Roberto Alomar: Jilted
by Stacey on Jan 6, 2010 7:41 PM EST
in Commentary & Analysis
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I know that there were a number of players who many feel were snubbed for the HoF this year, including Bert Blyleven, Tim Raines, and more. But I'm going to focus on Roberto Alomar because he's my boy and one of my favorite players. He gave us some good times and represents the last time we had something to cheer about in Baltimore. We also happen to have the same birthday but that's just icing on the cake. When I tuned in to see the HoF announcement this afternoon, I actually thought I was doing it to see if anyone got at least 75% of the BBWAA vote in addition to him. I honestly thought he was a shoo-in, even if he did miss the SBN Hall by 1 vote.
But Alomar didn't get voted in. He missed the threshold by 8 votes. Robbie Alomar will be in the Hall of Fame, but he won't be a first ballot HoF'er. Some make the argument that only the best of the best should get voted in on the first ballot, but I think that is poppycock. You are a Hall of Famer or you're not a Hall of Famer. I have been to the Hall of Fame and I've didn't see the "First Ballot" wing of the museum. Did I miss it?
Roberto Alomar is one of the finest second basemen in baseball history, both offensively and defensively. Those of us who had the pleasure of watching him saw him make plays that seemed almost impossible. Unfortunately MLB.com doesn't have any defensive highlights of Alomar, the only ones they have are of him hitting (I do think you'll enjoy this one, though).
Alomar finished his career with a WAR of 63.6. Of the 18 members of the Hall of Fame who played at least 50% of their games at 2nd place, only 6 had anything higher (complete list). Some people say that the measure of a Hall of Famer is if he is one of the most dominant players during the time he played. To say that Alomar wasn't is simply absurd. During his career he was selected for 12 consecutive All-Star games, he won 10 gold gloves and 4 silver sluggers (the most ever by a 2B). In the 1990s He led all 2Bs in the decade in HR (129), 2B (294), BA (.311), SLG (.470), and OPS (.857), and ranked second to Chuck Knoblach in BB (672) and OBP (.387).
Ultimately this won't really matter. Alomar will get into the Hall of Fame and in the end that's all anyone remembers. But this is about more than Alomar getting snubbed. This is about the ineptness of those who vote for the Hall of Fame. The Hall's integrity is already in question by the inclusion of some of the less than great players who have been inducted in the past, and seeing some of these voters butcher the vote is painful. If they don't think Alomar should be in the Hall of Fame and have legitimate facts to back them up, I'd like to see them. But if they're abstaining because he spit in an umpire's face or because they don't think anyone should be voted in on the first ballot or because they think he didn't hustle in the 2001 ALDS, they should have their voting privileges revoked.
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The man got jobbed...
Part of the reason players like Robbie get screwed are asshats like Jay Mariotti. This quote sums up some of my frustration with the Baseball Writers and HOF voters:
didn’t vote for anybody in the baseball hall of fame this year. Ya know why? To me…the first ballot is sacred. I think Roberto Alomar is an eventual Hall of Famer, not the first time. Edgar Martinez, designated hitter, eventually, but not the first time. Same goes for maybe Fred McGriff. As far as Blyleven and Dawson…if they haven’t gotten in for years and years I cannot vote them in now. Ripken, Rickey Henderson and Gwynn. They are true first ballot Hall of Famers, but I didn’t vote for anybody, throw me out of the Baseball Writers. I don’t care.
The logic is dumb as all hell. You’re either in or not. He clearly is in. Also, Edgar and Raines got screwed, just not close to as much as Alomar.
"Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out." - Ichiro Suzuki
That came out awkwardly, not as familiar with the quoting on this system, obviously.
"Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out." - Ichiro Suzuki
by Billy Buckner on Jan 6, 2010 8:22 PM EST up reply actions
He's a moron.
Has he been to the HOF? There’s no separate wing for first ballot guys. If you’re in you’re in. What a jackass.
I think there is something special about being a first-ballot hall of famer.
However, thats not a reason not to vote for someone. The honor comes from having enough people consider you worthy the first time you’re presented, before all the campaigning that continues for players in subsequent years on the ballot.
If you aren’t convinced the first time around that a person deserves to be in the hall of fame, then fine, don’t vote for them. That voters are open to reconsidering players in later years and have the opportunity to do so is in my mind what differentiates first ballot hall of famers from the rest. That does not mean that voters should employ any sort of gamesmanship to control what year a player is inducted.
As soon as you’re convinced a player deserves it, vote yes. And dont change your vote in later years, barring any sort of new development.
WTF?
He won’t vote for people because he doesn’t think they’re “first ballot” hall of famers, but then he also won’t vote for people who have been on the ballot too long. A player either deserves to get in or not, and that determination should be made on the basis of what they accomplished on the field. How much time they have, or have not, spent on the ballot is meaningless. But this kind of thinking seems all too common among baseball writers.
"If you know how to cheat, start now." - Earl Weaver
Also...
I’d like to throw Jay Mariotti out of plane, not just the Baseball Writers. But that’s for several reasons.
"Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out." - Ichiro Suzuki
My question is
What hat is he going to wear?
by GeoffreyA on Jan 6, 2010 10:29 PM EST via mobile reply actions
On XM radio, he said he wants to wear a Blue Jay hat
But the HoF will decide.
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.
What do they base the decision on?
where the guy had his best years? where the guy was the longest? Combination?
it’s something vague like the team the player made his “strongest impact.”
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.
Oh the hypocrisy if that’s true. The HoF took the decision away from players for precisely that reason.
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.
It's cause Wade Boggs tried to get in with a TB cap.
The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST
by the fix is in on Jan 7, 2010 8:47 PM EST up reply actions
He should wear
a Jays hat. I loved him as an O, but he should wear the had of the team where he made a name for himself. Same reason that Moose should wear an O’s cap. Putting Moose in with a Yank’s cap is a bad precedent. Pretty soon most every hall-of-famer will be wearing a MFY or PHN hat.
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