For My Money, It’s Goose, Donnie and Oral. Who I Would Vote For If I Had a Vote

The big vote is in tomorrow, and the debates will start in earnest then. For this post, I’m going to stay away from Mac and Sammy on purpose, but I am going to cast who I would vote for if I had a vote.  Obviously, Cal and Tony are in. For the sake of conversation, I think Tony should get in with a higher percentage than Cal. I lived in the Baltimore area for a few years, which included Cal’s last days playing. The one legitimate gripe I think that should be levied at Cal is the fact that he never really lead his teammates. That is, if another player didn’t run a ball out or hustle, he never really said anything. That, in my book is a failure to lead a team. We’ll never really know what that cost Cal or the Orioles. It certainly doesn’t detract that much from  a Hall of Fame career. So the question remains, who else should get in.
The obvious eight hundred pound gorilla in the corner is Goose Gossage.  Whether he’s hurt from too long of a career or not, it seems beyond the point of absurdity to me that he isn’t in yet. If you really believe Bruce Sutter deserves to be in, then Gossage has to be inducted this year.
I’d love to see Paul O’Neill get in but I doubt he does, ever. I seriously doubt Brosious will get in either. In fact, I’m not sure he deserves to even be on the ballot. Allan Trammel won’t get in. Only one season with plus 100 R.B.I’s is just not enough to get him in. Good guy, good player, but not Hall worthy.   Ok, enough rambling, lets’ just get to who I would vote for, if I had a vote:
1. Tony Gwynn–Can there really be any debate about this
2. Cal Ripken Jr. –See #1
3. Rich Gossage–Absolutely lights out for many many years. One of the best to ever close.
4. Don Mattingly — I realize that some who read this may claim "homer’ on this vote but I feel if his career is anywhere but NY, he’s already in. Donnie Baseball is arguably one of the best to ever play first base in a town that is murder on its players (anybody watch Eli Manning play recently?)
5. Oral Hershiser — This guy was one of the most feared pitchers of his day. If it was the World Series game 7 is there anyone who’s really going to tell me they wouldn’t want him pitching?

That’s it. See, I told you no Mark or Sosa stuff. Today.

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