The Class of 2009: Who Will Join Rickey?

Now that the 2008 ballots have been tallied and we know who is and isn’t  going to be inducted, it’s time to look forward to the class of 2009.

For this look ahead, I’ve divided the candidates into categories: 

The Obvious Candidate

How could someone not vote for Rickey Henderson? The all-time leader in runs scored is second all-time in walks, and has reached the 3000-hit plateau. When you think about those numbers, it seems like he barely needs the 1406 stolen bases and 12 stolen base crowns for induction. 

I’m just excited to hear what he says in his speech this time.

The Better-Late-Than-Never Candidate

Jim Rice should finally be inducted to the Hall in 2009, his last chance on the ballot. It’s surprising that his dominance from the mid-70s to mid-80s hasn’t already earned him a spot in Cooperstown.

From ’75-’86 he led the majors in RBI, was 3rd in HR, 2^nd in SLG and 4^th in OPS behind only Mike Schmidt, George Brett and Eddie Murray.

They're all in Cooperstown.

The Better Luck Next Year Candidate 

Bert Blyleven had a great major league career. How many pitchers log as many quality innings as Blyleven did? He wasn’t simply an innings-eater though; Blyleven struck out 3700 batters and won 287 games. 2009 won’t be his year (it’s too hard to make a 13 percent jump on the ballot) but he’ll get close enough to guarantee 2010 induction.

The Sure to Earn a Sympathy Vote Candidate 

Mike Bordick was a solid player. That’s about the nicest thing you can say about his on-field performance, no matter how much of a clubhouse guy and leader he was around the league. 

Still, writers have voted for Jay Buhner and Todd Stottlemyre before, so it’ll happen. 

Someone will throw him a vote as a sign of respect to Bordick and a sign of disrespect to the integrity of the voting procedure.