What should have been one of the greatest trinities ever inducted into Cooperstown, ended up becoming just another very respectable duo. This year’s hall-of-fame class, and snub, is almost a poetic representation of the past, present, and future of baseball. The players involved encompassed all that the things that helped the game win over the hearts of this country and everything that is now plaguing the game. It shows that a change is needed but we still can’t let go of the ideals of yesterday otherwise we could never make it back to those simpler, purer times.
Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn symbolize the last of a dying breed, they don’t make players like them anymore. These guys actually had values and cared about loyalty, a few simple ideals that have been destroyed by the greed that has been bred by free agency. They didn’t expect preferential treatment, they played through pain. Now-a-days star players won’t even play in a day game following a night game, let alone presenting the values of a true working man in their ethic. They didn’t view themselves as bigger than the game, and some of that is the leagues fault for marketing individuals ahead of the team now, but then again, that’s all just part of the new era of sports. These guys mark the end of an era, the end of days for a league that didn’t have major public relations issues, and it was the first time since Pete Rose that the voters had a major dilemma on hand with Mark McGwire.
Unlike Rose, this isn’t a one and done issue, we’re about four years away from having this come up year after year. This isn’t just a steroids issue, though, the standards that were once used no longer carry as much weight. No longer can you use 500 home runs, 3,000 hits, and 300 wins as the measuring stick because so many players are reaching those marks. They are going to have to be judged against the era they played instead of history. Using the current standards we were able to identify 40 active players (see list below) that could make a solid case for the hall-of-fame, although, when comparing them against their peers, half were eliminated. Stan Musial’s 475 career homeruns simply meant more to his era than Jim Thome’s 487.From April of 1987 to September of 1996 not a single player amassed 500 home runs, since then seven have reached the mark with four more on the way.
Alex Rodriguez (499), Jim Thome (489), Manny Ramirez (487), and Gary Sheffield (478) could all join the club this season. A member’s only card shouldn’t automatically grant access anymore.
Expansion and stadium dimensions all have led to the power influx, but the biggest change that the voters are going to have to adjust too is steroid use. This year was the first in a long line of discrimination that is too come.You just can’t look at a guy and be certain anymore. Unfortunately we have to play the guessing game due to the lack of an infallible testing system, but even with his huge biceps we never pegged Mark McGwire as a steroid user. We knew he used Andro, but you could buy that stuff at your local GNC store so it was no big deal. We watched him transform from Spiderman to the Incredible Hulk, but we all just assumed it was because he came into the league so young. We were all willing to let that evidence go, the thing that killed him was the fact that he refused to deny steroid use at that fateful congressional hearing. We didn’t need a positive drug test, the phrase “I’m not here to talk about the past” was enough to convict him in the public’s perception.
Maybe the reason the voters kept him out was because they felt robbed. The summer of 1998 was magical for all of those that were fortunate enough to witness it or be apart of it. We all crowded around the TV like we were little kids again, every time he came to the plate time stopped. The treasures of the game were rediscovered, two guys going at it in an epic battle, not only versus each other but also against history. We watched McGwire as he joyously ran the bases after eclipsing Maris’ hallowed mark, and then embracing his son as he passed home plate. It made fathers rediscover their love for their sons, as another generation was gapped through the love of game. There was nothing purer in the world. It was one of those events that you thought you would be able to look back on for the rest of your life and always remember every minuet detail about. Then years later you hear this man tell you that everything you saw and felt was little more than special effects.
Ironically, McGwire may never get in because of who he is and what he meant to the game. The things he did transcended the sport and because of the magnitude the writers are forced to make an example out of him. He is the first one from the steroid era to reach this crossroads; the problem is we have to decide what to do with all of those that follow. You can’t keep out every person that stepped on a field from 1985-2003, the so-called steroid era, so what is the solution? For many of those years the drugs weren’t outlawed, so how can you condemn a man that theoretically did nothing wrong?
The hang-up is that the voters feel these guys should have said no and played clean instead of acting morally ambiguous. If you look back throughout history, drugs have long been woven into the game’s subculture. Back in 1961 when Maris and Mikey Mantle were making a run at the home run record amphetamines were running rampant. There is no evidence of use on either part, but it is conceivable that they had a little pick-me-up now and then.
