It's the Hall of Freaking Fame, Not the Hall of Pretty Good

Anyone who can stand to spend time around me will hear this phrase come out, "It's the Hall of Freaking Fame, not the hall of pretty good". I pull it out this time of year frequently when they announce who is in and not in to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Every year there are the "for sure" former professionals that get in and nobody really questions their credentials. This year it was Rickey Henderson. Believe me laughable part of this process is coming up. In addition to the "for sure" guys there are always the pretty good players that prompt my infamous line from before. This year that pretty good player was Jim Rice.

Now let me be the first to admit that determining who gets into the Hall of Fame is a somewhat tricky task, especially when you are asked to decide on someone who played before you were even born. The system by which individuals are picked to the Hall of Fame is as mixed up as you would think it is. First, you have to be a member of the baseball writers association for over 10 years and must have covered baseball continually for at least that amount of time. That secures your life long vote on who gets in and who doesn't. Even after you retire from writing you keep your vote. That brings me to the next issue I have with the voting. As a former professional you are alloted a 15 year window duirng which you have the ability to achieve Hall of Fame status by receiving 75% of the vote. 15 YEARS!!!! If a guy is a hall of famer why should it take 5, 6, 11 or 15 years to confirm his status. Either a guy is a hall of famer or he isn't. Is a baseball player who has been retired 5 years any better 6 years removed from the game than 10? Which brings me mercifully to the subject of this post, Mr. Jim Rice. Forget the fact that Rice played in a band box up in Boston and forget that he played in the American League. Rice had good number, I emphasize good. He wasn't the best at his position in the game when he played and he probably wasn't even one of the three best at his position in the American League. Rice falls squarely in the "pretty good" (which isn't bad) category, but not the Hall of Fame category. What makes me even hotter is the fact that it took Rice 15 years to garner the needed 75% of votes to be elected. So the writers are saying he is more worthy in year 15 than in year 7? I emplore the baseball writers to go to a one year review of whether you are Hall worthy then ship whoever doesn't make it to th veterans committee.