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Alomar is/was clearly a HOF in my book. I won't repeat the impressive stats from the last post...but c'mon...how many second basemen have ever compiled the all around speed, defense, extra base power numbers he has?Playing on a championship team usually helps everyone out too. Check.
This one is an easy pick.

But the whole first ballot thing is dumb. Maybe the writers are trying to use it as a delineator for past members who were voted in, but don't really compare to some of the all-time greats.
I've seen many discussions that mention creating an "inner circle" for ATG's and perhaps being a "First Ballot HOFer" is an attempt to create that separation. Dunno, but put in Alomar on his second try!

Blyleven is in a tough spot for me. I can't overlook that many wins , K's and 60 shutouts. To a certain degree, that is domination over his opponents (the opposing team) and that's what players are supposed to do. I can live without another borderline HOFer being elected though.

As said earlier, two wrongs don't make a right...and there are MANY players already elected who were far from dominant. Bert is right on the line, and it appears the voters think so too...

I think Tim Raines and Andre Dawson (and Jim Rice for that matter) are excellent examples of players for whom you can compare HOF-eligibility to.
My rule would be, you must be BETTER than those three players, without much debate..and you are in!
If you are almost as good as Rice, Dawson and Raines (toss in MANY others on either side of the line), or just slightly better ...you are out.