The Baines of our Fantasy Hall of Fame

[DOUGHBOYS]

The Hall of Fame has made a parody of itself over the last few years.
Self-important writers now have a platform on the MLB Network and give their choices and defend each one of them with stats of choice.
Each with a face so solemn, you'd swear they had their fingers on the nuclear button, not wrapped around a pen, filling in a box for a player to join the likes of Harold Baines.
Baines is not a Hall of Famer. But, now he is.
Steve Garvey, Dave Parker, Omar Vizquel, Johnny Damon, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson, and probably a hundred other players can now lay claim to being a Hall of Fame member.
And probably will in the near-future.
It's the way our society works now. Part of the wussification of America.
Exclusion in any club is not politically correct.

The Hall is using a process that has become archaic. A bunch of know-it-all writers show they don't much by voting every year on Hall of Fame candidates.
They are at ease in making up their own criteria in who gets in the Hall of Fame.
It was widely thought that Joe Jackson took money to throw a World Series.
Even though outplaying every other player in that World Series.
It's what the writers think. That is what counts.
Joe Jackson is out.
Writers think that Bonds, Clemens and others defamed the game by taking inappropriate drugs.
They do not know to what extent others took the same inappropriate drugs or whether players they are voting in to the Hall of Fame right now took those same inappropriate drugs or not. It doesn't matter.
It's what the writers think. That is what counts.

Here's my thought.
If fantasy baseball had a wing in the Hall of Fame, we would do it much differently.
We wouldn't have writers or anybody voting on who gets into the Hall.
We would have standards.
We wouldn't set the bar low for having a long career like Baines and getting in by mere average accumulation every year.
Our players would have to have the very stats they provided for us to win Fantasy Championships.

Bobby Bonds had five 30-30 seasons.
He was MUCH more important to fantasy players than Harold Baines.
Two 30-30 seasons would make for an automatic induction to the Hall of Fame.
This list would include Alfonso Soriano who has four 30-30 seasons.
And even Ian Kinsler and Howard Johnson, Sammy Sosa, and Ryan Braun.
With the fantasy wing of the Hall of Fame, we don't judge a player for injecting himself. In fact, we celebrate him for making our teams better!

We weren't playing fantasy baseball in 1932, but Chuck Klein would have received automatic inclusion for leading baseball in both Home runs and stolen bases. The only time a player has done that.
Cesar Cedeno would be in our Hall of Fame for having consecutive 20-50 years.
Cedeno had 20-homer, 50- stolen base seasons in 1972 and '73.
Hanley Ramirez is part of the 250-250 club. He would get in for that achievement.
Young wannabe's like Ronald Acuna Jr. would play that much harder to achieve 250-250 status.

Five 20-20 seasons would be automatic inclusion for players.
Here are the players that would be in the Fantasy Wing of the Hall of Fame for that accomplishment...

Barry Bonds 1987 1998 22-33 10 Ind. Seasons
Bobby Bonds 1969 1979 23-33 10 Ind. Seasons
Bobby Abreu 1999 2005 25-31 7 Ind. Seasons
Eric Davis 1986 1996 24-34 7 Ind. Seasons
Raul Mondesi 1995 2003 24-32 6 Ind. Seasons
Hank Aaron 1961 1968 27-34 6 Ind. Seasons
Willie Mays 1955 1960 24-29 6 Ind. Seasons
Mike Cameron 1999 2006 26-33 5 Ind. Seasons
Carlos Beltran 1999 2004 22-27 5 Ind. Seasons
Alex Rodriguez 1997 2005 21-29 5 Ind. Seasons
Ray Lankford 1992 1998 25-31 5 Ind. Seasons
Howard Johnson 1987 1991 26-30 5 Ind. Seasons
Joe Carter 1986 1991 26-31 5 Ind. Seasons
Darryl Strawberry 1984 1988 22-26 5 Ind. Seasons
Kirk Gibson 1984 1988 27-31 5 Ind. Seasons
Andre Dawson 1978 1983 23-28 5 Ind. Seasons
Vada Pinson 1959 1965 20-26 5 Ind. Seasons

We would also have a one-category wing within our wing of the Hall.

The Judy Wing would feature Juan Pierre

The Slug Wing would feature Ryan Howard

The Maintain Wing would feature Bill Madlock

A Pitching Wing would feature JR Richard, Mark Langston, David Cone, Eric Gagne, and Dwight Gooden, among others.

