Congratulations Harold!!!!

Congratulations, Harold! It's been a long time coming and well deserved.

When I first started this blog back in November 2007, it was mainly a way to keep track of my cards. I didn't envision anything else. Maybe a few people would see it and get a smile or two.

One of my earliest endeavors was being an unsolicited advocate for Harold Baines to be in the Hall of Fame. I got a lot of negativity towards my dream (but never to me personally) and if there were kind words for that goal, they were mostly there so I wouldn't pull out statistics and anecdotes.

There were a few believers, but the conversation usually went, "it would be nice if it happened, but it will never happen" or, "If he gets in before (insert favorite Hall of Very Good player), I'll be very angry". Every one of you had valid points and I respected those opinions. I held out hope, even when Harold was dropped from the ballot.

Both the players that I grew up admiring and respecting are now in the Hall of Fame. I'm happy. I chose my heroes very carefully and I feel like I've been rewarded for sticking with them and not choosing flashy, burn brightly and quickly type of players.

Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines both played the game right and had the patience to let their work on the field do the talking for them. This was especially the case with Harold. He is probably more shy than I am. He had a long career and I can only remember him speaking a handful of times.

I should also say congrats to Lee Smith. I always believed he should be in the Hall of Fame too and here he is.

I could gloat about Harold, but I'm not going to. I could break down reasons why this election is justified, but I won't. I'll just let the news do the speaking for me.

Congratulations, Harold!

Congrats, Jim Thome!!

Congrats on your 2018 Hall of Fame selection, Jim Thome!!

Congrats Tim Raines!!!

Hall of Fame Class of 2017

You deserve every bit of this, Tim.  When I was a kid just starting to collect baseball cards, I would wish that you were on the White Sox. I always had a soft spot for the Expos. Maybe it was those powder blue uniforms. Maybe it was the exotic (to a little kid) locale of Montreal, where they weren't just Canadian, they were FRONCH-Canadian. Then one day, in the middle of my freshman year of high school, I got my wish.

You never disappointed me. You, along with a fresh young group (and a couple of old timers), took the AL West by storm. The White Sox became a force to be reckoned with. Then it all came undone with the strike. You may have had your first World Series with the White Sox in 1994, but we'll leave that for another timeline where the strike doesn't happen. Still you got two with the Yankees and finally one, as a coach, with the White Sox. So, a little late, but better than never.

Soak it up and enjoy the ride. You deserve every bit of this.

Congrats Frank!

Congratulations on your election to the Hall of Fame. While some may have doubted that you would be a first time entry, no one could deny that you belonged there. I was one of the faithful that had a feeling you would get elected on your first try.

I've been following your career from the "don't believe the hype" motto that was instilled in you early in your career through your contributions to a world championship season and beyond. Careers have ups and downs and highs and lows. White Sox fans have been with you the entire way.

I am proud that you were my first WSC Hall of Fame member, voted on by the readers, and now I am proud that you are a member of Cooperstown.

Thank you for the thrills. Thank you for staying in Chicago for the majority of your career. It was an honor to watch you play.

With Great Joy Comes Great Sadness

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.

Congrats To Hawk

I've enjoyed Andre Dawson's exploits since his days in Montreal. I was fortunate enough to have him in the same city (albeit on the other team) as I was, so I was able to keep track of his daily stats in a time before widespread computer use.

Congratulations to Hawk for being elected into the baseball Hall of Fame!

There is much joy to be had, even in the candidates who did not make it. Bert Blyleven was thisclose to getting in this year. Next year should be his year! Roberto Alomar just fell short of the required 75%. I would imagine that he would make it next year too.

Harold Baines gained a vote and is up to 33 votes, which is good enough for 6.1%. Once again, Baines is the cutoff. Anyone below him in the voting was under 5% and will not be back next year. My dream of Harold Baines getting into the baseball Hall of Fame is that much closer!

Good Luck Harold

Back in 1906, Connie Mack toyed with the idea of a designated hitter. Purists can stuff that in their pipes and smoke it. The idea that being a designated hitter makes a person any less of a player is complete bull.

Harold Baines not only defined what it was to be a designated hitter, he provided the definition of "clutch" to a generation of fans. Harold was a five tool player in the eighties and a premier middle of the order threat for the majority of the nineties.

