Barry Larkin to Hall of Fame

[brettac1]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

 

Very well-deserved. Next up, Jeff Bagwell.

[patrickgpe]

next year should be very interesting with Bonds, Sosa, Biggio, Clemens, and Schilling all up for the first time.

[RockCoCougars]

I'm not going to argue this one, but how does Larkin get 86 percent and Trammell gets largely ignored at 37 percent? On that note, why is Lou Whitaker off the ballot while Roberto Alomar is enshrined? Have we forgotten the 80's that quickly?

 

At least someone is getting in though... unlike the uber-exclusive Miller Park Walk of Fame.

[Baldkin]

Yeah, it really worries me for guys like Raines and Edgar Martinez. They might just get lost in the shuffle with the next 3 HOF Classes.

 

Lofton also goes on next year. With Maddux, Glavine, Frank Thomas, Jeff Kent and Mussina going on in 2013 and Randy Johnson, Smoltz, Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield in 2014.

[brettac1]

There should just be some big classes. Lots of great players left the game at the same time.

[Ennder]

Larkin was an easy choice. Martinez and Raines are a strong case. The rest of the list is a bunch of nos.

[brettac1]

Larkin was an easy choice. Martinez and Raines are a strong case. The rest of the list is a bunch of nos.

Raines definitely belongs. That's another case of an '80s guy belonging in. I would love Edgar getting in, but it will be a while before this group of writers disappear and he goes in. I think Bagwell should be an absolute lock.

[JimH5]

Congrats to Larkin. He's a classy guy with a great resume. Totally deserved.

 

I'm fine with the BBWAA being very demanding. I would rather have that group be on the exclusive side. The HOF will always have other committees who are charged with considering people who didn't get the writers' approval.

[splitterpfj]

The Case for Larkin

[TooLiveBrew]

My reaction when I read this was, 'Good.' I think he definitely deserves it.

 

I agree about Bagwell, Edgar, & Raines, they should be in too.

[brewtank34]

Congrats to Larkin. He's a classy guy with a great resume. Totally deserved.

 

I'm fine with the BBWAA being very demanding. I would rather have that group be on the exclusive side. The HOF will always have other committees who are charged with considering people who didn't get the writers' approval.

Exclusive? Not sure about that. Larkin saw a 20% jump in his votes from last year. 20%. If he wasn't a HOFer last year, then what changed this year? Just because no one better than him was eligible this year doesn't make it right for the baseball writers to "all of a sudden" see how great Larkin was (and yes, I'm glad he's in, well deserved). The system is wrong, and it frustrates me. There should be a two year window to get in. If you were good enough to make it, then the voters should vote you in accordingly w/in that first two years of eligibility. That's what I call exclusive.

 

 

[nate82]

Yeah, it really worries me for guys like Raines and Edgar Martinez. They might just get lost in the shuffle with the next 3 HOF Classes.

 

Lofton also goes on next year. With Maddux, Glavine, Frank Thomas, Jeff Kent and Mussina going on in 2013 and Randy Johnson, Smoltz, Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield in 2014.

Maddux, Thomas, and Kent won't be eligible until 2014.

From

http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/future-eligibles :

2013: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Kenny Lofton, David Wells, Julio Franco, Shawn Green, Steve Finley, Roberto Hernandez, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Jose Mesa, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Mike Stanton, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller, Todd Walker

2014: Moises Alou, Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Jim Edmonds, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Tom Glavine, Luis Gonzalez, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jeff Kent, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Greg Maddux, Matt Morris, Mike Mussina, Trot Nixon, Hideo Nomo, Jay Payton, Kenny Rogers, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Frank Thomas, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel, Jose Vidro

2015: Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Paul Byrd, Tony Clark, Carlos Delgado, David Dellucci, Jermaine Dye, Alan Embree, Darin Erstad, Kelvim Escobar, Cliff Floyd, Nomar Garciaparra, Brian Giles, Tom Gordon, Eddie Guardado, Randy Johnson, Mark Loretta, Pedro Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Doug Mientkiewicz, Kevin Millar, Troy Percival, B.J. Ryan, Jason Schmidt, Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz, Julian Tavarez, Jarrod Washburn, David Weathers

2016: Garret Anderson, Brad Ausmus, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark Grudzielanek, Trevor Hoffman, Andy Pettitte, Mike Sweeney, Billy Wagner

[Ennder]

Congrats to Larkin. He's a classy guy with a great resume. Totally deserved.

 

I'm fine with the BBWAA being very demanding. I would rather have that group be on the exclusive side. The HOF will always have other committees who are charged with considering people who didn't get the writers' approval.

Exclusive? Not sure about that. Larkin saw a 20% jump in his votes from last year. 20%. If he wasn't a HOFer last year, then what changed this year? Just because no one better than him was eligible this year doesn't make it right for the baseball writers to "all of a sudden" see how great Larkin was (and yes, I'm glad he's in, well deserved). The system is wrong, and it frustrates me. There should be a two year window to get in. If you were good enough to make it, then the voters should vote you in accordingly w/in that first two years of eligibility. That's what I call exclusive.

