Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken in and Mark McGwire out

[Jedi Master Carr]

HOF voting was announced today
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/news/story?id=2725461
Gwynn and Ripken were easily going to get in. Not sure why the ones who didn't vote for them didn't. McGWire only got 24% of the vote. Way behind Bert Blythin, Jack Morris, Lee Smith, Andre Dawson, Jim Rice, and Rich Gossage. I have a feeling he will never get in. At least not by the media. The players might induct him.

[Figrin D'an]

HOF voting was announced today
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/news/story?id=2725461
Gwynn and Ripken were easily going to get in. Not sure why the ones who didn't vote for them didn't.


There was at least one writer who turned in a blank ballot, saying that he felt that he can't yet adequately judge any player who played in the "steroids era," regardless of the the player being accused/suspected of use or not.

And there are a couple others who, I'm sure, didn't vote for Ripken and/or Gwynn because of the silly notion that, as no player in baseball history has ever gotten 100% of the HOF vote, no one should.

[Ryan Pode]

Yay! My childhood hero is HOF.

[jediSamson]

Good to see that Mark didnt make it in, dont get me wrong, im sure there are others that have gotten in and have cheated as well, but atleast we can say it's a 99% good chance that Mark was juiced up. Course I think we all know who has been complaining about steriod use in the MLB(as well as nlf,nba,nhl etc...) LONG!!!!!! before the MLB was forced to admit there was a problem :)

[jediSamson]

And there are a couple others who, I'm sure, didn't vote for Ripken and/or Gwynn because of the silly notion that, as no player in baseball history has ever gotten 100% of the HOF vote, no one should.Yeah, i have a question about that. How can someone like Ruth/Mantle not possibly get a 100%??? I mean were they not for forever the standard to which all players were judged??

[JMK]

The voters are a strange bunch, that's for sure. If Ripken isn't going to get 100% of the vote, then who is? Most of these guys go with the "Well no one else has ever received a unanimous vote, and so neither will anyone in the future". It's so antiquated and ridiculous.

As for those who cheated and those who didn't...I really can't find a stance to grab hold of. I firmly believe that any single player who jabbed a needle in his ****, just once, should be kept out forever. But then again, guys like Gaylord Perry cheated nearly every time out to the mound and we look back on guys like him and smile. I don't get it. The same thing happens with football. When a guy gets busted with roids in baseball, we crucify him. But a guy like Merriman gets busted and now he's off to the pro bowl and no one really cares.

Personally, I'm 99.999999 convinced that McGwire filled himself up with as many enhancers as he could. It wasn't against MLB rules, but NO ONE would have respected him for it if he made it public knowledge, and let's not forget, thet were ILLEGAL. I won't be offended or sad if he never gets in to the HOF. If any player (pitchers included) don't get in from this era, I won't care. I think in a way it will serve them all right one way or the other.

[Ryan Pode]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.schmuck07jan07,0,7555286.column?coll=bal-sports-baseball

It's a sorta long article to post, but its an interesting take on the McGwire hall of fame.

[Darth McBain]

I'm glad to see Gwynn and Ripken get in. They were guaranteed to get in - nice to see it's finally official. Not only were they awesome players, they were both class-acts.

[JMK]

Barry apparently failed an amphetamine test in 2006...I'm shocked. Bonds puts things in his body that he shouldn't have.

His explanation?? They weren't mine.

Another shock. Bonds denies it. Hopefully it's another nail in his HOF chances, though I'm sure he'll get in somehow.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2727325

[Darth McBain]

You beat me to it, JMK... What a major surprise - Bonds fails a drug test and immediately blames someone else. Just step up, take it like a man and admit it. I hope he never gets into the HOF and his "records" are scrapped from the books, or at least given a scarlet letter in the form of the asterisk...

[Jedi Master Carr]

I really hope Bonds is kept out too. I don't think the Veterns committee would put him, he isn't popular with the players. McGwire may have a better chance there.

[JMK]

The only problem with Bonds is that he was a first ballot hall of famer before he got on the juice. That's why I think he will ultimately get in.