DoubleX
04-17-2007, 06:12 PM
Welcome to Baseball Fever's Mock HoF Election for 1992. The goal of this project is to conduct Hall of Fame elections from 1979-2007, as if we were the BBWAA, and then compare our results to the actual BBWAA results. For the most part, we will proceed just like BBWAA does. 1979 was selected as the start date as that is when the BBWAA elections first implemented the 5% rule (though it was not always adhered to).
This post will provide three things:
1) The Format and Rules
2) A Guide for the 1992 Election
3) Some Personal Thoughts and Observations
Format and Rules
- The BBF ballot will consist of the same players that were on the BBWAA ballot, except for in instances where we have elected, dropped, or sustained on the ballot different players than the BBWAA (which will likely be quite a few).
- Voters may vote for between 0-10 candidates. A "None of the Above" option is available if you believe no one is worthy and you wish to submit a blank ballot.
- Adjusting Ballots: Anyone who votes for more than 10 candidates will have all their votes discounted unless they inform me within 48 hours of submitting their vote (or the close of the election, whichever comes first) of the mistake and which players they wish to discount. In such a situation, if I am not informed of the players to be dropped, I will discount that voter's entire ballot. If a voter habitually submits a ballot with more than 10 players, they risk having their votes discounted in all present and future elections. Otherwise, there will be no adjusting ballots after submitted, even if you forgot to vote for someone you meant to vote for or clicked on the wrong player. So please think carefully about your ballot before voting and make sure you have selected everyone you intend to vote for (up to 10).
- 75% support or greater will elect a player. Players receiving less than 5% will be dropped from all future elections (even if in reality, that player was included in future BBWAA elections). Players receiving 5% or more but less than 75% will stay on the ballot for the next election, unless that player's 15-year eligibility is over.
- The election will close exactly a week after it started. The next election might not commence for another day or two.
- IMPORTANT: There is some concern about voters defrauding this process by voting with multiple screen names. First, please don't as there is really no point and it takes the fun out of this which is to see how we come out, more than it being a heated competition to get your player elected. Nevertheless, to take precaution against the possibility of a voter abusing the process, votes will be made public, so if we see unfamiliar screen names casting similar ballots, we'll see cause for concern, and if the concern proves to be founded, some form of punitive action could follow. So basically, ONE PERSON = ONE BALLOT. Anything else is really just moronic and defeats the purpose.
- Also, in the interest of making this process as genuine as possible, I strongly urge voters to not view the results before they vote, as viewing results before voting could influence a person's votes (perhaps subconsciously).
- This thread is also meant to be a discussion thread, so please feel free to stump for and/or against players, including players that will come up for election in the following year.
1992 Guide
There are 36 candidates on the 1992 BBF ballot. Here's some information regarding the candidates:
First Timers (18)
Dusty Baker
Vida Blue
Cesar Cedeno
John Denny
Ken Forsch
George Foster
Bobby Grich
Toby Harrah
Dave Kingman
Dennis Leonard
Garry Maddox
Ben Oglivie
Tony Perez
Bill Russell
Tom Seaver
Gorman Thomas
Pete Vuckovich
Steve Yeager
Holdovers (18)
Player Year of Eligibility High BBF Support Previous Year’s BBF Support
Sal Bando 6th 19.57% (1987) 13.95%
