MLB Hall Of Fame 2008 Class

[JimSteel]

FROM AOL SPORTS
NEW YORK (AP) -Tim Raines and David Justice head 11 first-time candidates on the baseball writers' 2008 Hall of Fame ballot, joining Mark McGwire, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice and 11 other holdovers.

McGwire, his candidacy hurt by suspicions of steroids use, was selected on just 23.5 percent of ballots when he was eligible for the first time in 2007.

When Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected in January, Gossage fell 21 votes shy of the necessary 75 percent and Rice was 63 votes short.

Rice is on the ballot for the 14th time and Gossage for the ninth. Players can be on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot for up to 15 years.

Gossage's percentage increased from 64.6 in 2006 to 71.2 in 2007, while Rice's declined from 64.6 to 63.5. The highest percentage for a player who wasn't elected in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.

Raines was a seven-time All-Star who played 23 seasons and batted .294 with 2,605 hits and 808 steals, fifth on the career list. He was the 1986 NL batting champion.

Justice was the 1990 NL Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star. He had a .279 average, 305 homers and 1,017 RBIs in 14 seasons.

Brady Anderson, Rod Beck, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Chuck Knoblauch, Robb Nen, Jose Rijo and Todd Stottlemyre also are first-time candidates. The five-year waiting rule was waived for Beck, who died June 23.

Other holdovers (with their 2007 vote percentages) include Andre Dawson (56.7), Bert Blyleven (47.7), Lee Smith (39.8), Jack Morris 202 (37.1), Tommy John (22.9), Dave Concepcion (13.6), Alan Trammell (13.4), Dave Parker (11.4), Don Mattingly (9.9), Dale Murphy (9.2) and Harold Baines (5.3).

Rijo retired after the 1995 season and appeared on the 2001 Hall ballot, when he received one vote. He then returned to the major leagues and pitched for Cincinnati in 2001 and 2002, making him eligible to go back on the ballot.

Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote, and the totals will be announced Jan. 8. Rickey Henderson tops the players who will be eligible for the first time on the 2009 ballot.

Results of balloting for managers, umpires and executives by the newly reconstituted Veterans Committee will be announced Dec. 3 at the winter meetings.

[mikefortune]

I am a fan of the Hawk Andre Dawson.

[Trent Lawless]

Gossage and Raines should definitely both make it.

[rawhide]

i think raines should get it as well.

[stephenvegas]

markcpc said:

Gossage and Raines should definitely both make it.

Goose and Raines are the first two I would vote for this year.

[dukedave]

Raines may be worthy but don't think the precious voters will think he's worthy of first ballot.

Blyleven should be in.

My prediction - Nobody gets the minimum.

[stephenvegas]

dukedave said:

Raines may be worthy but don't think the precious voters will think he's worthy of first ballot.

Blyleven should be in.

My prediction - Nobody gets the minimum.

True.

Perhaps the absence of an automatic first ballot inductee such as Gwynn or Ripken might help Raines (and Gossage who almost made it last year) get some votes.

Although I would vote now for Raines, I would be even more disappointed if the voters don't make Ricky Henderson a first ballot indcutee when he becomes eligible.

[Matt]

jimsteel said:

Brady Anderson, Rod Beck, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Chuck Knoblauch, Robb Nen, Jose Rijo and Todd Stottlemyre also are first-time candidates. The five-year waiting rule was waived for Beck, who died June 23.

Somebody please tell me why any of these players should be mentioned in the same sentence as the words "hall of fame."

[Trent Lawless]

Brady Anderson's sideburns are nicely trimmed?

[Wildfire]

matt said:

jimsteel said:

Brady Anderson, Rod Beck, Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, Travis Fryman, Chuck Knoblauch, Robb Nen, Jose Rijo and Todd Stottlemyre also are first-time candidates. The five-year waiting rule was waived for Beck, who died June 23.

Somebody please tell me why any of these players should be mentioned in the same sentence as the words "hall of fame."

IIRC, anyone who played 10 years gets to be on the ballot.

Even I wouldn't vote for Travis Fryman, and I was a bigger Tigers fan that the D-Town guys round here are in the 80s. (yeah, I was the guy that believed Travis Fryman was going to lead the post-Trammell/Gibson/Morris/Parrish Tigers into greatness)


That being said, and knowing I'm from Boston, my three choices of Jack Morris, Jim Rice, and Alan Trammell shouldn't be a big shocker.

Morris not being in yet is a travesty, IMO, and show how muchhaving a bad relationship with the press can punish you... He was the winningest picther for the 80s, and has all sorts of post season accolades. I don't care if his ERA is a little high for the traditionalists liking.