The only true solution is to evaluate these guys on a case by case basis, compare them against the other players of their era, and only punish them if there is concrete evidence of any wrong doing. There has to be some sort of system in place so that a media bias doesn’t come into play and interfere with the integrity of the hall-of-fame, which up to this point has operated under very high standards.
If McGwire is kept out due to the cloud of suspicion that has engulfed him, you could make an even stronger case against Barry Bonds despite- or, then again- in spite of all of his accomplishments. The main thing is we can’t punish people because we think something. There is truly nothing more than circumstancial against Barry, the whole McGwire thing is little more iffy because the words came out of his mouth. Bonds has never made any comments that could be viewed as a confession, partially or whole.
As of now, the only guy that should certainly be kept out that has a strong case is Rafael Palmerio(possible 2011 inductee), he got caught with blood on his hands, and even his 3,000 hits and 500 home runs can’t save him.
Here’s a list of 40 active players that have been identified as possibleCooperstown candidates.
- Barry Bonds- 753 home runs, single season home run record holder
How we voted: In - Craig Biggio- 3,014 hits
How we voted: Out - Alex Rodriguez- 498 home runs and counting
How we voted: In - Derek Jeter- .317 career average. The new “Mr. October”
How we voted: In - Frank Thomas- 501 home runs
How we voted: In - Sammy Sosa- 602 home runs
How we voted: In - Gary Sheffield- 477 home runs, 2,496 hits
How we voted: In - Jim Thome- 477 home runs
How we voted: Out - Omar Vizquel- 11 Gold Gloves
How we voted: In - Ichiro Suzuki- .322 average
How we voted: Out, although he will probably make a stronger case in years to come - Todd Helton- .331 average
How we voted: Out - Albert Pujols- .300/30/100 through first six season
How we voted: In - Manny Ramirez- 485 home runs
How we voted: In - David Ortiz- .930 OPS
How we voted: Out - Vladimir Guerrero- .324 average
How we voted: In - Mike Piazza- 420 home runs
How we voted: In (just because he was a catcher, any other position and he’s out) - Chipper Jones- .306 average
How we voted: Out - Ivan Rodriguez- 12 Gold Gloves
How we voted: In - Ken Griffey Jr.- 587 home runs
How we voted: In - Lance Berkman- .300 average
How we voted: Out - Carlos Delgado- 423 home runs
How we voted: Out - Tom Glavine- 298 wins
How we voted: In - Greg Maddux- 340 wins
How we voted: In - John Smoltz- 202 wins, 154 saves
How we voted: In - Curt Schilling- 213 wins
How we voted: Out - Mike Mussina- 243 wins
How we voted: Out - Roger Clemens- Seven Cy Young awards
How we voted: In - Pedro Martinez- .691 winning percentage
How we voted: In - Johan Santana- Two Cy Young awards
How we voted: Out, only as of right now, he has a lot to accomplish still. In the coming years he’ll certainly accomplish enough to get in. - David Wells- 235 wins
How we voted: Out - Randy Johnson: 4,616 strikeouts
How we voted: In - Billy Wagner- 346 saves
How we voted: Out - Mariano Rivera- 34 playoff saves, 413 regular season saves
How we voted: In (It’s hard to say, Lee Smith, second on the alltime list was snubbed) - Trevor Hoffman: 509 saves
How we voted: In - Luis Gonzalez- 2471 hits
How we voted: Out - Julio Franco- 2580 hits, third most among active players
How we voted: Out - Steve Finley- 2548 hits
How we voted: Out - Kenny Lofton- 599 stolen bases
How we voted: Out - Armando Benitez- 280 Saves
How we voted: Out - Roberto Hernandez- 326 Saves, tenth all-time
How we voted: Out
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
YOU MUST BE CRAZY IF YOU VOTED OUT (TODD HELTON)
WITH THOSE CAREER STATS.AND HE HAS AT LEAST 5
MORE YEARS TO PLAY.
P.S. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS BEFORE YOU DO THIS NEXT TIME
I also voted out Johan Santana the most dominate pitcher in baseball today. Santana has at least six, seven, good years left to play, but if his career ended today his numbers wouldn’t be good enough to put him in the hall. But, we’re talking about Todd Helton.