Bobby Bonds 6th 28.26% (1987) 16.28%
Norm Cash 13th 19.57% (1987) 18.60%
Rollie Fingers 2nd 72.09% (1991) 72.09%
Bill Freehan 11th 41.17% (1986) 37.21%
Frank Howard 14th 27.46% (1986) 25.58%
Catfish Hunter 8th 39.53% (1991) 39.53%
Jim Kaat 4th 30.23% (1991) 30.23%
Bill Mazeroski 15th 39.53% (1991) 39.53%
Tony Oliva 11th 36.96% (1987) 20.93%
Al Oliver 2nd 11.63% (1991) 11.63%
Boog Powell 10th 17.74% (1984) 11.63%
Reggie Smith 5th 27.91% (1991) 27.91%
Rusty Staub 2nd 6.98% (1991) 6.98%
Gene Tenace 4th 7.32% (1989) 6.98%
Luis Tiant 5th 40.48% (1988) 32.56%
Joe Torre 10th 61.54% (1985) 53.49%
Jimmy Wynn 10th 34.62% (1985) 25.58%
Last Year of Eligibility
Bill Mazeroski
Penultimate Year of Eligibility
Frank Howard
Actual Hall of Famers on BBF Ballot (5))
Rollie Fingers (BBWAA – 1992)
Catfish Hunter (BBWAA – 1987)
Bill Mazeroski (VC - 2001)
Tony Perez (BBWAA – 2000)
Tom Seaver (BBWAA – 1992)
Players on BBF Ballot not on BBWAA Ballot (12)
Sal Bando – Dropped by BBWAA (1987)
Larry Bowa – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Norm Cash – Dropped by BBWAA (1980)
Bill Freehan – Dropped by BBWAA (1982)
Frank Howard - Dropped by BBWAA (1979)
Catfish Hunter – Elected by BBWAA (1987)
Jerry Koosman – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Al Oliver – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Boog Powell – Dropped by BBWAA (1983)
Reggie Smith – Dropped by BBWAA (1988)
Gene Tenace – Dropped by BBWAA (1989)
Jimmy Wynn – Dropped by BBWAA (1983)
Players on BBWAA Ballot not on BBF Ballot (9)
Dick Allen – Elected by BBF (1985)
Ken Boyer – BBF Eligibility Ended (1989) – The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1994 for reasons explained in our 1989 guide.
Orlando Cepeda - Elected by BBF (1984)
Curt Flood - The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1996 for the same reasons that Ken Boyer's eligility was extended.
Mickey Lolich – Dropped by BBF (1985)
Minnie Minoso – Elected by BBF (1990)
Thurman Munson – Dropped by BBF (1989)
Vada Pinson - Dropped by BBF (1983)
Ron Santo - Elected by BBF (1980) - The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1998 (should have ended in 1994) for the same reasons that Ken Boyer's eligibility was extended.
Maury Wills – Dropped by BBF (1989)
Players Elected by BBF between 1979-1991 (28)
Player BBF Election Year BBF Election Percentage Year on Ballot
Hank Aaron 1982 100.00% 1st
Dick Allen 1985 75.00% 3rd
Luis Aparicio 1990 76.47% 12th
Richie Ashburn 1979 75.41% 12th (1st for BBF)
Johnny Bench 1989 95.12 1st
Lou Brock 1988 76.19% 4th
Rod Carew 1991 86.05% 1st
Orlando Cepeda 1984 79.03% 5th
Don Drysdale 1983 79.03% 9th (5th for BBF)
Bob Gibson 1981 89.83% 1st
Fergie Jenkins 1989 82.93% 1st
Al Kaline 1980 90.32% 1st
Harmon Killebrew 1981 93.22% 1st
Juan Marichal 1981 79.66% 1st
Willie Mays 1979 98.36% 1st
Willie McCovey 1986 100.00% 1st
Minnie Minoso 1990 76.47% 5th
Joe Morgan 1990 88.24% 1st
Jim Palmer 1990 80.39% 1st
Gaylord Perry 1989 80.49% 1st
Brooks Robinson 1983 88.71% 1st
Frank Robinson 1982 100.00% 1st
Ron Santo 1980 82.26% 1st
Duke Snider 1979 83.61% 10th (1st for BBF)
Willie Stargell 1988 88.10% 1st
Hoyt Wilhelm 1979 77.05% 2nd (1st for BBF)
Billy Williams 1982 80.00% 1st
Carl Yastrzemski 1989 92.68% 1st
Players Elected by BBF by Position
Catcher (1): Johnny Bench
First Base (4): Dick Allen, Orlando Cepeda, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey
Second Base (2): Rod Carew, Joe Morgan
Shortstop (1): Luis Aparicio
Third Base (2): Brooks Robinson, Ron Santo
Left Field (5): Lou Brock, Minnie Minoso, Willie Stargell, Billy Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
Center Field (3): Richie Ashburn, Willie Mays, Duke Snider
Right Field (3): Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson
Starting Pitcher (6): Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Gaylord Perry
