OPEN MIKE!

Readers on deck to take the wheel! Here is another opportunity to comment on the Tiger topic of your choosing.

Today, we open up the comment parameters for you, so you can really get those juices flowing. Comments can be expanded to a maximum of 8 sentences.  So pick a topic and let us hear from you!  What’s on your minds?

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Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

The Saturday Survey offers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic.   So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our passionate readers.

Today, we center the discussion on the Tigers’ 3 major league free agent signings.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please vote and then submit your reasons  (4 sentences max!) for how you voted in the usual comment box.  Don’t forget to come back later and view the results!

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So far this season, the Tigers have signed 3 free agents to major league contracts – Robbie Grossman, Jose Urena and Wilson Ramos.  They also signed a number of veteran free agents to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.

In 2020, Detroit spent over $20 million for free agents who are no longer with the team.  This year, their free agent payroll is half of the previous year – just over $10 million.  Additionally, they are no longer paying $25 mill to Jordan Zimmermann or $6 mill to Prince Fielder.

But MLB is coming off a year in which every team lost money.  And there is still much unknown about the 2021 season – whether it will start on time and if and when fans will be allowed.  Almost every organization is showing some caution in preparing their rosters as a result.  The Tigers have been one of MLB’s fewest teams to sign free agents.

Are the Tigers simply being cautious?  Do they believe the season will create more red ink because of pandemic factors?

Are they planning on bringing up their young prospects, who will be making the major league minimum, sooner rather than later?

Could they see this season as another rebuilding year that doesn’t warrant a more serious investment in roster pieces?  Do you think they are stringing out the rebuild as long as possible?

There are a lot of factors in play.  Some directed by the new reality, some directed by the team.  Multiple factors are at play in the organization’s decision-making.

Given all of these factors,  please consider every one of them as you select the single best option to describe your feelings about the team’s moves in preparation for spring training.

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RAPID FIRE

By:  Holly Horning & Kurt Snyder

The off-season is a time when hires are made and potential rosters start to take shape. It’s a season of hope and often what happens behind the scenes is just as important as the changes we’ll be seeing on the field.

Today, Holly and Kurt address this week’s biggest event – the annual Hall of Fame elections. A process that is often more notable for its controversies than the actual election itself.

We’ve got 5 questions. Our 2 bloggers have just 2 sentences each to state their opinions. As always, their answers aren’t shared until publication. Let’s see what they have to say….

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How do you feel about the process?

HOLLY

Personally, I hate it because there is no set standard of evaluation and everyone eligible to vote applies their own interpretations instead of having a clear set of rules available for them to use. Some of these same writers are saying that some PED users are worthy but others aren’t and it’s OK for one player guilty of domestic abuse to get in but not for another player who committed the same act.

KURT

I don’t like it because the writers who vote on this are all over the map about how they view things. Writers who have a particular bone to pick with a player will weigh the negatives far more than the positives.

 

Do you believe the current voting process is working or not?

HOLLY

When you’ve got more and more writers, especially the very top journalists, declining to exercise their voting right, it says that there is something seriously wrong. When you read that a number of the most high-profile journalists who are still voting say that they “were sick to their stomachs” or “wanted to throw up”, it’s a clear sign that this voting procedure no longer works at all.

KURT

No, it’s not and what is maddening is how, in many ways, the emphasis on judging great baseball players gets pushed to the back burner. And when that happens, things start to get ugly and writers themselves lose patience with the process.

Should the BBWAA continue to be the voting force?

HOLLY

Would you want someone from outside your industry, who has never worked at what you do, have the ability to evaluate you for your industry’s highest honor? Of course not, which is why those who managed and played with you are the best judges of talent and should be the ones doing it.

KURT

I read an interesting article from the Washington Post that said, in a nutshell, writers should be writing about history, not dictating it, and I couldn’t agree more. Hall of Fame members themselves should be given a say in who joins them (not unlike the Veteran’s Committee), but the rules would still need revisions in order to negate voting for preferred types of players and people.

Are you surprised about the most recent results in which no member got in?