He is a career .333, but besides that what else has he done? You want to put him in the hall of fame when he hasn’t been good enough to be put on the All-Star team two years in a row? The guy only has 286 HR and his 996 RBI are respectable, but in nine years he has only eclipsed 100 five times. He had five season’s from 2000-2004 that were outstanding, but it’s like the wheels fell off after that. That’s certainly not enough, especially in the power era.
The thing is, he’s not going to get the 3,000 or 500 homers, which aren’t even going to be good enough to get some of the members in in future years. Lee Smith was the all-time saves leader and that wasn’t enough to get him in the hall of fame, and you want to put a guy in that isn’t even good enough to be perennial all-star? While I admit he is a good player, he is simply not great, which is what will leave him on the outside looking in.
Andre Dawson, Jim Rice, Orlando Cepeda all weren’t good enough to get in. You would be hard pressed to make a case for Helton over these guys with his current numbers.
Agree with Helton, but I think you have to put Biggio in and not just for the 3,000 hits. He was the best 2nd baseman in baseball for the majority of a decade. It was him Alomar and Kent.
Speaking of Kent, I am wondering how you put Armando Benitez as a candidate for the Hall and omitted Jeff Kent.
Your absolutely right about Kent, definately an oversight on my part. Alomar should also be added as a candidate, even though I probably wouldn’t put him in the Hall right now. The reason I placed Benitez on there is because he is currently in the top then for saves, but there is no way he gets in the hall-of-fame. Again, Lee Smith has to get in before him. That’s why I’m kind of torn on Mariano Rivera, does he get in? Does Trevor Hoffman? It’s hard to say. That’s a whole nother article.
About Biggio. The 3,000 hits hold no weight with me. Why? Because he hasn’t been effective since 1999. Here are his batting averages from the years following
2000- .268
2001- .292
2002-.253
2003- .264
2004- .281
2005- .264
2006- .246
He did decent in 2001 and in ‘04. but besides that ughh. He probably will get in the hall of fame, maybe my memory of him has been skewed because he put himself out there just to reach the 3,000 milestone. Which takes all of the glory out of his achievement. In my eye’s there the element of honor has been removed. It’s sort of like rolling a six in Monopoly and moving seven so you can buy Boardwalk. Sure you got one of the best pieces on the board, but can you really feel good about how you got there?
So Todd Helton is not a Hall of Famer because he hasn’t been an All-Star the past two seasons…but Frank Thomas IS, even though he hasn’t made the All-Star team since 1997? I can’t disagree that Helton doesn’t belong in the Hall, but All-Star appearances are a weird stat to use.
Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith are apples and oranges. Rivera has about fifty fewer saves in the regular season, yes, but he is also 8-1 with 34 saves and a 0.80 ERA in the postseason. Smith was a fine closer, but he lost 20 more games than he won (71-92 lifetime) and had an ERA slightly over 3.00 (I’d like my HOF closers to be a bit more dominant).
Is Carl Yastrzemski a legitimate Hall of Famer? Because he wasn’t all that exceptional over the last five or six years of his career - probably stayed three years too long at the very least, despite those late career All-Star nods. Similar to Craig Biggio, who was one of the three best second basemen of the 1990s and noted for putting the team’s interests ahead of his own.
The reason I brought up All-Star appearances is because Helton is in the prime of his career, that’s the difference between him and Frank Thomas. Frank peaked and is on the downside of his career while Helton is supposed to be in the zenith of his. Meaning that he isn’t even one of the top three or four guys at his position in his own league, let alone in the majors, let alone throughout history. Does anyone really feel that Todd Helton deserves to sit at the same table as Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron?
I disagree with the Craig Biggio Statement. He is obviously putting his own personal conquest of 3,000 hits ahead of the team. He isn’t producing, and he knows that the Astros will pencil him into the lineup even though he isn’t contributing at a Major League Level. Baseball Prospectus has his VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) listed at -2.8, meaning that an average run of the mill minor league player, producing at a league average just good enough to stay on the roster would help the team win 2.8 more games than the so-called HOF Biggio. Maybe he is a Hall-of-famer, but he’s hurting his legacy chasing milestones. Is it any coincidence that he is retiring after this season now that he has crown? I doubt it.
