Maybe this is the year for players such as Jim Rice, Bruce Sutter or Goose Gossage

Wow - I think 1960 was the last year the HoF had no new inductees. That said, I think in 1996 all the new members were voted in by the Vets so its happened relatively recently.

Even though Orel Hershiser is by far my favorite player of all time, I don't think he'll make it, even in such a weak year. Probably Rice and Gossage's last chance.

Will Clark deserves to make it.

The guys Chris mentioned as well as Blyleven and Dawson may have their best chance this year.

Separately, I wonder if guys like Rice will be helped in a way by the growing evidence that the players of the last decade plus put up tainted numbers. Rice's career numbers may pale compared to Palmiero's but voters may now view Rice's as more authentic. Palmiero may have great numbers but no one considered him a feared/great hitter. Rice was definitely one of the most feared hitters of his time but a quick decline resulted in less impressive total numbers.

The three most deserving are Gossage, Blyleven and Sutter, and none has made it previously. Blyleven is stuck with the bad team curse and we know about relief pitchers.

Belle's greatest feat, I think, is one he gets little recognition for: 50 HRs and 50 doubles in the same season (1995). Has anybody else ever done that?

But with the benefit of hindsight I also wonder if Belle's notorious temper could have had something to do with his massive muscles, if you know what I mean.

Don't forget Jack Morris. If I were given a vote, I would mark Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson, Goose Gossage, and Bruce Sutter immediately. Then I would consider Lee Smith, Dale Murphy, and Dave Parker. Number 10 would probably go to Tommy John.

i dont care what anybody says b/c i've heard it all: PETE ROSE SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME!....AND HE COULD STILL BE BANNED FROM BASEBALL (eg managing, advising, etc). players aren't elected for their outstanding citizenship, they are elected for their OUTSTANDING PLAY and pete rose was friggin awesome! everyone knows what he did and no one will forget....so put him in the hall already!

Jack Morris' lifetime ERA: 3.90
League average ERA: 4.08

And of course, the league average includes things like minor leaguers getting called up for a couple games, getting trounced, and getting sent back down. For a veteran player of 15+ years, you won't find a better example of a more average pitcher.

Most egregious oversight thus far: Alan Trammell
Most likely: Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage
Deserving: Dale Murphy, Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, Tommy John, Jim Rice
Best of the newly eligible: Will Clark, Orel Hershiser

Belle a bad actor and guilty of corking his bat.
Rose deserves an opportunity to stand for election but not to return to baseball in any capacity. He wouldn't get my vote.
I simply can't put Morris ahead of Blyleven or John but he was a heckuva big game performer.
Mattingly a class act but fairly pedestrian numbers for a 1b and a short career.
Lee Smith should probably rate ahead of Sutter and Gossage for career value but he never dominated a game the way the other two did.
Bill

Pete Rose gets in after he dies. That's when his "lifetime" ban is over.

Oh, and after Joe Jackson gets in. He's dead, too, ya' know...

A few comments. I love the Pete Rose apologists. There anger is always entertaining.

Secondly, aside from the recent proof that many of the players stats may have been inflated, I never understand how a person could not consider someone a HOF one year and then consider him one the next year. I can understand that over time you may change your mind sometimes it seems like the writers use all of their votes regardless if the person is deserving. I get annoyed how the Pro Football HOF has to vote in between 3-7 players every year. At some point there will be someone who is not deserving, and other years there will be mulitple people.

IMO Rice, and Goose should defintelty be in. Goose was the premier closer of his time, and woudl still be up there if he played today, and Jim Ed was one of the most feared hitters of his time before players started to stick needles in each other asses in the bathroom stall of the Oakland Colliseum

If Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe can be kept out for bad behavior, then Dale Murphy should get extra credit for being exemplary in the character department. Two successive MVP awards and an entire decade of leading the NL in Home Runs (while Mike Schmidt was playing, no less), should gain him entrance. His average wasn't great by todays inflated standards, but he played for some monumentally terrible teams. Maybe not as many people recognize him because he never was involved in scandal.

Goose, Sutter and Blyleven.

re: Rose. Character is an issue for HoF consideration, that's why Puckett got in on a shortened career, his straight numbers are similar to Belle's. Of course, knowing what we do now about Kirby, would he still get in?

GOOSE

Rose isn't being kept out because of his character, he's being kept out because of a lifetime ban THAT HE AGREED TO. There are plenty of bastards in the HoF (Cobb anyone?). If you're great and a bastard, you get in. If you're great, a bastard, and agreed to a lifetime ban, then you're kept out.

That being said, I think Rose is way overrated, anyway. Not that he didn't put together a long career of above average (for the most part) play, but he was overrated because of his "hustle". The fact that he kept starting himself while he was a player-manager even though he was hurting the team with his (very) poor play, is disgusting.

I think Jack Morris deserves to be in, and I'll tell you why.

Yes, his 3.90 ERA would be the highest of any pitcher in the HOF. But who was a consistently better pitcher than Morris during the 1980s? Clemens came up in '84, and he will be a shoo-in. Doc Gooden? Also came up in '84, but after '86 was only very good, so two great years is not getting it done.

From '79 through '88 Morris had at least 14 wins each year, almost always more. He won 20 games 3 times, which in this day and age is impressive. 254 wins is also a lot, especially when you consider that not many others have won that many since.

How about 175 complete games?

He gave up a lot of homers, but Tiger Stadium wasn't exactly a pitcher's park.

He was a big game pitcher, and won 3 WS rings.

