Vets Committee Vote To Be Wacky?

[Max Power]

Thought this was interesting:

http://www.uticaod.com/sports/specialreports/halloffame2003/veterans/muder022403.htm

Wally Schang and Lew Burdette? If the preferred candidates of Feller and Spahn, respectively, win election to the Hall when Wednesday’s vote is unveiled, we might be in for another revamping of the Hall’s most controversial committee.

“Wally Schang was my first roommate and a coach when I came up with the Indians in 1936,” Feller said. “He gets my vote.”

OK, but Schang was a .284-hitting catcher with no power.

“I don’t know why Lew Burdette isn’t a Hall of Famer,” Spahn said. Try this: a 3.66 ERA and a good-but-not-great 203 wins in 18 years.

Two bad things can come of this process - - either someone fluky ends up in Cooperstown - or, the vote is so spread out that no one gets in and the guys deserving get shafted.

Agree? Disagree?

[Skip]

Originally posted by Max Power
or, the vote is so spread out that no one gets in and the guys deserving get shafted. I think this is very likely. And Feller's a schmuck anyway.

[JamesI]

I still think Santo's in, and after that nothing. The system is screwed up, but I don't think anyone wants the veterans comittee putting in people like those mentioned above.

[pathogan]

...this is getting worse,not better...

[Bruce Markusen]

This article is a bit misleading. Neither Wally Schang or Lew Burdette are among the 26 players featured on this year's Veterans Committee players ballot. Both of them were on the initial list of 200 names that was prepared by a committee of baseball writers, but that step in the process was long ago.

Here are the players listed on this year's Vets Committee ballot:

Dick Allen

Bobby Bonds

Ken Boyer

Rocky Colavito

Rick Ferrell

Curt Flood

Joe Gordon

Gil Hodges

Elston Howard

Ted Kluszewski

Mickey Lolich

Marty Marion

Roger Maris

Mike Marshall (the pitcher)

Carl Mays

Bob Meusel

Minnie Minoso

Thurman Munson

Don Newcombe

Tony Oliva

Vada Pinson

Allie Reynolds

Ron Santo

Joe Torre

Ken Williams

Maury Wills



Now it is possible that Burdette and Schang could make the final ballot in 2005, which is the next year that the Veterans Committe votes.

[KCBOOMER]

As most of you know I have favored abolishing the Vets Committee. I don't oppose a blue ribbon group (i.e. no former players) doing a final review to pick up the guys who truly have been overlooked, but Feller's and Spahn's comments are exactly why I hate letting the players vote on this. It is simply a prescription for Frischism.

And as always I say, "Why the Hell can't I vote?"

[sweaver]

Best guess...the vote is spread out so no one gets in.

[KCBOOMER]

BTW, the results of the VC voting is tomorrow (02/26)!

[pwdennis]

viva Santo !!
viva Minoso !!




now let's see if the reconstituted veterans committee can get it right

[TimmyB]

Tomorrow's results will tell us a lot about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of this new VC.

[JamesI]

Originally posted by TimmyB
Tomorrow's results will tell us a lot about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of this new VC.

But, everyone will decide that differently. Of those on the ballot, I only want to see Santo elected.

[LeGrandOrange]

Wally Schang should be in anyway if you ask me.

I'm just hoping they don't do anything stupid in the voting...which I can't be entirely hopeful for...

[Rinkster]

My wish come true would be if the VC elected Santo, Minoso, and Pinson, but I would guess the top three vote-getters will be Torre, Hodges, and Santo.

I used to be sure that Hodges and Santo would get the vote, but now my gut is leaning towards Hodges and Torre. So it will probably end up being Torre and Santo get elected (that is the way my gut seems to miss, juuuuussst abit outside.

To me, it's sad if either Torre or Hodges are elected because of their managerial careers, and there is no doubt they will get votes as much for what they achieved as a manager. In fact, their managerial careers will be what tipped the scale in their favor.

If Torre had not managed the Yankees there is no way he would be on the list of 26 finalists. If Hodges had not managed the Mets in 1969, he still probably would have made the list of 26, although Torre was a better player than Hodges was.

We'll find out tomorrow.

[Bruce Markusen]

This isn't based on any inside information--just a hunch. I think that Ron Santo (players ballot) and Marvin Miller (composite ballot) will barely squeak in with just over 75 per cent of the vote. I think that Gil Hodges and Tony Oliva will finish just behind them, falling just short of election.

Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if it's a complete shutout. I've talked to a lot of people who feel that no one will be able to get 75 per cent of the vote.

The announcement, by the way, will be at 2:00 pm EST tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. It should be interesting.

[Max Power]

Can't beef about those two!

[JamesI]

Originally posted by Rinkster
My wish come true would be if the VC elected Santo, Minoso, and Pinson, but I would guess the top three vote-getters will be Torre, Hodges, and Santo.

If Hodges gets elected, I start my campaign to elect Boog Powell! (Isn't Boog a much cooler name anyway?)

[LeGrandOrange]

Frank Howard deserves it more than Boog...but Cooperstown doesn't have enough hulking sluggers who are popular with fans. I'd join the campaign too if you started one. :)

[sweaver]

Originally posted by LeGrandOrange
Wally Schang should be in anyway if you ask me.
Schang's plaque can hang beside Ray Schalk's, and then I will run interference for Smed while he gets the crowbar to get both of them out of there.

If anyone is elected, then Santo and Miller are the most likely. There will always be votes like Feller's "oh this guy is my buddy, I'll vote for him," but the hope is with the new, larger VC that those things will be diluted rather than emphasized.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I won't rest until Ken Keltner's in the Hall of Fame!
:smash:

[SmedIndy]

This is the problem with the lowest common denominator thinking. It's times like this where I really need an active crowbar.

[LeGrandOrange]

I make one innocent little comment about Wally Schang...

He was a very solid hitter, was tremendous at drawing a walk, and had a cannon arm. He's in the upper echelon in terms of modern catchers at the plate. Most importantly he's better than Ray Schalk. :)

[sopclod]

Well, the votes have been counted and uh... I don't think this new format is going to work real well.

[Craig S.]

Nobody voted in....can't say I'm disappointed. I don't like this form of voting to begin with, so this is the best outcome I could hope for.

On a related note, I still can't believe Marvin Miller isn't in yet.