Mariano Rivera, obviously a Hall of famer, I just find it ironic that the all-time saves leader, or the current all-time saves leader, doesn’t get into the hall of fame. I don’t know if voters devalue them or what, look how long it took Bruce Sutter to get in and he revolutionized the game.
good read. i think your crazy for leaving a few names off that list. andruw jones, torri hunter, scott rolen, jim edmonds is certainly a hall of famer, and i dont care if johan’s arm falls off he’s a sure shot to get in. David Ortiz definately should be a yes, and I agree with the other posters on it being crazy that your leaving biggio out, but you make a strong case, I just don’t agree. Ortiz is one of the most clutch players in the league, and I already know that your going to come back at me with some bs about him only being a DH, but that’s asinine. He’s done more at that position than a lot of guys that take the field. He helped the Red Sox win a ring, without they would have never done it.
Great Article!
I think Wagner deserves to be in. Him, Rivera and Hoffman have been the most dominating closers in baseball for the last decade. That trifecta deserves to be in.
You’re obviously an idiot just in regards to your comments on Biggio. Per 162 games, he’s averaged 106 runs, 38 doubles, 17 homers and 24 steals. This coming from a guy that lead off most of his career. A career OBP of .364 to boot. It’s not all about batting average. “He did decent in 01 and 04″. Did you see the numbers he put up those years??? And at the age he did it? My god man, do your homework…Bill James considers Biggio behind Bonds as the 90’s best player.
13th all-time in runs for Biggio. Enough said. He’s a grinder, and had the majority of his games at second base. I’d take him over Sandberg any day. Take the time to compare them on baseballreference.com.
Had to comment on Helton…He’s a product of Coors. Good lord look at his splits. Career .367 hitter at home and .294 on the road. Andres Galarragga, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker. Do those names ring a bell when it comes to Coors?
and if Jakob, you’re crazy about Edmonds. I will walk to Cooperstown (I live in the deep south) if he gets in.
How can you say Pujols is in already? Has he been spectacular to this point? Sure, but hall worthy already? Don’t think so. You have to put him in the same category as Santana.
I’ll jump on the wagon and disagree with the Biggio statement. If he doesn’t make it, he’ll be the first player with 3000 hits to not go in (assuming that sports writers disregard Palmeiro’s entire career), and the first in 50 or so years to not go in first ballot.
Like it or not, 3000 is a magic number for induction.
Even though Big Mac and Sosa broke Maris’ record in 1998, there was one thing that we can give them credit for at that time of history.
They saved baseball (at that time).
We seem to forget that in 1994, MLB went on strike and the entire postseason was cancelled with no World Series being played. Most fans reacted by tuning out baseball (except in Montreal where all but fifty fans tuned out baseball) and making the NBA and the NFL more popular to watch.
1998 comes and we see Big Mac setting the pace throughout the season towards breaking the record. In August, we see Sosa go on a rampage to almost catch up with Big Mac. When it got closer, we saw two players who were friendly with the media and also friendly with the fans and who could also relate to the ‘common man’.
America began tuning in to baseball again. Mac and Sosa were still fan-friendly and we saw attendance that had dropped since the 1994 strike pick up again (and later held in the years after). Then we saw the magical game of the Cards vs. the Cubs when Big Mac hit number 62, hugged his son, tapped Sammy’s fist, and most importantly, embraced the Maris family who sat along first base while the late Roger Maris’ wife watched from the hospital room (remember the end of the HBO movie 61 starring Billy Crystal).
If this had never happened, baseball would have picked up some steam as Derek Jeter and the Yankee Dynasty ended the 1990’s with the World Series. But not as much as Mac and Sosa.
But I am afraid with the backlash over steriods, McGwire and Sosa will probably have to be elected later on in the 20 year window or get elected by the veterans committee. Palmerio would have been a shoo in if he didn’t get caught. Bonds will face both the steriods backlash and the “Jim Rice Syndrome’ for the way he treated the media throughout his career.
Just think if Ken Griffey, Jr hadn’t been plagued by injuries, we would be talking about possibly an 800 HR career totally surpassing Aaron and as of right now, no signs of steroid nor performance-enhancing drug use.
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