When you have a pitcher with close to 300 wins, multiple 20-win seasons, a few All-Star game appearances and a strong post-season record, you may expect him to reach the Hall of Fame, right?
Fans and baseball writers who support Bert Blyleven are essentially making that argument again this year, saying it’s time for the hurler to receive his place in baseball’s pantheon.
But wait….the person I’m describing in the opening paragraph isn’t Blyleven. It’s a different pitcher who was summarily dismissed by Hall voters, and who pitched in the same era as Blyleven, a player who in some ways has a stronger Hall case: Tommy John. Let’s look at some key numbers:
Blyleven: 287 wins, 3.31 career ERA, 2 All-Star games, 1 20-win season, 5 post-season victories
John: 288 wins, 3.34 career ERA, 4 All-Star games, 3 20-win seasons, 6 post-season victories
While a growing list of writers says it’s time to honor Blyleven, John never got more than 32% of the Hall of Fame vote in 15 years on the ballot--far short of the minimum for induction.
Of course, the two pitchers are different in one key respect. Blyleven was a right-hander with a lot of strikeouts. John earned one of the worst backhanded compliments you can offer: he was a “crafty lefthander.”
Blyleven’s fans sell the fact that his cachet was the strikeout. They’re right. But using that statistic is unfair to the vast majority of lefthanders this side of Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton.
From 1965, when John broke in as a regular, until 1992, when Blyleven retired, 17 different right-handers won strikeout titles in the major leagues. The list includes the cream of the era’s crop, including Hall of Famers like Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins and Phil Niekro, plus Roger Clemens and John Smoltz. The left-handers? Aside from Carlton, most titles were won by hard-throwing southpaws who flamed out long before Hall-worthiness, such as Sam McDowell and Mark Langston. No crafty southpaws in sight.
With 3,701 career strikeouts, Blyleven has the 3rd most of any right-handed pitcher. Third in career strikeouts among left-handers is….Mickey Lolich.
You can also argue that John, not Blyleven, had a far greater impact on the game. Faced with a career-ending injury in his early 30s, the lefty had the first ligament replacement surgery, now known as Tommy John surgery. At the time, the surgeon called it a “hundred to one shot.” It’s the doctor’s handiwork, of course, but 18 months of diligent rehab by John made it a success. Today the surgery is relatively common and has saved scores of careers.
Now Blyleven may deserve the Hall, but there’s a bit of unfairness here. Much like the Hall seems short of third basemen, it appears to have another weak spot with left-handers. Jim Kaat, a lefty who pitched in the same era, has much the same case as John. If Blyleven is elected this year, it means every eligible modern-era pitcher with 270 to 299 wins has made it to the Hall of Fame--except for the lefthanders.
Thursday
Saturday
Alomar: Still a Strong Case
It’s odd that after all that has happened in baseball during the past decade—steroids, steroid-related suspensions, congressional hearings and the like—that anyone still would get worked up about Roberto Alomar’s spitting on an umpire in 1996. Surely, Alomar was wrong and he got suspended. He and the umpire, John Hirschbeck, are now friends. But it’s curious that the issue still has legs as the 12-time All-Star second baseman appears on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year.
Alomar has some of the strongest credentials of any second base candidate in the past 50 years: a .300 lifetime average, 2,700+ hits, 1,500+ runs, 10 Gold Gloves and a key ingredient of two World Series champions. At a position where offense is often secondary, he was at the top of his class. According to baseball-reference.com, he has no truly similar player in baseball history. The closest is Derek Jeter, but it’s not a close fit. Watching Alomar play in Baltimore for three years, his defense was stellar even though his best offensive years were in Toronto and Cleveland.
Over the next few years, Hall of Fame voters will have plenty of time to agonize over sportsmanship issues of the candidates. Hopefully that won’t cloud their judgment of Alomar this year.
Alomar has some of the strongest credentials of any second base candidate in the past 50 years: a .300 lifetime average, 2,700+ hits, 1,500+ runs, 10 Gold Gloves and a key ingredient of two World Series champions. At a position where offense is often secondary, he was at the top of his class. According to baseball-reference.com, he has no truly similar player in baseball history. The closest is Derek Jeter, but it’s not a close fit. Watching Alomar play in Baltimore for three years, his defense was stellar even though his best offensive years were in Toronto and Cleveland.
