MLB chooses. Boggs is from Tampa, that had a little bit to do with it also. Kent is in. Best-hitting all-time at his position. Maybe not 1st-ballot, but he's in. MLB chooses the team...Kent is probably a Giant--but one more year here with a large contribution towards another WS-contender might change that.
Even if he has another all-star year, and we're a WS contender, he's still goin in as a Giant. His best years were there, he won the MVP there, and it will be unlikely that he duplicates any of that with 1-2 more years here. He was a very good player for us, though, and I do feel we got our money's worth by signing him (so many FA, at their older stages, are not worth their contracts... he was). His tenure here will be a lot like Barkley's tenure was with the Rockets. Those teams were competitive, and he busted his ass off for them... even if there was some internal bickering with those teams because of him. But in the end, not many people will remember that he even played in Houston at the end of his career. I actually feel that this whole "player goin in to HOF as a member of X team" argument is overblown. The whole honor should be mainly about the player, and not what team they played for some of their career on. If they so happen to choose Kent to go in as an Astro, that would be great for the team... but it wouldn't mean as much as a Astro lifer like Bagwell. Honestly, I think this whole argument is only a big deal when a player plays for one team for almost ALL of his career. If he splits it up between teams... like Clemens, Kent, Ryan, Reggie Jackson, A-Rod, and even Barry Bonds... it really doesn't matter to me anymore as to which team he will represent in teh HOF.
Eh. It can be argued his Rangers and Astros careers were comparable. Ryan should've gone in as a California Angel.
David Dallotti said that Kent was going to be offered a Biggio like contract. Meaning 3 million in base salary; and 1.5 in incentives. There was a possibilty of him also having an option year. Should be interesting to see if he takes it. Not a bad amount of change considering the Astros already owe him 5 million this year.
That brings at least some hope for next year's team. I really wan't looking forward to the lack of hitting production from Everett, Burke, and possibly Lane and Ensberg.
Ryan was a very, very minor part of that championship team. 1966-1971: NYM 29-38, 493 K 1972-1979: CAL 138-135, 2416 K, 5 ASG, 4No-Hitters 1980-1988: HOU 106-94, 1866 K, 2 ASG, 1 No-Hitter 1989-1993: TEX 51-39, 939 K, 1 ASG, 2 No-Hitters
He sure is close...he is consistent, but people will tell you its a lot better if you have the ring...
