MY IBWAA VOTE & WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Every year (since 2010), registered Internet baseball writers are sent their own version of a Hall of Fame ballot to be completed and returned. Once tallied, the IBWAA announces the inductees into its virtual Hall of Fame. No bronze plaques are created, and no official player speeches are given, but it’s still interesting and fun. We often see that the Internet writers induct players into their Hall of Fame that have yet to be inducted into the more well-known counterpart located in Cooperstown. 

Lately, the baseball writers who vote for the Cooperstown Hall are being challenged to be transparent with their ballots. Players who seemingly should be on everyone’s ballot are being left off or ignored, and fans (along with other writers) have called upon the voting participants to be accountable for what they’ve cast.

With that in mind, I’ve just completed my IBWAA ballot and will gladly share it with you. 

The names I highlighted in yellow are the players I am voting for. Don Mattingly is a write-in with the clear understanding that the IBWAA does not accept write-in candidates.

I did it as a matter of principal. 

Anyway, you’ll notice that some stat-worthy names have not been selected. Guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Magglio Ordonez, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez did not get my vote, and probably never will. 
 

(Paul Kitagaki Jr/Sacramento Bee/MCT)

They are names commonly associated with the Steroid Era of baseball. Bonds in particular could be considered the poster child of the era – with Clemens not far behind. Other writers may look at it differently; the argument being that “everyone” during that time was using one form of PED or another. I simply don’t buy it. 

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

I cannot believe that Cal Ripken, Mattingly, or even Fred McGriff – all of which played during the height of that dark period – used anything more than their God-given talents to put up their numbers. None of them had dramatic spikes in their numbers, and none of them had dramatic physical changes. I refuse to make them collateral damage of the cheaters.

(Sept. 20, 2011 - Source: Jim Rogash/Getty Images North America)

Anyway, who did I vote for? For starters, wild-swinging Vladimir Guerrero. “Vlad the impaler” had one of the longest reaches in baseball, and used it to crush balls well outside of the strike zone. In 16 seasons he hit 449 home runs and batted .318. Most amazing to me is the fact that, in spite of being such a free-swinger at the plate, he never struck out more than 95 times in any season. Not once did he crack the 100 strikeout mark. If he was going to swing, the man made sure he connected.

(March 4, 2013 - Source: J. Meric/Getty Images North America)

Next, I voted for the “Crime Dog”, Fred McGriff. He is one of those being held accountable for the sins of his brethren by the Baseball Writers Association. How else can you explain someone with 19 years of service, 493 home runs (he missed a season due to the baseball players’ strike), a .280 batting average, and who hit 20 or more home runs in 15 of those 19 seasons being left outside the doors of the Hall of Fame? In the post season, McGriff hit .303 – including .438 in the 1995 NLCS against Cincinnati which eventually led to Atlanta’s World Championship over the Indians. During his prime, Fred McGriff was truly one of the most feared hitters in baseball. The BBWAA might ignore him, but we won’t.

(Sept. 18, 2008 - Source: Chris McGrath/Getty Images North America)

Someone else that I feel has been overlooked is “the Moose”, Mike Mussina. While pitcher Tom Glavine has his plaque hanging on the wall in upstate NY, Mussina has been given the cold shoulder. Let’s take a look at their numbers:

While Glavine played 4 more years than “Moose”, he actually averaged less wins, had fewer strikeouts, had a higher WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), had less complete games, less seasons of 17 or more wins, and for the stat geeks, had a lower WAR. Mussina managed to either put up comparable or better numbers on worse teams and in a shorter time span than Glavine, yet he remains on the outside of Cooperstown. It is my hope that we can give him some consolation with a virtual plaque in our Hall of Fame.

My last two choices are both career-long Yankees, and some of you will certainly consider them to be “homer” picks by this author, I assure you that both have very good arguments for residing alongside the immortals of baseball.

Jorge Posada was the primary backstop for one of the Yankees most “golden” of eras. He was known as one of the “Core four” that brought multiple championships back to the Bronx. Posada owns 4 rings, and put up numbers well worth consideration for entrance into Cooperstown. I’ll be writing an article later in the week explaining my reasoning. Just be aware that when placed alongside some who have already gained entrance, Posada’s numbers don’t back down. In addition, there are some intangibles like grit and heart that can’t be put into a spreadsheet. His importance to the great teams he played on is primarily why he has my vote.

