Hall of Fame Ballot Announced

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Yoda

McGriff's association with Halle Berry should be worth something.

You're thinking of Dave Justice.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

You're thinking of Dave Justice.

The Crime Dog would have kept it on the downlow.

[Jason19th]

I admit that I usually love the WAR stat and by WAR Shilling is a no question Hofer. I just don’t really understand how his WAR is so high vs some players who seem to have pretty comparable stats. Consider below

Curt Shilling. 216-146 3.46ERA. 15-10 per 162 WAR 79
Lew Burdette. 203-144 3.66 ERA 14-10 per 162. WAR 28

Is it all era adjustment, strike outs, does Shilling get a big bump because of his defensive stats? Shillings stats are clearly a tick better, but over 50 wins better

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Jason19th

I admit that I usually love the WAR stat and by WAR Shilling is a no question Hofer. I just don’t really understand how his WAR is so high vs some players who seem to have pretty comparable stats. Consider below

Curt Shilling. 216-146 3.46ERA. 15-10 per 162 WAR 79
Lew Burdette. 203-144 3.66 ERA 14-10 per 162. WAR 28

Is it all era adjustment, strike outs, does Shilling get a big bump because of his defensive stats? Shillings stats are clearly a tick better, but over 50 wins better

Lou Burdette posted an ERA below the league average over his career. He was a league average rate player on a good team who pitched a lot. Schilling's ERA is 27% better than the league, for one example.

WAR heavily weighs context to baseball at the time. The Gap in FIP, which WAR uses, is even bigger than their ERA+'s. Schilling get's a lot of points for K and BB ratio's too, while Burdette's were marginal.

[Keith H. Thompson]

I think of an article that Dick Young of the New York Daily News wrote about the consideration of Lefty Gomez in 1974. "Election to the Hall of Fame is largely a popularity contest."
There are some players that simply cannot be left off -- or maybe they can and have been because it's a voting process, and each voter has his conscience.
The art of lobbying for a particular player's election is a delicate one. Around 1970 a very knowledgeable fan (Dr. V. M.) compiled statistics for Sam Thompson and Roger Connors that were compelling and badgered the Veterans Committee unmercifully for several years with documentation. At one point he threatened them with court action for a full disclosure of the vote. When Sam was elected in 1974, I asked Paul Kerr what had changed their minds? He looked me straight in the eye, and with a voice dripping icicles said "Sam Thompson was elected to the Hall of Fame in spite of V. M. I know also from other sources (Charlie Gehringer) that the members of the Veterans Committee did not like being told their business and reacted accordingly.