And no, I'm not talking about the Mitchell Report and all the wackiness that ensued after it was released. My opinion: They are all cheaters. Institute some decent testing and move the fuck on!
No, what makes me sad is the voting process for the Hall of Fame and the idiots who participate in the vote. I was reading an old article on Deadspin about ESPN's Woody Paige and his, um, requirements for voting for a player for the most hallowed of Halls. To paraphrase the article, he's a douchebag. Anyone who watches ESPN knows that (yet I root for him on "Around the Horn" for some reason), but this article confirms it.
Voting for or against a player based upon your personal contact and like or dislike of that player is ridiculous. I'm almost in favor of granting players a spot in the Hall based on some crazy mathematical formula of Win Shares or something rather than give these idiots the power to elect.
I know a guy who also has a vote for the Hall of Fame. He's a former baseball writer for a major newspaper and he lives in my town. He's also an old, bitter drunk who thinks way too highly of himself for anyone's liking. Like Woody Paige, this guy takes personal contact with the player into account when voting for the hall. Here is a small sample of conversations we have had regarding the Hall to illustrate:
On Reggie Jackson
Me: So you covered the Yankees back in the 70's, right? Tell me about Reggie.
Him: Reggie was the biggest asshole I ever met. He really thought his shit didn't stink. He would barely look at the reporters much less take them out for a drink.
Me: Really? That sucks...great player though.
Him: I didn't vote for him for the Hall of Fame.
Me: Really? Why not?
Him: Because he was an asshole to me. Fuck him!
On Kirby Puckett
Me: You know what kills me about Kirby getting into the Hall? His stats are virtually identical to Don Mattingly's, they both ended their careers early because of injuries. Yet Puckett is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer while Donnie Baseball will never get in. (Note: just for clarification, I don't believe either player deserved to get in. I was just making an argument)
Him: I voted for Puckett.
Me: Do you really think he had the stats for Cooperstown?
Him: Well, probably not. But he was always real nice to me. Always remembered my name. Nice guy.
On Mike Piazza
Him: I can't stand Mike Piazza. Guy can't catch a game for the life of him.
Me: Yeah, but some hitter for a catcher, huh? I mean he's got to be a 1st ballot guy for his hitting alone, right?
Him: Not for me. I won't vote for him the first time around.
Me: But you would vote for him after a few years.
Him: Oh yeah. He's definitely got the stats for Cooperstown. Just not the first year.
Me: I don't get it. If he deserves to get in at some point, why not vote for him right away?
Him: Because that is part of the power that we sportswriters have. We can comment on a great player's career and what he lacked, like defense in Piazza's case, by leaving them off the ballot for at least one year. Let's 'em know that we matter more than they thought we did while they played. Puts them in their place.
On Bert Blyleven
Me: Don't you think that Blyleven has the stats for decent consideration to the Hall?
Him: I don't know. I really don't consider stats when voting for the Hall.
Makes me want to fucking bash my head against a fucking wall. And he said that a lot of his peers vote the same way he does. Bunch of self-serving, bitter wanna-bes if you ask me. I think throwing darts against the wall might be a better process than the current one. Aaarrgghh!!!