Over the next few years, Hall of Fame voters will have plenty of time to agonize over sportsmanship issues of the candidates. Hopefully that won’t cloud their judgment of Alomar this year.
Sunday
World Series Round-Up
The World Series put the spotlight on many potential Hall of Famers. Mariano Rivera, Pedro Martinez and Derek Jeter already are Hall bound, and A-Rod is likely. But there are a number of interesting players who are moving into that gray area of borderline candidate. A projection of their prospects:
Chase Utley – A great all-around 2nd baseman, Utley has the power and speed tools. What he needs is longevity. Given his go-for-broke style, that may be a challenge. He’ll have to stay healthy another six or seven years.
Jorge Posada – A key contributor to five World Series champions, Posada has played in the shadow of other stars for most of his career. He’ll probably need 300 career HRs to have a good shot. Right now he’s at 243.
Johnny Damon – Hard to believe this guy has almost 2,500 hits. He’ll need to get to 3,000, which is possible if he stays healthy. Staying in New York—with its high profile—would help his prospects.
Ryan Howard – Despite a disappointing series, he’s still a dominant force in the game. But his future is hard to predict. According to Baseball-reference.com, the players most similar to him at this stage are Richie Sexson and Cecil Fielder. The next two years should tell a lot about his HoF prospects.
C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee – The team aces have long roads ahead. Sabathia is a little younger and more durable. With 136 victories to date, he’s on course. But a 20-win season would be nice. Lee would have to maintain his 2008-’09 level for quite a few years. At age 31, he still has fewer than 100 victories.
Andy Pettitte – With the addition of the Division Series, players from this era have more playoff games than any previous group. Pettitte may be the test case to see how this affects HoF voting. He’s already won a regular season’s worth of playoff games – 18. The HGH admission will hurt him some. Probably needs 275 regular season and playoff victories to have a chance. Right now he’s at 247.
The World Series put the spotlight on many potential Hall of Famers. Mariano Rivera, Pedro Martinez and Derek Jeter already are Hall bound, and A-Rod is likely. But there are a number of interesting players who are moving into that gray area of borderline candidate. A projection of their prospects:
Chase Utley – A great all-around 2nd baseman, Utley has the power and speed tools. What he needs is longevity. Given his go-for-broke style, that may be a challenge. He’ll have to stay healthy another six or seven years.
Jorge Posada – A key contributor to five World Series champions, Posada has played in the shadow of other stars for most of his career. He’ll probably need 300 career HRs to have a good shot. Right now he’s at 243.
Johnny Damon – Hard to believe this guy has almost 2,500 hits. He’ll need to get to 3,000, which is possible if he stays healthy. Staying in New York—with its high profile—would help his prospects.
Ryan Howard – Despite a disappointing series, he’s still a dominant force in the game. But his future is hard to predict. According to Baseball-reference.com, the players most similar to him at this stage are Richie Sexson and Cecil Fielder. The next two years should tell a lot about his HoF prospects.
C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee – The team aces have long roads ahead. Sabathia is a little younger and more durable. With 136 victories to date, he’s on course. But a 20-win season would be nice. Lee would have to maintain his 2008-’09 level for quite a few years. At age 31, he still has fewer than 100 victories.
Andy Pettitte – With the addition of the Division Series, players from this era have more playoff games than any previous group. Pettitte may be the test case to see how this affects HoF voting. He’s already won a regular season’s worth of playoff games – 18. The HGH admission will hurt him some. Probably needs 275 regular season and playoff victories to have a chance. Right now he’s at 247.
Thursday
More from the Hot Corner
In the continuing saga of A-Rod--this time for his hip injury—si.com’s fine coverage includes this interesting tidbit. “Only three third basemen age 33 or older ever managed more than two seasons with at least 150 games: Brooks Robinson, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt.”
That’s the list. By age 33, players on baseball’s hot corner start to fade under the rigors of the position. George Brett? Played mostly at 1B after age 33. Wade Boggs, Eddie Mathews, even Pie Traynor – all faced challenges paying this demanding position as they approached their mid-30s. Let’s wish Chipper Jones some luck this season. Now 36, he’s averaged just over 100 games at 3B each of the past five years.
