It's Time for a Change

While IntrinsicBent has done a good job of explaining the HOF elections that have just taken place, yours truly still has a bone to pick with the voters.

Every year I hear the faint grumbling from a handful of sports writers that the Hall of Fame voting is messed up. And not just kind-a, sort-a messed up. I mean, messed up like the Chiefs-not-getting-a-first-down-until-the-3rd-quarter-of-a-playoff-game-against-the-Indianapolis-Colts messed up. I think we call all agree that’s pretty jacked. For most of my life I have simply brushed off their comments and figured these guys who vote the way they do probably do it for a reason and so it’s best to leave it alone. That is, until now.

You see, I can understand voting certain ways. Handing in a blank ballot as a protest to the use of steroids is pretty legit. Those two dudes are definitely making a statement, albeit a quiet one.

I can also understand voting and not voting for players like Mark McGwire. As far as stats go, you can make a case for the guy. As far as recent speculations, well, we might need to hold off on giving him the nod into Cooperstown.

What I can’t understand is how so many players who I would guess are basically automatic are left off of so many ballots. And it’s not just one or two idiots either. It’s usually around a dozen of these fools. Tony Gwynn, who probably deserved more votes than Cal Ripken, was left off 11 ballots (not counting the two blanks)! That’s 11 voters who didn’t feel like the best career average hitter (.338) who started his career in the last 75 years next to Ted Williams deserved to make it into the hall of fame. I’d tell Knowledge Droppings to get these 11 stooges on the phone just so I could ask them if they had a pulse, but that presupposes the kid actually knows how to work a phone.

If Gwynn and Ripken can’t make it into the HOF unanimously, then who can? Well, I think the answer is no one, unless we finally fix this voting system.

Oh, and for all you haters who are sticking to this messed up system and ignoring its flaws, then you can kindly explain to me how a legitimate voting system results in 6 votes for Jose Canseco. I’ll be waiting.