OSJ

He literally said at one point he idolized Dynamite Kid and wanted to be exactly like him, so that sort of accounts for a lot of the strange choices he's done in the ring. He may just have no idea why DK did some of it and copied it. Well, we all know how things worked out for the last guy that so esteemed Mr. Billington...

Who will overpay for a 40-year old leadoff hitter? Someone needs to step up and give Ichiro a 2-yr deal so he can get his 3000. (Yes, I know that when you count his Japan stats he has way over that mark, but it would be kind of cool to see him compile 3000 in MLB)

No one ever bought a ticket to see Dave Kingman. Please explain why no team in baseball wanted Kingman when still in his prime and McGwire was loved by both teams he played for? Kuetsar: If Big Mac is so one-dimensional, how come he's a respected hitting coach?

Oh, okay... Here I was thinking an exhibit of over-rated pitchers. My bad. ;-)

Oh, please... Like a Japanese-owned team wasn't going to sign Japan's best active hitter after he expressed interest in playing in the US? But having said that, would Ichiro have expressed that interest if Nomo hadn't been competitive enough to show that Japanese players could thrive in the US? Normally, Nomo would be a very, very borderline case- but considering the World Baseball Classic, Nomo's probably worth at least a Veteran's Committee look (if he can get the 5%.) I sort of lean toward the idea that Japanese news media covers American baseball. I'm certain that with his ego, Ichiro wanted to play on the largest stages possible and now he's done it. The Mariners were "Japan's Team" for years and I don't need to say anything about how popular the Bankees are. Ichiro did everything he wanted to do. The only thing remaining is entrance to the HOF. I'm pretty sure Nomo or no Nomo he would have answered the Mariners call. Ichiro isn't that complex a dude. Think Rogers Hornsby or Ted Williams, he wanted to be remembered as the greatest hitter who ever lived and he's at least made a compelling argument for that.

And what sort of exhibit would that be?

The Yankees don't have to eat any of Vernon Wells contract b/c the Angels are still paying him. They were just so desparate to dump him last year. The Angels are paying *most* of it - NYY is still on the hook for $3M. Actually less than Toronto is still paying, which is hilarious. There was a report from this morning that said Arizona was in the running for Beltran. Kevin Towers is a fucking moron. The NYY make $3 million in peanut sales. What's hilarious is Toronto is still paying this choad, as you said. I can't think of too many players who have made more for doing less than Vernon Wells. Good on him for that.

That bad? I left Seattle in 2007 and they were still doing the laughable promotion of a losing team with "You gotta love these guys!", No, no I don't. I like to see competitive teams, not a bunch of good-natured clowns. If I want to see that, I'll go to the circus. Attendance figures by year since you left: 2007: 2,672,409 2008: 2,329,702 2009: 2,195,284 2010: 2,085,630 2011: 1,896,321 2012: 1,791,920 2013: 1,761,546 Holy shit! That's terrible. The team can leave, then Seattle can sue MLB and get another shitty expansion team... Oh, wait...

Oh, please... Like a Japanese-owned team wasn't going to sign Japan's best active hitter after he expressed interest in playing in the US?

Say it ain't so!

If you're talking about the Cano deal, it isn't as stupid as it looks at first. Baseball is a business, you have to put meat in the seats. If Cano draws back the fans that the M's have been losing for years of stupid deals, it's worth it in the short term. If they can find someone to hit behind him not named Raul Ibanez, they could be a threat. Certainly a six-year deal would have made a lot more sense since you're talking about a position where speed is essential and while I know "speed never slumps", it does age, and age badly at that. The last guy to play 2nd at 40 years old was probably Eddie Collins. There's a reason for that. The M's have a quality 2nd baseman for 5-6 years and then they have a grotesquely overpaid DH.

That bad? I left Seattle in 2007 and they were still doing the laughable promotion of a losing team with "You gotta love these guys!", No, no I don't. I like to see competitive teams, not a bunch of good-natured clowns. If I want to see that, I'll go to the circus.