Relief Pitcher (1): Hoyt Wilhelm
Players Elected by BBWAA between 1979-1991 (24)
Player BBWAA Election Year BBWAA Election Percentage Year on Ballot
Hank Aaron 1982 97.83% 1st
Luis Aparicio 1984 84.62% 6th
Johnny Bench 1989 96.42% 1st
Lou Brock 1985 79.75% 1st
Rod Carew 1991 90.52% 1st
Don Drysdale 1984 78.41% 10th
Bob Gibson 1981 84.04% 1st
Catfish Hunter 1987 76.27% 3rd
Fergie Jenkins 1991 75.40% 3rd
Al Kaline 1980 88.31% 1st
Harmon Killebrew 1984 83.13% 4th
Juan Marichal 1983 83.69% 3rd
Willie Mays 1979 94.68% 1st
Willie McCovey 1986 81.41% 1st
Joe Morgan 1990 81.76% 1st
Jim Palmer 1990 92.57% 1st
Gaylord Perry 1991 77.20% 3rd
Brooks Robinson 1983 91.98% 1st
Frank Robinson 1982 89.10% 1st
Duke Snider 1980 86.49% 11th
Willie Stargell 1988 82.44% 1st
Hoyt Wilhelm 1985 83.80% 8th
Billy Williams 1987 85.71% 6th
Carl Yastrzemski 1989 94.63% 1st
BBF/BBWAA Election Ratio
28:24
Players Elected by Year between 1979-1991 (BBF and BBWAA)
Year BBF (27) BBWAA (21)
1979 Richie Ashburn Willie Mays
Duke Snider
Hoyt Wilhelm
Willie Mays
1980 Al Kaline Al Kaline
Ron Santo Duke Snider
1981 Bob Gibson Bob Gibson
Harmon Killebrew
Juan Marichal
1982 Hank Aaron Hank Aaron
Frank Robinson Frank Robinson
Billy Williams
1983 Don Drysdale Juan Marichal
Brooks Robinson Brooks Robinson
1984 Orlando Cepeda Luis Aparicio
Don Drysdale
Harmon Killebrew
1985 Dick Allen Lou Brock
Hoyt Wilhelm
1986 Willie McCovey Willie McCovey
1987 None Caftish Hunter
Billy Williams
1988 Lou Brock Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
1989 Johnny Bench Johnny Bench
Fergie Jenkins Carl Yastrzemski
Gaylord Perry
Carl Yastrzemski
1990 Luis Aparicio Joe Morgan
Minnie Minoso Jim Palmer
Joe Morgan
Jim Palmer
1991 Rod Carew Rod Carew
Fergie Jenkins
Gaylord Perry
Players Elected by BBF but not BBWAA between 1979-1991 (5)
Dick Allen (1985)
Richie Ashburn (1979)
Orlando Cepeda (1984)
Minnie Minoso (1990)
Ron Santo (1980)
Players Elected by BBWAA but not BBF between 1979-1991 (1)
Catfish Hunter (1987)
Players Dropped by BBF After 15 Years on Ballot (9)
Player Year Dropped High BBF Support
Ken Boyer 1989 33.33% (1986)
Jim Bunning 1991 69.57% (1987)
Curt Flood 1991 16.28% (1991)
Nellie Fox 1985 67.31% (1985)
Gil Hodges 1983 27.42% (1980/1983)
Ted Kluszewski 1981 9.68% (1980)
Don Newcombe 1980 12.90% (1980)
Red Schoendienst 1983 25.81% (1983)
Enos Slaughter 1979 45.90% (1979)
Players Heldover by BBF but Dropped Before Eligibility Ended (9)
Player (Year Dropped) Years on Ballot High BBF Support
Willie Horton (1988) 3 6.52% (1987)
Elston Howard (1981) 8 (3 for BBF) 11.29% (1980)
Don Larsen (1980) 7 (2 for BBF) 6.56% (1979)
Sparky Lyle (1989) 2 7.14% (1988)
Roger Maris (1982) 9 (4 for BBF) 16.13% (1979)
Thurman Munson (1989) 9 17.39% (1987)
Amos Otis 2 5.88% (1990)
Vada Pinson (1983) 3 13.56% (1981)
Maury Wills (1980) 12 (11 for BBF) 16.13% (1984)
Number of Ballots Submitted in Past BBF Elections
1979: 61
1980: 62
1981: 59
1982: 55
1983: 62
1984: 62
1985: 52
1986: 51
1987: 46
1988: 42
1989: 41
1990: 51
1991: 43
Links to Past BBF Elections
1979 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56114&highlight=Mock+Election)
1980 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56470&highlight=Mock+Election)
1981 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56809&highlight=Mock+Election)
1982 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57089&highlight=Mock+Election)
1983 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57376)
1984 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57694)
1985 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58020)
1986 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58308)
1987 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58590)
1988 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58882)
1989 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59147)
