Posted By:
Chris CountsBill K.,
I, for one, took considerable offense at the writer's decision not to vote for anybody. You're reference to "Bush League" was very appropriate. I actually wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame this morning expressing my views on this matter, suggesting they replace the stubborn voter — Paul Ladewski of the Daily Southtown in suburban Chicago — with someone willing to vote. The writer suggested his view was justified because of how tough voters were in the HOF's early days, back when Joe DiMaggio needed three tries to get in. Clearly the writer is more interesting in calling attention to himself (he wrote an article about it) than he is in seeing truly great players like Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripkin inducted. Now that HOF's standards have been set by its existing membership (something that didn't exist in its early days), let's do the right thing and induct players who not only match, but clearly exceed those standards. Because the real travesty here comes when a player like Buck O'Neill or Cecil Travis dies before the HOF voters are willing to get off their high horses and do the right thing ...