Inside the voting for the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame class
Article By smcneal.tsn on 6th January, 2010
Spitting incident could be reason why Roberto Alomar fell short.
Hall of Fame election results announced Wednesday were as surprising for who didn't get in as who did. Few figured Andre Dawson would be the only player to gain election, while Roberto Alomar was the candidate most figured would get the call.
Well, Dawson knows where he'll be July 25: In Cooperstown to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And Alomar? Maybe next year.
Lessons learned from the announcement:
Patience pays: Dawson made the Hall on his ninth time on the ballot. He said he had a feeling the call would come this year. "It was worth the wait," he said. His numbers in today's offensive framework don't look Hall worthy: .279 average, .323 OBP and 438 homers -- but Dawson was a dominant player in the 1980s. He also was one of the game's most respected players by his peers and the fans.
Patience is a must: After falling just five votes short on his 13th try, Bert Blyleven could have cried. Instead, he smiled and actually was upbeat talking to reporters. One reason: He had a bigger jump in support than Dawson, who went from 67 percent to 77.9. Blyleven had an 11.5 percent bump, all the way to 74.2 percent. That number brings us to another reason: After coming so close, he can count on getting the call next year.
The incident was costly: Alomar is widely regarded as the best second baseman since Joe Morgan and one of the best half-dozen or so ever. The only explanation for him falling eight votes short was payback for spitting in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck, even though Hirschbeck forgave him long ago. Another reason Alomar could have fallen short: He did not make any friends with the media for his approach in his two years with the Mets.
Steroids matter: Mark McGwire again failed to garner 25 percent of the votes, the 23.7 percent he received was just slightly more than the 21.9 percent a year ago. Stay tuned ne...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
Well, Dawson knows where he'll be July 25: In Cooperstown to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And Alomar? Maybe next year.
Lessons learned from the announcement:
Patience pays: Dawson made the Hall on his ninth time on the ballot. He said he had a feeling the call would come this year. "It was worth the wait," he said. His numbers in today's offensive framework don't look Hall worthy: .279 average, .323 OBP and 438 homers -- but Dawson was a dominant player in the 1980s. He also was one of the game's most respected players by his peers and the fans.
Patience is a must: After falling just five votes short on his 13th try, Bert Blyleven could have cried. Instead, he smiled and actually was upbeat talking to reporters. One reason: He had a bigger jump in support than Dawson, who went from 67 percent to 77.9. Blyleven had an 11.5 percent bump, all the way to 74.2 percent. That number brings us to another reason: After coming so close, he can count on getting the call next year.
The incident was costly: Alomar is widely regarded as the best second baseman since Joe Morgan and one of the best half-dozen or so ever. The only explanation for him falling eight votes short was payback for spitting in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck, even though Hirschbeck forgave him long ago. Another reason Alomar could have fallen short: He did not make any friends with the media for his approach in his two years with the Mets.
Steroids matter: Mark McGwire again failed to garner 25 percent of the votes, the 23.7 percent he received was just slightly more than the 21.9 percent a year ago. Stay tuned ne...
Read Complete Article at Latest Sporting News Articles for MLB
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