1990 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59516)
1991 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59900)
Thoughts and Observations
1) Newcomers: Tom Seaver headlines the newcomers this year and might arguably be the best pitcher we’ve had since we began with 1979. Tony Perez is also on the ballot and I expect that he could be contentious candidate. After that, there are a number of interesting candidates who could all garner some support, notably, Dusty Baker, Vida Blue, Cesar Cedeno, George Foster, Bobby Grich, Toby Harrah, Dave Kingman, and Ben Ogilvie, among others. This might be the most interesting ballot we’ve had in years in terms of those second tier players.
2) Holdovers: We lost three holdovers last year, Jim Bunning and Curt Flood to eligibility, and Amos Otis to the 5% rule. We also added two new holdovers, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub.
Here are some of my thoughts/observations on some of the holdovers:
- Bill Mazeroski: This is Mazeroski’s last year of eligibility. He set a new high in support last year, but is still just under 40%. He will need a lot of help if he’s to get elected so I’d suggest his supporters come out early and argue his case.
- Frank Howard: This is the next to last year for Howard. Howard featured big time power in an era where power was suppressed and in home parks that are difficult for hitters.
- Rollie Fingers: Fingers received the most support among holdovers and came close to election (72.09%). Thus far, we have eventually elected every player that has received at least 70% of the vote in at least one election, so things are looking pretty good for Fingers. It will be interesting to see what kind of precedent he establishes for future relievers.
- Joe Torre: Torre received the second most support among holdovers from last year (53.49%). Torre doesn’t seem to be making much progress, which is kind of odd. Of players that were receiving as much support as Torre consistently receives, we seem to have eventually elected most of them. I think if you look at his offensive production, a career 129 OPS+, and consider that it came while playing mostly catcher and 3B, and also consider the era, he seems to have a strong case to me. He has an MVP, one of the finest offensive campaigns ever by a 3Bman, was perhaps the best catcher in baseball (or at least the NL, with Bill Freehan having the strongest rival claim - another player I urge voters to take a good look at) during most of the 60s, a Gold Glove at catcher, and nine All Star selections. Seems like a pretty strong case to me.
- Gene Tenace: I think Tenace is a generally underrated player and is like that great little secret that Bill James exposed for us, but I really scratch my head as to why he’s still on the ballot. No question that Tenace could hit as a catcher, his career 135 OPS+ attests to that. However, he strikes me as a far cry from a Hall of Famer. The argument in favor of Tenace is that he was a very good offensive catcher. However, he played about only 8 full seasons, had just 5525 plate appearances, only twice did he catch more than 100 games in a season (plus one more 99 game season), only once more than 104, and he played 1B almost as often as he caught. I just don’t see how he had a Hall of Fame career at any position, especially catcher. To me, Thurman Munson and even Elston Howard seem more deserving as Hall of Fame catchers than Tenace, yet they were both dropped by us (I never voted for either Munson or Howard). I’m not trying to tell people how to vote, just saying why I don’t see Tenace as a Hall of Famer and would ask his supporters to state his case in response.
3) Voter Turnout: After and up and encouraging year in 1990, we slumped back in 1991, so it’s tough to predict what kind of turnout we’ll get.