He is a member of both the White Sox and Orioles Hall of Fame. Harold is a game changer. A pioneer in the art and style of the designated hitter and how it is used today. The notion that a player can still play if he can hit is nothing new today. Harold was the prototype for Frank Thomas and other players who could still add offense to the game, paving the way for more agile position players being able to hone their skills, instead of languishing on the bench and squandering a short window of opportunity.

I don't expect Harold Baines to get voted in today, but I would hope that he would still get enough votes to hold on for another year. Maybe even gain a few votes.

And in case you were wondering, the photo is a painting that I personally painted a number of years back.

The Unknown Soldier

A few days ago, another name on the initial anonymous testing list was leaked. Always looking for a way to earn money, Jose Canseco mentioned that baseball has already elected a steroid user to the Hall of Fame. Will this be the beginning of another book from Canseco?

Set aside the immoral character of Jose Canseco and his quest to make a quick buck at every turn. Whether you like to admit it or not, he's been right. When Jose was shunned and branded a liar for his outing of certain players, who were later named as steroid users, he was telling the truth. Every time that he's opened his mouth and named players, he has been right. Why shouldn't he be right? It's a subject that he knows about more than baseball.

Why should this time be any different? I'm not a fan of the way Jose spreads his gospel. It's the calling card of snake oil salesman and charlatans throughout history. Unlike those people, Jose (so far) has spoken the truth.

This new bit of information intrigued me. Could there actually be a steroid user already in the Hall of Fame? I had to find out. I spent the day pouring through information and I haven't come to a definitive conclusion. In fact, I really haven't come to any type of conclusion. Some numbers have surprised me and others look like normal decline.

I decided to start with any player who played in 1985, Jose's first year in the majors. Anyone whose career could have been in direct line with Jose's playing time has been included. I found 29 players who fit the criteria. My apologies to everyone on this list who is innocent. Unfortunately, these are the times baseball must exist in. In no way does inclusion on this list make any of these 29 players guilty of anything.

All I'm trying to do is present the facts based on this recent statement from Jose Canseco. I was hoping to find nothing that would cause a red flag, but that isn't the case. I can't pinpoint anyone based on this information, but I can't exonerate anyone either. That's the sad truth with so much deception.

Here's what I found.

Jim Palmer
Retired in 1984, before Canseco was in the Major Leagues, but attempted a comeback in 1991. Jim got no further than two innings in Spring Training.

Rod Carew
Retired in 1985. His numbers started to decline in his last two years. He was never a teammate of Canseco and never faced the Athletics when Jose was on the team.

Rollie Fingers
Retired in 1985. His ERA soared in his last year. He never played the A’s when Jose was on the team.

Tom Seaver
Retired in 1986. His numbers declined after his 300th win. Faced Jose’s team in 1985 with the White Sox and in 1986 with the Red Sox.

Reggie Jackson
Retired in 1987. His numbers were horrible during his last year, but still managed 15 home runs, when he was a teammate of Jose Canseco.

Steve Carlton
Retired in 1988. His numbers took a nosedive in his final years. He played against Canseco.

Mike Schmidt
Retired in 1989. He retired when his numbers started to slip. He had no contact, as a player, with Canseco.

Phil Niekro
Retired in 1987. Saw his numbers decline in the last few seasons. He played against Canseco.

Don Sutton
Retired in 1988. His numbers declined in his last few years. He was very briefly (a week or two) a teammate of Canseco in 1985.

George Brett
Retired in 1993. His numbers went up and down the last half of his career. He played against Canseco and was an All-Star teammate.

Nolan Ryan
Retired in 1993. He threw two no-hitters after 1985. One in 1990 and one in 1991. He was Canseco's teammate in Texas and was an All-Star teammate.

Robin Yount
Retired in 1993. His numbers declined in his last few years. He played against Canseco.

Carlton Fisk
Retired in 1993. His stats declined in his final years. He played against Canseco.

Tony Perez
Retired in 1986. He saw a dramatic spike in his average in 1985. He never played against Canseco.

Kirby Puckett
Retired in 1996. His numbers never declined, but he retired due to complications from glaucoma. He played against Canseco and was an All-Star teammate.

Dave Winfield
Retired in 1995. He played against Canseco and was an All-Star teammate.

