Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
January 09, 2007
Keeping the Hall in Perspective

Jay Buhner holds very low expectations for the Hall of Fame vote:

Jay Buhner has no delusions of grandeur, no pretensions of Cooperstown.

Ask him if he expects to get a Hall of Fame vote when the results are announced today -- a single vote, mind you; not actual election -- and he snorts.

"No. Come on. Let's be serious. You've got to be realistic. The chances of me getting a vote are slim and none."

Buhner, who retired from the Mariners after the 2001 season, is on the ballot this year for the first time, but virtually all of the focus will be on three other first-timers.

Specifically, the burning issues are how close Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. will come to unanimity, never achieved by any inductee, and how much the steroids cloud over Mark McGwire will hurt his candidacy.

Buhner considers it a major victory just to be on the ballot. To do so, a player must have been retired five years, played in at least 10 seasons, and pass the muster of a six-member screening committee.

"I didn't even know I was on the ballot until someone sent it to me on an e-mail two weeks ago," he said. "Truthfully, it's flattering to be even mentioned with the names on there, for God's sakes."

Now I can't wait to see if Buhner actually got a vote!


Posted by David Pinto at 11:14 AM | Players | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Frank Costanza: What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?! He had 30 home runs and over 100 RBIs last year. He's got a rocket for an arm. You don't know what the hell you're doin'!


George Steinbrenner: Well, Buhner was a good prospect, no question about it. But my baseball people loved Ken Phelps' bat. They kept saying "Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps."

Posted by: The Gov'Nah at January 9, 2007 01:09 PM

And he got a vote!

Posted by: tas at January 9, 2007 02:17 PM

1! Wonder who it was?

Posted by: Will at January 9, 2007 02:26 PM

so did Bret Sabherhagen and Bobby Bonilla. how does that happen ?

Posted by: The Gov'Nah at January 9, 2007 03:05 PM

Why wouldn't J. Buhner get a vote. In 1967 AL MVP Carl Yaz lost unanimous first place vote for his Triple Crown because a Twins writer gave his first place vote to the immortal Cesar Tovar, a good utility man, who hit .267 that season.

Posted by: Bob S at January 9, 2007 03:05 PM
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