4) My Mistake: I carelessly posted this election without making sure everything was alright. Notably, I omitted Rollie Fingers and Frank Howard from the ballot. My apologies for that mistake. Hopefully everything is ok now.
This post will provide three things:
1) The Format and Rules
2) A Guide for the 1992 Election
3) Some Personal Thoughts and Observations
Format and Rules
- The BBF ballot will consist of the same players that were on the BBWAA ballot, except for in instances where we have elected, dropped, or sustained on the ballot different players than the BBWAA (which will likely be quite a few).
- Voters may vote for between 0-10 candidates. A "None of the Above" option is available if you believe no one is worthy and you wish to submit a blank ballot.
- Adjusting Ballots: Anyone who votes for more than 10 candidates will have all their votes discounted unless they inform me within 48 hours of submitting their vote (or the close of the election, whichever comes first) of the mistake and which players they wish to discount. In such a situation, if I am not informed of the players to be dropped, I will discount that voter's entire ballot. If a voter habitually submits a ballot with more than 10 players, they risk having their votes discounted in all present and future elections. Otherwise, there will be no adjusting ballots after submitted, even if you forgot to vote for someone you meant to vote for or clicked on the wrong player. So please think carefully about your ballot before voting and make sure you have selected everyone you intend to vote for (up to 10).
- 75% support or greater will elect a player. Players receiving less than 5% will be dropped from all future elections (even if in reality, that player was included in future BBWAA elections). Players receiving 5% or more but less than 75% will stay on the ballot for the next election, unless that player's 15-year eligibility is over.
- The election will close exactly a week after it started. The next election might not commence for another day or two.
- IMPORTANT: There is some concern about voters defrauding this process by voting with multiple screen names. First, please don't as there is really no point and it takes the fun out of this which is to see how we come out, more than it being a heated competition to get your player elected. Nevertheless, to take precaution against the possibility of a voter abusing the process, votes will be made public, so if we see unfamiliar screen names casting similar ballots, we'll see cause for concern, and if the concern proves to be founded, some form of punitive action could follow. So basically, ONE PERSON = ONE BALLOT. Anything else is really just moronic and defeats the purpose.
- Also, in the interest of making this process as genuine as possible, I strongly urge voters to not view the results before they vote, as viewing results before voting could influence a person's votes (perhaps subconsciously).
- This thread is also meant to be a discussion thread, so please feel free to stump for and/or against players, including players that will come up for election in the following year.
1992 Guide
There are 36 candidates on the 1992 BBF ballot. Here's some information regarding the candidates:
First Timers (18)
Dusty Baker
Vida Blue
Cesar Cedeno
John Denny
Ken Forsch
George Foster
Bobby Grich
Toby Harrah
Dave Kingman
Dennis Leonard
Garry Maddox
Ben Oglivie
Tony Perez
Bill Russell
Tom Seaver
Gorman Thomas
Pete Vuckovich
Steve Yeager
Holdovers (18)
Player Year of Eligibility High BBF Support Previous Year’s BBF Support
Sal Bando 6th 19.57% (1987) 13.95%
Bobby Bonds 6th 28.26% (1987) 16.28%
Norm Cash 13th 19.57% (1987) 18.60%
Rollie Fingers 2nd 72.09% (1991) 72.09%
Bill Freehan 11th 41.17% (1986) 37.21%
Frank Howard 14th 27.46% (1986) 25.58%
Catfish Hunter 8th 39.53% (1991) 39.53%