Don Mattingly is one of the greatest players I have ever seen play. During the peak of his career, he was the best player in the game. I’ve written an article in the past explaining why he belongs in the Hall. If players like Kirby Puckett, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor have been voted in, then it is a crime that Mattingly has not. I’ll write his name on every one of my ballots, always.

So there you have it. I’ve voted for five players I consider worthy of baseball immortality. What do you think? Do you discount the PED users like I do, or do you think their numbers are deserving of induction – regardless of how they were achieved? We’d love to hear from you! 

By the way, if you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out a great piece about the Hall of Fame vote by newbie BYB writer Barry Millman.  Check out PLEASE DON'T BLOW THIS YEAR'S HOF VOTE. It's terrific.

 
    
--Steve Skinner
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

MATTINGLY SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME

This past week, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the 2015 Inductees. We congratulate all those who were elected. But for many of us fans, we think about the ones that got away – the ones who should have, but did not get elected. Most Yankee fans of a certain age think of one name immediately – Don Mattingly. Many have made a big deal about the last few years of his career, how he injured his back and was not the same hitter. I am a little old-fashioned about this. Either he had the numbers or he did not. Did he have the numbers?

I think that when you compare his numbers to his contemporaries, he definitely had the numbers. He won his first and only batting title in 1984 with a .343 batting average, leading the American League in hits and doubles the same year. Next year in 1985, he wins the A.L. MVP and starts a streak of five consecutive Gold Gloves at first base. In 1986, he followed it up by leading the league in hits, total bases, doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS. He would come in second in the MVP voting to the 24-4 Roger Clemens. Yeah, he had less stellar years towards the end of his career, but he was still hitting about .290 or better and putting up OPS at about .800. That’s not to mention that four of his Gold Gloves came in the last 5 seasons of his career.

Let’s compare him to Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. A lot of us like the Puckett comparison because they essentially played in the same years, facing the same pitching and defenses in the American League and the number are very, very close. Puckett’s total games of 1783 and Mattingly’s 1785 make the comparisons on par. Check it out:

Yeah, Mattingly had a few lean years towards the end of his career. Hall of Fame induction is supposed to be about the whole body of work of a player’s career, not just one or a few great seasons. That is the rationale behind why some players do not get in, players who are flashes in the pan and do not have strong credentials over the course of a career. If you are going to apply the same litmus test for Don Mattingly, then compare his numbers to others who got in (see above). If the logic applies to keep people out, it should apply to let people in.

In 2001, Kirby Puckett got 82% of the votes in his first year of eligibility with his numbers. In that same year, Don Mattingly got 28.2% of the votes, essentially with the same numbers. His vote counts went into decline until 2008, when he left with Joe Torre to join the Dodgers, probably raising his visibility. Then the numbers went back into decline. This year was the last year of eligibility for Don Mattingly, and he garnered only 9.1% of the votes.

Clearly, as a Yankee fan, I am biased on this. Many of us who are in my age bracket grew up with him, idolized him, and recognized him as the core of the Yankees for a generation. When you look at the statistics, it just adds frustration. I hope that this is something that the Veteran’s Committee can correct soon.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row






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BRANDON MCCARTHY TAKES ON PEDs HEAD ON

I like Brandon McCarthy.  I knew very little about him until he came to New York.  Then, I approved.  He was a solid pitcher for the Yankees in 2014, a breath of fresh air and now, I have tremendous respect for him as well. I'm a fan.  He helped me get there.

I'm a bigger fan after reading a fantastic piece he wrote in the Players' Tribune. You know, Derek Jeter's site.  It's about PEDs. It's about PEDs users and it's about the Hall of Fame.  In short, he wants the writers to consider admitting the PEDs players in the Hall of Fame:

"As it stands, the baseball writers are trying to have it both ways: they are acknowledging the existence of the steroid era by leaving obviously deserving candidates out of the Hall, while at the same time slowly giving them more votes as each year passes. To the Hall of Fame voters it may feel like progress, but to me it reeks of denial. This moral grandstanding under the auspices of being linked to steroids raises the concern that over time the buck will be passed to a younger generation of voters who will bear the responsibility of deciding on the Hall-worthiness of the great players from the steroid era.