Ozzie Smith
Retired in 1996, His numbers dipped in the second to final year and went back to normal in his last. He only played against Canseco in All-Star games.

Gary Carter
Retired in 1992. His numbers spiraled down in his final years. He only played against Canseco in All-Star games.

Eddie Murray
Retired in 1997. His numbers were pretty steady, except for spikes in average in 1990 and 1995. He played against Canseco.

Dennis Eckersley
Retired in 1998. His numbers turned around when becoming Canseco’s teammate in 1987. At that point he also went from being a starter to a closer.

Paul Molitor
Retired in 1998. Led the league in hits in 1996. He played against Canseco and was an All-Star teammate.

Wade Boggs
Retired in 1999. His numbers went slightly up after becoming Canseco’s teammate in Tampa Bay.

Ryne Sandberg
Retired in 1995 and in 1997. His home run total took a huge spike in 1990. His home runs after un-retiring were up for him. He only played against Canseco in All-Star games.

Bruce Sutter
Retired in 1988. The last few years of his career was marred by injury, missing all of 1987. He did not play against Canseco.

Tony Gwynn
Retired in 2001. He had a consistent batting average throughout his career. The last two years, he played limited games. He only played against Canseco in All-Star games.

Cal Ripken Jr.
Retired in 2001. He holds the consecutive games played streak, which took a toll on his body. His average dipped in his last two years. He played against Canseco and was his All-Star teammate several times.

Rich Gossage
Retired in 1994. He was a teammate of Canseco’s in Oakland in 1992, where his ERA lowered 0.73 points from the previous season. It skyrocketed 1.69 points, the next season, well after Canseco moved on to Texas.

Rickey Henderson
Retired in 2003. He was Canseco’s teammate in Oakland. Jose has publicly stated that Rickey was clean.

Jim Rice
Retired in 1989. His numbers went down his last few years. He played against Canseco during the last part of his career.

I'm not exactly sure what this means, but that is for someone else to decide. One of my favorite players is on this list, so I tried to be completely objective about everyone. No opinions. Just facts. I've done the research, now someone else can speculate and debate it.

In A World Full Of Cheaters

In a world of alcohol, cocaine,

performance enhancing drugs,

and steroids,


remember...


There is one man who never used PEDs.


Never succumbed to alcohol or cocaine when it was fashionable.


Never took steroids when they were all the rage.


There is one man who dared to do amazing accomplishments in silly uniforms.

That man is Harold Baines.

Elect a squeaky clean player to the Hall of Fame.

Vote Harold.

This message brought to you by the committee to elect Harold Baines to the baseball Hall of Fame.

Getting Closer Every Year

While Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice got voted in, Harold Baines garnered a small victory today. Four more votes. His percentage went from 5.2 to 5.9.

It may not sound like much, but that's huge for Harold. Can next year bring 35 or 40 votes? Possibly. I know it's probably stretching the imagination to the limit, but it is still in the realm of possibility that Harold could get over 40 votes in 2010.

Stranger things have happened. Jim Rice magically found the missing votes to catapult him into the Hall in his last year. Could the same fate be on the cusp for Harold, if he keeps gaining. Probably not, but still, anything is possible.

It's the small victories that keep the spirit going. Harold in the Hall will not happen overnight. Hopefully, it will happen. If it does, I'd love to be in Cooperstown for the event.

Let's round up some more votes for Harold Baines in 2010!

2009 Hall Of Fame Ballot

I know that I don't get a vote, but I wish I did. Hopefully there will be some more consistent voting this year, but I doubt it. It will probably be more of the same. All I know is that a certain Chicago writer who absentmindedly left Harold Baines off last year's ballot had better not forget this year, like he promised. Maybe he could persuade a few other voters to throw Harold some token votes instead of handing in blank ballots or writing in banned players.

Out of this year's candidates who would I vote for?

After a lot of soul searching, I have divided the picks into three categories consisting of five players each.

The five locks.
Harold Baines
Andre Dawson
Rickey Henderson
Tim Raines
Lee Smith

I don't get the voters' reluctance on voting in closers. They are as important to the game as the sluggers, the fielders and the starters. Lee Smith was one of the premier closers for a long time. He should be in. Let him in.

