Congratulations to Roberto Alomar, who mysteriously found 126 additional votes in his second try into the Hall of Fame. Most likely due to the idiotic practice of not voting for a player in his first year of eligibility. That hazing ritual by the writers has probably cost a few players the necessary votes at one time or another.It's a great honor for Roberto, but it should have happened last year. For every vote that went to David Segui, Pat Hentgen, Kevin Appier, Eric Karros, Ellis Burks and Robin Ventura, that could have been a vote theoretically filtered to Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar in 2010, instead of making them wait for a few votes this year.
In the mad rush to get Roberto Alomar elected, did it cost this man his place on the ballot?
Harold Baines, who had been gaining votes and pulling away from the cutoff line, lost five votes and missed the cut this year. If the two writers that voted for B.J. Surhoff had switched their votes to Baines, he would have survived the cut this year. Harold's eventual fate will be left in the capable hands of the Veteran's Committee, which is like letting the cat look after the pet mouse. It's not likely to end well.
3 comments:
As much as I would like to blame the 2 voters for BJ, don't writers get to vote for multiple names? Still, your point is valid. Too bad Baines couldn't stay on one more year. Next year looks like a soft class (Bernie Williams) and Baines might have finally gotten in.
If I'm not mistaken, there is a limit of up to 10 names per ballot. This is assuming that each writer who voted for BJ also voted for the maximum 10 players allowed.
It's still amazing to me that in a year where Roberto Alomar can gain 126 votes, Baines can lose 5.
Oh well.
One of the Surhoff voters did it on a promise made 30-odd years ago; he still had room on his ballot to vote more. And he's an idiot.
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