Monday, November 24, 2008

The Hall's 2008 Veterans Committee Ballot Review

Heading into the extra-long Thanksgiving weekend, which will be a family (on the dear wife's side) celebration of my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary (the actual date was in early October, but gathering the whole clan takes effort).

My folks reached 47 years this summer past, so they've got another three years to the golden. I look forward to it, though at this early date have absolutely no notions or plans whatsoever. I suppose I should start plotting with my sibs sometime early next year....

Anyway... it's a break time! Major League Baseball holds its winter meetings during the second week of December, which is not at all far off, and that starts off with a bang on day one (Monday, Dec. 8) with the announcements of who, if anyone, will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2009, from the Veterans Committee ballots. I've already had my say on these -- there are 20 candidates on two different ten-man ballots, sorted by those who made their major league debut before the 1943 season, or later. Convenient links to my ballot reviews, something basebally to think about while watching football and digesting.

* == candidate I would vote for.

Pre-1943 ballot -- Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, *Joe Gordon, *Sherry Magee, Carl Mays, Allie Reynolds, *Vern Stephens, Mickey Vernon, Bucky Walters, *Deacon White.

Post-1943 ballot -- *Dick Allen, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson, *Ron Santo, Luis Tiant, Joe Torre, Maury Wills.

The Hall's on-line biography profiles (incomplete as of this writing; new ones are posted every day or two; the pre-1943 candidates are available, the post-1943 candidates are still rolling out).

Root for Santo.

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