Sounds like the drugs are working. I can't imagine not having a primary care doc. I went through two cases of long-term providers retiring and went to the local clinic and the guy they had me talk to was a complete tool who wouldn't issue a scrip for my pain meds despite my providing extensive documentation that I'd been taking them for years. I started raising holy hell in the lobby and it just so happened the chief admin guy for the hospital was touring a couple of prospective doctors through the facility. He stopped and talked to me and immediately got me scheduled with another doc at the clinic. Perfect timing. She immediately wrote out the necessary scrip, and while I've always said I'd never have a woman doctor, it's worked out very well. I later found out that she wasn't really taking new patients, but the admin guy sort of begged her to see me in order to shut me up. Yelling about malfeasance and malpractice can go a long way to get what you want. ;-)

Gaylord Perry is also a complete jackhole. I was at a show where he and George Foster were the guests. I spent about twenty minutes talking to George about hitting, the Big Red Machine, etc. and halfway through the conversation Perry signs a pic of himself, slides it over and says "That's ten bucks, not much for a Hall of Famer's autograph." I just looked at him and said, "Excuse me, but I'm having a conversation with Mr. Foster!" Bought a signed pic from George and went on my way. The smile on Foster's face was priceless as was the look on Perry's face.

And here I felt bad going to Ballard... ;-)

Almost the Candy Cummings of hitters. They broke every rule imaginable to induct him because he was such a great ambassador for the game (and I'll admit, every time I saw him play it was like Griffey in the 90s, he looked like he was having the time of his life playing). Too bad he turned out to be such as douche. Gee, maybe there should be a five-year wait or something... Oh, I see....

The same thread where Tabe and I bitch about Alan Trammell not being in.

The Ty Cobb argument... While I can agree that Al Stump was an exaggerator at best and an out and out liar at worst, there's far too much documented psychotic behavior on Cobb's part to dismiss. Fact: He did sharpen his spikes and slide high to intimidate opponents. I don't really have a problem with that and would probably have done so myself if I'd thought of it. Fact: He did beat the crap out of a crippled fan who was heckling him. Fact: He was a racist twit (you can say that he was a product of his era and place of birth, but there were a whole lot of southern players who haven't the track record of racism that Cobb has. Calling Babe Ruth the n-word was pretty well documented. If we use the "character clause" to boot out Hornsby and Speaker for betting on games with each other and Hornsby's general douchenozzle persona and Speaker's KKK membership, then I don't see any argument for not kicking Cobb to the curb with them.

Hack Wilson's numbers are as inflated as Chuck Klein's (another HOFr we can do without) Yaz? Really? Are you trying to upset Red Sox Nation? I don't think he's anywhere near the mediocrity of some of the other choices, but he's definitely in the bottom 25% of players that should be in. Eck - Yeah strike out the strikeout prone Reggie Jackson on national TV and you're in... An interesting case, but shouldn't be in when real closers like Lee Smith are sitting outside. Richie Ashburn - By all accounts a very nice man who hit lots of singles in a decade when his contemporaries hit lots of home runs. This is akin to putting Brett Butler in and Butler probably has a better case. Sunny Jim Bottomley - A nice guy who insisted on posing for a new photo of himself in his Cards uniform for the 1962 Fleer Baseball Greats card despite being sixty-something and looking completely ridiculous. Likely paid Frankie Frisch's tab on more than one occasion. Jack Chesbro - Belongs in the Hall of Amazing Single Seasons with Hack Wilson, George Foster, Roger Maris, and Dennis O'Neil. Candy Cummings - Yeah, there are some marks for baseball legends (most of which are as carny as wrestling legends),he didn't invent the curve anymore than Roger Bresnahan invented protection for catchers. Oh, yeah... There's another guy that ought to be tossed out, the Duke of Tralee, my Irish ass. Except for my childhood sympathy for the Red Sox, it appears that we are (as usual) in agreement. I'm glad you posted the OBP of Sexson and Smith, I would have lost a substantial amount of money on that as a bet... Not that .344 is anything to get excited about, but I didn't realize Ozzie was that weak.

Great choice, I'm pissed I didn't list them myself. One of the three you could make an argument for, but that argument is pretty weak.

And how, pray tell did he influence the game? I hope you aren't going to say first Japanese player in the majors, because Mashi Murakami will call to say "Hello!"

I don't know, when I took speed back in the 1980s I was a terror at air hockey...

Richie Sexson? ;-)

Best last line EVER!

I voted for none of the above, so I have no real dog in the fight, but 300 hrs and 900 RBI's is a better case than 123-109 with a 4.24 era. Neither should get into the hall of fame without a ticket of course, and any writer who wastes a vote on them should have their ballot stricken. . . Exactly. Just as any writer who DOESN'T vote for Barry Bonds should have their voting privileges rescinded.