General Forum

Congrats to Raines, Bagwell, and Rodriguez. I won't go into a huge debate -- another thread did that recently. I'm just glad it wasn't seven or eight guys. Two to four per year is a good number. 

Quick opinion: Raines - yes; Bagwell - on the edge, defensible; Rodriguez - yes. Would like Bonds and Clemens in. 

I've updated the Last Topps (Base) Card of Every Hall of Famer Who has a Topps Card list. Check it out!

v3

Congratulations to this year's Hall of Fame class.

Edgar Martinez should have gotten in.

I'm happy with those that got in, although Edgar should have got in too. He'll get there next year, I'm sure (along with Hoffman). I'm really happy that I-Rod got voted in, even if it was just barely. He is my All-Time 2nd-favorite catcher (behind Yadier Molina). He is the first player to get elected that I have ever seen play in-person in an MLB game.

Keep in mind that I am in NC and all MLB parks are a long drive away. I've only been to 2 MLB games. The 1st was in Cleveland to watch the Indians and Tigers play. I-Rod won the game for Detriot on a 2-run HR in the top of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Indians only scored one more run before the game ended. I was happy for I-Rod, even though I was rooting for the Indians b/c they WERE the parent team to my local minor league team in Burlington, NC for most of my life (they're now affiliated with KC). I did see Manny Ramirez play for my local team, but never at the top level and the same goes for Jim Thome, who joins the HOF ballot in 2018. My 2nd MLB game was PIT @ STL in 2013. Unfortunately for me, Yadi was on IR at the time. But that was the most spectacular baseball game of my life at any level. The Cardinals won in 14 innings in a game that lasted just over 5 hours. MLB Network listed it as #8 on their "Top 10 Games of 2013" show.

Couldn't agree more with your Quick opinion.  Raines was long overdue.  Like it or not, Bonds and Clemens were HOF worthy before the steroids.

I'm an Expos fan so I'm pumped to see Raines get in

Yesterday before the entries were announced, I listened to a sports announcer say that it is because Hoffman played in a small market on a poor team that he was not getting the votes. Really? Supposedly baseball sportswriters are the voters. Are they that swayed by the publicity New York, Boston, Chicago and L.A. players get as to who they vote for?  And if so, isn't it time that we find a new cast of voters? Or maybe, before being chosen as a voter, they should have to pass a baseball knowledge test on the game as to howithas evolved from the Ruth, then Mantle, then Ryan, then steriods to today, and the players of the current era.  This would result in many fewer votes and therefore probably more unanimous entries, you know 1 out of 1 or maybe even 3 out of 3. How I love deadbeat sportswriters / journalists / reporters.

Very cool list v3.

I like that Raines and Pudge got in. Was hoping that Vlad would get in.

Vlad's pretty much guaranteed next year. And I put no stock in what year someone gets in or what their vote total is. Once you're in, you're in.