1st ballot Hall of Famers

Is it me or has this honor been deluted lately? I was listening to Tony Kornheiser on ESPN and he echoed the same sentiment. Did Kirby Puckett, Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield really deserve it? Should Wade Boggs get it in 2 years? To me you really have to be a special player. Not just a really good player in your era like Winfield, Puckett and Gwynn. Heck I'll go so far as to say that Puckett wouldn't have been 1st ballot had he not had to retire due to his eye problem. That and if the allegations levied against him recently had come out during his playing days he wouldn't have gotten in the first time around.

 

Players who deserve to get into the HOF today (and the above mention 3 should, no questions asked!!!!) shouldn't be held up because some pencil necked stat geek baseball writer today feels that there are too many players in the HOF today . . . Just because he feels PLAYER X from 30+years ago got in, and he felt that he shouldn't have, doesn't mean he should try to screw a player who deserves to get in on the first ballot today (are you saying that Puckett, Gwynn, or Winfield were great players ? ? )

 

whoever says tony gwynn shouldnt be in the hall of fame knows absolutely nothing about the game of baseball or its players. gwynn is one of the best hitters of all time, there is no way you can argue against that. in 1994 if there hadnt been a strike, he might have hit over .400 for the year. he ended that season at .394 if im not mistaken...not too bad huh?

 

What I've never understood is this: why is a player who hasn't made the HOF after so many years and eventually get elected all of a sudden worthy? Aren't they either HOF material or not? There's the answer to Paul's diluted question.

 

I agree, why delay the envitable?

 

HEy I am all for those deserving to get in the hall, I just think that the truly great ones go in on first ballot. That and get rid of the veterens vote. If they don't get in by vote (what do they get 10 years) then they don't need to be there

 

maybe puckett is stretching it a bit as a first ballot guy...but to say that he would not have been a first ballot guy had he not been forced to retire with the eye condition is not necessarily true. he finised with 2300 hits...and with 4 decent additional years, he probably would have eclipsed the 3000 hits mark...which brings me to my next point...

tony gwynn was probably the best pure hitter of my generation...finished with a .338 career (with 8 batting titles) average and almost 3150 hits. he walked twice as many times as he struck out and stole over 300 bags (56 in 1987 alone) in his career. he played in 15 all star games and won the gold glove award 5 times.

Dave Winfield finished with over 3000 hits as well...hit 465 bombs and drove in over 1800 runs in his days. he was a 12 time all-star and won 7 gold glove awards.

wade boggs - .328 lifetime hitter...over 3000 hits (this is a recurring theme) and won 5 batting titles. played in 12 all star games and on a couple of gold glove awards. he finished with an OBA of .415...27th best all-time. he led the league in runs scored and OPS twice.

these numbers are mind boggling...and in my mind make these guys first ballot material. these guys are not one-dimensional players...and were able to sustain long consistent careers in order to put up these numbers.

 

I would just question "somewhat" the stats of players of the last 15 years when it's pretty much assumed the ball was juiced.

 

Did Kirby Puckett, Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield really deserve it?


Tony Gwynn?? If Tony Gwynn is questionable then everyone is questionable..or you dont know anything about baseball.

 

Tony Gwynn gets in during any era. Best hitter in the last 20 years.

Boggs is right behind him. I'll never understand why Boston kept him in the minors for so long, he hit the hell out of everyone at every level. He got 3,000 hits and has a great average. For several years you just gave the NL and AL batting titles to these guys before the season started.

Ball wasn't juiced in the 80 and early 90s when you could get the Home Run crown with just 35 dingers.