Humor me while I say a few words about yesterday's Baseball Hall of Fame fiasco voting results. But my complaint here is not so much about why the PED guys were called out for their perceived sins, but how in the name of Larry Dierker could Craig Biggio still not get the nod with so many of the baseball writers making another point and refusing to vote in "alleged cheaters" but clearly Cooperstown-deserving Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens?
I'm not judging anyone who didn't vote Bonds, Clemens and even Sammy Sosa (I have less tolerance for the latter inclusion because I don't think he was as complete a player as Bonds and as dominant as Clemens was earlier in his career, and Sosa is likely not in the discussion if he indeed was juiced when he was matching Mark McGwire bomb for bomb in that now infamous summer stalking Roger Maris), continuing the recent tradition of to not acknowledge others with stats-worthy HOF candidacy (McGwire, Finger-Waving Palmeiro etc.).
But Biggio only received 68 percent of the 75 needed to punch a ticket to Cooperstown, and whatever the reasons are, I can only shake my head in disgust. Thank you to the 388 who did the right thing and overlooked that Biggio never led the league in hits; never batted higher than .325; never won a batting title; never won a World Series; and never played for any other team than the unexciting Houston Astros.
I get there are stubborn scribes who simply won't vote in anyone in his first year of eligibility, which was Biggio's case. It's clear with the amount of votes he received in year one Biggio will get in sooner than later (but I wouldn't be surprised if it's in 2014 with a star-studded cast joining the discussion). I just find it hard to accept so many among 139 remaining voters would thumb their noses down at a player who started his career as a catcher, spent much of his tenure at the mostly offensively inept position of second base and collected the magic number of 3,000 hits (not to mention his 600 doubles, 400 steals and 250 home runs, as no one else has reached all those standards).
Biggio is the perfect case of what the Hall of Fame should reward and that's consistency over a long career; and saluting a class act who played for a team few in the national media ever care about. The fact he spent his entire career in Houston and didn't chase bigger money in bigger markets alone should have made Biggio even more the sentimental choice to stick it to those greedy players who bolt for bucks.
Hell, I'm no Astros' fan like this guy in Houston. But worthy Hall of Famers like Craig Biggio should be voted in with no questions asked; especially when you're one guy that shouldn't be accused of not doing it au naturale over a distinguished career. Given the question marks, suspicion and whispers Bonds, Clemens and Sosa toted into the fray Wednesday, voting a yes for Biggio from all 527 ballots cast would have been the ultimate up yours to those players who have questionable pasts.
If Biggio played in New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Chicago and he wasn't voted in, there would be outrage from the scribes at those cities' papers and the beat guys turned ESPN talking heads. Biggio, and to a lesser extent Houston teammate Jeff Bagwell and his similarly too-low 59.6 percent of the vote after his own impressive career also played exclusively as a big-leaguer in Houston. (Then again, Bagwell and even his buddy Biggio are subject to juicing rumors of their own, so take that for what it's worth).
I remember being in awe when I spent the better part of an entire day in Cooperstown a few years back. But given where baseball's shrine to excellence seems to be heading today, I'm glad I saw it when I did.
Because I don't care if I ever get back again. I love baseball, but I hate how baseball doesn't love back when it should.
I'm not judging anyone who didn't vote Bonds, Clemens and even Sammy Sosa (I have less tolerance for the latter inclusion because I don't think he was as complete a player as Bonds and as dominant as Clemens was earlier in his career, and Sosa is likely not in the discussion if he indeed was juiced when he was matching Mark McGwire bomb for bomb in that now infamous summer stalking Roger Maris), continuing the recent tradition of to not acknowledge others with stats-worthy HOF candidacy (McGwire, Finger-Waving Palmeiro etc.).
But Biggio only received 68 percent of the 75 needed to punch a ticket to Cooperstown, and whatever the reasons are, I can only shake my head in disgust. Thank you to the 388 who did the right thing and overlooked that Biggio never led the league in hits; never batted higher than .325; never won a batting title; never won a World Series; and never played for any other team than the unexciting Houston Astros.
I get there are stubborn scribes who simply won't vote in anyone in his first year of eligibility, which was Biggio's case. It's clear with the amount of votes he received in year one Biggio will get in sooner than later (but I wouldn't be surprised if it's in 2014 with a star-studded cast joining the discussion). I just find it hard to accept so many among 139 remaining voters would thumb their noses down at a player who started his career as a catcher, spent much of his tenure at the mostly offensively inept position of second base and collected the magic number of 3,000 hits (not to mention his 600 doubles, 400 steals and 250 home runs, as no one else has reached all those standards).
Biggio is the perfect case of what the Hall of Fame should reward and that's consistency over a long career; and saluting a class act who played for a team few in the national media ever care about. The fact he spent his entire career in Houston and didn't chase bigger money in bigger markets alone should have made Biggio even more the sentimental choice to stick it to those greedy players who bolt for bucks.
Hell, I'm no Astros' fan like this guy in Houston. But worthy Hall of Famers like Craig Biggio should be voted in with no questions asked; especially when you're one guy that shouldn't be accused of not doing it au naturale over a distinguished career. Given the question marks, suspicion and whispers Bonds, Clemens and Sosa toted into the fray Wednesday, voting a yes for Biggio from all 527 ballots cast would have been the ultimate up yours to those players who have questionable pasts.
If Biggio played in New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Chicago and he wasn't voted in, there would be outrage from the scribes at those cities' papers and the beat guys turned ESPN talking heads. Biggio, and to a lesser extent Houston teammate Jeff Bagwell and his similarly too-low 59.6 percent of the vote after his own impressive career also played exclusively as a big-leaguer in Houston. (Then again, Bagwell and even his buddy Biggio are subject to juicing rumors of their own, so take that for what it's worth).
I remember being in awe when I spent the better part of an entire day in Cooperstown a few years back. But given where baseball's shrine to excellence seems to be heading today, I'm glad I saw it when I did.
Because I don't care if I ever get back again. I love baseball, but I hate how baseball doesn't love back when it should.
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