Who's a Hall of Famer?

[TJ]

The above is the current HOF ballot.  While I'm sure Plesac will get in on the first ballot, I'm really hoping that he's joined by Sox bench coach Harold Baines and Cubs bench coach Alan Trammell. I'm sure Greg Vaughn and Jay Bell will also make it. Anyway, vote for up to 10.

[Eli]

Henderson, Raines, Blyleven.

[Jon]

What Eli said.

[JD]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I voted for all 10 of 'em. 

[Andy]

Blyleven, Dawson, Rickey, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Jim Rice, Lee Smiff

And yes, I only voted for Rice because I voted for Dawson, but putting Jim Rice in the HOF is a small price to pay for having Andre in.

[TJ]

Bert Blyleven, Jim Rice and Tommy John are the 3 biggest head-scratchers. Why are none of them in the Hall? Blyleven has the numbers as does Jim Rice. Tommy John won 288 games, but he also won more than half of them after suffering Tommy John disease.  Frank Jobe performed the surgery, but Tommy John did the rehab, and he also made it possible for other surgeries to happen.

Along with Blyleven, Rice and John, I think Dawson is Hall-worthy, and I know his OBA isn't great, but let's put it this way: Sandberg is a Hall of Famer. When Sandberg was in his prime and Dawson was past his, pitchers would rather pitch to Sandberg than Dawson.  

Henderson is the shoo-in.

After that, you have three others: Dale Murphy, Jack Morris and Don Mattingly. They all deserve serious consideration. Murphy was THE PREMIER outfielder in the NL from 1982-1987.  He dropped off dramatically after that, but he has 398 HR and a career .815 OPS, which would have been dramatically higher if not for his last three years of his career.

Morris was the best starting pitcher of the 1980s, and the ace for the best team of the 1980s.  His World Series performance in 1991 was legendary. And he greeted the 1984 White Sox post-division title glow with a no-hitter. He'd have my vote.

Mattingly wouldn't need my vote, because eventually he'll get in. Believe it or not, he deserves it. From 1984-1988, he had seasons that rank among the best in baseball history.

If I had an actual vote, I'd cast them for Rice, John, Blyleven, Dawson and Henderson. I'd also cast a sixth vote for one of the Murphy-Mattingly-Morris group.

[cindysandberg]

Jesse Orosco and Dan Plesac. I know, I know. Plesac's not Latin, but he told me he learned some tricks from Teddy Higuera and Juan Nieves.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Blyleven, Dawson, Rickey, Jack Morris, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Lee Smith.

Parker gets my vote over Raines because Parkerwore a football helmet while playing baseball, made the most awesomeist throw ever in an All Star Game, and Raines slid on his stomach so as not to break the cocaine vials in his back pocket.

[Jon]

Raines slid on his stomach so as not to break the cocaine vials in his back pocket.

Oddly that's why he GOT my vote.

[TJ]

Blyleven, Dawson, Rickey, Jack Morris, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Lee Smith.

Parker gets my vote over Raines because Parkerwore a football helmet while playing baseball, made the most awesomeist throw ever in an All Star Game, and Raines slid on his stomach so as not to break the cocaine vials in his back pocket.

Didn't Parker hook Raines and Keith Hernandez up with the Pirates' parrot though?

[Oleg]

Blyleven and Henderson are the obvious ones to me.  Raines is as well.

Jim Rice should probably be in.

Murphy, meh.  Murphy is fine, but if you want to take away his awful, awful finish to his career, then should you apply that to his home run total, as well?  ~310 HRs doesn't have the same ring as 398, does it?

Lee Smith and Dawson should be in.  I can understand the argument for Morris, but I would leave him off.  He had the luck of playing on some pretty awesome teams, he's the anti-Blyleven in my book.

Mattingly had a great peak, and he'll be the poster child for the stat geek fight of peak vs career.  With Boggs, Ripken and Winfield all in his division, it's hard to make the argument that he was the best player in the league at any point.  But, those 5 years or so in the mid 80s were pretty damn awesome.  If you vote for him, it's tough to not vote for Parker, though.

So, if I had a ballot...Blyleven, Raines, Henderson, Dawson, Smith, Rice, Tommy John.  Fuck Harold Baines.

Blyleven, Dawson, Rickey, Jack Morris, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Lee Smith.

Parker gets my vote over Raines because Parkerwore a football helmet while playing baseball, made the most awesomeist throw ever in an All Star Game, and Raines slid on his stomach so as not to break the cocaine vials in his back pocket.

Didn't Parker hook Raines and Keith Hernandez up with the Pirates' parrot though?

There's a whole coke tree than can be rooted with those late 70s/early 80s Pirates and Cardinals.

[Mike Douche]

I can understand the argument for Morris, but I would leave him off.  He had the luck of playing on some pretty awesome teams, he's the anti-Blyleven in my book.

Actually, Blyleven was part of two World Series winners in his career--the '79 Pirates and the '87 Twins--winning a game and pitching well in each of the series.

I went with Blyleven, Dawson, Henderson, Morris and Lee Arthur.  On further thought, I probably should have added Rice and Tommy John.  The rest of 'em can eat the lint out of Ron Santo's prosthetic.

[CBStew]

I think that Henderson will insist that his name be taken off of the ballot, since you have to be retired for five years, and Rickey, like Sammy, doesn't seem to think that his playing days are over.

[Mike Douche]

I think that Henderson will insist that his name be taken off of the ballot, since you have to be retired for five years, and Rickey, like Sammy, doesn't seem to think that his playing days are over.

I'm thinking that Rickey's been waiting to come back now that he is in the Hall of Fame.  Jim Palmer tried that 20 years ago and failed miserably in Spring Training. 

[TJ]

I think that Henderson will insist that his name be taken off of the ballot, since you have to be retired for five years, and Rickey, like Sammy, doesn't seem to think that his playing days are over.

I'm thinking that Rickey's been waiting to come back now that he is in the Hall of Fame.  Jim Palmer tried that 20 years ago and failed miserably in Spring Training. 

Didn't Palmer pitch in one spring training game, give up a couple runs and tear his hamstring?

Mark Prior would die to have that kind of spring training.