1). Baseball writers should not be the only ones voting.
Denying Robbie Alomar, for whatever reason, proves that the baseball writers are incompetent. The voting system needs to be revamped, with an expanded pool of voters including former players, notable baseball figures, statisticians, and writers. Too many players are being passed over by a group of guys that are so good at their job that they papered over the most scandalous story in the sport for decades. These guys do not know what they are doing.
2). This has become a popularity contest.
It has been for a while, but it is becoming more and more clear that how nice the guy is has become more of a factor than how good the guy was. So Robbie Alomar spit in an umpires face. He has apologized. This crap started when a few guys voted against Eddie Murray because he wasn’t “likeable.” Who cares? Could he play? This fact helps prove once again that the writers are not capable of deciding this themselves.
3). Any player tainted by steroids has no chance of being elected.
Either McGwire goes in or no player tainted by allegations or proof of steroids goes in. Outside of the juicing, there is not argument against McGwire. As long as he lingers on the ballot, it is proof that steroids allegations are enough to keep you out of the Hall of Fame. If, for whatever reason, some steroid-touched players get in while others languish, it will be more proof that the voting system is dysfunctional.
4). The DH is not yet recognized as a legitimate position.
Don Baylor was the first test case, and his career was borderline at best. Edgar Martinez presented the best case thus far for a DH to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. At 36.2% of the vote, it does not look like the voters are ready to add the DH as a legitimate position worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. We will see how this changes over the next decade, as the first class of full-time DHs come onto the ballot.
5). The closer is not yet recognized as a legitimate position.
Maybe when Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman get on the ballot, the closer will be deemed legitimate. Until then, players like Lee Smith will continue to be passed over. Thus far, it has been tough going for relief pitchers. As with DHs, maybe this will change as the voters are forced to recognize the fundamental changes to the game that have taken place the last two decades.
6). Dominance is more important that longevity and consistency
See Harold Baines. The guy is Top 60 in games played, at bats, plate appearances, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, times on base, extra base hits, intentional walks, and runs created, yet he can only garner 6% of the vote. Baines never dominated one season, or even a stretch of seasons, so the depth of his career has been overlooked. The election of Jim Rice last year, and the lack of support for a player with markedly superior counting statistics, shows that short-term dominance is more of a factor in the minds of voters that long-term, above-average consistency. Victims of this include: Barry Larkin, Alan Trammell, Fred McGriff, Tim Raines, and Dave Parker. In the latest case, Andre Dawson’s election was due, in part, to some convincing of his dominance during parts of his career.
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