Harold Baines was a five tool player for the first third of his career. When his knees gave out, he turned himself into the designated hitter that defined the role. The American League is set up the way it is because of his years as the DH. He owns that role. Let him in.

Rickey Henderson IS the Man Of Steal. He also holds the record for career lead off home runs with 81. Let him in.

Tim Raines was no slouch on the basepaths either. For a time, there were years where he and Rickey were the premier stealers of their respective leagues. Raines had the glove and could get on base. Let him in.

Andre Dawson redefined the Expos organization and then did it again with the Cubs. Dawson is the only player to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases with the Montreal organization. Let him in.

The five semi locks.
Bert Blyleven
Don Mattingly
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Jim Rice

Bert Blyleven won 287 games with mostly crappy teams. He ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts! Let him in.

Don Mattingly was the only reason to watch those Yankee teams of the eighties. It's not his fault that his entire career came between championships. Let him in.

Jack Morris holds the MLB record for most consecutive Opening Day starts with 14. 4 World Championships, including 1 World Series MVP. Three times hitting 20 or more wins in a season. One no-hitter. Let him in.

Dale Murphy defined the Atlanta Braves organization for the eighties. A two time NL MVP that has five consecutive Gold Gloves for center field to his credit and four consecutive Silver Sluggers. Let him in.

Jim Rice continued a Red Sox tradition of power hitting left fielders. One AL MVP, two Silver Sluggers and eight All-Star appearances. He led the AL in total bases four different times. Let him in.

The five players that are deserving, but there's no more room on the ballot.
David Cone
Mark Grace
Tommy John
Dave Parker
Alan Trammell

David Cone had a 12 year period where he could do no wrong. Let him in next time.

Mark Grace had the most hits in the nineties. Let him in next time.

Tommy John extended his career by having surgery which was named after him, improving the game for all. On top of that, he was one hell of a pitcher. Let him in next time.

Dave Parker was a powerhouse that opponents feared and he delivered. Let him in next time.

Alan Trammell played 20 seasons in Detroit and was consistently good for most of that time. Let him in next time.

There are good arguments for each of the fifteen players listed, but only ten can be marked on a ballot. Let these players in and clear the way for some excellent players that might get left out cold because there's no room. All of these players deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Let's make it happen!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Hall

Now we know who screwed up by not voting this time around for Harold Baines. It was the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers. It wasn't anything malicious, it was just an honest mistake.

I can certainly relate. I've made plenty of mistakes. Phil mentioned that if even one of Harold's other staunch supporters didn't vote for him this year, he wouldn't have been able to look Harold in the eye again. This is just a prime example of the devotion this player has in his followers.

I get the impression that Phil won't let this ever happen again. He'll check his ballot ten or more times if necessary to make sure that Harold's name is checked off next year. Maybe this will translate into a few more votes next year. Stranger things have happened. I can see the Baines campaign in full swing now. Let's hope it continues to pick up steam.

What's Wrong With The BWAA

I ran across this article while reading the morning paper. The full effect of the article cannot be seen online, but it is described. In the Sun Times, there is a large photocopy of Rick Telander's Hall of Fame ballot accompanying his article. His name is filled out and his BWAA number is also on the ballot.

What's so unusual about this. The rest of it was unmarked. In fact, it wasn't even sent in. The stamp is still good, he says. This is a prime example of what is wrong with some BWAA members. I enjoy reading Rick Telander's articles and he makes valid and insightful points. Usually. His decision to not vote undermines the players who rightfully deserve to be elected. If more writer's chose this method, players would never get elected. Unfortunately, in some years, this is true.

If I had the privilege to vote, I would not waste it by writing in votes for Pete Rose or not sending it in. By Rick's own admission, some of these players on the ballot would've gotten his vote. Then, please, in the future, exercise that option and vote for the players that you think are deserving.

This kind of elitist BS is what infuriates me about some of the BWAA members. Rick states that the steroid abuse in baseball is behind his decision and he can't be sure of anybody's status anymore. Well, that's fine for the players who have been caught or suspected, but don't punish everyone for the actions of a few players on the ballot. Are you the vote that Harold Baines lost? Why not vote for Andre Dawson like you wanted to.