Jim Kaat 4th 30.23% (1991) 30.23%
Bill Mazeroski 15th 39.53% (1991) 39.53%
Tony Oliva 11th 36.96% (1987) 20.93%
Al Oliver 2nd 11.63% (1991) 11.63%
Boog Powell 10th 17.74% (1984) 11.63%
Reggie Smith 5th 27.91% (1991) 27.91%
Rusty Staub 2nd 6.98% (1991) 6.98%
Gene Tenace 4th 7.32% (1989) 6.98%
Luis Tiant 5th 40.48% (1988) 32.56%
Joe Torre 10th 61.54% (1985) 53.49%
Jimmy Wynn 10th 34.62% (1985) 25.58%
Last Year of Eligibility
Bill Mazeroski
Penultimate Year of Eligibility
Frank Howard
Actual Hall of Famers on BBF Ballot (5))
Rollie Fingers (BBWAA – 1992)
Catfish Hunter (BBWAA – 1987)
Bill Mazeroski (VC - 2001)
Tony Perez (BBWAA – 2000)
Tom Seaver (BBWAA – 1992)
Players on BBF Ballot not on BBWAA Ballot (12)
Sal Bando – Dropped by BBWAA (1987)
Larry Bowa – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Norm Cash – Dropped by BBWAA (1980)
Bill Freehan – Dropped by BBWAA (1982)
Frank Howard - Dropped by BBWAA (1979)
Catfish Hunter – Elected by BBWAA (1987)
Jerry Koosman – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Al Oliver – Dropped by BBWAA (1991)
Boog Powell – Dropped by BBWAA (1983)
Reggie Smith – Dropped by BBWAA (1988)
Gene Tenace – Dropped by BBWAA (1989)
Jimmy Wynn – Dropped by BBWAA (1983)
Players on BBWAA Ballot not on BBF Ballot (9)
Dick Allen – Elected by BBF (1985)
Ken Boyer – BBF Eligibility Ended (1989) – The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1994 for reasons explained in our 1989 guide.
Orlando Cepeda - Elected by BBF (1984)
Curt Flood - The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1996 for the same reasons that Ken Boyer's eligility was extended.
Mickey Lolich – Dropped by BBF (1985)
Minnie Minoso – Elected by BBF (1990)
Thurman Munson – Dropped by BBF (1989)
Vada Pinson - Dropped by BBF (1983)
Ron Santo - Elected by BBF (1980) - The BBWAA extended his eligibility until 1998 (should have ended in 1994) for the same reasons that Ken Boyer's eligibility was extended.
Maury Wills – Dropped by BBF (1989)
Players Elected by BBF between 1979-1991 (28)
Player BBF Election Year BBF Election Percentage Year on Ballot
Hank Aaron 1982 100.00% 1st
Dick Allen 1985 75.00% 3rd
Luis Aparicio 1990 76.47% 12th
Richie Ashburn 1979 75.41% 12th (1st for BBF)
Johnny Bench 1989 95.12 1st
Lou Brock 1988 76.19% 4th
Rod Carew 1991 86.05% 1st
Orlando Cepeda 1984 79.03% 5th
Don Drysdale 1983 79.03% 9th (5th for BBF)
Bob Gibson 1981 89.83% 1st
Fergie Jenkins 1989 82.93% 1st
Al Kaline 1980 90.32% 1st
Harmon Killebrew 1981 93.22% 1st
Juan Marichal 1981 79.66% 1st
Willie Mays 1979 98.36% 1st
Willie McCovey 1986 100.00% 1st
Minnie Minoso 1990 76.47% 5th
Joe Morgan 1990 88.24% 1st
Jim Palmer 1990 80.39% 1st
Gaylord Perry 1989 80.49% 1st
Brooks Robinson 1983 88.71% 1st
Frank Robinson 1982 100.00% 1st
Ron Santo 1980 82.26% 1st
Duke Snider 1979 83.61% 10th (1st for BBF)
Willie Stargell 1988 88.10% 1st
Hoyt Wilhelm 1979 77.05% 2nd (1st for BBF)
Billy Williams 1982 80.00% 1st
Carl Yastrzemski 1989 92.68% 1st
Players Elected by BBF by Position
Catcher (1): Johnny Bench
First Base (4): Dick Allen, Orlando Cepeda, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey
Second Base (2): Rod Carew, Joe Morgan
Shortstop (1): Luis Aparicio
Third Base (2): Brooks Robinson, Ron Santo
Left Field (5): Lou Brock, Minnie Minoso, Willie Stargell, Billy Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
Center Field (3): Richie Ashburn, Willie Mays, Duke Snider
Right Field (3): Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson
Starting Pitcher (6): Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Gaylord Perry
Relief Pitcher (1): Hoyt Wilhelm
Players Elected by BBWAA between 1979-1991 (24)
Player BBWAA Election Year BBWAA Election Percentage Year on Ballot
Hank Aaron 1982 97.83% 1st
Luis Aparicio 1984 84.62% 6th
Johnny Bench 1989 96.42% 1st
