A Hall of a Problem

Rickey Henderson is now a member of the Hall of Fame and deservedly so.  However, accompanying him into the sacred confines of Cooperstown is Jim Rice.  Jim Rice is one of the great players of his era, but not Hall of Fame worthy.  For a home run hitter he managed to hit only 382 lifetime home runs.  His highest total cam in the only year he topped 40, 1978, his MVP year when he hit 46 and drove in 139 runs, also a career best.  In an 8 year carerr, Rice drove in 100 or more runs in only 8 seasons.  Compare Rice's numbers compiled over a 16 year career to Albert Belle's who compiled his numbers in a 12 year career:

Home runs:

Rice - 382 (46 being the highest)

Belle - 381 (50 being his highest but he surpassed 40 two other times)

RBI:

Rice - 1451

Belle - 1239

Average:

Rice - .298

Belle - .295

Many don't even consider Albert Belle Hall of Fame material.  The Baseball Writers Association of America has shown Belle hostility in the past, never voting for him for an MVP, the highest he ever achieved was 3rd.  The BBWA sees themselves as the protectors of Baseball but they are just a bunch of thugs who gang up on people whom they don't like.  For example, Dave Kingman was never a liked man in the media and he is the only player with 400 or more homers NOT in the Hall of Fame of those who have become eligible.  With the Steroid Era Kingman is likely to see some company, however.  

If Rice is Hall of Fame material then Tino Martinez is at the very least a qualified candidate.  Tino hit 339 homers, drove in 1271 runs, collected 1925 hits, and played a stellar first base.  We saw what happened with the baseball writers when it came time for him to win a gold glove, they gave it to Raffy Palmeiro instead who only played 25 games at first.  Tino despite putting up similar numbers in his career to Rice will be laughed off the ballot.  

So why then did Rice get elected?  Think back to the time when you were a kid.  You probably collected baseball cards in old shoeboxes like I did.  Now think about this;  you probably held the players of your generation, for example the Don Mattingly's Wade Boggs', Tony Gwynn's, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s, Rickey Henderson's and Dave Winfield's of mine, in high regard.  You saw them play, grew up idolizing them, and wanted to be them.  The BBWA grew up watching Jim Rice.  They were the ones collecting his cards in old shoeboxes.  Jim Rice is a very good player.  However, he is NOT a Hall of Famer.  However, Jim Rice was a giant of the writers time.  That is how he got in, by being bigger than the kids who voted for him. 

Another gripe of mine considering the Hall of Fame is the lack of a fan's vote.  The Baseball Writer's have one.  The Veterans Committee has one.  Why not the fans?  the fans are entrusted to pick the All-Star game starters every year.  Why not have a special vote for the fans that allows one man per cycle to be elected by the fans.  Is this not our game?  Are we not to be represented by our favorite players?  The Hall of Fame can even put that on his plaque, that he was elected by the fans.  Maybe the Hall of Fame can set up a whole wing dedicated to the Fan's Hall of Fame.  Maybe this isn't a good idea but it can't be worse than letting Baseball writers who voted Raffy Palmeiro a Gold Glove for playing 25 games at first base.  Sadly, the Hall of Fame just doesn't hold the credibility it once did.  Maybe it will again one day.  Sadly, I doubt it.