Three Point Stance: Cooperstown voting change has to happen

By Cody Dalton
sports@southwesttimes.com



After last week’s column, I thought I would go a little national in this edition of my Three Point Stance. This past week marked another Hall of Fame announcement for players who are elected to Cooperstown and baseball’s biggest shrine.

In order to receive election to the Hall, players must receive 75% of the vote from those who cast their ballots. Elected to the 2010 class was former slugger Andre Dawson. Dawson, who played most notably for the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs. He recorded 438 homer runs and 1,591 RBIs in his long 21 year career.

While I agree with Dawson’s election into Cooperstown, it still leaves serious holes in the system for players to be elected. Bert Blyleven, who has been on the ballot for 14 seasons, still is not in the Hall of Fame. Blyleven has 287 career wins and 3,701 strikeouts in his career.

Also not receiving election was a first timer, Roberto Alomar. So in order to receive a chance to be in baseball’s biggest memorial, you must appear on at least three-fourths of the voters ballots. Kind of absurd, right?

Only players who are absolute locks get into the Hall on the first ballot. Just using basketball as an example, but everyone knew that Michael Jordan would get in on his first try. However, other players like David Robinson and John Stockton were able to be inducted in the same year.

The other problem that occurs with election into Cooperstown is that the players who don’t get elected in their first years get pushed down the ballot. If they fall far enough through the cracks, they will be forgotten and may never get a chance to get on the stage and accept their true place in baseball history.

Blyleven would be a great example of this and if Alomar doesn’t make it next year, he very well might fall into the same 14 year pattern that Blyleven has had to endure.

So let’s change the format. Lower the percentage of votes down to 65 or 70 percent. Maybe even play with the idea of throwing out the percentage system too and just induct the top three to five players who are voted for.

I’m even a staunch supporter of Pete Rose and believe he deserves to be in Cooperstown because he has more hits than anyone in baseball history with 4,256. He may have gambled on baseball, but his statistics will never lie, unlike those who take steroids to change the way they perform (but that’s an issue I’d rather not get into).
I always thought the Hall of Fame in any sport should include the best that there is (who have played cleanly) and so far, the voters and the system have failed to do so.

So for the fans sake and the sports sake, make a change. Baseball has lost the glory that it once had, but a change in voting may very well prove to be a breakthrough for Major League Baseball.