HOLLY

Not really because a number of analysts predicted these results. Everyone pulling the most votes historically has some serious baggage and the PED users have been stalled in the number of votes they were getting year after year.

KURT

I have no reason to be surprised but still don’t understand why they would have years where no one gets in. Hall of Fame voting rules are so jacked up that during times when they can award and showcase great players of their history, they shove themselves into a corner and award no one instead; great for fans, right?

What was encouraging or upsetting about this latest vote?

HOLLY

On one hand, I detest the cancel culture directed at Curt Schilling because of reprehensible comments he’s been making a full decade after retiring from the game, which attempts to punish free speech. On the other hand, there remains the same majority of voters who steadfastly refuse to admit players who most assuredly took PEDs to enhance performance.

KURT

I am not encouraged at all about what has transpired this year. Yes, Curt Schilling is a volatile person when it comes to his political views but I refuse to concentrate on something that distracts from a player’s career accomplishments which should be considered more than anything else.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

 

 

SO YOU WANT TO BE THE GM?

Once again, readers get a chance to make their own decisions about the Tigers.  So You Want to Be the GM? offers you that opportunity.

The segment tests our readers in determining how they would handle decisions as the General Manager.   So here is your next assignment.    Let’s get to it!

(Comments may be extended for this segment, but please do not exceed 8 sentences in your response. )

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The Tigers filled a big need at the catching position Wednesday by signing free agent Wilson Ramos to a 1-year contract.   Looking at the to-do list, they still have a need at first base.

 

As GM, if you don’t acquire a veteran first baseman, what is your plan?

 

 

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DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT STRATEGIES

By:  Holly Horning

You, dear readers, come to our blog because you appreciate the unvarnished observations about our favorite baseball team. You come because you want to read viewpoints and information that is not available in the major Detroit newspapers or on any MLB-owned media. You come because we identify the reasons why the Tigers do what they do by looking beyond the dugout and the playing field.

We are square shooters. We tell it like we see it. And all we ask of you is to consider the information we present. For the record, we, in turn, read your comments and honor all perspectives.

We are grateful that we have a community here in which ideas and opinions can be shared respectfully – and that we can even learn a thing or two from one another. There is no cancel culture here. There is no planned attack to disparage anyone who doesn’t share the identical idea by the poster. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. How many other sites can claim this?

What we ask of you is to consider everyone’s opinions. I know we are all tired of those who work overtime trying to validate every bad move made by the Tigers. But in turn, there are also those who can see no good in anything the Tigers do.

Neither of these extremes work.

Shouldn’t we all be willing to escape our comfort zones and explore opinions other than our own? Isn’t that how we learn?

All of this now brings us to today’s blog. A chance to play devil’s advocate and present the case for why the Tigers are currently doing (or not doing) what they are.

I know we’ve been tough on the team. And quite frankly, it’s been hard not to considering what’s been going on since (the most recent years, that is) probably the inexplicable hiring of Brad Ausmus. But running a baseball team is not a black or white issue. It’s complicated. And there are many issues those in charge have to face. And often, those issues compete directly with each other.

Many of them major issues and the determining factors that chart the team’s direction. Many of them issues that the team has no control over.

So let’s tackle that today. Let’s understand what the Tigers can and cannot do. Let’s understand how life today has impacted the team’s actions.

And let’s understand that when anyone makes an argument in favor of the team, that it doesn’t mean that they’ve “switched sides.” In fact, when you can both support and condemn actions of any group, it means you have the ability to make honest observations.

And that is a good thing.

Which brings us to the annual assessment of the Tigers’ actions since that first weekend in October. You know, the zillions of grades by the media and other blogs given in response to the moves made – or not made – by the team. The firings, if any. The hirings. The expected moves that are supposed to so clearly scream improvement.

And we’ve read the ones about the Tigers. The disappointment in the lack of moves. The disappointment in the profile level of the players acquired. The disappointment in the people and players who remain with the team.

But is it fair to blame the entire organization for what has – or hasn’t – happened?

