I'm not someone that cares about baseball at all, but I've never heard of a league MVP of any sports league not being good enough for the hall of fame
Its much more common in baseball... which is prone to occasional "career years" that lead to MVP's, but not necessarily HOF careers. Its also the toughest HOF of any of the sports to get into (basketball is the easiest because they don't delineate between college and pro ball). Off the top of my head (without the steroid scandal-type players being included): Don Mattingly Terry Pendelton Larry Walker Ivan Rodriguez George Bell Willie McGee Don Baylor Keith Hernandez Kirk Gibson Kevin Mitchell Mo Vaughn
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bobby Cox on Bagwell: "He deserves to be in... For me, he's one of the top defensive 1B ever. You couldn't bunt a guy to second, hardly."</p>— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/552562709049655299">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Schilling says he never thought Bagwell was dirty. "Ever."</p>— kbohls (@kbohls) <a href="https://twitter.com/kbohls/status/552542884948615170">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>From 1993-99, Craig Biggio had 41.5 Wins Above Replacement, behind only Barry Bonds (53.3), Ken Griffey Jr. (49.2), Jeff Bagwell (47.2)</p>— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/552566054736494592">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Thanks for that. Seeing the reaction from people this year, I think Bagwell is about to get a swell of support from everybody that pushes him in within the next 3 years. They had a unanimous panel of Kurkjian/Schilling/Ravech/Olney who all discussed and agreed that Bagwell deserves to be in... and I don't remember them doing that for him on the previous election days.
Well the tide might be turning. And after all these years no concrete proof or allegations with any weight have been made. It's just that Bagwell was a power hitter who averaged 29.9 HR per season or 34 per 162 games. And that was when players were hitting 50 + home runs regularly. In retrospect, I think that the votes will be coming his way in the next couple of years. But, it involves having a lot of bias against him overturned.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>From 1993-99, Craig Biggio had 41.5 Wins Above Replacement, behind only Barry Bonds (53.3), Ken Griffey Jr. (49.2), Jeff Bagwell (47.2)</p>— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/552566054736494592">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/QUOTE] again it's flat out PATHETIC that Baggy hasn't been voted in already!!!!
Bagwell fans should throw an absolute fit when David Ortiz gets in eventually DESPITE being a DH AND failing a drug test. The guys who actually did juice like Sheffield, Clemens, Bonds, ARod, etc. that don't get in will have every reason to throw a fit when Ortiz goes in despite failing a test that he could never explain other than to say it must have been a mistake.
I'm sure it's been discussed before, but why is the baseball HOF so hard to get into? Not like how has it come to be that way, the rules, etc... but the why does that make sense. You want it hard to get into, but not freaking impossible... ESPECIALLY considering the way all sports have gone, which is just bigger leagues with a lot more amazing players, relative to the long ago past. Beyond the first ballot, second ballet, whatever crap, some of this stuff is obvious. If you have a true steroid issue, I understand a voter not voting you in. But guys like Piazza, Schilling... I don't see how there is any debate. Schilling was a GREAT regular season pitcher and freaking amazing as hell postseason pitcher. One of the best postseason pitchers ever. I mean Larry Walker was really really really really good. If the HOF had twice as many members currently it wouldn't diminish the game, the accomplishments of the existing players, or anything. Everyone would still have their favorites. ...whatevs!
With the field thinned out, Bagwell has a good chance. He's not really lumped in with the big users ( Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro ). He's in this strange middle ground with Piazza. Think he'll need 2 years. Next year I could see 67% and then 76% 2 years from now. Griffey will likely go in alone next year. But would be nice for Bagwell if Piazza goes in too, because that leaves him basically all alone in 2017. That's his best shot. He's a good character for the Hall with his batting stance, goatee, and overall production. So I think that will help. And not one legit allegation prior to votes is a good sign there never will be. Schilling helped a lot today. I am actually surprised to see Jeff Kent so low.
I think next year it's Ken Griffey for sure. Mike Piazza probably gets in as well. And the long shot will be Bagwell. He's got some ground to make up in the minds of the voters. But now that it seems ESPN, CBS, etc are on board to getting Bagwell in, maybe next year is his year. Seems like the steroid (PED) talk is dimming when regarding Bagwell.
I like it. It's the hall of fame, not the hall of very good. Can't just let in every player who happened to make a few all star teams. I think the basketball HOF should raise their standards. The NFL is ok... It's hard enough to stay healthy to carve out a long career, let alone a HOF one.
If he would've made some noise in the playoffs or world series along with having 500 homers, he would've easily made it, but the dropoff was pretty bad the last few years of his career. Playing good defense alone isn't gonna do it. He will likely make it eventually, but maybe in a couple of years.
I also like the hard standards of the baseball HOF, but how do you explain the piss poor standards regarding its voters? Half of the guys don't even watch baseball regularly anymore and prefer just to sit in their crotchety old rocking chairs in their crotchety old porches lamenting the moral decay of modern times. In my job you need to renew your certification at least every five years; there should be a similar requirement for membership in the BBWAA, or at least to maintain a voting stake in the HOF. You should have to prove that you have remained an active writer on a societally relevant publication during both 1.) the majority of time that the player in question played out their career, and 2.) the duration of time that the player in question remains eligible on the ballot. It ain't that hard. Cover the sport long enough to have watched the player play ball while you were an adult, and cover the sport during the time that you are voting on the player. I mean, fifteen people didn't vote for Randy Johnson. Forty nine didn't vote for Pedro. To me that means that a.) thirty four baseball writers are either idiots or racist; and b.) fifteen additional people with votes for the baseball hall of fame are actually braindead and on mechanical ventilators while their families collect their disability checks.
I agree, the standards of those who vote for the HOF need to be called out and questioned... and there should be some sort of maintenance of certification process.
