Tyler Kepner published this story in today’s NY Times about the new batch of players eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. I totally agree with his assessment that most of these fellows will not meet the five-percent of votes needed to remain on next year’s ballot. The only names that jumps out as a possible/probable inductee are Pudge Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Vladimir Guerrero. Others might have the numbers (Jeff Kent has more home runs than any other second baseman), but to think of them as Hall of Famers? Maybe I’m getting to the point where I’ve turned into the type to carp that today’s players couldn’t carry the jocks of the stars when I was a kid.
Kepner offers a few tidbits like this on about Melvin Mora
In 2001, Mora and his wife, Gisel, became the parents of quintuplets. How small were the children at birth? Mora told The New York Times in 2002 that he could slide his 2000 Mets National League championship ring (size 11) up each baby’s arm to the shoulder.
which reminded me of the “fun facts” that Topps used to print on the backs of baseball cards. For example
Regardless of their numbers, all the players here accomplished something that very few have: a major league career that earned them the right to have their names appear on a Hall of Fame ballot and for that they deserve congratulations.
is available on Amazon.com,
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