The question of whether performance enhancing drug (PED) users should be allowed to gain admittance to the Hall of Fame is one that I’ve thought a lot about. Admittedly, it’s a mess. The ramifications extend far and wide, but I believe the answer is to admit those players whose on-field accomplishments merit it and leave history to be the final judge and jury. Ultimately, I believe the greatest injustice would be to leave worthy players—some of whom are objectively among the greatest ever—out of the Hall of Fame, when there very well may be guys already enshrined who have used performance enhancing drugs. Who knows how many PED users are already in the Hall of Fame? And in the future, who knows how many PED users, who managed to stay under the radar, will join them in Cooperstown? The true shame would be knowing that players who got away with using PEDs were voted in, while others connected to PEDs—either by proof, or worse yet, suspicion—continue to be left out and villainized."

Reading what he had to say... you won't believe what I'm about to write next...

Here's my take, and I've had this unusual change of heart lately. I don't know when the change occurred exactly, but as you know, I have always been angry about athletes who are PEDs users.  But this year, as the voting for the Hall of Fame came together, I thought about 2 things;

Why can't Don Mattingly get love from the writers? He was a legit hitter and fielder with 14 years in the Bigs and virtually has the same numbers as Kirby Puckett. What went wrong?

The second thing I thought about were guys like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire.  Guys who probably started out clean, made history at many points in their careers and over time, no doubt dabbled in PEDs too.

I watched the way the voting played out this year and last, and looked at it closely and watched players who are probably less deserving in their careers get votes. Votes that probably should have been given to those guys above.  Not because of their PEDs use and record breaking near the end of their careers, but for what they did throughout their careers.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but it almost seemed like an obvious slight. That's because it was. The reality is... those writers, many of which don't deserve to vote in any election, aren't helping baseball at all even though they act like the moral police. 

McCarthy said what many won't about Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and the Hall of Fame. Something maybe not even you would say:

"It’s not going to be comfortable but sometimes things have to be done. These two guys dominated the game in ways we’ve never seen before."

Think about that. Once the writers start the realize that players less worthy shouldn't get in, sooner or later they'll look at guys like Clemens and Bonds.  Sooner or later, they'll think about what those guys did on the field.  Over time, maybe doing PEDs, to damage themselves isn't a universal thing, it's an individual thing. Sure, records become questionable, but here's a question for ya? When the hell did writers feel obligated to decide what the fans want?

I know, I know... a cheater's a cheater. But did Roger Clemens cheat 1 time or for 10 years? I don't know, do you?  How about Barry Bonds? No question these days his head  and build are much smaller than when he played.  But when did PEDs start for Barry? 

Look, I hate the whole thing.  PEDs and baseball is icky, especially when you're trying to raise kids and keep them on the straight and narrow.  But I realized something reading Brandon McCarthy's piece.  Will this continue for years and years, or will a writer break rank and realize that 354 wins is an automatic vote into the Hall of Fame?

After all, John Smoltz had only 213 wins... and he's going to the Hall.

Opinions change, and while I'm hell bent on making my children understand cheating isn't right, I also was taken by what McCarthy had to say.  After all, he's a professional baseball player. He's a peer of these guys and he thinks it may be time.

More importantly, and this is an extension of McCarthy. The Players' Tribune are Derek Jeter's pages.  This is a man that's never touched the PEDs issue and never did them himself.  Suddenly there's a hot topic like performance enhancing drugs and Jeter, the Editor in Chief is deciding to allow a story about allowing PEDs users into the Hall of Fame. I find that fascinating. After all, Jeter's gotta sign off on that, and he did.  Sounds like he took back door advice from BYB.  Remember when we wrote JETER'S BIGGEST LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: SIGN AROD ?

So... the question...

Is it time to let PEDs users into the Hall of Fame? Should a writer break rank?  What do you think?  Comment... let me know. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

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REGGIE STIRRED THE WRONG DRINK

It appears the New York Yankees did what they had to do, tell the great Reggie Jackson that he needed to stay away from the club until they feel he should come back. This is coming from ESPN, read HERE.  As a senior advisor to the Yankees, he works for them. He’s also Reggie Jackson so unless he made a racial charged comment or punched a Yankee in the head, it appears the Yankees aren't going to fire the guy,  but instead, he disappears for a while. Like Goodfellas, Jimmy Conway tells Henry Hill to go on vacation in Tampa.  The difference is Henry Hill thought he was about to get whacked.  The Yankees are working like Jimmy Conway right now. They're saying to Reggie, "You made trouble. Go away for awhile, we’ll call you.” 

