Hall of Fame

The 2008 entries into baseball's Hall of Fame will be announced around lunch time today. I predict the only ones getting in are Goose Gossage and Jim Rice, with Rice just barely clearing the 75% mark needed for entry.

However, the ones who deserve to get in are:
1. Mark McGwire
2. Bert Blyleven
3. Goose Gossage
4. Tim Raines (well, MAYBE Tim Raines. As a first ballot guy, it might be more fitting that he gets in next year).

Those NOT worthy: Well, everyone else basically, but Rice, Dawson, Murphy, and Morris have gotten lots of ink lately singing their praises. All good players. None with HOF credentials. Rice will get in today (on his 14th ballot!), but he shouldn't.

Let me add that this "Steroid Era" factor comes down to this: Either you think the cloud of controversy should prohibit HOF consideration or that it should not. If you believe the former, then it doesn't matter how good the player was, you don't vote for him. If you believe the latter is true, then you base your choices on their careers. If you are among this group, McGwire has easily earned his way into the HOF and should get the vote. If you are among the other group - which is a perfectly legitimate stance, I have no problem with you excluding Mac; but you damn sure better also exclude Bonds and Clemens and every other player tainted by the Steroid Era when their name comes up. You can't just say, "Well, Bonds and Clemens were better than Mac, so they get in and he doesn't." Mac doesn't HAVE to be better than Bonds and Clemens; he just has to be good enough to get into the HOF - which he was.

By the time I get back home today, we'll know the results.