MLB Hall of Fame class of 2016

[duke74]

I grew up as a Met's fan. I am the proud owner of a Sidd Finch rookie card:

Attachment 5836

And was able to take this picture from spring training back in the day:

Attachment 5837

Ah, what could have been . . . .

Well played.

[Reilly]

Going from memory, other HOFers who played for the Mets include ...

I was at the HOF last summer, and they sold some team-specific HOF shirts. I was amazed at the completeness of the shirts, listing every person in the HOF with a connection to the team. For example, the orange Orioles shirt included Whitey Herzog listed on the back as a HOF Oriole (along w/ the likes of Brooks, Cal, etc ...). Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog played two seasons with the Orioles and of course was inducted as a manager (never managing the O's).

[Blue in the Face]

You forgot one other guy in the HoF - and who played for and managed us - Joe Torre, although he is of course better known for his successes in the Bronx.

You both left out Pedro, probably my favorite pitcher* I ever got to watch - strong words from a yankee fan.

*Well, starter. Mariano is my favorite player, possibly in any sport.

[duke74]

You both left out Pedro, probably my favorite pitcher* I ever got to watch - strong words from a yankee fan.

*Well, starter. Mariano is my favorite player, possibly in any sport.

Good point. His signing was important for us on a number of levels, including what he brought in performance and credibility, even though he was at the back end of his great career.

[rasputin]

I guess I used the criteria of whom actually is designated in the HoF as a Met, not just those who wore the uniform for a time. Of course the others played for the Mets...usually at the back end of a great career. The only one who MIGHT (I say might) have been in his prime, played for a reasonable period for us, and thus could have gone in as a Met was the Kid - Gary Carter - who had great seasons for us and brought credibility to the mid 80s team (that SHOULD have won more than one WS).

Duke was a PR thing for the new Mets in '62 (with Gil Hodges - the Dodger thing) - my first year following them in the Polo Grounds. Richie Ashburn (Phils) the same. Yogi and Warren were at the tail end of their careers and Yogi later managed us. Eddie and Roberto had basically their last paydays with us, while Nolan was a raw rookie on the Seaver-led WS team in '69 (Seaver, Koosman, Gentry and Ryan - this year's SP brought back memories of those guys). Ryan also was part of possibly our worst trade ever, for an aging Jim Fregosi brought in to move from SS to 3B. Ricky had some good years for us, but he was never a "Met" - more an A or Yankee.

And Willie. Maybe the best of the NYC "big-three" - Willie, Micky and the Duke (sounds like a song, doesn't it?). His tenure here though was sad. I still have visions of him falling down in CF in the '73 WS, along with Millan letting a grounder through his legs. It was just sad...

You forgot one other guy in the HoF - and who played for and managed us - Joe Torre, although he is of course better known for his successes in the Bronx.

Yogi was canned by the Yankees after they lost the 1964 World Series, and the Yanks hired Johnny Keane, who had led the Cardinals to that championship. Yogi went to the Mets as a coach under Casey Stengel. The record book shows that he played in 4 games and went 2 for 9 at the plate as a Met. I think the Mets activated him as a player late in the season, as a lark.

[Olympic Fan]

Late comer to the thread (I was on the road with limited internet access). I was happy to see Ken Griffey and Mike Piazza make it -- the fifth or sixth best centerfielder all time and the best hitting catcher in baseball history (unless you count Josh Gibson).

I was also gratified to see Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines do so well. I've been a big Raines booster -- he's the second-best leadoff man in baseball history who had the misfortune to play at the same time as the No. 1 guy (Rickey Henderson). You can also make the case that he's the best base stealer in baseball history -- he's fourth in total steals but he has a better success rate than any of the top guys). He should be in.

So should Bagwell, who is in the range of one of the top 5-10 first basemen in baseball history (Saw Bill James yesterday and he had Bagwell at No. 4).

But his case -- and Piazza's election -- brings is back to the PED issue. There are three clear sets of circumstances in this debate -- the guys who were never linked to PEDs in any way (including Ken Griffey), the guys who definitely used PEDs (Bonds, Clemens, McGwire) and a handful of guys in the middle -- guys that were tainted only by suspicion, never by any credible evidence.

