Thanks to your BBWAA voting members for sharing their thoughts regarding their Hall of Fame ballots (Tribune, Jan. 7). I think it illustrates how difficult forming a consensus can be.
It also demonstrates the need to look below the surface and go beyond bottom-line career totals to understand a player’s value and importance.
Jack Morris was a winner (68 games over .500), whereas Bert Blyleven was essentially a .500 pitcher (he averaged 1.5 more wins than losses per year). Blyleven pitched a long time, made a nice living and deserves a pat on the back, not the Hall of Fame.
Note to Phil Rogers: Why are you comparing the bottom-line statistics of Harold Baines to Jim Rice for Hall of Fame worthiness and stopping there? I was a Baines fan, but only one season with more than 25 homers and two 100-plus RBI seasons? In a career extended by the DH rule? That gets your number retired, but it’s not good enough for the HOF. Rice deserves enshrinement over Baines by a landslide.
Note to Dan McGrath: I wouldn’t disqualify pitchers who never won a Cy Young. Do we revoke the elections of Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, Juan Marichal and Jim Bunning? Also, Chili Davis–he was kidding, right?