Rice has been a vicitim of stat inflation.. his numbers were stellar for his day, but compared to the 'modern' era, they kinda suck. Still, he was one of the most feared hitters for most of the later 70s and early 80s.

Alan Trammell, well, a guy can be sentimental, can't he? He's got better numbers than Arky Vaughn

BTW, I'm STILL mad at the Tigers for not giving him more of a chance as Manager.

[Wildfire]

dukedave said:

Raines may be worthy but don't think the precious voters will think he's worthy of first ballot.

Blyleven should be in.

My prediction - Nobody gets the minimum.

I agree with Havoc.. I don't think any of the 1st timers will get in... Raines is probably worthy, but not 1st time ballot worthy.

If anyone's getting in, it will be Gossage or Rice, who might garner more votes with this relatively weak class of candidates.

[tystates]

Goose Goosage absolutely should be in. As far as the other players that are obviously not hall of famers, yeah they all get on the ballot and are gone in one year. The writer that voted for Jim Deshaies when he became eligible should have his voting status revoked permanently.

[Knapik]

I picked Trammell, but I think Gossage, Raines, Dawson, Morris, and Rice could easily get in without complaint.

[ThePunisher]

Blah who voted for Morris? I'm a Twins fan but even I recognize that his whole career was made in one night in 1991.

Gossage is gold on this list. The Hawk would be fine as would Blyleven or Lee Smith.

[dukedave]

Percent chance of EVER getting in

Mark McGwire 45%
Goose Goosage 55%
Tim Raines 75%
Jim Rice 5%
Andre Dawson 2%
Lee Smith 65%
David Justice .009%
Bert Blyleven 21%
Don Mattingly .5%
Jack Morris 10%
David Concepcion 0%
Tommy John 50% (will get in with the Veteran's committee, people like him)
Dave Parker 1%
Alan Trammell .5%
Harold Baines 15%
Dale Murphy 5% (should be in but is so bland no one cares)

[daytondave]

Lee Smith and Goose Gossage deserve to be there.

Concepcion doesn't get nearly enough credit for being the premier shortstop of his era.

[Chewey]

Davey Concepcion was a dang good shortstop, but he wasn't even in the top half of the Great Eight batting lineup of the Big Red Machine. Given that people are already bitter about the enshrinement of Tony Perez, it seems that no one outside of Cincinnati wants Concepcion in...

...and in a couple years or so, Concepcion's supporters in the Nasty 'Nati will jump off the Concepcion bandwagon and on to the Barry Larkin bandwagon, a player who is much more deserving of the Hall, but needs every bit of the hometown support due to his being sandwiched between the Ozzie Smith era and the A-Rod-Jeter-Nomar era.

[hofclemens]

I wouldnt say I am 100% but I am lets say 90% sure that Goosage will get in. His vote total has risen the past few years and just missed it last year. Jayson Stark and Gammons both have said they feel he has enough support from their informal straw poling so I think the goose will finally get in.

Jim Rice's vote total I think has capped out which is sad. With all these guys on roids someone like him shoudl get in IMO.

[stephenvegas]

Congratulations to Goose Gossage who was the only player selected today to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[daytondave]

aaron168 said:

Davey Concepcion was a dang good shortstop, but he wasn't even in the top half of the Great Eight batting lineup of the Big Red Machine. Given that people are already bitter about the enshrinement of Tony Perez, it seems that no one outside of Cincinnati wants Concepcion in...

...and in a couple years or so, Concepcion's supporters in the Nasty 'Nati will jump off the Concepcion bandwagon and on to the Barry Larkin bandwagon, a player who is much more deserving of the Hall, but needs every bit of the hometown support due to his being sandwiched between the Ozzie Smith era and the A-Rod-Jeter-Nomar era.

Sorry, Chewey, can't buy either of those arguments.

Hall of Fame status shouldn't depend on who your teammates were, or who came along afterwards. Are we gonna keep Smoltz out of the HOF after Glavine and Maddux are inducted?

Larkin is a solid HOF shortstop, first ever to go 30-30 and the best in baseball from 1985-95 (his MVP Season).

Concepcion was the premier SS in the National League in the 70's. A superior defender, he was the first to implement the long-hop throw to 1B which is now commonplace. He was also a major influence among Venezuelan and other Latino shortstops, most notably Omar Vizquel.

Maybe all this doesn't land him in the HOF, but he was a d*mn fine player and a very important figure of his era.

Congrats to Goose for a well-deserved honor.