Baseball Hall of Fame

These days in Montreal, baseball fans have a reason to cheer for the very first time since the Expos left town to Washington D.C. to become the Nationals.

One of the greats in Expos history will be inducted finally into Cooperstown's Hall of Fame. That is Andre “The Hawk” Dawson.

When Andre Dawson was announced as the sole member of the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame class, it caused quite a stir, to say the least. After perhaps the most controversial balloting in recent memory, fans, and writers took to their keyboards to voice their frustrations.

How did Dawson, who played his last game in 1996, become more worthy of enshrinement in 2010 than he had been in 2009? Was one incident with an umpire enough to snub the legendary Roberto Alomar?

A .250 batting average, 291 home runs, and 964 runs batted in. Not exactly numbers you would associate with a Hall of Fame outfielder.

The reality is, analysis that only covers the superficial level, such as this, is lazy and has cost many players their rightful spot in baseball history.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ken Griffey Jr. took the next step in his baseball career, and that was to end it.

The Mariners outfielder and designated hitter was not having his best season and decided it was time to call it quits. Next stop for Griffey…Cooperstown.

How can a player not make it when he is listed as No. 6 overall on the all-time home run list and made the All-Star team 13 times in 22 years? Griffey is beyond qualified for a spot in baseball eternity.

Last summer, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Henderson is one of the greatest players of all time, and an easy choice for voters.

Rice was a more difficult choice, making it after more than a decade on the ballot. But plenty of worthy candidates remain on the outside looking in.

In Bill James' book about the Hall of Fame, he suggests that fans often try to make cases for players they grew up watching, and liked.

We should focus more on the best players we can put in, rather than simply making a case for a player because we can.

"Baseball is the President tossing out the first ball of the season and a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm. A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout. That's baseball."—Ernie Harwell in his Induction Day Speech (August 2, 1981)

Quotes from Ernie Harwell

"Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life."

Due to David Ortiz’s struggles last season and early this season, many people have speculated over whether or not Big Papi is done.

In short, I think he is nearing the end. 

I am sure he still has a few good games left in him, but I would venture to guess that even the most diehard member of Red Sox nation would agree that his best years are behind him.

Whenever a player of Ortiz’s caliber nears the end of his career, the conversation almost always switches to a discussion of whether or not said player will make it to the Hall of Fame.

Ever since he announced his retirement last year, there's been an ongoing debate about whether Curt Schilling belongs in the hall of fame. I haven't quite made up my mind on that yet, but I'm leaning toward saying he should get in.

But what I'm absolutely sure of is the cap he should have on his plaque if he does get in. The three teams that have a shot are the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox. So which logo should be on his plaque, the Phils, Snakes, or Sox?

Andre Nolan Dawson was the only player on the 2010 Hall of Fame Ballot that was announced to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which was announced yesterday. Dawson has been waiting over a decade to receive the prestigious call to the hall and for over 20 years Dawson had done nothing but earn what he’s become, a legend.

Whenever the Baseball Writers Association of America goofs up a vote, most of the complaints seem to start the same way: “I don’t understand.”

I don’t understand why Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were not elected to the Hall of Fame. I don’t understand why Andre Dawson is 10.9 percent worthier of enshrinement than he was last year. And I definitely don’t understand why anyone voted for David Segui.