Let’s start with the players Al Avila has acquired since October. Everyone is in agreement that none of them have moved the needle. But is this all upon Al?

Maybe it is to some degree when it concerns the specific players he signs. But let’s also remember that he doesn’t set the budget. Chris Ilitch does. And maybe, just maybe, Avila is hamstrung in the players he can acquire because of that. Maybe his pool of desirable candidates is on the short side because they all want more than he is able to offer.

Maybe he has so many holes to fill that he needs to spread the money around as thinly as possible in order to fill them all. (Those gaps are another issue and deserving of their own extensive discussion, but not today.) Would some fans prefer that he put most of the budget in one player and leave gaping holes everywhere else?

There is one thing for which I am sure. That every GM in the history of the game has used every single dollar he is given to sign players. He’s not saving up to sign Mike Trout. In fact, almost every GM probably goes begging to ownership for more payroll dollars every year in order to sign the players he wants.

So it’s not right to say that Al Avila is cheap. But maybe his boss is.

And then there’s a factor that neither owner nor GM has much, or any, control over.

In a recent survey of baseball agents, they revealed that other than Toronto (for being outside of the US and the complications it creates in travel and relocating one’s family), the one city most players request that they not be traded to – or entertain offers from – is Detroit. Mostly because of the city itself. Secondarily because of the questions surrounding the pace of the rebuild.

And all of that narrows down the field of who you can sign. And how much you need to pay them to reconsider. Let’s not forget how Mr. I had to overpay Pudge Rodriguez in order for him to come to Detroit.

However, the two biggest factors in Detroit’s lack of significant movement this off-season are due to both the industry’s movement and what is going on in the world.

Three letters – CBA. It is expiring in less than a year and reports have both sides doing little to nothing yet when most contract talks start at least a year in advance. Heck, the owners and players are battling it out over small points, like the universal DH, related to this year’s play. This doesn’t bode well, folks.

Everyone is reporting that the animosity between both sides has escalated tremendously and is at its worst in decades. Even the majority of the afore-mentioned agents believe there will be a work stoppage after this year.

Given such, is it in the team’s best interest to invest more in multi-year contracts this year when it is likely that play will be shortened next year? When the players you’ve signed are only going to get older and potentially lose a measurable portion of their value once the game resumes?

Let’s not forget that Chris Ilitch sits on one of the Commissioner’s committees so he is well-informed as to what those involved in the game are saying.

And finally, there is one factor that is the all-time game changer. The one factor that no one can control.

The pandemic.

We’ve just gone through a “season” where teams played a fraction of their games and the seats were empty. Other than media contracts, teams were not pulling in app. 40%-60% of their yearly revenue.

A huge question mark remains over the 2021 season. When will it start? Will the increase in infections and dangerous mutations in the virus shut things down again? And what about the fans? Will they be able to attend? And if so, how many will be allowed? There have been no decisions yet and no ruling on whether or not fans will be allowed to attend this year.

If you’re a smart businessperson – and all of these owners are – how many are going to push all their chips to the middle of the table when it comes to betting against the global scourge?

As it is, every single team after this last year has gone into cost-cutting mode in one or more multiple ways. Some teams have made drastic cuts to their employees and operations. Some so seriously so that it puts their viability within the game at risk.

The Tigers have been one of the luckier organizations, however they have also had to make some significant cuts within their organization. Cuts that need to offset the cash flow issues. Cuts that can’t be used to justify spending more on players.

Simply put, there is a huge question mark hanging over this season and the next one as well. So isn’t it wise for the Tigers to be more cautious right now until everyone learns more about how Covid will impact the 2021 season?

Could the Tigers Front Office also be waiting to make more moves closer to Opening Day when they may be able to strike some very favorable deals and get some bargains as a result? Wouldn’t that be a smarter move?

It’s really too soon to pass judgment on what the team has done so far in preparation for the coming year. It’s a different world, a different time. And it’s a time to do things differently as a result.

Let’s wait just a little while longer before passing judgment.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

By:  Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

Baseball’s historical footprint can be measured by the big moves it makes – as well as the small ones. Game-changing moments and policy – or a small move made by one team that is adopted by the rest.

