It seems almost impossible for a player to earn election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility any more. The voters seem to take pride in finding some character flaw that allows them to make the player await until the second or third of 15th ballot.
When Roberto Alomar did not get the required 75 percent of votes last week, it became increasingly clear that someone needs to step in and help these voters get out of their own way.
Alomar's Career On Par With the Best Second Basemen
Roberto Alomar played 17 years in Major League Baseball with seven different teams. He broke into the leagues in 1988 with the San Diego Padres, and then played the bulk of his career in Toronto, Baltimore and Cleveland. His offensive numbers compare favorably with players considered the best second basemen of all time.
With a career batting average of .300, Alomar is ahead of hall-of-famers Joe Morgan (.271) and Ryne Sandberg (.285). His home run total of 210 is behind Morgan (268) and Sandberg (282), but he drove in more runs (1,134) than Morgan (1,133) and Sandberg (1,061).
Alomar banged out 2,724 hits in 2,379 games. Morgan (2,517 hits in 2,649 games) and Sandberg (2,386 hits in 2,164 games) can not match his numbers in that area as well. He also is the record holder with 10 gold gloves at second base.
The Alomar Spitting Incident
It could be that many sports writers who decided against including Alomar on their ballots are hanging their hats on the infamous 1996 incident during which he spat in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck. The details surrounding what was said during their argument that day are not completely clear, but it certainly was clear that Alomar was in the wrong with his actions.
It is hard to imagine that this one incident could possibly be enough to keep Alomar out of the Hall, but it might provide a reason for voters to punish him by making him wait.
A New Hall of Fame Voting System?
What happens in the years after a player is denied election to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot? Will Alomar's credentials suddenly improve between now and next year. It doesn't seem possible since he has been retired for five years. How can a player who is not worthy on the first ballot be more worthy two of five or ten years later?
The fact is that the credentials do not change, but the voters' willingness to see the player honored does.
What if the system were changed to eliminate the 15-year window for election to the Hall by the writers? It seems that a change to force writers to vote on a player just once would force them to really evaluate the player's contribution to the game and on the field and vote based on that criteria only.
There is no doubt that Roberto Alomar belongs in the Hall of Fame, and there is also little doubt that he will pick up the five votes needed to get there in the near future. Alomar fans hope they don't make him wait too long just to flex their muscles because they can.
Kurt Johnson - Kurt Johnson is a freelance writer based in Sacramento, Calif. With a degree in communications and a background in business management and ...
