Hall of Fame Veterans Committee Ballot

[paul]

According to the Hall of Fame website, the Veterans Committee will be voting at the winter meetings, December 7th to 9th. In the past few years, the HOF has released the ballot in advance, but I haven't seen it this year. Have any of you seen it?

[bcbgcbrcb]

Paul:

I haven't seen specific names but this year they will only be voting on Umpires, Exexutives, Pioneers & Managers so no Players or Negro Leaguers this time around.

[Jim VB]

The following is a cut and paste from Keith Olbermann's baseball blog.



FOR YOUR HALL OF FAME CONSIDERATION:


Everybody except me seems to have a vote in one of the 87 committees that may elect some managers, umpires, and executives, to Cooperstown next month. I'm in favor of putting in all deserving candidates and I really don't care if we put it to voice vote at Dodger Stadium one night, just so long as we honor the deserving.


So here is a yes/no on each of the candidates, without getting into the woods of who's doing the voting or how:


Manager - Charlie Grimm: No. Longevity, not results.
Manager - Whitey Herzog: Yes.
Manager - Davey Johnson: No, but close.
Manager - Tom Kelly: Yes. Rebuilt that franchise.
Manager - Billy Martin: a controversial Yes. There's an amazing stat on him: he only had nine full seasons of managing. Eight of those nine teams finished first or second.
Manager - Gene Mauch: I'm sorry, no. Presided over two of the worst collapses in history.
Manager - Danny Murtaugh: You know what? Yes. Two World's Championships, and in his last stint (1970-75) he won the second of them, and a division in four of the other five years.
Manager - Steve O'Neill: No. See Grimm.


Umpire - Doug Harvey: Yes.
Umpire - Hank O'Day: No. There are about a dozen deserving umps. Not him. Whoever you think was right in the Merkle game, his ruling was wrong. It was either a New York win or a forfeit, not a tie.


Executive - Gene Autry: No. Bringing the A.L. to Southern California would've been done 20 years before he did it, had it not been for Pearl Harbor.
Executive - Sam Breadon: Yes. Saved the Cardinals from bankruptcy or moving in the '20s, built a dynasty with Branch Rickey.
Executive - John Fetzer: No.
Executive - Bob Howsam: No. The Frank Robinson trade gets you into Cooperstown?
Executive - Ewing Kauffman: No. An elegant, dedicated man.
Executive - John McHale: No.
Executive - Marvin Miller: Yes. For good or for ill, his impact for changing the game was comparable to Babe Ruth.
Executive - Jacob Ruppert: Yes. The Yankees were a joke before him.
Executive - Bill White: Yes. Could qualify in this role, or as a player, or as an announcer. Get him in there!



Edited to add: I find his blog among the most refreshing baseball writings available. His insight into basball, both current and vintage, is very thought provoking.

http://keitholbermann.mlblogs.com/

[Mark]

I don't get the Marvin Miller argument. If someone does "ill" to the game, he does not deserve to get in the Hall of Fame.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Mark

I don't get the Marvin Miller argument. If someone does "ill" to the game, he does not deserve to get in the Hall of Fame.

He was a representative of the players, and they certainly have thrived under the agreements he negotiated.

The fans seem to attend in person and watch on TV in greater numbers than ever before, so they don't seem to have been harmed.

There is one, small group (30 owners) who MAY (and I stress "MAY") have been financially. However the value of their teams has skyrocketed. Steinbrenner's $10 million investment in 1973 is estimated to be worth $1.2 billion today. Even the owners of small market teams have seen their value climb. (Has anyone ever sold a baseball team for less than they paid for it?)

Hard to see how he did "ill" to the game. Within certain restrictions you have the ability to work for any company you would like in your chosen career. Why should baseball players have no options?

[Chris Counts]

Marvin Miller is a much more deserving candidate than Bowie Kuhn was, and he's in the Hall of Fame ...

[bcbgcbrcb]

Based on Keith's advice, tonight I picked up a Doug Harvey RC for $ .60 and a Marvin Miller RC for $ .45..........

[nolemmings]

As others have noted not only salaries but attendance has gone up the past thirty-five years. I too liked knowing with some certainty what my team would look like from year to year, but prefer to know the players are making the money they deserve, or at least what the market will bear. BTW, I have little doubt that we would not be watching mid-week, daytime post-season games if free agency never arrived, so don't hang that on the players and their salaries. Greed would still exist, and would demand that the games be shown when the most profit can be made.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

As others have noted not only salaries but attendance has gone up the past thirty-five years. I too liked knowing with some certainty what my team would look like from year to year, but prefer to know the players are making the money they deserve, or at least what the market will bear. BTW, I have little doubt that we would not be watching mid-week, daytime post-season games if free agency never arrived, so don't hang that on the players and their salaries. Greed would still exist, and would demand that the games be shown when the most profit can be made.

Todd,


LOL! Are you and I on the same side of this discussion? Should I be rethinking my position?

[nolemmings]

Jim, perhaps you should just sit back and behold the epiphany.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Jim, perhaps you should just sit back and behold the epiphany.

Except that now it's you, I AND Jeff agreeing on something! I'm a little concerned.