Lou Brock 1985 79.75% 1st
Rod Carew 1991 90.52% 1st
Don Drysdale 1984 78.41% 10th
Bob Gibson 1981 84.04% 1st
Catfish Hunter 1987 76.27% 3rd
Fergie Jenkins 1991 75.40% 3rd
Al Kaline 1980 88.31% 1st
Harmon Killebrew 1984 83.13% 4th
Juan Marichal 1983 83.69% 3rd
Willie Mays 1979 94.68% 1st
Willie McCovey 1986 81.41% 1st
Joe Morgan 1990 81.76% 1st
Jim Palmer 1990 92.57% 1st
Gaylord Perry 1991 77.20% 3rd
Brooks Robinson 1983 91.98% 1st
Frank Robinson 1982 89.10% 1st
Duke Snider 1980 86.49% 11th
Willie Stargell 1988 82.44% 1st
Hoyt Wilhelm 1985 83.80% 8th
Billy Williams 1987 85.71% 6th
Carl Yastrzemski 1989 94.63% 1st
BBF/BBWAA Election Ratio
28:24
Players Elected by Year between 1979-1991 (BBF and BBWAA)
Year BBF (27) BBWAA (21)
1979 Richie Ashburn Willie Mays
Duke Snider
Hoyt Wilhelm
Willie Mays
1980 Al Kaline Al Kaline
Ron Santo Duke Snider
1981 Bob Gibson Bob Gibson
Harmon Killebrew
Juan Marichal
1982 Hank Aaron Hank Aaron
Frank Robinson Frank Robinson
Billy Williams
1983 Don Drysdale Juan Marichal
Brooks Robinson Brooks Robinson
1984 Orlando Cepeda Luis Aparicio
Don Drysdale
Harmon Killebrew
1985 Dick Allen Lou Brock
Hoyt Wilhelm
1986 Willie McCovey Willie McCovey
1987 None Caftish Hunter
Billy Williams
1988 Lou Brock Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
1989 Johnny Bench Johnny Bench
Fergie Jenkins Carl Yastrzemski
Gaylord Perry
Carl Yastrzemski
1990 Luis Aparicio Joe Morgan
Minnie Minoso Jim Palmer
Joe Morgan
Jim Palmer
1991 Rod Carew Rod Carew
Fergie Jenkins
Gaylord Perry
Players Elected by BBF but not BBWAA between 1979-1991 (5)
Dick Allen (1985)
Richie Ashburn (1979)
Orlando Cepeda (1984)
Minnie Minoso (1990)
Ron Santo (1980)
Players Elected by BBWAA but not BBF between 1979-1991 (1)
Catfish Hunter (1987)
Players Dropped by BBF After 15 Years on Ballot (9)
Player Year Dropped High BBF Support
Ken Boyer 1989 33.33% (1986)
Jim Bunning 1991 69.57% (1987)
Curt Flood 1991 16.28% (1991)
Nellie Fox 1985 67.31% (1985)
Gil Hodges 1983 27.42% (1980/1983)
Ted Kluszewski 1981 9.68% (1980)
Don Newcombe 1980 12.90% (1980)
Red Schoendienst 1983 25.81% (1983)
Enos Slaughter 1979 45.90% (1979)
Players Heldover by BBF but Dropped Before Eligibility Ended (9)
Player (Year Dropped) Years on Ballot High BBF Support
Willie Horton (1988) 3 6.52% (1987)
Elston Howard (1981) 8 (3 for BBF) 11.29% (1980)
Don Larsen (1980) 7 (2 for BBF) 6.56% (1979)
Sparky Lyle (1989) 2 7.14% (1988)
Roger Maris (1982) 9 (4 for BBF) 16.13% (1979)
Thurman Munson (1989) 9 17.39% (1987)
Amos Otis 2 5.88% (1990)
Vada Pinson (1983) 3 13.56% (1981)
Maury Wills (1980) 12 (11 for BBF) 16.13% (1984)
Number of Ballots Submitted in Past BBF Elections
1979: 61
1980: 62
1981: 59
1982: 55
1983: 62
1984: 62
1985: 52
1986: 51
1987: 46
1988: 42
1989: 41
1990: 51
1991: 43
Links to Past BBF Elections
1979 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56114&highlight=Mock+Election)
1980 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56470&highlight=Mock+Election)
1981 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=56809&highlight=Mock+Election)
1982 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57089&highlight=Mock+Election)
1983 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57376)
1984 (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=57694)
1985 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58020)
1986 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58308)
1987 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58590)
1988 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=58882)
1989 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59147)
1990 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59516)
1991 (http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=59900)
Thoughts and Observations