This is yet another strong argument that Baseball Hall of Fame voters need to rethink their standards for third basemen. Not counting Negro Leaguers, the Hall has just 10 third basemen, one of whom (Freddie Lindstrom) played only 800 games at the position. Compare this with the Hall’s 21 shortstops and 18 first basemen. This is not just a roundabout way to argue for Ron Santo’s induction. (Heck, I’m tempted to tout the record of Matt Williams--almost). Hall voters want a third baseman to have the bat of a slugging 1B/OF/DH. If not, they’d better have 3,000 hits or one of the best gloves of all time. It’s a standard applied at no other position in the game.
In the continuing saga of A-Rod--this time for his hip injury—si.com’s fine coverage includes this interesting tidbit. “Only three third basemen age 33 or older ever managed more than two seasons with at least 150 games: Brooks Robinson, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt.”
That’s the list. By age 33, players on baseball’s hot corner start to fade under the rigors of the position. George Brett? Played mostly at 1B after age 33. Wade Boggs, Eddie Mathews, even Pie Traynor – all faced challenges paying this demanding position as they approached their mid-30s. Let’s wish Chipper Jones some luck this season. Now 36, he’s averaged just over 100 games at 3B each of the past five years.
This is yet another strong argument that Baseball Hall of Fame voters need to rethink their standards for third basemen. Not counting Negro Leaguers, the Hall has just 10 third basemen, one of whom (Freddie Lindstrom) played only 800 games at the position. Compare this with the Hall’s 21 shortstops and 18 first basemen. This is not just a roundabout way to argue for Ron Santo’s induction. (Heck, I’m tempted to tout the record of Matt Williams--almost). Hall voters want a third baseman to have the bat of a slugging 1B/OF/DH. If not, they’d better have 3,000 hits or one of the best gloves of all time. It’s a standard applied at no other position in the game.
The Sunshine Rule
In his si.com column this week, Tom Verducci outlines a strong Hall of Fame case for long-time Blue Jay and current Met 1B Carlos Delgado. This blog also recently identified Delgado as a potentially strong Hall candidate (Feb. 9). Verducci’s piece is interesting especially because he’s looking for an unsung power hitter, untainted by performance-enhancing drugs, during the steroid era. The column includes an interview with Delgado, who talks about how he has stayed away from steroids both for health reasons and because he considers it cheating.
In the fallout from the A-Rod saga, I think more players who aspire to the Hall of Fame simply are going to have to sit down and agree to interviews about their careers – including the question of whether they used performance enhancers. The board of the Baseball Writers Association of America even could require an interview for all new candidates on the ballot. Players could opt out, of course. But in this environment, they’d do so at their own peril.
In his si.com column this week, Tom Verducci outlines a strong Hall of Fame case for long-time Blue Jay and current Met 1B Carlos Delgado. This blog also recently identified Delgado as a potentially strong Hall candidate (Feb. 9). Verducci’s piece is interesting especially because he’s looking for an unsung power hitter, untainted by performance-enhancing drugs, during the steroid era. The column includes an interview with Delgado, who talks about how he has stayed away from steroids both for health reasons and because he considers it cheating.
In the fallout from the A-Rod saga, I think more players who aspire to the Hall of Fame simply are going to have to sit down and agree to interviews about their careers – including the question of whether they used performance enhancers. The board of the Baseball Writers Association of America even could require an interview for all new candidates on the ballot. Players could opt out, of course. But in this environment, they’d do so at their own peril.
Tuesday
Time for Full Disclosure
It’s a sad day to hear Alex Rodriguez admit to the use of performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003. But it’s important now to release the other names on the list of 104 who tested positive in 2003. We’ll never know the whole truth of steroids in baseball, of course. But we all would benefit from greater disclosure to properly judge the accomplishments of players from this era, and to see that we don't penalize those who followed the rules.
It’s a sad day to hear Alex Rodriguez admit to the use of performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003. But it’s important now to release the other names on the list of 104 who tested positive in 2003. We’ll never know the whole truth of steroids in baseball, of course. But we all would benefit from greater disclosure to properly judge the accomplishments of players from this era, and to see that we don't penalize those who followed the rules.
Monday
Spring Training Round-Up!
With pitchers and catchers reporting this week, it’s a good time to take a look at the Hall credentials of some current players – including a few who may not be on your radar screen:
Jamie Moyer – From all indications, Moyer’s a great person and a fascinating story. That he won 16 games last year, at age 46, was an inspiration to us all. Still, he’d need about four more of those seasons to get to the Hall. It’s certainly possible but not likely.
