After the Mitchell Report, I had a feeling that the Baseball Writers Association of America would use this year to allow for some of the last classes of players to enter the Hall of Fame without being included in the "Steroid Era" controversy.
I was incorrect.
With the personnel listed on this last Hall of Fame ballot, I went into yesterday thinking, "How in the world will Andre Dawson not make the HOF this year?"
And the reason Dawson didn't make it into the HOF is due to the arrogance of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
- B/R Ticket Guide
In the wake of the Mitchell Report, articles are popping up everywhere questioning the efforts of every player—even if those players had no connection to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
This is exactly what the Mitchell Report encourages writers, fans, and the general public not to do.
So, in protest, a number of BWAA writers "boycotted" this past vote because they feel that the integrity Major League Baseball has been compromised.
It is this kind of arrogant logic that proves the Hall of Fame ballot process needs to be changed.
The amount of power given to the BWAA makes the Hall of Fame a popularity contest rather than a institution created to enshrine the true greats of Major League Baseball. And yes, the key to the Hall of Fame is "during their era."
When you compare stats of current HOF players to those on the ballot, there should be no discussion. I will not list Dawson's career stats here because there are many more places that have taken the due diligence to compare his numbers with those of players already in the Hall.
This is a very sad day in the world of Major League Baseball, and for children of the 1980s who are seeing their heroes denied their proper place in the history of the game due to the ignorance and arrogance of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
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10 months ago
First of all the writers should not be the only ones voting for the Hall of Fame.
How about giving the players, coaches and fans a vote? You don't trust us?
You're quick to take our money though!
Why isn't Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame? Or Andre Dawson? Or Jim Rice?
Did they piss somebody off?
Please...the writers do not represent a cross-section of America, contrary to belief. I call for a change.
Going forward, the HOF will be meaningless anyway because it will be more about who's NOT in rather than who IS in...
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