Hall of Flame

Jason Michael Barker

No, this isn't a story about Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax or Randy Johnson. It's also not about that other thing you might think it's about, and I think you know what I'm getting at (wink wink).

Rather, it's about the newest players on the Hall of Fame ballots, which were mailed this week to each ten-year member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. There are 17 new players on the ballot, plus 15 holdovers from previous seasons for a total of 32 eligible players. Voters can select up to ten players on their ballot, and a player must receive at least 75 percent support to be elected to the Hall.

I'm no baseball historian, but the new players on the ballot were active recently enough that even younger fans will recognize most of the names -- Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly are perhaps the most memorable, unless of course you're a Pirates fan with fond memories of Andy Van Slyke.

Here, then, is a look at some of the more recognizable candidates for the Hall of Fame.

Kirby Puckett
The good: 2304 hits, .318 career batting average, ten-time All-Star, six gold gloves, one batting title. Extremely charismatic and well-liked, a fan favorite. The star of two World Series winning clubs. He's likely to garner a good number of sympathy votes because of the tragic way his career ended.

The bad: Played only 12 years. He was a good player for a long time, but never a truly great or dominant player.

The verdict: I think he'll get in eventually, but not on the first ballot.

Dave Winfield
The good: 3110 hits (#17 all-time), 465 homers (#21), 1833 RBI's (#13), 1669 runs scored (#26), 2973 games played (#8), 12-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove winner.

The bad: Very little. Hit just .208 in 101 post-season at-bats, including .126 in two World Series. Once killed a bird with an errant throw during pre-game warm-ups.

The verdict: Winfield should be a lock for the Hall in his first time on the ballot. His 3000 hits virtually guarantee he'll get in, and his other numbers rank among the all-time leaders as well.

Don Mattingly
The good: Classy player associated with a winning organization. 2153 career hits, .307 batting average, six-time All-Star, nine Gold Gloves, one batting title, 1985 American League MVP award. Was perhaps the best in baseball at his position in the mid-1980's.

The bad: Played 14 seasons, but averaged just 127 games per season due to injuries. Was not a very good player after age 28, when his bat wasn't good enough for first base.

The verdict: A sentimental favorite among New Yorkers, Mattingly's numbers just don't cut it when it comes to the Hall of Fame. He might get in by way of the veteran's committee a few years down the road, but no way should he make it on the first ballot.

Kirk Gibson
The good: Played 17 seasons. 1988 National League MVP award, memorable game-winning home run in the 1998 World Series off Dennis Eckersley, hit .282 with six homers and 20 RBI's in 21 post-season games.

The bad: Despite those 17 seasons, Gibson falls well short in the numbers department -- 255 homers, 1553 hits, 870 RBI's, .268 batting average. Even more injured than Mattingly, he averaged less than 100 games played per season.

The verdict: Not gonna happen. Gibson had some very good peak years when he was healthy, but wasn't able to sustain that level of performance long enough to warrant Hall of Fame election.

Lance Parrish
The good: Long-time power-hitting catcher with 324 career homers. Caught 1784 games. Eight-time All-Star, three Gold Gloves.

The bad: .252 batting average. No outstanding offensive numbers.

The verdict: A good shot to get in eventually, but not this season as he's not even the best catcher on the ballot (holdover Gary Carter is).

Dave Stewart

The good: Extremely fierce competitor. Four-time 20-game winner (1987-90). 10-6 record and a 2.84 ERA in 22 World Series games, with just 99 hits allowed in 133 innings.

The bad: 3.95 career ERA, only 168 wins and a .566 winning percentage. Stewart was a late bloomer -- his best seasons came in his early 30's -- but had a very short peak.

The verdict: His reputation might get him elected somewhere down the line, but for the time being he doesn't have the wins or the ERA to reach the Hall.

Andy Van Slyke
The good: Three-time All-Star, five Gold Glove awards.

The bad: Numbers severely lacking -- .274 batting average, 1562 hits, less than 200 homers, less than 800 RBI's.

The verdict: To be blunt, there's no reasonable case for putting Van Slyke in the Hall. He had a couple of nice years, but was never a great player and is far from being a Hall of Famer.

Lou Whitaker
The good: 2360 games played over a 19-year career, 2369 hits, 1200 walks, 1400 runs scored, 1978 AL Rookie of the Year award, three Gold Gloves, five-time All-Star.

The bad: Despite his long career, has no one outstanding offensive number.

The verdict: A good, solid player for a long time, Whittaker should be elected in tandem with Alan Trammel when Trammel shows up on the ballot next season. The two comprised a great double play combination in Detroit for over a decade. Go check it out -- the two have remarkably similar numbers.

The rest (and why they won't make it)

Steve Bedrosian -- 14 years as a reliever, but 184 saves and a 3.38 ERA won't get him elected.

Tom Browning -- 123 career wins and an ERA higher than league average when he pitched.

Ron Darling -- 136 wins, .540 win%, and again with the ERA over league average!

Jim Deshaies -- Career losing record, never won more than 15 games in a season.

Tom Henke -- His 311 saves are a nice touch, but only good for ninth all-time.

Howard Johnson -- .249 career batting average, just 1229 hits.

John Kruk -- Forget the numbers; Kruk should be in Hall for sheer entertainment value.

Dave Righetti -- Many good years in relief, but his 252 saves are just 18th all-time.

Jose Rijo -- Sentimental favorite for his performance in the 1990 World Series, but injuries shortened his career leaving him with 111 wins.

Don't delay - get your vote in for Jason Michael Barker in the Strikethree.com Hall of Flame at jmb@strikethree.com.