Chicago BBWAA HoF Ballots

[KCBOOMER]

A recent issue of the Chicago Tribune listed how six local members of the BBWAA will vote in the upcoming HoF election. The six writers were Phil Rodgers, Dan McGrath, Mike Downey, Bob Verdi, Bill Adee, and Paul Sullivan. Using the BBWAA rule of 75% for election these guys would elect Paul Molitor, Ryne Sandberg, Dennis Eckersley, and Andre Dawson. Definitely a Chicago bias to the voting as Sandberg, Eckersley, and Dawson all played for the Cubs. They just missed on agreeing in another former Cub: Bruce Sutter.

They almost whiffed on Bert Blyleven (one vote) which doesn't bode well for Blyleven supporters. Others receiving votes were Lee Smith (3), Goose Gossage (3), Jim Rice (2), Steve Garvey (2), Jack Morris (1), Alan Trammell (1), Fernando Valenzuela (1).

[Skip]

Blyleven getting fewer votes than Garvey is not the way to get my new year off to a positive start. Ridiculous. I totally agree with their first 3 choices for going in though, and don't really have a problem with Dawson (and would have expected the Chi voters to back him).

[huskerdru]

Blyleven getting fewer votes than Garvey is not the way to get my new year off to a positive start. Ridiculous. I totally agree with their first 3 choices for going in though, and don't really have a problem with Dawson (and would have expected the Chi voters to back him).

I pretty much agree...especially on Rik Aalbert vs. Garvey. The hometown bias isn't surprising, and I think is essentially expected in the voting structure - the hometown writers know those players the best. I've always thought that Dawson was marginal, though.

[JamesI]

How can Garvey get more support than Bert? Or Lee Smith? We need new voters...

[TimmyB]

Interesting bit of "exit polling" here. Chicago is certainly a big enough market to have a decent beginnings of a sample size, but the Cubs bias throws it a little.

It'll be interesting to see how this matches up with the final results.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I'm glad they didn't select George Will for the writer's wing or Studs Terkel for his portrayal of a reporter in Eight Men Out.

I guess we're really lucky that MJ never got ten years in the majors.

[rpackrat]

Not terrible selections, though I agree on the misses. How can Garvey get more votes than Blyleven? For that matter, how can Garvey get any votes from people who, at least in theory, watch the game closely?

[SmedIndy]

It's all about the counting stats...argh!

Dawson is not a HOF in my book, and I doubt he'll make it.