 

They would have to change the voters to do this. Fair or not some votes put a lot of weight into how long it takes for someone to get in. There are guys who won't vote Maddux in just so he doesn't get a unanimous vote, there are people who thought Larkin was a HOF player but not a 'first ballot' HOF guy so voted no the first couple of times. I agree the system is dumb but it is the voters fault more than anything else.

[brewtank34]

I agree with it relying on the writers. The "system" is the writers.

[brettac1]

Look at Michael Hunt from the JS as an example of the problem. He turned in a blank ballot this year.

[Baldkin]

Look at Michael Hunt from the JS as an example of the problem. He turned in a blank ballot this year.

He should do that with the majority of his articles as well.

[MessiahRp]

From

http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/future-eligibles :

2013: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Kenny Lofton, David Wells, Julio Franco, Shawn Green, Steve Finley, Roberto Hernandez, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Jose Mesa, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Mike Stanton, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller, Todd Walker

2014: Moises Alou, Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Jim Edmonds, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Tom Glavine, Luis Gonzalez, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jeff Kent, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Greg Maddux, Matt Morris, Mike Mussina, Trot Nixon, Hideo Nomo, Jay Payton, Kenny Rogers, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Frank Thomas, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel, Jose Vidro

2015: Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Paul Byrd, Tony Clark, Carlos Delgado, David Dellucci, Jermaine Dye, Alan Embree, Darin Erstad, Kelvim Escobar, Cliff Floyd, Nomar Garciaparra, Brian Giles, Tom Gordon, Eddie Guardado, Randy Johnson, Mark Loretta, Pedro Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Doug Mientkiewicz, Kevin Millar, Troy Percival, B.J. Ryan, Jason Schmidt, Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz, Julian Tavarez, Jarrod Washburn, David Weathers

2016: Garret Anderson, Brad Ausmus, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark Grudzielanek, Trevor Hoffman, Andy Pettitte, Mike Sweeney, Billy Wagner

Yikes, with that list all the 1980s guys are finished. Let's hope the Veteran's Committee gives those guys some love. The next three years all but guarantee those guys zero votes since it will be easy to see 10 people to vote for just in the first two years alone.

[Funketown]

Glad to see Larkin get in, he should have been a no-brainer and he seems to be a real class act.

 

Raines would seem to be a good choice for election, so we'll see if he gets into the hall in the future. The same can probably be said for eMart.

[BrewCrewForever]

Congrats to Larkin, well deserved. Now if only Raines and Bagwell could get in.....

[brettac1]

The jump in votes that Bagwell got this year seems to point to him getting in next year or the one after.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Congrats to Lark. Raines not being in is criminal. Bagwell makes it in next year perhaps, in the next 2 or 3 for sure.

 

Jason Stark made a great case for why he can't vote Trammel in. Larkin's OPS+ was over 100 13 consecutive years, meaning (obviously) he was a consistently good offensive performer, if not occasionally great. Trammel was all over the place, posting 6 seasons scattered throughout his career with OPS's in the 600's, and several OPS+'s in the 80's and 90's. NOW, with all that being said, OPS+ is obviously not the starting point or a benchmark for HOF worthiness, but it is an easy way to see if a guy's an above average performer on a yearly basis, and Trammel was not.

[nate82]

The jump in votes that Bagwell got this year seems to point to him getting in next year or the one after.

Maybe but depending on the writers Bonds, Schilling, Clemens, and Biggio could steal some of his votes away along with Raines. I think the best chance both Raines and Bagwell have at making the hall of fame would be in 2016 when there is really only one big name left and that would be Griffey Jr. though Pettite could take some votes away from them also.

2015 looks to be a very interesting year for the hall of fame. You could possibly have Pedro, Smoltz, and Johnson all going into the hall of fame at one time which maybe the greatest pitching trio to ever be enshrined in one day in a long time.

[brettac1]

I think Pettitte is a case where steroids are the tipping point for a guy being left out.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm not going to argue this one, but how does Larkin get 86 percent and Trammell gets largely ignored at 37 percent? On that note, why is Lou Whitaker off the ballot while Roberto Alomar is enshrined? Have we forgotten the 80's that quickly?

 

At least someone is getting in though... unlike the uber-exclusive Miller Park Walk of Fame.

37% isn't ignored. Trammell will eventually get in though it might take the veterans committee. His numbers are close to Larkin's but just a tad below and Tiger Stadium was a pretty good hitters park. With Larkin off the ballot. look for Trammell to rise. Trammell suffers too because he was behind Yount first and then Ripkin at his position in the AL and never really was considered the top guy.

[PKBadger]

I don't understand the case for Trammell. Looking at his b-ref page, there's nothing that stands out to me as "HOF player". He had one fantastic season (1987) and a handful of good ones. Is it because of defense? His highest season was 1.5 dWAR.

 

Larkin at least has an MVP award and a career OPS that's .050 higher.

 

Somebody tell me what I'm missing.