Great story.

(more…)

This is a select group of players:

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Which of these players will ever get into Cooperstown?  Which ones should?

I wonder how many of these guys will ever make it?  Some have not been on a ballot yet…but others may never get in, for sundry reasons.

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Todd Helton and A-Rod are knocking on the door of this club.

It’s a short list which should get shorter very soon:

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Is there ever any chance that Kaat, John, Moyer or Tanana ever make the Hall of Fame?

Marc Topkin did a Q&A with Lou Piniella. Here is a snip:

How about your chances to make the Hall of Fame (as a manager)?

My numbers are there. I finished 14th all time, over 1,800 wins, won a world championship, won 116 games in a season, which was only done one other time. But I’m in with a tough group. I’ve got (Tony) La Russa, my good buddy, I’ve got Joe Torre, I’ve got Bobby Cox. These guys have had great, great careers. So we’ll see what happens. But if you ask me, if you look at other managers that have gotten in, you look at their resumes, mine is as impressive or more impressive.

Sounds like it would mean a lot to you?

It would mean a lot to anybody. It’s the epitome of what you work for. Just to be considered is a good warm and fuzzy feeling.

Ten years ago, I thought Lou had a case for Cooperstown. If they do it, I just hope they do it while he is still alive.

An interesting panel and debate…

Still with me? Here is the list:

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So, which ones should be in the Hall of Fame? And, why aren’t more people bitching about Bobby Grich falling off the ballot after his first year in 1992?

Classic.

Is there any chance that Mad Dog does not get elected to the Hall of Fame next year?

Their announcement:

A winning candidate did not emerge from the Hall of Fame balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and verified by Ernst & Young. There were 569 ballots cast, the third highest total in the history of the voting, but none of the 37 candidates in the 2013 vote gained mention on the required 75 percent for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Craig Biggio, who totaled 3,060 hits and was a seven-time All-Star while playing three positions (catcher, second base, outfield), topped the ballot with 388 votes – 39 shy of the 427 needed for election. His total reflected 68.2 percent of the electorate, which consists of BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of Major League Baseball coverage. Five blank ballots were among those submitted. Other players named on more than half the ballots were pitcher Jack Morris with 385 (67.7 percent), first baseman Jeff Bagwell with 339 (59.6), catcher Mike Piazza with 329 (57.8) and outfielder Tim Raines with 297 (52.2).

Commenting on the election, Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said, “The standards for earning election to the Hall of Fame have been very high ever since the rules were created in 1936. We realize the challenges voters are faced with in this era. The Hall of Fame has always entrusted the exclusive voting privilege to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. We remain pleased with their role in evaluating candidates based on the criteria we provide.”

This is the eighth election by the BBWAA that did not produce a Hall of Famer and the first since 1996.

This is great for those who like a baseball debate. But, it’s terrible for the Cooperstown economy. Induction weekend this year is going to be a ghost town…

Gotta think that Biggio gets in next year.  But, I’m not sure I see the reason to make him wait.  And, maybe next year is the big one for Jack Morris too?

Nice column from Nate Silver.

Sweet spreadsheet!  (Why the heck does Jill Painter have voting rights?  Geeeesh.)

And, if you want more, check out Joe Pos today.

What do you think?

Any other two players on this year’s ballot who you think it would be fun to have a H-T-H vote race with?  Who are they?

I know that’s going to be about seven years from now.  But, when it happens – and it’s going to happen – do you know how insane an event it’s going to be?

The village of Cooperstown is going to be swamped that weekend.  And, there’s going to be TONS of money to be made by a lot of people.

It may just be the biggest and craziest  induction weekend in the history of the Hall of Fame.  And, I wonder who, from all the parties involved, will be the one who comes out on top in terms of getting their arms around this thing and controlling what happens, etc.

Hopefully, someone will make a documentary of the whole thing as it unfolds.  It would be great if someone captures all the angles to this happening – include the inside ones.

Exit polls suggest this is true.

It will be interesting if Piazza doesn’t make it and then his book comes out next month…

And, I still think Biggio is going to make it this year.

Two really good reads on this today: Tyler Kepner and Peter Abraham.

There really seems to be two camps forming on this matter…

It’s a pretty cool story – via the good folks at Cooperstown –

Shortly after sunrise on a cold November Saturday morning in Cooperstown, Raul Ibanez reached down to high-five his 11-year-old son, Raul Jr., upon learning of his history-making Friday night.

Though the 2011 major league season had concluded a week earlier, Ibanez was all smiles in learning that he had just become the first major league player in history – active or retired – to spend the night in the famed Plaque Gallery at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

“RJ, we are a part of history,” father Raul explained to son.

On Friday night, RJ and his teammates from the Lower Merion (PA) Little League travel team participated in the Museum’s “Extra Innings Overnight” program in Cooperstown. More than 40 kids and parents had an exclusive experience to learn more about baseball’s history, see the game’s priceless treasures through artifact presentations and watch baseball-themed films before calling it a night in sleeping bags on the floor of the hallowed Hall.

Among the bronze plaques of the 295 players, managers, umpires and executives who have earned the highest honor in the game’s history, Ibanez and his son were fans for a night, in awe of the Hall of Fame. The morning after, they were wide-eyed from this special program that allows fans a chance to “sleep over” at the Hall of Fame during the fall and winter months.

“It was an amazing experience,” Raul Sr. said. “We will have memories that will last forever with my son out of this. He’ll be 50 one day and we’ll be talking about this visit to Cooperstown.”

The fact that Ibanez was able to achieve the milestone with his son was more than just part of the story on this November night: It was the reason the father-son duo traveled together to Cooperstown. The Ibanezes spend quality time while participating in evening programs in the Museum, sharing stories and laughs, before falling asleep in the enclaves of the Gallery, with the plaques of baseball heroes above them, dreaming of baseball greatness.

“It was really fun,” said Raul Jr. “I enjoyed everything about it. It’s pretty cool to sleep in the Hall of Fame Gallery. This was something our team wanted to do together. It was great for us to be able to visit the Hall of Fame as a team.”