Each would have earned their way into the Hall.
That's right, EARNED their way by hitting certain numbers that fantasy players needed to win their leagues.
Some of these players would probably not live up to even Harold Baines standards in a one-dimensional way of thinking.
I get that.
I also get that when Tony LaRussa was asked for the biggest reason in electing Baines to the Hall of Fame, he said "Game winning RBI"
GWRBI's?
That statistic ended before La Russa ended his career!
A totally worthless stat to hang any hat on.
Fantasy players know better.
Fantasy baseball players were integral to our success and their accomplishments.
Hall of Fame candidates should not be judged by writers whose go-to statistic is WAR or a stat that is extinct like GWRBI.
There are too many factions to our game to have it judged by a few writers.
The Hall parodied itself by letting 12 old timers into a room to judge who they think should be in the Hall.
The result was Harold Baines.
And Lou Piniella almost got in too!
Joe Torre was a better player than Lou Piniella!
C'mon!

In our way of looking at baseball, Baines wouldn't even measure up to Matt Holliday.
Baines is a U who can't run!
Nelson Cruz, at the least, is a U who can hit a lot of homers!
We have to tolerate that Baines is in the Hall of Fame and players like Pinson, Soriano, and Abreu don't get a mention.
Alfonso Soriano, Hanley Ramirez, Vada Pinson, and Bobby Abreu were total athletes playing baseball.
Five tool players.
Greatness on fantasy teams.
And, in Pinson's and Abreu's case, wonderful in the field
Baines, simply, is not and was not.
He does not measure up to most of the baseball community, save 12.
Believe me though, when Hall of Fame Induction Day gets closer, MLB Network will be reciting stats that will make it seem as though Baines is Hall of Fame worthy.
After all, they wouldn't want to hurt Baines feelings. It's not his fault 12 people thought he should be included.


The wussification of America continues.

[NorCalAtlFan]

"virtual hug"

let it go

[DOUGHBOYS]

"virtual hug"

let it go

Appreciated. But I can't do it, Bryan.

They did something wrong.
We let wrong things go on in America far too often.
We rationalize that decisions made by small groups (Congress, Senate, BBWOA, Committees) are good for the millions of us.
They are not in a lot of cases.
In some cases, just plain wrong.
BUT, once that decision is made, no matter how the populace feels, it is set in stone. Why?
Nobody is there to represent the millions from the decisions that come from these small groups.
These small clubs are mostly representing THEMSELVES.
It's stupid.
12 people think Harold Baines should be in the Hall of Fame.
I can find 12 people that think Dale Murphy belongs in the Hall of Fame.
And those people weren't Dale Murphy's former team owner, Manager, or teammate like Baines had on his little committee.
It's stupid. A false democracy.
Harold Baines should have to pay to enter the Hall of Fame, just like Steve Garvey, Alfonso Soriano, and you know....Us.
Simply, not right.

[DOUGHBOYS]

The Hall of Fame called "Olly olly oxen free" today and a herd has been allowed into the Hall of Fame.
Those going to the Hall of Fame will have to listen to at least six speeches.
I say 'At least' because who knows what other little committees or broadcasters or writers or best usher at a ball park will be voted in next.

Harold Baines and Pete Rose were not on this years ballot.
You could have given any baseball fan odds and he would have chosen Rose as the better selectee.
Of course, it'll be Baines making the speech.
22 Years of playing baseball and he's still 1,500 hits away from Rose. Oy.

I believe with technology and now, 'transparency' among voters that a lot of players will be going into the Hall every year now.
What the Hell, the bar has been lowered with Baines anyway, so guys like Dave Parker and Cecil Cooper can plead cases.
The lowering of standards only applies to on-field activities however.
If being a bad boy off the field, you must wait your turn.
Baseball uses the Hall as a 1930's father used a switch or belt.
The Hall is the last word on deportment.
Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, the game's best base hitters of their time, can only be remembered as the best base hitters of their time.
Not Hall of Famers.
Same for Bonds, Clemens, and steroid users.
They have to be more selective or secretive about their 'craft' like Piazza or Rodriguez.

The Hall of Fame for voters, has become a little like fantasy baseball.
We judge players on their future.
Will they get hurt?
Will they be good enough?
How do they measure up?
The writers judge players on the past.
Did they do something bad?
Were they good enough?
Did they measure up?

The other day, a policeman went to court for a questionable shooting.
When the verdict was handed down, he received seven years.
The Judge had deliberated about the toughness of his job, the decision made, the outcome, the character of the man.
Seven years.
That is real life.
Somebody was killed and the person who shot him goes to jail for seven years.
In the comparative frivolity of a Hall of Fame baseball vote, Joe Jackson and Pete Rose have received Life Sentences.
You judge the circumstances and decision.
It is why the Hall of Fame has become less than what it once was.
Once followed by baseball fan addicts closely, now, it has become a shoulder shrug.
And it is now where Fantasy Baseball separates from Sports writers.
Fantasy baseball players are drafting Trout and Scherzer.
The Hall is putting players like Harold Baines and Mike Mussina in the Hall.
Both of very good ability and of moral value.
Way to go, Hall. Way to go.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Oh. And 100 percent votes for Mariano Rivera?
The Hall of Fame's GOAT.
Way to go, Hall. Way to go.