O/T New Hall of Famers to be announced today

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Here's a list of the candidates: Brady Anderson, Rich Gossage, Dave Parker, Harold Baines, Tommy John, Tim Raines, Rod Beck, David Justice, Jim Rice, Bert Blyleven, Chuck Knoblauch, Jose Rijo, Dave Concepcion, Don Mattingly, Lee Smith, Andre Dawson, Mark McGwire, Todd Stottlemyre, Shawon Dunston, Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, Chuck Finley, Dale Murphy. Travis Fryman and Robb Nen.

The media is pushing the Goose as this year's leading contender and even the HOF has a front page article about him on its website. I'd be thrilled to see him in ... he was a beast, and he was certainly as good as HOF relievers Bruce Sutter, Rollie Fingers or Hoyt Wilhelm.

I'd like to see Gossage, Trammell, Blylevin and Dawson get in. Each of these players is better than many players currently enshrined. Maybe the big steroid mess will push those voting to actually elect somebody. Either way, I'd like to see somebody get in who is not an automatic choice (like Ripken or Gwynn). Baseball certainly needs a little good news right now, and I believe there's no better place to find it than in the game's illustrious past.

I'm of the belief that we need more ... and not less ... HOFers. Still I don't understand why guys like Anderson, Knoblauch, Fryman, Beck and Rijo are even on the ballot, especially when deserving players like Ron Santo can't even make it ...