I think it will be a tough ballot to get in on. I think that Allen and Tiant are both well-deserving candidates. Tommy John is interesting when you combine his career numbers with the significance of the surgery that was named for him. Garvey does not meet the standards I would apply based on advanced metrics, but if you believe that the HOF should be the players who were huge stars in their era, he has that.
I think Harris should be a no-brainer. I have a hard time telling whether Donaldson was really deserving (as compared to others from the era) or if he is a product of a huge research push. The stats on Donaldson often don't provide insight into the caliber of opponent (from what I have seen) which makes it tough to tell how to view him. (I say this with no disrespect, and I believe that there are quite a few Negro League players who deserve to be in, including Dick Redding, Alex Radcliff, Dave Malarcher and some others.
|