Wade Boggs & Ryne Sandberg inducted to HOF

[YASNY]

I'm glad to see Ryne get in. All anti-Cub BS aside, he was a very good ballplayer in all facets of the game and a consummate professional.

 

And as a personal note, I have the complete 1983 Topps set which has rookie cards for both of today's inductees. Tony Gwynn should make it from that set too, when he becomes eligible.

[hammerhead johnson]

I'm glad to see Ryne get in.  All anti-Cub BS aside, he was a very good ballplayer in all facets of the game and a consummate professional. 

 

And as a personal note, I have the complete 1983 Topps set which has rookie cards for both of today's inductees.  Tony Gwynn should make it from that set too, when he becomes eligible.

 

I have the Gwynn, Sandberg, and Boggs rookies from that set. Awesome set. My personal favorite is the 1985 set with the McGwire, Puckett, and Clemens rookies. I just love the way that those cards look.

[mreye]

Yea, but look at the class of 2007! 

No kidding!

 

 

2007:

Harold Baines, Derek Bell, Dante Bichette, Bobby Bonilla, Jeff Brantley, Jay Buhner, Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco, Eric Davis, Tony Fernandez, Tony Gwynn, Darryl Hamilton, Pete Harnisch, Charlie Hayes, Glenallen Hill, Ken Hill, Stan Javier, Wally Joyner, Ramon Martinez, Mark McGwire, Paul O’Neill, Gregg Olson, Cal Ripken Jr., Bret Saberhagen, Jeff Shaw, Kevin Tapani, Devon White, Bobby Witt

 

I could see 4 or 5 going.

[southsider2k5]

No kidding!

I could see 4 or 5 going.

 

The case for Belle, from the Trib

 

Imagine the sight of Albert Belle stepping up to the lectern in Cooperstown in 2006 and giving an impassioned speech about his love of baseball.

 

Can't picture it?

 

 

 

 

Neither can I.

 

But that won't stop me from voting for Belle when his name appears on the Hall of Fame ballot next December, his first year of eligibility.

 

The voting guidelines ask that eligible Baseball Writers Association of America voters consider a player's "record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which he played." Obviously, there are many who consider Belle's anti-social behavior to be a character defect, considering he once chased some kids in his truck after they egged his house one Halloween, threw a ball at a photographer and launched into an obscenity-laced tirade against a female television reporter.

 

But if "character" really were a factor in Hall of Fame voting, players like Ty Cobb never would have made it in. There are few saints in the Hall of Fame, including one of this year's inductees, Wade Boggs.

 

Looking at the pitiful vote totals the surly Jim Rice has received in his 11 years on the ballot, I realize voting for Belle is a lost cause. But I never saw a more feared hitter than Belle in his prime.

 

Playing in an era with Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, Belle was the most dominant slugger of the 1990s, driving in more runs (1,099) than any other player. He earned five Silver Slugger Awards with Cleveland and the White Sox and finished among the top 10 in MVP voting five times despite his famous disdain for sportswriters.

 

Some believe Belle's ornery demeanor was solely responsible for his second-place MVP finish in 1995, when he finished eight points behind Boston's Mo Vaughn despite playing for a pennant winner and being the first player in history with 50 home runs and 50 doubles.

 

Belle ranks 17th in major-league history with a .564 slugging percentage, making him one of the game's greatest power hitters. Few realize Belle's .655 slugging percentage with the Sox in '98 was higher than Sammy Sosa's .647 percentage with the Cubs during his 66-home run season that year.

 

After retiring at the age of 34 in the spring of 2001 because of degenerative arthritis in his right hip, Belle basically disappeared from view. He lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., and follows the Minnesota Vikings around. Belle told Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse last week that the low point for him as a Vikings fan was being at Soldier Field last month during the Vikings' 24-14 loss to the Bears.

 

"What was so upsetting was to see Chad Hutchinson have a great game," Belle said. "I told the people I was with at the game, `Watch him the rest of the year. He's going to be garbage.' And he has been."

 

Belle's numbers are on par with those of Kirby Puckett, who was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a friend to any sportswriter who was in need of a quote. Belle finished with 381 home runs and 1,239 RBIs in a 12-year career, numbers that are much higher than the 207 homers and 1,085 home runs Puckett produced in a similar 12-year career that was cut short by glaucoma.

 

Belle's .369 on-base percentage was higher than Puckett's .360, though he hit .295 in his career to Puckett's .318.

 

Puckett's image took a hit because of some questionable behavior after his retirement, well after he had been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

 

Belle can't erase his past. He only can hope enough voters ignore his image and look at the numbers he put up in a relatively short period of time.

 

I only interviewed Belle once in my career, during the 1997 All-Star Game, so my support has nothing to do with any kind of personal relationship. But I voted for Puckett and I'll do likewise for Belle for one simple reason.

 

He deserves it.

 

Their time is coming

 

2006

 

Rick Aguilera

Tim Belcher

Will Clark

Alex Fernandez

Gary Gaetti

Dwight Gooden

Ozzie Guillen

Juan Guzman

Orel Hershiser

Gregg Jefferies

Lance Johnson

Doug Jones

Roberto Kelly

Mickey Morandini

Hal Morris

Jaime Navarro

Luis Polonia

Mike Stanley

Walt Weiss

John Wetteland

Mark Whiten

 

2007

 

Harold Baines

Derek Bell

Dante Bichette

Bobby Bonilla

Jeff Brantley

Jay Buhner

Ken Caminiti

Jose Canseco

Eric Davis

Tony Fernandez

Tony Gwynn

Darryl Hamilton

Pete Harnisch

Charlie Hayes

Glenallen Hill

Ken Hill

Stan Javier

Wally Joyner

Ramon Martinez

Mark McGwire

Paul O'Neill

Gregg Olson

Cal Ripken Jr.

Bret Saberhagen

Jeff Shaw

Kevin Tapani

Devon White

Bobby Witt

 

2008

Shawon Dunston

Travis Fryman

David Justice

Mike Morgan

Tim Raines

Randy Velarde

 

2009

Mark Grace

Rickey Henderson

Dean Palmer

Dan Plesac

Matt Williams

 

2010

Edgar Martinez

Robin Ventura

[hammerhead johnson]

No kidding!

I could see 4 or 5 going.

 

Really? Who, specifically? The only guys that are worthy in my mind are McGwire, Ripken, and Gwynn.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Really?  Who, specifically?  The only guys that are worthy in my mind are McGwire, Ripken, and Gwynn.

those are all first ballot guys -- Baines won't get in, but he will be an interesting precursor to Frank's chance at the hall.

[southsider2k5]

those are all first ballot guys -- Baines won't get in, but he will be an interesting precursor to Frank's chance at the hall.

 

Looking at Belle's numbers and remembering his dominance, he could be a guy who gets in down the road. I think the sportwriters will hold him up, but when a new generation takes over, who could judge him without bias, I think he could make it.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Boggs made it in with 90% of the vote.  Sandberg just made it by 6 votes.

 

Congrats to both.

 

 

Boggs was a shoo in but I didn't expect Ryno to make it this time around. Good for them both.

 

[hammerhead johnson]

Looking at Belle's numbers and remembering his dominance, he could be a guy who gets in down the road.  I think the sportwriters will hold him up, but when  a new generation takes over, who could judge him without bias, I think he could make it.

 

Belle is a certain hall of famer in my book.