The ballot for pre-integration (pre 1947) is out as is the Ford Frick award that we push Tom Cheek for.
Click here for the pre-integration ballot, Click here for the Ford Frick one.
The pre-integration ballot is one that has been picked over a lot as these guys have been able to get voted in for, literally, decades but haven't been picked yet. Six former major league players, three executives and one umpire are on it this time. Bill Dahlen is generally viewed as the best player, a top shortstop in the pre-Ruth days he had 2461 hits and a 110 OPS+, very nice for a shortstop (Tony Fernandez had a 101 lifetime, 106 in Toronto for comparison) and had a solid rep for defense plus was the career HR leader when he retired with 84 (passed the next year by Honus Wagner, then Gavvy Cravath took the lead before Ruth redefined it) - bit of a surprise he isn't in yet. Hank O’Day is the umpire with the 2nd most WS appearances, including the first one in 1903 - obviously was well viewed in his day so again, an odd omission. Jacob Ruppert was the Yankees owner from 1915 to 1939 - he was the guy who gave up $100k to get Babe Ruth and saw the Yankees change from a loser (had yet to finish higher than 2nd) to THE YANKEES (11 WS appearances, 8 wins - more than all but 2 teams in all of baseball history).
The Frick award was listed almost a month ago - click here to see it. Tom Cheek is an obvious favorite around here, as would be Jaques Doucet, the French voice of the Expos and now of the Jays. Others who might take it away from the deserving two are Ken Coleman (Cleveland/Reds/Red Sox) and Bill King (Oakland) plus I could see Eduardo Ortega getting it as the Spanish voice of the Padres. Cheek, King, and Doucet were the fan vote top 3.
The regular player ballot will be officially released soon, and as anyone who has looked at the list of potential players knows, it will be a controversial one no matter what as this is the 'steroid/HGH ballot'. First timers include Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Piazza who all have had at least some rumours about usage otherwise would be locks, plus Schilling and Biggio who would normally be locks, and guys who'd get their share of votes in Lofton and Wells not to mention repeaters in Morris, Bagwell, Palmeiro and Raines.
Click here for the pre-integration ballot, Click here for the Ford Frick one.
The pre-integration ballot is one that has been picked over a lot as these guys have been able to get voted in for, literally, decades but haven't been picked yet. Six former major league players, three executives and one umpire are on it this time. Bill Dahlen is generally viewed as the best player, a top shortstop in the pre-Ruth days he had 2461 hits and a 110 OPS+, very nice for a shortstop (Tony Fernandez had a 101 lifetime, 106 in Toronto for comparison) and had a solid rep for defense plus was the career HR leader when he retired with 84 (passed the next year by Honus Wagner, then Gavvy Cravath took the lead before Ruth redefined it) - bit of a surprise he isn't in yet. Hank O’Day is the umpire with the 2nd most WS appearances, including the first one in 1903 - obviously was well viewed in his day so again, an odd omission. Jacob Ruppert was the Yankees owner from 1915 to 1939 - he was the guy who gave up $100k to get Babe Ruth and saw the Yankees change from a loser (had yet to finish higher than 2nd) to THE YANKEES (11 WS appearances, 8 wins - more than all but 2 teams in all of baseball history).
The Frick award was listed almost a month ago - click here to see it. Tom Cheek is an obvious favorite around here, as would be Jaques Doucet, the French voice of the Expos and now of the Jays. Others who might take it away from the deserving two are Ken Coleman (Cleveland/Reds/Red Sox) and Bill King (Oakland) plus I could see Eduardo Ortega getting it as the Spanish voice of the Padres. Cheek, King, and Doucet were the fan vote top 3.
The regular player ballot will be officially released soon, and as anyone who has looked at the list of potential players knows, it will be a controversial one no matter what as this is the 'steroid/HGH ballot'. First timers include Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Piazza who all have had at least some rumours about usage otherwise would be locks, plus Schilling and Biggio who would normally be locks, and guys who'd get their share of votes in Lofton and Wells not to mention repeaters in Morris, Bagwell, Palmeiro and Raines.