Johnny Damon – Never thought of him as a Hall of Famer, and still don’t. Still, he’s only 700 hits from 3,000 and, despite injuries, continues to play 140+ games a year. He may be the Vada Pinson of his era, with 2,700+ hits but little else that entices a Hall of Fame voter.
Chipper Jones – Last year’s batting title should have sealed it. But given Hall voters’ notoriously stingy position on third basemen (noted here and elsewhere), one can never be sure. The .310 career BA and 400+ home runs are impressive. Fortunately, he has a couple years left to improve his case.
Carlos Delgado – New Yorkers called him toast, and he responded with a big year. Another guy I’ve never considered a Hall of Famer, but he'll be a strong candidate if he stays productive. He’s at 469 HRs now, at age 36. Has only two All-Star appearances, which supports the idea that he flies under the radar.
Michael Young – Sort of a poor man’s Derek Jeter. Last year saw a noticeable decline in batting average and a dip in RBIs. Will have to return to his 2005-’06 production to have a decent shot.
Pedro Martinez – Hope he ends up in L.A. or somewhere else so he can add to his win total. Still, Martinez should have no problem getting to Cooperstown. His ERAs from ’97 to 2003 are incredible. Take 2000 for example – Pedro’s ERA: 1.74; the league ERA: 5.07.
Ichiro – Had his second lowest BA in 2008 since coming to the U.S. With 1,805 hits, still needs some strong seasons to make his case. A better supporting cast in Seattle would definitely help.
Lance Berkman – Strong all-around player whose year-to-year consistency brings him into the conversation. Bet you didn’t know he has a higher career OPS than A-Rod. The next few years are critical.
Jim Edmonds – An underrated player, Edmonds may get to 400 HRs if he finds a team this spring. But the Hall’s a stretch at this point.
Josh Beckett – With all the attention he gets, it’s hard to believe he only has 89 career victories. He’ll need a few impressive injury-free seasons to build his resume. According to baseball-reference.com, the player he most resembles through age 28 is….Kevin Millwood.
With pitchers and catchers reporting this week, it’s a good time to take a look at the Hall credentials of some current players – including a few who may not be on your radar screen:
Jamie Moyer – From all indications, Moyer’s a great person and a fascinating story. That he won 16 games last year, at age 46, was an inspiration to us all. Still, he’d need about four more of those seasons to get to the Hall. It’s certainly possible but not likely.
Johnny Damon – Never thought of him as a Hall of Famer, and still don’t. Still, he’s only 700 hits from 3,000 and, despite injuries, continues to play 140+ games a year. He may be the Vada Pinson of his era, with 2,700+ hits but little else that entices a Hall of Fame voter.
Chipper Jones – Last year’s batting title should have sealed it. But given Hall voters’ notoriously stingy position on third basemen (noted here and elsewhere), one can never be sure. The .310 career BA and 400+ home runs are impressive. Fortunately, he has a couple years left to improve his case.
Carlos Delgado – New Yorkers called him toast, and he responded with a big year. Another guy I’ve never considered a Hall of Famer, but he'll be a strong candidate if he stays productive. He’s at 469 HRs now, at age 36. Has only two All-Star appearances, which supports the idea that he flies under the radar.
Michael Young – Sort of a poor man’s Derek Jeter. Last year saw a noticeable decline in batting average and a dip in RBIs. Will have to return to his 2005-’06 production to have a decent shot.
Pedro Martinez – Hope he ends up in L.A. or somewhere else so he can add to his win total. Still, Martinez should have no problem getting to Cooperstown. His ERAs from ’97 to 2003 are incredible. Take 2000 for example – Pedro’s ERA: 1.74; the league ERA: 5.07.
Ichiro – Had his second lowest BA in 2008 since coming to the U.S. With 1,805 hits, still needs some strong seasons to make his case. A better supporting cast in Seattle would definitely help.
Lance Berkman – Strong all-around player whose year-to-year consistency brings him into the conversation. Bet you didn’t know he has a higher career OPS than A-Rod. The next few years are critical.
Jim Edmonds – An underrated player, Edmonds may get to 400 HRs if he finds a team this spring. But the Hall’s a stretch at this point.
