2009 Hall of Fame vote: Henderson in, McGwire out, Rice on hold

NJ.com looks at the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame vote.  Several interesting names pop up on the ballot including Ricky Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jim Rice.  Each connects with steroids and PEDs.

1.  Henderson seems a shoe-in.

The "first" is an opportunity to elect Rickey Henderson on the initial ballot -- for him. He will be on the one this writer submits, and not just because he accumulated 3,055 hits to exceed the "automatic election" plateau of 3,000. Also it is not just because his 1,406 stolen bases are the most ever, along with his single-season major league best-ever of 130 in 1982.

Henderson scored the most- ever 2,295 runs, another figure which propels him into the automatic category. He slammed 81 home runs as a leadoff hitter, and had a .401 on-base percentage. He was second in all-time walks with 2,190.

For all of Henderson's impressive numbers, which easily persuades the electorate in this voting, there is one fact about him that makes him not only automatic for the Hall of Fame, but totally unique as a player. He changed the rules of baseball.

How did he manage to do that? He shrunk the strike zone for all players, but mostly himself. Be cause Henderson was so selective at the plate, the top of the strike zone went from the letters practi cally to belt buckle. Sure, a lot of players, mostly the stars, got that deal. Henderson, if you recall, also hit from a crouch, which gave him the smallest strike zone in Major League Baseball during his career from 1979 to 2003.

He was impossible to pitch to without throwing the ball down the middle. If the pitch was not fat, Henderson would not swing and a ball would be called by the home plate umpire. If it was in there, Henderson took a rip. He got more than 3,000 hits, which included 510 doubles and 297 homers, so he had power.

Henderson also used dubious math on steroid use:

A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti's estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, "Well, Rickey's not one of them, so that's 49 percent right there."

2.  Mark McGwire comes up on the ballot again.  Sportswriters vilify the 'surviving' Bash Brother, however MLB has not castigated him.

Mark McGwire once again gets this vote. While most people are convinced that McGwire hit 70 homers in 1998 using steroids, Major League Baseball has done nothing to condemn that. MLB has not told the BBWAA to remove McGwire from the Hall of Fame ballot.

McGwire's numbers -- 583 career homers and 1,414 RBIs -- qualify him for the Hall of Fame, plus he is No. 9 all-time in slugging percentage (.588) and he won a Gold Glove in 1990. Until MLB and/or the BBWAA says "no" to McGwire, he will continue to receive this vote.

3.  Lastly, Jim Rice comes up for the vote a 15th and last regular HOF ballot.  Rice's number appear mundane for a slugger when compared with the steroid bloated players, however that is the point: When common -- but talented -- players start matching a dominant sluggers numbers routinely something has altered the balance of the game (something like steroids and PEDs; compare Rice's physique with a dominant slugger of the recent era...wow what a difference)

Jim Rice, who has been on this ballot each of the past 14 years. He is getting closer, but this is the last year that Rice, the most feared hitter in the American League during his 1974-89 career, will be on the ballot. Fifteen shots is all a retired player gets from the Writers Association.

Rice's number are not automatic -- 382 homers, 2,452 hits and 1,451 RBIs. The fact that he was so respected at the plate, however, al ways has been the reason he has gotten this vote, which he will receive one more time. Rice was named on 72.2 percent of the ballots last year, and he has to improve that to 75 percent to get in. It will be close, but this time Rice makes it to Cooperstown.

Henderson is a hit, McGwire is a strike again, and Rice is a base on balls (in).

Comments

[Bryan]

McGwire not getting elected is unbelievable to me. It's true that he never denied using steriods, but out of all the recent accused sluggers, he's the only one who didn't lie....he just didn't say anything. Beyond that, I can guarantee you he wasn't using steroids back in 1987 when he shattered the rookie home run record; I mean, my god, he was a bean pole.

He deserves to be in the hall. If he isn't allowed in, then I don't think Sosa, Palmeiro, Canseco, Bonds, etc, etc should be allowed in either.