Granted, he's not as good as, say, Greg Maddux, Clemens, or Glavine, but the '80s featured a lot of decent pitchers, but not a lot of very good ones, so compared to his era, he deserves consideration.

He gets overlooked because the Tigers are not a popular team, but if he were a Yankee, he'd be in by now.

Belle in 1995 has been the only 50 HR/50 2B season in history. There have been seven other 45/45 seasons, all but one coming after Belle's 1995 season (Derek Lee in 05, Pujols in 04, Helton in 01, Belle and Juan-Gone in 98, Larry Walker in 97). Only Lou Gehrig (52 2Bs, 47 HRs in 1927) maanged 45/45 before 1995. Thanks, Lee Sinins' Sabermetric Encyclopedia.

Yankee Despiser, I think Morris is just short; but "He gets overlooked because the Tigers are not a popular team, but if he were a Yankee, he'd be in by now ", is dead on. The idiots who pass for sportswriters in this town would be inciting riots in the streets.

To roughly quote Bill James, Pete Rose isn't ineligible for the Hall because he wasn't a good citizen; he's ineligible because he broke the rules.
Baseball's rules, not Congress'.

As a Dodger fan I love Hershiser, but I just don't think he was great for long enough to be in the Hall. To me he pretty much exemplifies the sort of player that would occupy a tier-two Hall of Very Good that has just as many players as are in the Hall of Fame, but aren't quite great enough.

Like the Ray Lankford Wing of the Hall of Fame maybe?

Dawson is the hands-down guy out of this crowd who ought to go in.

I think the veterans should finnaly look into real records of veterans and elect them into the HOF.

Consider that the best pitcher in the 50's was Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox and a pitcher who has a better overall record then 4 other pitchers already in the Hall (including Don Drysdale).

Because Billy is an honorable man and does NOT fight the system, and is not political, he is forgotten for his on field talents.

Elect BILLY PIERCE to the HOF.... make up for your failed abilities of the past.

It is clear that no one is deserving this year. Do you really want to take your kids to Cooperstown and look at a plaque for the paunchy, bat-corking pouter Albert Belle? Or Bert Blyleven, whose main claim to HOF would be sheer longevity? The HOF is for the greats, not the very goods, or even the greats of their time. Its for the greats for all-time. Clemens, Maddux, Mariano, Bonds (sadly), these are famers.

Part of the problem with any of the HoF debates is the failure over the decades to clearly define what constitutes a HoF'r. I tend to come down on the side of keeping the baseball HoF tough to get in. If a mistake is made in not putting someone in it is easier to fix (elect next year) than if a mistake (Puckett) is made in rushing to enshrine a player. Every year there are couple of extremely average players (Jim Deshaies) who get a courtesy vote from a writer who they were friendly with as well as there usually being some voters who decide not to vote for an obviously deserving player to ensure it isn't unanimous. What if too many writers decide to cast a friendly vote (Sean Casey)? Or consider if too many decide to leave Bonds off their ballot to ensure he isn't a first ballot guy and he fails to get the 5% to even remain on the ballot? It will take something like that to get them to reassess the process.

If Albert Belle didn't have to cut his career short due to a hip problem, I think he'd have been a future HOFer. I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Thurman Munson. Seriously though, I don't find this year's crop really worth talking about. There's nothing SPECIAL about any of these players CAREERS.... and a special career is what makes a HOFer.

One fact in my mind when choosing a HOFer is "Was he ever an MVP or Cy Young winner?" After all, if he couldn't even manage to be the best among his own peers, why would I think he's worthy of The Hall?

Isn't Ripken Jr eligible next year?

I would love to see dale murphy in the hall. I grew up watching him at Fulton County Stadium and would love to see him in Cooperstown. His 399 career homeruns is looking better with all this steriods mess. I don't think he will, but I would love to see it

veteran committe,elect JIM KAAT,plan on PETE ROSE,
THEY ARE HOF

Veteran Committee:

1. Ron Santo 2. Jim Kaat 3. Billy Pierce

Santo was the best NL player in the 60's if you forget a guy who was the really best named Willie Mays. Watch "This Old Cub" the night before you vote!

2. Jim Kaat...check out the wins, in a tough era too.

3. Pirece? Merit and class.

Are you kidding me? Albert Belle in the Hall of Fame. Admittedly he had a few very good offensive seasons. That said he was a poor fielder, poor baserunner, a headache in the clubhouse and he showed little if no class on the field and in the media. Hershiser would be a better candidate however he simply was not dominate for a long enough period of time to be considered. To be a Hall of Famer I believe that you must demonstrate that you were one of the best three players at your position for an extended period of time and be a credit to the game and an example for the fans. Now, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith and Rich Gossage should all be in the Hall of Fame because they were the best or close to it at their positions for many years and they were dominate players. Jim Rice was a very good player in a small ballpark who demonstrated poor defense and baserunning ability. He certainly deserves more votes than Albert Belle. Andre Dawson was a very good all around player but his strikeouts and batting average go against him. As far as Will Clark-good hitter with not alot of power, average defensively, and a liability in the field. Don Mattingly was a much better player than Clark. Morris and Blylevin were both very good pitchers but not Hall of Fame quality. In conclusion, compare Bruce Sutter, Rich Gosaage and of course Lee Smith and their numbers to say a Rollie Fingers and they compare favorably. Relief Pitchers seem to get shorted when it comes to voting but without their contributions the teams they played for would not have been nearly as competitve.