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I admire T.J. Quinn for his honesty, especially this part.
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It isn't just the doping issue that led me to this decision, although that's what pushed me over the top. I'm giving up my vote for a number of more pedestrian reasons too.
To start with, I haven't covered games on a regular basis since 2002. Too many eligible voters like me have been away from the game for too long, and I think we undermine the integrity of the process. When I had spent seven seasons covering the White Sox and then the Mets as a full-time beat, followed by three seasons as an investigative reporter who spent a lot of time at the ballpark, I believe I was as qualified as anyone. But that was a long time ago. These days, my sons see more games in a year than I do.
As a journalist, I was also never completely comfortable with the idea of being a participant in a process I'm supposed to cover. I enjoyed it immensely, just as I enjoyed voting for MVP, Cy Young and everything else when I was a beat writer. I spent two seasons as chairman of the New York chapter of the BBWAA, which meant I was the master of ceremonies for the annual awards dinner. That made it possible for my parents, both raised as Brooklyn Dodgers fans, to see and hear Ralph Branca and Bobby Thomson thank me by name before a crowd of 1,500 people. The role comes with a sense of power and belonging that is intoxicating. And from a simple point of ego, having a Hall of Fame vote is a great tiebreaker in arguments around a Little League field or a bar.
But too often, I've seen writers use their votes as a way to punish or reward players, and I don't think journalists should be in that position. I don't see voting for the Hall of Fame as the equivalent of a political reporter voting for a candidate; it's more like a political reporter serving in the Electoral College. I liked having that power, but I just can't justify it.
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It isn't just the doping issue that led me to this decision, although that's what pushed me over the top. I'm giving up my vote for a number of more pedestrian reasons too.
To start with, I haven't covered games on a regular basis since 2002. Too many eligible voters like me have been away from the game for too long, and I think we undermine the integrity of the process. When I had spent seven seasons covering the White Sox and then the Mets as a full-time beat, followed by three seasons as an investigative reporter who spent a lot of time at the ballpark, I believe I was as qualified as anyone. But that was a long time ago. These days, my sons see more games in a year than I do.
As a journalist, I was also never completely comfortable with the idea of being a participant in a process I'm supposed to cover. I enjoyed it immensely, just as I enjoyed voting for MVP, Cy Young and everything else when I was a beat writer. I spent two seasons as chairman of the New York chapter of the BBWAA, which meant I was the master of ceremonies for the annual awards dinner. That made it possible for my parents, both raised as Brooklyn Dodgers fans, to see and hear Ralph Branca and Bobby Thomson thank me by name before a crowd of 1,500 people. The role comes with a sense of power and belonging that is intoxicating. And from a simple point of ego, having a Hall of Fame vote is a great tiebreaker in arguments around a Little League field or a bar.
But too often, I've seen writers use their votes as a way to punish or reward players, and I don't think journalists should be in that position. I don't see voting for the Hall of Fame as the equivalent of a political reporter voting for a candidate; it's more like a political reporter serving in the Electoral College. I liked having that power, but I just can't justify it.
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