Dawson only inductee..........

[Anthony S.]

Dawson was a heck of alot more than an accumulator. He won one MVP and came in 2nd twice. That's a couple heartbeats away from 3 MVP's. He also had the most spectacular arm I've ever seen. I still remember a throw he made against the Giants at Candlestick back in the mid-80's. It was a rocket that never rose above 6 feet off the ground. And he played the first 11 years of his career in a gigantic mausoleum (Olympic Stadium), pre-juiced ball, pre-juiced players.

[Anthony S.]

And might I add, the only outfielders with more Gold Gloves lifetime than Dawson:

Clemente 12
Mays 12
Griffey 10
Jones 10
Kaline 10
T. Hunter 9
Ichiro 9

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

And might I add, the only outfielders with more Gold Gloves lifetime than Dawson:

Clemente 12
Mays 12
Griffey 10
Jones 10
Kaline 10
T. Hunter 9
Ichiro 9

I don't think Hunter or Andruw Jones are HOFers either. I believe there are fewer "automatic" milestones these days. Years back 500HR would make you a lock, but not anymore.

I think Dave Parker's career is very similar to Dawson's.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

Dawson was a heck of alot more than an accumulator. He won one MVP and came in 2nd twice. That's a couple heartbeats away from 3 MVP's.

In that same respect Dale Murphy and Roger Maris won back to back MVPS and they most likely aren't getting in. No doubt Dawson was a tremendous player, but I just don't feel he belongs in the HOF.

[howard38]

Cy Young voting differs from MVP voting. For most of Blyleven's career Cy Young voters only chose their top three while MVP voters chose their top ten. This made a top five finish in Cy Young balloting significantly more difficult than a top five MVP finish.

[howard38]

Another reason he only made two all-star teams was that he was a better second half pitcher for most of his career.

First half: .555 W-L %, 3.44 ERA

Second Half: .517, 3.10

[Bobsbats]

I have read most of the replies to this thread and I can't understand where some people are coming from. The whole Alomar thing I don't get....very good player, yes....Hall of Famer..NO. How many people on this board have complained every year about who doesnt belong? It is the called the Hall of Fame, not the hall of pretty good. Players that hang on for 20 plus years and build up their stats don't belong either. A player who plays 20 years and has a .250 average has the ability to have 3000 hits. Does that make him a Hall of Famer? I dont think so... Like alot of things now, I think mediocre is looked upon as great and I dont believe it is....its mediocre.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Bobsbats

I have read most of the replies to this thread and I can't understand where some people are coming from. The whole Alomar thing I don't get....very good player, yes....Hall of Famer..NO. How many people on this board have complained every year about who doesnt belong? It is the called the Hall of Fame, not the hall of pretty good. Players that hang on for 20 plus years and build up their stats don't belong either. A player who plays 20 years and has a .250 average has the ability to have 3000 hits. Does that make him a Hall of Famer? I dont think so... Like alot of things now, I think mediocre is looked upon as great and I dont believe it is....its mediocre.

12x All-Star, 10 Gold Gloves, 300 Career AVG, Over 2,700 Hits, almost 500 SB, 2 World Series wins, 371 OBP, over 500 Doubles, I can go on....

How in the world is that not a Hall of Famer, Alomar wasn't just good, he was GREAT.

[familytoad]

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.

[Chris-Counts]

Roberto Alomar retired with a .300 lifetime batting average, 210 home runs, a .371 on base average, 474 steals, won 10 Gold Gloves and was the best player on a team that won back-to-back World Series. If you think those stats aren't worthy of the Hall of Fame, you'll have an easier time convincing me the earth is flat ...