Is this years Hall of fame class a Black eye on HOF

[zahavasdad]

In a sense the Hall of fame is supposed to be about memories.

People get nostalgic for players and a different time

This years hall of fame class includes a person very few people ever heard of except the hard core Sabrists and nobody saw him play

An Umpire who also is not a house hold name and likely very few ever heard of him either (MAYBE in regards to the Merkle Boner)

And Ruppert who most proably never heard of but if you tell people he bought Babe Ruth you will get an AHA.

But no players even a hardcore fan ever saw play

Is this a black mark on the Hall of Fame

[drstrangelove]

Obviously not. They denied entrance to both Clemens and Bonds. This years BBWAA showed that if a commissioner, if owners and if players can't control their selves, that at least the writer's don't have to sanction it. It's the wall of silence and the collusion of cheating coming crashing down officially.

Had 30% of the voters not wasted their votes on 2 players that could not get elected, then Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza would be in. Next year, maybe the minority of writer's will get it right.

Black eye? For what? For being correct?

[Los Bravos]

Obviously not. They denied entrance to both Clemens and Bonds. This years BBWAA showed that if a commissioner, if owners and if players can't control their selves, that at least the writer's don't have to sanction it. It's the wall of silence and the collusion of cheating coming crashing down officially.

Had 30% of the voters not wasted their votes on 2 players that could not get elected, then Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza would be in. Next year, maybe the minority of writer's will get it right.

Black eye? For what? For being correct?

Wisdom, especially the bolded part.

This has happened as recently as 1996 and (as angry as I was about Niekro being snubbed) the sun still rose the next day. Six of the top eight finishers were eventually elected.

[John Shoemaker]

I think it's a black eye on the BBWAA. The players know who the best players in the game were. The fans know who the best players in the game were. It's too bad the BBWAA have no clue - some even turning in blank ballots. I think eventually 10 or 12 of the players on this years ballot will get in the HOF.

[Captain Cold Nose]

It's a response to the black eye baseball gave itself. What went on and goes on can't just be ignored. What happened with this year's class is not a black eye. What happens next is most telling. Does the era continue to get recognized for what it was or will it all be swept under the rug after a year? All cheaters at this level should be treated accordingly.

[jalbright]

At this point, I don't think it's a black mark, as there is sentiment about first ballot guys. If the exclusion of guys who don't have any more evidence against them than Bagwell or Piazza do at this point continues, I'd say that would rate as a black mark. Excluding known roiders, while I have reservations for guys who demonstrated they were HOFers before there's any evidence they juiced, is defensible because PED usage is contrary to the idea of sport as contests between human beings (it warps it toward who has the better pharmacist).

I have trouble seeing the "no roiders at any cost" stance staying in force. Every guy we do elect from the 1990's (and probably later) is a risk of electing a juicer--yet I can't see fans standing for excluding everyone from the era. I think we've got to accept it's inevitable some juicers will be elected at some point. Now whether we should elect known juicers, especially those who may have risen to the heights required by the Hall through pharmaceutical help, is another debate. My personal preference is only to exclude known juicers who didn't demonstrate they were HOFers without the juice. I'm OK with excluding Palmeiro, McGwire and Sosa, for example. In any event, excluding known juicers or known juicers who rose to HOF heights due to juice may be a sustainable stance. But I believe excluding guys on mere suspicion will only serve to discredit the anti-roid position in the long run.

[Bothrops Atrox]

Most of the players everybody is upset about will eventually get in - so this isn't as tragic as some are making it out to be. The deserving guys that were way down the list, like Trammel and Edgar and Walker, wouldn't have been close in a normal year either.

Now if we go 4-5 years and only Maddux, Griffey, and Unit getting elected...then we will have an issue.

[Bothrops Atrox]

Most of the players everybody is upset about will eventually get in - so this isn't as tragic as some are making it out to be. The deserving guys that were way down the list, like Trammel and Edgar and Walker, wouldn't have been close in a normal year either.

Now if we go 4-5 years and only Maddux, Griffey, and Unit getting elected...then we will have an issue.

I found that Gil Hodges is the only player in history who has at any point received 50% of the vote and not eventually made it to Cooperstwon. Morris will likely just be the second...barely. So anybody 50% or higher is close to a sure thing.

[henrich]

Lee Smith may join that dubious distinction

[Los Bravos]

In any event, excluding known juicers or known juicers who rose to HOF heights due to juice may be a sustainable stance. But I believe excluding guys on mere suspicion will only serve to discredit the anti-roid position in the long run.

That's true and I think both parts of it (excluding those with proof or strong circumstantial evidence against them while giving a pass to those who don't) will end up as the consensus.

Barring a revelation of credible evidence of their PED use, Piazza and Bagwell will make it in. All in all, I'm pretty much okay with that and I think most people will be. I just don't want to be asked to ignore evidence that's right in front of my nose.