Josh Beckett – With all the attention he gets, it’s hard to believe he only has 89 career victories. He’ll need a few impressive injury-free seasons to build his resume. According to baseball-reference.com, the player he most resembles through age 28 is….Kevin Millwood.
Kent’s Place in History
It’s interesting to read the accolades given to Jeff Kent on his retirement. Esteemed writers such as Tim Kurkjian have lavished praise on Kent, a slugging 2nd baseman and the 2000 NL MVP. But I’m more inclined to follow those who say, let’s wait and see. After all, there’s a good reason why the Hall of Fame has a five-year waiting period before possible enshrinement.
Kent has hit the most home runs among second basemen, and he has 1,500+ RBIs. But I can’t agree with some commentators who rank him as the top 2B of the last 25 years. In my book, he’s a shade behind the top three: Roberto Alomar, Ryne Sandberg and Craig Biggio. Alomar was an acrobat at 2B, with a dazzling combination of speed and power during his prime. Sandberg set the gold standard for defense and was, for his era, a slugger as respected as Kent. After starting out as a catcher, Biggio became a Gold Glove 2nd baseman and offensive catalyst with more than 3,000 hits and 1,800 runs scored – among the tops of all time. Each one of these players had at least 300 steals, led by Alomar's 474. Thet also combined for 23 Gold Gloves, while the workmanlike Kent never won that honor.
The bottom line: Kent may well earn a plaque in Cooperstown, but there’s no harm in waiting to consider the case.
It’s interesting to read the accolades given to Jeff Kent on his retirement. Esteemed writers such as Tim Kurkjian have lavished praise on Kent, a slugging 2nd baseman and the 2000 NL MVP. But I’m more inclined to follow those who say, let’s wait and see. After all, there’s a good reason why the Hall of Fame has a five-year waiting period before possible enshrinement.
Kent has hit the most home runs among second basemen, and he has 1,500+ RBIs. But I can’t agree with some commentators who rank him as the top 2B of the last 25 years. In my book, he’s a shade behind the top three: Roberto Alomar, Ryne Sandberg and Craig Biggio. Alomar was an acrobat at 2B, with a dazzling combination of speed and power during his prime. Sandberg set the gold standard for defense and was, for his era, a slugger as respected as Kent. After starting out as a catcher, Biggio became a Gold Glove 2nd baseman and offensive catalyst with more than 3,000 hits and 1,800 runs scored – among the tops of all time. Each one of these players had at least 300 steals, led by Alomar's 474. Thet also combined for 23 Gold Gloves, while the workmanlike Kent never won that honor.
The bottom line: Kent may well earn a plaque in Cooperstown, but there’s no harm in waiting to consider the case.
Saturday
The Voters Have Spoken!
Congratulations to Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice on their election to the Baseball Hall of Fame this week. Both votes were widely expected. Henderson was a shoo-in during his first year of eligibility, given his 3,000 hits and record number of stolen bases. Rice’s election is certain to help the case of many borderline-or-better Hall of Fame candidates. In the short term, that should aid Andre Dawson, whose numbers are superior to Rice’s in many key categories (HRs, hits, RBIs). He's also the owner of multiple Gold Gloves and 300+ steals.
Of course, today’s selections have implications for years to come. Does that mean Fred McGriff and his 493 scandal-free HRs will gain entry, at some point down the line? Discuss.
Congratulations to Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice on their election to the Baseball Hall of Fame this week. Both votes were widely expected. Henderson was a shoo-in during his first year of eligibility, given his 3,000 hits and record number of stolen bases. Rice’s election is certain to help the case of many borderline-or-better Hall of Fame candidates. In the short term, that should aid Andre Dawson, whose numbers are superior to Rice’s in many key categories (HRs, hits, RBIs). He's also the owner of multiple Gold Gloves and 300+ steals.
Of course, today’s selections have implications for years to come. Does that mean Fred McGriff and his 493 scandal-free HRs will gain entry, at some point down the line? Discuss.
Wednesday
The Rice Question
Jim Rice is a borderline Hall of Famer. He was a feared hitter with a number of impressive seasons, but his career numbers – including 382 HRs – fall a little short of immortality. After rejecting him for 14 consecutive years, however, baseball writers appear poised to vote him in during his last year on the writers’ ballot. But let’s compare his record against several other Hall candidates of the same era who generate little or no support.