So how do we measure what’s happening to our game? One way is to recognize the significant moments that appear from week to week. The season may be over but that doesn’t mean the game has stopped evolving until April.

What caught our eye over the past week? Glad you asked. We’re going to sum it up, Clint Eastwood style. The Good. The Bad. And the Ugly.

As always, Kurt and Holly never share their answers in advance. Let’s see how similar or how different they are in what they both see for the past week.

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THE GOOD

KURT

Simply put, Major League Baseball hiring Theo Epstein as a consultant is good news for all of us. Knowing full-well that we share the same concerns about the game as he does and that he will get his opinions heard is very encouraging.

HOLLY

Baseball’s most creative genius, Theo Epstein, didn’t spend much time on the sofa after leaving the Cubs by signing on to work with MLB as a consultant problem-solver. His first task is to bring excitement and athleticism back to the game that the introduction of analytics took away.


THE BAD

KURT

It’s been really difficult for baseball fans to sit back and watch all the Hall of Fame heroes of their youth pass away over the last year. But the passing of Hank Aaron is a difficult one, given his impact on the game and the quiet but genuine presence he has conveyed since we watched him dominate on the diamond.

HOLLY

Forbes Magazine has the Ilitch family ranked as the #3 richest MLB owner, however the latest article from Bloomberg News ranks them as tied for the #1 spot with Mets new owner, Steve Cohen – both having amassed $10.1 billion fortunes. Unfortunately for us, one team is spending – while the other is not.


AND THE UGLY

KURT

It’s fair to say that former Mets GM Jared Porter will never again get another opportunity in the game of baseball. And I wonder if that thought ever crossed his mind while he allegedly was sending lewd text messages and pictures to the female reporter he was foolishly trying to impress, I guess.

HOLLY

MLB is either wearing blinders or trying desperately to convince everyone that “all is well” when it comes to starting spring training on time – in 3 weeks. Half the teams report to AZ and the other half to FL, which are the 2 most Covid-infected states in the country and don’t mandate mask-wearing in order to help curb infections.

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Get your Totally Tigers fix beyond this blog.  Follow us on Twitter where we post and dissect additional new content every day, the Totally Tigers way!  Simply enter “Totally Tigers” in the search box at twitter.com.

Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

It’s time again to hear from our readers!   Today is the day to let us know what you’re thinking on a selected topic.

Sunday is the one day of the week where we open up the comment parameters for you so you can get those juices flowing.

Comments on THIS DAY ONLY can be expanded to a maximum of 8 sentences.

We can’t wait to get your thoughts on the following topic.

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Baseball legend Hank Aaron died on Friday at the age of 86.

Should MLB retire his number?  Explain.

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Get your Totally Tigers fix beyond this blog.  Follow us on Twitter where we post and dissect additional new content every day, the Totally Tigers way!  Simply enter “Totally Tigers” in the search box at twitter.com.

Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

The Saturday Survey offers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic.   So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our passionate readers.

Today, we center the discussion on the Baseball Hall of Fame voting criteria.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please vote and then submit your reasons  (4 sentences max!) for how you voted in the usual comment box.  Don’t forget to come back later and view the results!

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Next week, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) will announce who, if any, players will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Over the years, the elections have become increasingly controversial between the alleged popularity contests, PED controversies and the importance of the character and integrity clauses that are part of the decision-making process.  Most recently, arguments concerning revisionist history and the cancel culture/freedom of speech have further complicated the elections.  And as a result, we’re seeing a number of prominent journalists opting out of the voting process.

How happy are you, the fans, with this system?  Should something be done or should the system remain the same?  

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Get your Totally Tigers fix beyond this blog.  Follow us on Twitter where we post and dissect additional new content every day, the Totally Tigers way!  Simply enter “Totally Tigers” in the search box at twitter.com.

Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

RAPID FIRE

By:  Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

The off-season is a time when hires are made and potential rosters start to take shape. It’s a season of hope and often what happens behind the scenes is just as important as the changes we’ll be seeing on the field.

