3 above average seasons. In any event, it is way off base to consider him only a “nice player” and “not even close” to being Hall worthy.

I’ve had a chance to meet Rock on a few occasions. No one that ever meet him would say he has no personality. Very friendly guy with a positive outlook on life. Still, I’m not sure I’d put him in the elite class that ought to be the HOF.

ISTM that those who vote on HoF haven’t yet figured out that On Base percentage means more than batting average. That’s unfair to players who walked a lot, like Frank Thomas, Tim Raines and Jorge Posada.
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you think posada is hall worthy? I don’t…hes a nice player but i don’t consider him equals to other great catchers of the past(or even close for that matter)

ISTM that those who vote on HoF haven’t yet figured out that On Base percentage means more than batting average. That’s unfair to players who walked a lot, like Frank Thomas, Tim Raines and Jorge Posada.

He never got enough respect in my mind… guess he needed a big postseason moment or a championship.
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He had good postseasons with the White Sox and the A’s.

I don’t know why he’s “forgotten”; at one time he had his own video game, his own shoe, among other things. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have much of a personality