The 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame
ballot was released this week
including 25 names, 11 of which
are first-time candidates.
The new candidates are headlined
by outfielders Tim Raines
and David Justice, along with second
baseman Chuck Knoblauch.
One of the favorites to be voted
in is Raines.
Raines, who played 23 seasons
for six teams, 13 with the Montreal
Expos, made the All-Star team 7
times and was named MVP of the
1987 All-Star game. He won the
1986 National League batting
title, hitting .334, and received a
Silver Slugger Award.
A.294 lifetime hitter, Raines led
the National League in stolen
bases four times and finished his
career with 808, which ranks fifth
all-time. During his career, Raines
compiled 2,605 hits, 1,571 runs,
430 doubles and 113 triples.
Raines also won two World Series
rings, in 1996 and 1998, with the
New York Yankees.
Don Mattingly, long time New
York Yankee player and coach, is
drawing much attention from voters.
Mattingly, a 1985 American
League MVP and a six-time All-
Star, led the ALin batting in 1984
with a .343 average and hit .300
seven times in his career. He hit
.307 for his career with 2,153 hits,
222 home runs and 1,099 RBIs.
These may not be huge numbers
for a first baseman these days, but
Mattingly battled injuries towards
the end of his career.
Also, Mattingly’s strength was
his defense. He won nine Gold
Gloves and his career fielding percentage
of .9958 is fourth all-time
among first baseman.
Arguably the best pitcher on the
ballot is Rich “Goose” Gossage.
Gossage played for nine different
teams, most notably for the Yankees,
and was one of the first true
closers in baseball history. He was
a nine-time All-Star, won a World
Series and led the ALin saves three
times. He topped 30 saves twice.
Exceeding 30 saves does not
sound like a Hall of Fame stat in
today’s game, but in the 70’s and
80’s, saves were not as easy to earn
as they are now. Pitchers usually
had to pitch two or three innings
every appearance.
Gossage’s 310 saves are still
seventeenth best as he pitched in
the thirteenth most games ever. He
had an outstanding career earned
run average of 3.01 and won 124
games as a reliever.
The other notable pitcher on the
ballot was long time Chicago Cub
club Lee Smith. Smith’s 478 saves
were the highest total until future
Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman
passed it.
Smith has pitched in the eighth
most games and holds the record
for most games finished. He was a
seven time All-Star and led his
league in saves four times.
He had 13 consecutive seasons
with at least 20 saves, 10 of those
years topping 30 and three with
more than 40. Smith’s career ERA
is an unprecedented 3.03.
The most controversial name on
the ballot is former Oakland Athletics
and St. Louis Cardinals
slugging first-baseman Mark
McGwire.
This selection, being as controversial
as it is, can be justified and
should not be tarnished until Barry
Bonds and any other steroid-era
player is found guilty and formally
charged.
That being said, McGwire was
one of the most feared power hitters
in the 90’s. He was the AL
Rookie of the Year in 1987 and
won a Gold Glove in 1990. “Big
Mac” was voted an All-Star 12
times and won three Silver Slugger
Awards. He led his league in home
runs four times and hit 70 home
runs in 1998 setting a new record
that surpassed Roger Maris’ total
of 61 from 1961.
McGwire also led his league in
slugging percentage four times
and his lifetime percentage of
.588 is eighth all-time. He also
ranks eighth in career home runs
with 583, but his most impressive
stat is his 10.6 at-bats per home
run.
This this year’s ballot is not as
strong as in recent seasons, but
names like McGwire, Mattingly,
Gossage, Raines and Smith cannot
be ignored.