Not sure how he was "revolutionary" - as posted previously, he did NOT invent the split-fingered fastball, no matter how many people falsely believe this.

Yes, as I just wrote following your last post, I don't understand this vote. I also don't understand how either of them merit great vote % than one King Bert...stupid voters.

What everyone said.

As a 45 year old guy, all of the people being considered were right in my wheel-house. I don't remember fearing a hitter more than Rice (I'm a Yankee fan) nor do I recall a reliever more intimidating than Goose. Personally I think Mattingly get shafted too. Everyone knows his numbers match up exactly with Puckett -- so why does having to retire with bad sight more acceptable than because of a bad back? He was THE man for 6 years and a threat even at the end.

rice was feared, but that doesn't equate into being among the greatest of all time, even if he was among the most feared of all time.

im sorry, pat eichner, i loooovvvee donnie baseball as much as anyone, but a CF and a 1B do not have the same value in the field, even if mattingly was the best all time. (why do i think there will be a statistical model thrown at me to argue CFers and 1Bmen?)

Pat, isn't it generally accepted that Kirby Puckett is a fluke Hall-of-Famer? That the reason he got in was the sympathy factor and added post-career news-worthyness due to his early retirement?

The Hall let one guy in who wasn't quite up to snuff (and Puckett isn't the only one), lets not get upset that they aren't adding more.

Who is going to address the real problem, which is the
people who are allowed to vote? Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe just said the
procedure is criminal & should be changed immediately.
Enough companies have now prohibited their employees
from voting on baseball awards. Some writers have
resigned on their own. (Ryan's vote: Rice, Sutter, Concepcion). At the very least, current HOF's should be
allowed to vote along with writers (as well as separately). But you have the pres. of the BBWAA screaming about leaving the process as it is---and his
paper (the Balt. Sun) doesn't even allow him to vote.
I realize this idea won't go over here, as many want
so-called baseball writers to hang on desperately to
this mis-placed power.

Kirby does have two rings to Donnie's zero (I loved watching Don play). Mattingly got shafted playing for some bad teams.

You don't understand how this could happen? Do you really think 9 out of 10 people who vote know or care what Win Shares are??? They see Sutter's career ERA is lower than Goose's, they pick Sutter over Goose. Case closed. (They're wrong, but that's just the way it is, IMHO.)

Gossage's stats are obviously better than Sutter's and I would have voted for both of them (plus Dawson and Blyleven). But two factors might have worked in Sutter's favor over Gossage's. One is being the pioneer with the split-figner fastball. No, he didn't invent it. But he was the one who popularized it. The second thing is that some voters might be inclined against Gossage because of the ball-doctoring. Personally I don't care, but there's probably some folks who do.

Yeah, he was sort of the Elvis of the split-finger.

I do think that Gossage and Lee Smith should be in as well.

Well done! Sue Mullin.....the Goose was dominant. Spare me the numbers. Ask any hall of famer who faced him and I'm sure they will tell you they didn't like thier prospects of success against him. He owned the 7th 8th and 9th innings when managers were letting thier starters get into major trouble before looking to the pen for help. In this modern era, NIGHTLY, Rich would come in with tying and/or winning runs on or at the plate with one or none out. He made his manager look like Einstien, got the starter off the hook and SAVED his team from a defeat from situations that were alot more precarious (to say the least) than the situations, so called Closers are put into today. Gimmie a break! Goose raised the blood pressure of any opposing manager trying to figure out how to win in 6inn cause they wanted nothing to do with GOOSE. oh...and over a period of hall of fame worthy TIME. And by the way...I am a METS fan.

One of the stranger results; I'm not outraged that Sutter was elected, but the Goose obviously was a better candidate, and Bleyleven as well.

I am disappointed at Trammel's lukewarm support; perhaps the vets committee will put the two of them in together, as would be appropriate...

re: Gossage v. Sutter Win Shares

This just shows how helpful a tool win shares are.

The Veterans Committee should be mandated to be at least 1/3 sabrmetricians with an adequate baseline knowledge and pledge to use win share analysis to evaluate the HOF candidates.

--Arthur John Kyriazis
--Phillly

Um Pat Eichner, I'm better than Mattingly. I should go in before him. Don't compare a CF(Puckett) with a 1st baseman to make your rediculous point. And now that Sutter is in, and Goose isn't, we know this whole Hall of Fame thing is a sham. Who's next? John Wetteland? Troy Percival? Puhlease.

I agree with John Swinney, no Bleyleven, Goose, and Morris for that matter, is just a joke. Trammel, to me, is like an AL version of Larkin. What's gonna hurt him, is the fact that he played in the same timeframe as Ripken. And what about Dawson and Rice?