Now, Reggie has come out and made a statement about the situation and said this to USA Today's Bob Nightengale (HERE): "The Yankees think that the timing is not right for me to be around the team right now. When the Yankees feel that the timing is proper, I'll return.''

Don't forget, this has happened because of what Reggie said about Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Kirby Puckett and Gary Carter. (Full interview HERE.) Here are the quotes below:

  "I didn't see Kirby Puckett as a Hall of Famer... I didn't see Gary Carter as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Don Sutton as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Phil Niekro as a Hall of Famer. As much as I like Jim Rice, I'm not so sure he's a Hall of Famer." What about Bert Blyleven? "No. No, no, no, no...Blyleven wasn't even the dominant pitcher of his era -- it was Jack Morris."

 "I don't think the fans really count them, and I agree... I believe that Hank Aaron is the home run king, not Barry Bonds, as great a player as Bonds was."

"Al's a very good friend... But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records."

Look, the Yankees are about to make a big push toward the playoffs this second half and right now they don’t need to extra BS.  Couple that with negativity placed on someone like Alex Rodriguez who’s struggling as it is and that’s just added pressure and aggravation no one on the Yankees needs right now.

Reggie Jackson is an iconic Yankee.  It is my opinion that what he said was diarrhea of the mouth, but the point he was trying to make is actually in there.  Reggie believes he played hard and to the best of his ability for years.  He not only thought he was the best during his playing days, he’d tell you he was and probably still would to this day.  Reggie has never ever shied away from a camera or microphone, but what he forgot this time was he worked for the Yankees in an advisor role when he made those comments. You never crap on the hometown guys.  When you do, you need to pay the price.

Look, I need to be honest with you. PEDs make me queasy.  I shouldn’t be surprised when I hear that someone new had tested positive for anything any more, but maybe that's the traditionalist in me.  I want to believe that guys today are healthy and run on just all human ability.  That’s the kid in me I guess. Many do, but some don't.  Now look,  I’m not getting into a debate about PEDs and who did and who didn’t…I don’t know and I don’t know who to believe anymore. Plus, it’s not my job to figure it out.  But what Reggie was trying to say in his ridiculous rant was to try and suggest that certain guys “in his opinion” didn’t have the same work ethic and drive as “the great Reggie Jackson.” And I left that line in about Barry Bonds because I too don't count him as the all-time home run champ.  Why? Because I'm suspicious.  But I'm just a fan.  Reggie is a ballplayer, a Hall of Famer and a peer. Believe me, it's different. So yes, I see Reggie's point, but he just fell flat.  As far as guys like Alex and Andy Pettitte go…saying what he said about them was just plain stupid.  

Reggie deserves his lumps and should take them like a man and if I’m Reggie, I resign from the Yankees and go beg the Oakland Athletics for a job because there is no question that Yankee fans are passionate about their New York Yankees and I believe we’d be more willing to let go of this incident if he left the organization as a whole and not just temporarily.  Then, one day in 3 years they can invite him back for Old Timers’ Day and all is forgotten. Now…it just lingers.

Look, everyone makes mistakes and talks out of turn once in a while.  Reggie did that, and it’s time to step aside and realize we all can’t be like the great Reggie Jackson. Lesson learned, never talk smack about the guys we love, especially if you're one of those guys.  The pinstripes are powerful and we fans take it seriously.... apparently so does Yankee brass.  I'm happy about that, they got this one right. That’s my take anyway.

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WHY "DOING WHAT I SAY" IS BETTER THAN "DOING WHAT I DO"

On February 15th, current SDSU coach, former Padre, and a childhood idol of mine Tony Gwynn underwent a second surgery to remove another cancerous tumor from his face. It was shocking to read about. You can read it HERE and you can read where I first wrote about Mr. Gywnn and his cancer on BYB here... read WHY WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK. This time doctors removed a nerve along with the growth from inside his right cheek. They replaced it with one from his neck. Doctors say it could take up to 18 months before he regains movement to the right side of his face. 18 MONTHS!

All of this stems from chewing tobacco during his playing days. Dip, Chew, Chaw; call it whatever you want, but this stuff is nasty and can have long lasting health effects. Kids want to emulate their favorite players, but take warning: DON'T COPY THIS BEHAVIOR.