Dwight Evans: Rice’s teammate on the Red Sox, Evans has more career HRs than Rice, more runs scored, a higher on-base percentage and nearly as many hits and RBI. Oh, and Evans won eight Gold Gloves to Rice’s zero. But you can’t vote for Evans anymore, since he was dropped from the ballot in 2000 for lack of support.
Now, you may argue, Rice did much better in annual MVP voting, winning the award once. So I would offer for your consideration….
Dave Parker: The 1978 National League MVP, Parker has more career hits, runs and RBI than Rice. Cobra also won three Gold Gloves and two batting titles (none for Rice), and he was a valuable player on two world champion teams. Yet Parker is stuck far down the Hall ballot, winning only about 15 percent support a year.
Now, you may argue, his fine for recreational drug use might tarnish his candidacy even today. So I would offer for your consideration….
Dale Murphy: Winner of two NL MVP awards, Murph had a squeaky-clean reputation and the perfect combination of power, speed and defense in the 1980s. One argument for Rice is that, at his peak, he was perhaps the best in the game. But Murphy can make that claim, too, just in a different league. Even though his career tailed off considerably, Murphy still finished with more homers than Rice. Yet, like Parker, he also barely generates enough support to stay on the ballot each year.
So should the writers change course and vote all four of these guys in? Not necessarily. But it’s clear there is a huge difference of opinion on how to judge the merits of borderline candidates. What’s more, the writers have a perfect out on this one – to turn Rice’s candidacy over to the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. Much has been made of the fact that this is Rice’s last year on the ballot, but it’s not the end of the road at all. If he again falls short of election, he’ll go to the Veterans Committee, where people who actually played the game can pass judgment on his record. Sure, past Vet committees made some poor decisions. But they’ve set pretty high standards now for a few years. Sending them Rice, another borderline candidate, sends a message that the writers haven’t lowered their standards – and that the veterans can play an increasingly vital role for an important, and growing, group of players.
Jim Rice is a borderline Hall of Famer. He was a feared hitter with a number of impressive seasons, but his career numbers – including 382 HRs – fall a little short of immortality. After rejecting him for 14 consecutive years, however, baseball writers appear poised to vote him in during his last year on the writers’ ballot. But let’s compare his record against several other Hall candidates of the same era who generate little or no support.
Dwight Evans: Rice’s teammate on the Red Sox, Evans has more career HRs than Rice, more runs scored, a higher on-base percentage and nearly as many hits and RBI. Oh, and Evans won eight Gold Gloves to Rice’s zero. But you can’t vote for Evans anymore, since he was dropped from the ballot in 2000 for lack of support.
Now, you may argue, Rice did much better in annual MVP voting, winning the award once. So I would offer for your consideration….
Dave Parker: The 1978 National League MVP, Parker has more career hits, runs and RBI than Rice. Cobra also won three Gold Gloves and two batting titles (none for Rice), and he was a valuable player on two world champion teams. Yet Parker is stuck far down the Hall ballot, winning only about 15 percent support a year.
Now, you may argue, his fine for recreational drug use might tarnish his candidacy even today. So I would offer for your consideration….
Dale Murphy: Winner of two NL MVP awards, Murph had a squeaky-clean reputation and the perfect combination of power, speed and defense in the 1980s. One argument for Rice is that, at his peak, he was perhaps the best in the game. But Murphy can make that claim, too, just in a different league. Even though his career tailed off considerably, Murphy still finished with more homers than Rice. Yet, like Parker, he also barely generates enough support to stay on the ballot each year.
So should the writers change course and vote all four of these guys in? Not necessarily. But it’s clear there is a huge difference of opinion on how to judge the merits of borderline candidates. What’s more, the writers have a perfect out on this one – to turn Rice’s candidacy over to the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. Much has been made of the fact that this is Rice’s last year on the ballot, but it’s not the end of the road at all. If he again falls short of election, he’ll go to the Veterans Committee, where people who actually played the game can pass judgment on his record. Sure, past Vet committees made some poor decisions. But they’ve set pretty high standards now for a few years. Sending them Rice, another borderline candidate, sends a message that the writers haven’t lowered their standards – and that the veterans can play an increasingly vital role for an important, and growing, group of players.
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