Today, Kurt and Holly address the additions the Tigers have made so far to the roster. Through Wednesday, they have signed 2 free agents in RHP Jose Urena and OF Robbie Grossman. An additional handful of veterans have also been signed to minor league deals.

We’ve got 5 questions. Our 2 bloggers have just 2 sentences each to state their opinions. As always, their answers aren’t shared until publication. Let’s see what they have to say….

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Grade the Tigers moves so far.

KURT

D 

No real sign of any kind of roster building moves. So far, it appears to be another year of patching holes with players who will have no long-term contribution or impact.

HOLLY

D+ 

I give them credit for being one of the few teams to sign any free agents at all. But neither of the 2 players they signed are difference-makers as they go into year #7 of the rebuild and only 1 has an outside chance of moving the needle at all.

What do the signings tell you so far?

KURT

It looks like nothing but the status quo for 2021. Even though they have been active in free agency, it’s not real impactful and we really can’t expect much more this season other than some development of our young players; but the signings don’t speak to that, they symbolize more band aids.

HOLLY

They’ve signed quite a few reclamation projects to minor league contracts with invites to spring training which means they are hopeful that at least one of them will make the Opening Day roster. It’s bargain basement strategy at its finest which also tells me that payroll is once again being limited and currently sits $30 million below what was spent last year.

Do you think the Tigers will be signing more players before Spring Training?

KURT

Yes, you have to believe there will be another veteran catcher coming to Detroit, along with a first or second baseman or both. But given who they have brought in to this point, we can’t expect much needle-moving, regardless of who the new Tigers are.

HOLLY

As spring training gets closer, yes, they’ll be taking advantage of the timeline by adding to their list of veterans signed to minor league contracts with invites. And with Jason Castro now off the board, expect Alex Avila to make a return and fill that troublesome catcher’s position, which will also get his dad out of the doghouse with his mom for trading him in the first place.

Did you expect the Tigers to make the moves they did or did you expect more or less from them? 

KURT

Certainly I expected more, but it is still January and I think it’s safe to expect more moves prior to Spring Training or even during. The way I see it is that the team will be in better shape once the season begins, having filled more holes and of course will begin to reap the benefits of the new manager and coaching staff.

HOLLY

I expected them to do more, especially as they (and their media buddies) keep chirping about a return to competitive levels in 2022, combined with the expected rise of some of their top prospects this year. Teams can only dwell in the cellar for so long and at some point, fans have to be able to see improvements in the roster and the level of play on the field, which currently hints that it will once again be a struggle during the coming year.

Are these moves in line with where they are in the rebuild?

KURT

No, when you have already been through 6 years of a rebuild, things are definitely not going the way they should. Patchwork roster moves like this should have been behind us 2-3 years ago; but remember, this is the same franchise who began by making no front office changes whatsoever in preparation.

HOLLY

Absolutely not because most rebuilding teams take 4 years to turn around with the right people in charge and the Tigers are on year #7 and once again expected to finish in last place. They’ve signed a lot of filler once again – placeholders for a team that is still unable to definitively assign specific faces to specific positions other than the starting rotation and a roster that resembles Swiss cheese with all of the holes still not fixed.

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Get your Totally Tigers fix beyond this blog.  Follow us on Twitter where we post and dissect additional new content every day, the Totally Tigers way!  Simply enter “Totally Tigers” in the search box at twitter.com.

Totally Tigers loves your comments but please be aware of the rules for posting.  Comments may be edited and responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum number of 3-4 sentences.  All rules may be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

A CHANGE WOULD DO YOU GOOD

By:  Holly Horning

“Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

                                                                    – The Baseball Hall of Fame instructions to the BBWAA

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With each passing year, I’m having an increasingly difficult time taking the Baseball Hall of Fame voting seriously. And with each year, there’s yet another writer who reveals selections that turn out to be either greatly disappointing – or highly disturbing.

This year’s voting results will be announced next week. Just in time for the full moon.

And in the run-up to the election, more and more writers are expressing their deep discomfort with the voting process. Some have publicly recorded their dissatisfaction with the choices, others have admitted they will not vote and a growing faction is now claiming that this will be their last year voting.

