Blyleven Non-Election A Huge Mistake: Again!

Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were elected into the Baseball Hall Of Fame today. The voters didn't elect pitcher Bert Blyleven, outfielder Andre Dawson and a couple of others worthy of HOF status.

Rice enters the Hall in the final year of his eligibility.

Henderson and Rice are undoubtedly Hall of Famers and certainly deserve the honor. Unfortunately, the baseball writers' idiotic unwritten rules are keeping Blyleven and other stalwart players out of Cooperstown. Blyleven's cause has been highlighted here previously. Others whom I believe deserve the honor are Andre Dawson and Dale Murphy. I lean a bit toward Mark McGwire as well for reasons I can write about at a later date. I think there could strong cases made for Lee Smith and Tim Raines.

The writers have this code about themselves regarding not voting anyone in at 100 percent (even Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron and Cal Ripken didn't get in with 100 percent of votes. Ripken is the highest position player to receive votes at 98.53 percent, topped only by pitchers Tom Seaver, 98.84, and Nolan Ryan, 98.79). The writers also have this rule about not electing many players at all. They've elected 108 players total with another 94 given entry by the Veteran's Committee.

Is there any reason Blyleven and Dawson aren't in the Hall? Really? Let's be honest: They'll eventually get in, either by vote at the 12th hour (ala Rice) or by a Veteran's Committee. We know this. Hell, Phil Rizzuto is the Hall. They are going to get in some day, some way. Yet, here these Holier-Than-Thou writers keep them off ballots year-in, year-out because of their wish to adhere to goofy Hall of Fam "rules."

I've worked in a couple of newspaper sports departments. I've met many sports celebrities, broadcasters, writers, columnists, etc. Some of the folks who vote on these ballots are just plain looney. I've met some I wouldn't trust to not steal something off my desk at work. There are some who believe wholeheartedly that the Apollo moon landings were all done in a Hollywood sound stage. I can name several writers and columnists who are in business ventures with the athletes they cover "objectively." I know first-hand of those writers who, at one time or another, took payola -- are on the take -- from the teams they are assigned to. I've seen owners and agents control writers and editors for their own ends with information that is false or "leaked" through anonymous sources who, in fact, were themselves. I can recall a few of these involving Vikings and Twins ownership. These examples showed me the toying the writers are working with and, at times, succumb to. [I should point out current Twins beat writers are not those I've worked with and have no sense they are corrupt nor illogical, rather seemingly ethical in all regards. It is others of the past, some of whom have votes around the country, that I speak of.]

There is no doubt in my mind that something of this ilk is up with the Baseball Hall of Fame voters. While several are forthright, honest and objective voters, too many must be corrupt, shady and have alterior motives in keeping players like Blyleven and Dawson off their ballots.

Glavine's 300th win says a lot about Bert

Biggest Hall Of Fame Atrocity?

Time for Bert Blyleven to enter Cooperstown

By Bullpen Catcher

Tom Glavine earned his 300th win Sunday and sent sports talk radio hosts into a tizzy with them making predictions like we won't see another 300-win pitcher in our lifetime.

There's enough talk generated by Glavine that Kelly Thesier and others got into the act in newspapers and online publications. The discussion is who is next to 300? Is it Johan Santana (89 wins at age 28) or Mark Buehrle of the White Sox (103 wins at 28)? Randy Johnson is having surgery on his arm in Arizona, but sits 16 short of 300 at age 43 (he turns 44 Sept. 10).

I'll say someone will break 300 in my lifetime again. I'd also say Santana has a horrible shot at it. He's left-handed for one thing (only six lefties in the Hall). He also could be on his way to a bad case of Blylevenitis.

Blylevenitis is named for the most famous person to have suffered through the condition that haunts him to this day. Symptoms include being a great pitcher for many, many years; playing for several mediocre teams; not playing for any New York, Chicago or Boston team; and, I believe, for having red hair, a beard and being from Holland.

So Glavine won his 300th game and that "automatically" puts him in the Hall of Fame in the future. Great. I'm happy for you. But is 300 the only measure? Ask yourself if Randy Johnson is a Hall of Fame pitcher. Is he? C'mon, think hard.

I'll help: Johnson is pitching in his 20th season. His career stats sit at 3.81 ERA, 284-150 record, 3,855 IP (566 games played), 4,616 strikeouts, 3,065 hits allowed, 98 complete games, 37 shutouts, 368 HR allowed.

Blyeven: 22 seasons, 3.90 ERA, 287-250 record, 4,970 IP (692 games played), 3,701 strikeouts, 4,632 hits allowed, 242 complete games (!), 60 shutouts, 430 home runs allowed.

Blyleven didn't do this playing with Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner and Alex Rodriguez (Seattle) or Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez (Arizona) or Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and company (Yankees). Nope, Bert sludged alongside teammates in such hallowed 1970s and '80s powerhouses as the Twins (1970-76, 85-88), Texas Rangers (76-77), Pittsburgh Pirates (78-80), Cleveland Indians (81-85), and California Angels (89-92). He was a part of World Series champions in 1979 and 1987, but often his work went without much bat help.

Glavine's 300 wins is nothing short of fantastic. I'm not belittling the feat at all. But if you ask yourself if Randy Johnson (next on the active wins list) retired today, would he be in Cooperstown and you say yes -- then you must also say the same for Bert.