Your intentions are good, but gravely misplaced. The White Sox players were talked out of refusing to take their drug tests, since a refusal was counted as a failed test, because it doesn't solve anything. No matter how good their intentions were, it was the wrong thing to do. The same applies to your decision not to send in your ballot because of steroids. It doesn't solve anything and only ends up hurting players who have done nothing wrong. I hope Rick Telander gets his act together next year. If not, I'll fill it out for him if he doesn't want to.

Harold in 2009

OK, I'm officially starting the "Vote For Harold 2009" campaign. I will be displaying this image above my links until the voting next year. Anyone who feels the same way about Harold's inclusion in the Hall of Fame is invited to take the image and display it on their own site.

Feel free to photoshop another picture of Harold in there instead, just please keep the text. If you prefer him on the Orioles or the Indians or the Rangers or the Athletics, feel free to substitute the picture. The point is that there should be a vocal campaign and this image on a website will speak more to an average reader than any blog entry or article would.

Credit is nice, but overrated in this case. I don't care about credit for this, I just want the end result to be Harold Baines in the Hall of Fame. That is my new lofty goal. Please join me in this crusade if you have enjoyed any of Harold's long career. I've said my peace and will let the image do most of my speaking about this subject. I think the image says that he's more than just a DH, he was a baseball player that had more than one dimension.

***Updated thought***
Harold has trouble speaking up for himself, so let's speak up for him.

Goose Won't Be On The Ballot Next Year

Well, after nine years, Goose Gossage is in the Hall of Fame. I think he is deserving, but there are plenty of others who didn't get the call.
In fact, Goose is the only player to be voted in this year. Most people who get to vote for the Hall of Fame shouldn't be dressing themselves, let alone voting for one of the most prestigious honors. Let's call it "An Irritating Truth", borrowing the title from Lisa Simpson.

Why did it take so long for Gossage to gain entry? I couldn't answer that. He should've been in years ago. Why aren't the other deserving players voted in by now? I can't find any sane reason why. Let's face it, most of the old school voters have this stubborn credo of "Wait & Suffer" that they adhere to. It's complete BS.

Most of the newer voters only vote for players that they followed growing up. Here's another steaming pile of doggie excrement. The players that are deserving of entry should get in. Period. The ones who are not, should not. And there is the major problem. Who exactly is deserving? I can't give a definitive answer on that either.

I am happy to see the remaining three White Sox players are still on the ballot for next year. Tommy John got 158 votes for 29.1 %, Tim Raines got 132 votes for 24.3% and Harold Baines squeaked by again with 28 votes for 5.2%. I think all of these guys are deserving for enshrinement. I would say that even if they never put on a White Sox uniform.

Harold Baines was the cut off with 28 votes. Any player below him in voting received 2 votes or less. The players who got 2 votes are Rod Beck, Travis Fryman and Robb Nen. Shawon Dunston, Chuck Finley, David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch and Todd Stottlemyre all received one vote each. Jose Rijo and Brady Anderson didn't get a single vote. If your favorite player was not mentioned in this paragraph and they were on the ballot this year, they fell somewhere between Goose Gossage and Harold Baines. Let's call it a White Sox sandwich.

Harold Baines received one less vote this year. That is a troubling trend. Hopefully, next year there will be a surge in voting on his behalf. This is my personal crusade. It may ultimately fail, but at least I will have tried. But for this year, congrats to Rich "Goose" Gossage. He is truly deserving of this honor.

I'm Not The Only One, Harold

Apparently, there are more people supporting Harold Baines than I thought. Check this article out. I stumbled upon the link while reading the White Sox Pride blog.

It expands on some points in my Hall of Fame post from November. The article compares Harold's numbers to a couple of Hall of Famer's numbers. It's an interesting read with good stats on Harold and a great argument for being in the Hall of Fame.

The tide is turning. Help get Harold Baines elected to the Hall of Fame. He is most identified as a White Sox, but he was also a Ranger, an Athletic, an Indian and an Oriole.

Let's get people talking about Harold. Let's get his name out there. Don't waste a write-in vote, vote for Harold Baines instead. Don't waste a vote on a steroid user, give it to Harold.

Harold has always been soft-spoken, so let's speak up for him. Plead his case to any potential voter you can. If everyone gets his name out there, we can get this accomplished. The fans owe it to Harold.

Har-old! Har-old! Har-old!