2023 Contemporary Era Ballot Nominees

[campyfan39]

I don't think a player's personality or politics should be considered. Plenty of jerks and a holes already in. It's about on field performance.

I do however, think the steroid guys should be excluded because that is an integrity of the game issue. Yes, I know a few are already in. I don't think they should be.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

I don't think a player's personality or politics should be considered. Plenty of jerks and a holes already in. It's about on field performance.

This. The political party, views, and personality of a player are irrelevant. It’s a silly virtue signal or vendetta to make it about this.

[isiahfan]

As noted in the main forum...Belle had a 10 year...Frank/Griffey-esque....run...Pujols-like you might say as well. I don't call that brevity...some people want to claim Koufax is the greatest of all time for 5 stellar years after many average at best...I digress.

For comparison take Puckett...both played about 10 years before an injury/illness took the game away from them. I don't see a universe where I take Kirby over Belle for their best 10 year runs...not even close....and most consider KP a true HOFer. Nicer guy...sure...better than Belle....C'mon man.

[G1911]

In the context of the hall of fame, a 10 year run (9 really, his last season his bat was 9% over the league) is brief. He would rank near the bottom of position players for games.

[packs]

I think context is important though. He was doing something that only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx had ever done (9 seasons in a row with 30 homers and 100 RBIs). So while you might call that brevity it was only accomplished by three of the greatest hitters of all time (up to that point).

[G1911]

Originally Posted by packs

I think context is important though. He was doing something that only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx had ever done (9 seasons in a row with 30 homers and 100 RBIs). So while you might call that brevity it was only accomplished by three of the greatest hitters of all time (up to that point).

That’s not relevant. Within the context of the hall of fame, he has a brief career. That is a fact. There is no real argument he had a career, within the context of the hall of fame, of medium or great length. His career is brief. I would vote for him, as I said yesterday, because of the strength of his peak, but his level of accomplishment during that peak is utterly irrelevant to the brevity of his total career. He has a brief career for a HOFer, as a statement of actual fact.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If Belle had stuck around for 5 more mediocre years, would that really matter?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If Belle had stuck around for 5 more mediocre years, would that really matter?

Playing more if you suck doesn’t help much. Playing more at league average can help reach major milestones and usually isn’t held against guys. Hence most HOFers have a late career falloff but still produce and only have 1-2 negative years at the end before they have to retire or be dropped.

Belles career, in the context of the HOF, is factually brief. If one thinks that shouldn’t matter and the Hall should be a reward of peaks instead of total career, that’s their argument to make. If Belle had had a normal length career, he would probably be in or at least gotten a sizable amount of votes. 41st in JAWS for his position is not exactly stellar, he ranks pretty low in most all career metrics because he didn’t play much.