Self-Absorbed Egotist Baseball Writer Leaves Ichiro Off His HOF Ballot

When Ted Williams was eligible for the Hall of Fame, there were 302 votes cast. Twenty writers left him off their ballot. Ted Williams was arguably the greatest hitter ever. Sorry, not sorry. He was the last in MLB to hit over .400. The “Splendid Splinter” lost several years to service in the Marine Corps, first during World War II and then Korea. Williams wasn’t just one of the best baseball players of all time; he was a great American and a patriot. Why did 20 writers, who arguably couldn’t hit a beach ball if it was teed up, leave William completely off their ballots?

Simple answer – they didn’t like Williams as an interviewee. Williams didn’t like to placate or small-talk with baseball writers. He was standoffish and sometimes rude to them. He wanted to shower and leave, and that turned 20 old men into disaffected, jilted 12-year-old girls. In 1941, Williams had one of the greatest seasons ever, yet he didn’t win the MVP award. Even the winner, Joe DiMaggio, was placed eighth and ninth on some of the writers' ballots. Why? Because baseball writers are ridiculous, petulant babies.

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier after a career in the Negro Leagues. His jersey number is the only number that no one in Major League Baseball can wear, save for one day a year; that one "Jackie Robinson Day" when every player wears his 42. Every team has “retired” 42.

Yet when Robinson was voted into the Hall of Fame, he received 77.5 percent of votes. Thirty-six baseball writers left him off their ballots. Balloting remained a “secret,” so no one was required to tell the public that they were part of the "NO" cabal. I have no doubt that some left him off based on rank racism, but others would likely suggest that Robinson didn’t play enough years in MLB to make it onto their ballot – never taking into consideration his impact on the game, and for that matter, America.

In 1946, Stan Musial was voted MVP of the National League. The voting was not close. Musial’s batting average was .365. Eddie Stanky came in seventh. Stanky hit .273 with zero home runs. One baseball writer placed Stan Musial ninth on his MVP list. Absurd. And why? Because baseball writers are ridiculous, petulant babies.

What is my point? Baseball writers should not be voting for potential inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Maybe they, as a group, “know” baseball and vote accordingly, but there are still baseball writers who think of themselves as Horatius Cocles standing as baseball’s vanguard. One anonymous numbskull leaving inarguably one of baseball's great players off their ballot is shameful. It’s a purity argument, I think, some ridiculous litmus that only they can understand or justify.

This year, Ichiro Suzuki was left off the ballot by one baseball writer, even though he came to America and began playing in the States at the age of 27. He stole over 500 bases, had a spectacular career batting average of .311, and earned 10 gold gloves. He played into his 40's. The supposed “guarantee" of Hall induction is 3,000 hits, and he did that after getting to the Bigs at the age of 27. He also had 262 hits in one season – a record that almost certainly will never be broken.

On Sunday, at the induction ceremony, Suzuki said:

"Three-thousand [career] hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers," Suzuki said. "Except, oh, one of you."
After the laughter subsided, Suzuki mentioned the gracious comments he made when balloting results were announced, when he offered to invite the writer who didn't vote for him home for dinner to learn his reasoning. Turns out, it's too late.
"The offer to the one writer to have dinner at my home has now ... expired!" Suzuki said.

Nice to see someone throw some shade at the anonymous baseball scold.

The time has come to take their teddy bears away. Give Hall of Fame ballots to men who are former and present baseball players, and make the voting public. Yes, I want to know who thought Suzuki didn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. Like a writing test — “show me your work.”

Ok. Rant over.

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