Congratulations to Wade Boggs and Ryne-o, noth of whom were selected to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. Both are exceptionally worthy candidates, and both are great ambassadors for the game.
However, I refuse to pay any real attention to Hall of Fame until Dale Murphy, Andre Dawson and Blackjack Morris are inducted. IS there a worse way to have players inducted than the system currently in place?
RW
I love Murph (Braves fan, remember) but a power hitter with 399 dingers and a low batting average don’t meet the criteria, IMO.
He was the best player in baseball over a period of about 4 years. Four years isn’t long enough, IMO, and you gotta have a high average or a ton of homers to get in the hall.
John cole
If your criteria for inclusion ito the baseball HoF includes being the best player in baseball for more than five years in a row, then there should only be about 25 people enshrined.
jeff
Even though he in no way deserves it, I was hoping Strawberry would get in just to drive the Pete Rose nuts over the edge.
Obviously i’m joking, and i think Rose should be in the Hall, and as a Phillies fan, no less an authority than Mike Schmidt said that without Rose, they never would’ve won a world series in 1980, so I appreciate the guy.
But there is a cottage industry of Pete Rose fans who have made it their life’s work to get pissed off about everything bad that happens in sports and relate it to the fact that Pete Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
Artest punches a fan? “THIS GUY DOES THAT AND THEY KEEP PETE OUT OF THE HALL”.
Bonds takes juice? “THIS GUY’S JUICED UP, BUT PETE’S NOT IN THE HALL”.
Get a life people. The guy belongs in the Hall, but he made his bed.
Geoff Matthews
I’m for putting Pete in the hall after he dies. It’s a lifetime ban for Pete, not for baseball.
That’s why shoeless Joe should be there too.
RW
Sorry, I was inarticulate. What I was meaning was that Murphy’s four year reign of being the best in baseball (IMO, of course, Ripken was also solid during that time) was outstanding….it’s just that the rest of his career resembled Daved Kingman.
From 82-85 he was a solid HOF type player. But, look at the years after that. Beginning in ’88 until the end of his career, he was basically Steve Balboni.
baseball-reference.com/m/murphda05.shtml
Again, I love Murph. There is no athlete who was a finer MAN or role model. None.
But, he had 5 great years (add in ’80) and the rest of his career was just “good” and the last 5 years stretch the meaning of the word ‘good’.
He’s done some radio/tv for the Braves and should get a shot at that, IMO.
Dale Murphy made the Braves of the 80s watchable.
J Bowen
You all would probably enjoy “Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame” by Bill James.
amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684800888/002-2251523-1342467?v=glance