1) Newcomers: Tom Seaver headlines the newcomers this year and might arguably be the best pitcher we’ve had since we began with 1979. Tony Perez is also on the ballot and I expect that he could be contentious candidate. After that, there are a number of interesting candidates who could all garner some support, notably, Dusty Baker, Vida Blue, Cesar Cedeno, George Foster, Bobby Grich, Toby Harrah, Dave Kingman, and Ben Ogilvie, among others. This might be the most interesting ballot we’ve had in years in terms of those second tier players.
2) Holdovers: We lost three holdovers last year, Jim Bunning and Curt Flood to eligibility, and Amos Otis to the 5% rule. We also added two new holdovers, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub.
Here are some of my thoughts/observations on some of the holdovers:
- Bill Mazeroski: This is Mazeroski’s last year of eligibility. He set a new high in support last year, but is still just under 40%. He will need a lot of help if he’s to get elected so I’d suggest his supporters come out early and argue his case.
- Frank Howard: This is the next to last year for Howard. Howard featured big time power in an era where power was suppressed and in home parks that are difficult for hitters.
- Rollie Fingers: Fingers received the most support among holdovers and came close to election (72.09%). Thus far, we have eventually elected every player that has received at least 70% of the vote in at least one election, so things are looking pretty good for Fingers. It will be interesting to see what kind of precedent he establishes for future relievers.
- Joe Torre: Torre received the second most support among holdovers from last year (53.49%). Torre doesn’t seem to be making much progress, which is kind of odd. Of players that were receiving as much support as Torre consistently receives, we seem to have eventually elected most of them. I think if you look at his offensive production, a career 129 OPS+, and consider that it came while playing mostly catcher and 3B, and also consider the era, he seems to have a strong case to me. He has an MVP, one of the finest offensive campaigns ever by a 3Bman, was perhaps the best catcher in baseball (or at least the NL, with Bill Freehan having the strongest rival claim - another player I urge voters to take a good look at) during most of the 60s, a Gold Glove at catcher, and nine All Star selections. Seems like a pretty strong case to me.
- Gene Tenace: I think Tenace is a generally underrated player and is like that great little secret that Bill James exposed for us, but I really scratch my head as to why he’s still on the ballot. No question that Tenace could hit as a catcher, his career 135 OPS+ attests to that. However, he strikes me as a far cry from a Hall of Famer. The argument in favor of Tenace is that he was a very good offensive catcher. However, he played about only 8 full seasons, had just 5525 plate appearances, only twice did he catch more than 100 games in a season (plus one more 99 game season), only once more than 104, and he played 1B almost as often as he caught. I just don’t see how he had a Hall of Fame career at any position, especially catcher. To me, Thurman Munson and even Elston Howard seem more deserving as Hall of Fame catchers than Tenace, yet they were both dropped by us (I never voted for either Munson or Howard). I’m not trying to tell people how to vote, just saying why I don’t see Tenace as a Hall of Famer and would ask his supporters to state his case in response.
3) Voter Turnout: After and up and encouraging year in 1990, we slumped back in 1991, so it’s tough to predict what kind of turnout we’ll get.
4) My Mistake: I carelessly posted this election without making sure everything was alright. Notably, I omitted Rollie Fingers and Frank Howard from the ballot. My apologies for that mistake. Hopefully everything is ok now.