The Hall has released the 2012 Veterans Committee ballot, with ten candidates. This voting cycle will cover the "Golden Age" (the Hall's term, not mine), the period from 1947-72. Candidates who had the bulk of their career during this time are eligible.
The candidates:
players -- Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds, Ron Santo, Luis Tiant.
executives -- Buzzie Bavasi, Charlie Finley.
I think this is a rather disappointing slate. Not for the lack of quality names; I think the Historical Overview Committee, which composed this ballot, collected about the best harvest of names it could have from the period covered. But everyone on this list is a re-tread, has been on a VC ballot within the last ten years. The Hall imposes no relegation mechanism upon past candidates, not even a short-term, temporary one, in order to induce some churn and force other names to come up for consideration. Such a thing might produce no different results, but at least it would negate much of the predictability, and make things more interesting.
Here's my quick prediction: if anyone gets elected, it will be Santo. If he does not get elected, either Santo or Hodges will have the highest return. Also, the sun will rise in the East.
Anyway... I'll do long evaluations of the candidates soon, but I cannot foresee my opinions of the Hall-worthiness of any of these men changing. I have previously supported Santo (strongly), Boyer (faintly), Minoso (moderately), and Finley (weakly).
Kaat, Minoso, Oliva, and Tiant are still among the living. (If they're going to elect Minoso, they'd best hurry up if he's to enjoy the honor, because he officially turns 86 later this month and may be even older.)
This year's electors:
HOFers/former players (8) -- Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Brooks Robinson, Don Sutton, Billy Williams.
Executives (5) -- Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Gene Michael, Al Rosen.
Media (3) -- Dick Kaegel, Jack O'Connell, Dave Van Dyck.
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I rarely agree with anyone when it comes to who belongs in the HOF, but you are spot on with Ron Santo and Minnie Minoso being the cream of this crop (certainly in that order). However this committee will NEVER elect more than ONE candidate, if any, so my prediction is Santo. I don't want to veer to for off target, but why isn't there a special ballot every 3 years in an attempt to correct the wrong of Joe Jackson's plaque not hanging in the Hall. How can the banning 90YEARS AGO, handed out by a commissioner seen historically as totally pompous and psychotic, still have any substance today. Baseball needs to get its head out of the infield dirt and move forward for Christ's sake!
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