Piazza is the first guy from that group to win induction ... I hope and think Bagwell will be the second. That's clearly the one thing that made Piazza wait four ballots for induction ... and has kept Bagwell out.

As for the true cheaters, a lot was made this year that Bonds and Clemens increased their percentage by about eight percent each. But what that overlooks is that the BWAA trimmed its roll and had about 100 less voters this year. In actually, both of their vote totals went DOWN this year. Unless the BWAA keep trimming their voting list (and this was a one-time thing), Bonds and Clemens are not gaining ground.

I suspect they still will have to wait for the veteran's committee ...

... As will Alan Trammell, who drops off the ballot. Sorry to see that ... he's better than about half the shortstops that are in the Hall.

Next year's ballot doesn't include a slam dunk -- Manny is a confirmed PED user, he won't make it. Two catchers on the ballot -- Pudge Rodriguez and Jorge Posada. I think Pudge has the best chance -- a GREAT defensive catcher -- but I did see where Bill James argued that Posada was the more valuable player of the two. And he was at the heart of a championship dynasty (although that didn't help Bernie Williams).

I think Pudge will make it next year along with Bagwell, Raines (in his final year on the ballot) and maybe Trevor Hoffman (who had a strong first-year showing).

One last note: I heard this and think I heard it right -- this year's two selections have an interesting connection to the draft. Griffey is the first No. 1 overall draft pick to make the Hall ... Piazza is the lowest drafted player ever to make the Hall (John Smoltz previously held that distinction).

[Tom B.]

I've been a big Raines booster -- he's the second-best leadoff man in baseball history who had the misfortune to play at the same time as the No. 1 guy (Rickey Henderson).

Raines also had the misfortune of playing half his career -- and some of his most productive years -- in Montreal, so hardly anyone ever saw him and he has a much smaller "mental imprint" on casual baseball fans than someone like Henderson.

[Blue in the Face]

I think Pudge will make it next year

Rodriguez is obviously deserving, but I think he'll get the Piazza treatment. There's probably more smoke with him than with Piazza - he had a pretty significant spike in performance in his career (admittedly in his late 20's, not an unusual time for a player to really improve, but the 2nd half of his mvp season through the following, injury shortened, season, is really out of context with the rest of his career), he was on the leaked list (albeit completely unverified) of 103 players who failed the 2003 test, and Jose Canseco (dirtbag though he is, many of his claims about steroid use have later been shown to be true) claimed he injected him. I don't think any of that should, or will, keep him out, but I do think it may cost him a few votes on the first go around.

[Tom B.]

Rodriguez is obviously deserving, but I think he'll get the Piazza treatment. There's probably more smoke with him than with Piazza - he had a pretty significant spike in performance in his career (admittedly in his late 20's, not an unusual time for a player to really improve, but the 2nd half of his mvp season through the following, injury shortened, season, is really out of context with the rest of his career), he was on the leaked list (albeit completely unverified) of 103 players who failed the 2003 test, and Jose Canseco (dirtbag though he is, many of his claims about steroid use have later been shown to be true) claimed he injected him. I don't think any of that should, or will, keep him out, but I do think it may cost him a few votes on the first go around.

Suspicions or not, Pudge was at the center of one of my favorite plays ever -- the play at the plate that ended the 2003 NLDS and sent the Marlins to the NLCS against the Cubs. I didn't have a rooting interest for or against either the Marlins or the Giants. I just thought it was a cool way to end a playoff series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvoKmImnSLM

[Blue in the Face]

Suspicions or not, Pudge was at the center of one of my favorite plays ever -- the play at the plate that ended the 2003 NLDS and sent the Marlins to the NLCS against the Cubs. I didn't have a rooting interest for or against either the Marlins or the Giants. I just thought it was a cool way to end a playoff series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvoKmImnSLM

It's kind of funny that the Marlins absolutely pile on Rodriguez, when a guy in his situation might reasonably have wanted a moment to shake off that collision.

[OldPhiKap]

Speaking of Mets, when I was a kid Joe Torre played third and then was a player-coach for a short stint. Will likely go in the HOF as a coach and not a player, but it all started in Flushing Meadows.

[duke74]

Speaking of Mets, when I was a kid Joe Torre played third and then was a player-coach for a short stint. Will likely go in the HOF as a coach and not a player, but it all started in Flushing Meadows.

Same...I miss Shea.