Tony Gwynn had one of the sweetest swings I've ever seen. The guy also played hard every day, on every play. Growing up in the 80s and being a Yankee fan, I had limited exposure to Gwynn but when I did see him I was in awe....he, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett; those were the guys all the kids wanted to be.

We wish Tony the best and hope he recovers soon!

--Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Contributor

Email me at:bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

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WHY MATTINGLY BELONGS IN THE HALL OF FAME

The New York Yankees certainly have their share of plaques in the MLB Hall of Fame and, with the likes of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera as shoo-in first ballot inductees they will have more to come. However, there is one glaring omission from the ranks of Hall of Fame Yankees - Donald Arthur Mattingly.
The "Donnie Baseball" played 14 seasons for the Bronx Bombers, beginning in 1982 and concluding in 1995 after back issues prevented him from going any further. During that time he wowed Yankee Stadium crowds with both his bat and his glove. His style of play on the field and his quiet class off the field forever endeared him to New York Yankee fans, and resulted in his number being retired in 1997. Read about it in this 1997 article HERE, from a young Jack Curry.

Since his retirement there have been a number of his peers elected to the Hall of Fame that have either put up comparable statistics or worse statistics than Don Mattingly. For the sake of this argument, I have selected three of them for comparison.

Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Kirby Puckett are all in the MLB Hall of Fame. All played in roughly the same era as Don Mattingly (with Yount and Molitor beginning their careers before Mattingly and with Puckett beginning after and completing the same years as Mattingly). All three are deserving in their own right of having a plaque in Cooperstown, but an argument can be made that Don Mattingly is just as deserving or even more so than each of them.

Before looking at numbers, let's examine accolades each of the four players earned in their stellar careers.

• Robin Yount played 20 seasons - all with the Milwaukee Brewers. During that time he won two MVPs, three Silver Slugger awards, one Gold Glove and was selected an All-Star three times.

• Paul Molitor played 21 seasons, all but the final six with the Milwaukee Brewers. He never was selected as MVP, won four Silver Sluggers, zero Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star seven times.

• Kirby Puckett played 12 seasons, all with the Minnesota Twins. He too was never selected as MVP, won six Silver Sluggers, six Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star 10 times.

• Don Mattingly played 14 seasons, all with the New York Yankees. He was selected as MVP once, won three Silver Sluggers, nine Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star six times.
  

Based on accolades alone, one can see why putting Don Mattingly in the Hall of Fame would make sense. In addition to having more Gold Gloves than the other three, two of the others (Puckett and Molitor) never won an MVP - an award Mattingly has.

Besides awards won, the argument for Don Mattingly being in the MLB Hall of Fame would not be complete without a statistical comparison of the four players I have mentioned:
As I stated earlier, in each of the statistical categories above, Don Mattingly is either comparable or better than each of the other three. It should be noted that unlike the other three, Mattingly only played in one postseason, but hitting .417 is still HITTING .417!The statistics certainly show that Don Mattingly belongs among this group and is at the very least, the equal to each of them. Mattingly offered a lot more than just statistics and awards to New York Yankee fans. He was the quiet leader on the field and in the clubhouse. His achievements during the 1987 season alone should have virtually ensured his induction into Cooperstown. During that year Don Mattingly broke a record that had stood since 1955 for Grand Slams in one season - slugging 6. In addition, he tied a record set by Dale Long in 1956 for most consecutive games hitting a home run with 8. He brought excitement to an otherwise below-standard season for the Yankees.

During his prime, Don Mattingly was considered the premier first baseman in baseball. His cat-like reflexes and on-field leadership combined with his imposing presence at the plate set him apart from his peers.There is an argument that the reason Don Mattingly isn't in the Hall of Fame is that he does not have a World Series ring. The other three players I have compared him to in this article all have at least one. My response is that a World Series ring is the culmination of superior effort by a TEAM, not one specific individual. It takes a roster of 25 players to win a World Series, not one player. The fact that Mattingly had the misfortune of playing on teams that either lacked pitching or depth is no fault of his and should not be used as the reason he is kept out of baseball's hallowed territory.

Based on the numbers, based on the man, Mattingly belongs in the Hall of Fame. Do you agree or disagree? Tell us...comment.

(This article was also published by the Bleacher Report.)



--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

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