Why?

Because deep down inside, their moral compasses are speaking up. Many of these writers are grappling with trying to balance the statistical part of the game with the other 4 qualifications required for consideration.

Meanwhile, other voters claim that skills and stats are really the only factors that count despite the written instructions given to them.

Once again, there are the maximum number of candidates writers may select – 10. Out of the top 13 players on the master list, only 3 of them – Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen and Billy Wagner – appear to possess undisputable qualities of “integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions.” 

Seven of the others are tied to PEDs. One of those, along with 2 other players, are tied to substantial allegations of domestic abuse. One of those connected to PEDs also had an affair with a minor (a criminal act) while he was married with children. Another candidate had multiple drunk driving arrests.

And the last man comprising this group of 13? Inappropriate and often offensive comments made.

But it’s not the writers who have a hard time casting their votes that bothers me. It’s the ones who chose to ignore indisputable evidence and multiple clues and vote for these questionable players anyway.

Evidence they choose to ignore. Evidence that they choose to ignore the character and integrity clauses completely.

And their rationale is based upon the claim that those players weren’t officially “caught.” They ignore the names listed in the Mitchell Report, the testimony given in court and the BALCO evidence. Even the dramatic change in physique by players who grew heads the size of pumpkins and changed body size to unrecognizable forms. Or the ageing players who suddenly and inexplicitly had significant career resurgences by posting the best numbers of their lives as they entered their mid-to-late 30’s.

Heck, according to them, Alex Rodriquez is clean because he didn’t officially test positive. They ignore the facts surrounding the Biogenisis scandal and thousands of pages of proof.

You don’t have to be Sherlock to see how some players evaded the rules put into place.

Some of these same journalists will also claim that certain players are worthy of induction because “they had already put up great numbers before they started taking PEDs.” They also seem to have forgotten about those pesky character and integrity clauses.

People with those qualities don’t cheat or commit illegal acts.

Yet still other writers within this group have stated that there are others in the Hall who took PEDs so why not allow the others in? As everyone’s mother has said  “Just because they did it, doesn’t make it right.”

And finally, a few uneducated journalists have stated that many within the Hall took “greenies” or amphetamines and equating them with PEDs. Hardly the same. The former contributed temporary energy and alertness. The latter has the capability to dramatically change the body physically – building muscle mass, improving the respiratory system, increasing fast-twitch reflexes, power and speed as well as improving vision and hand-eye coordination.

The late, great Joe Morgan is rolling over in his grave. He was the voice of the Hall of Fame players in his public statements about how PED-related players should never be voted in. It was revealed that those currently in the Hall feel very strongly about keeping them out. Because it goes against the integrity and character clauses. And it insults those who got in without having to resort to cheating. Artificially-inflated stats also diminish and skew the accomplishments of those players who played by the rules.

Just as troubling is the revisionist theory being used as a excuse for voting in modern-day players of dubious character. They point to players from 75-100 years ago being guilty of what is considered today to be inappropriate actions, ignoring the fact that way back when, those actions were, for the most part, acceptable within mainstream society. These writers argue that “if those players were elected back then, today’s players who do not possess great character should be allowed in because there are already scoundrels in the Hall.” They are applying today’s societal standards to actions completed many decades ago.

But the biggest concern in the voting process has to do with freedom of speech. You know who I’m talking about.

Curt Schilling.

We all know that certain players, because of their personalities or ugly behavior towards the media, were eliminated from election because of writers’ personal biases. Just look at Jack Morris’s long slog into the Hall. Or Lou Whitaker, who spent only 1 year on the ballot and is still waiting.

I think we can all agree that Schilling’s statements have often been abhorrent and troubling. But also made a full decade after he left the game. Writers are attempting to punish him for his life after baseball. They are ignoring the rules that clearly state that only those years playing baseball are to be considered.

No matter how you feel about Schilling, trying to deny someone a seat at the table for exercising his right to free speech is the worst act of all. It goes against the grain upon which this country was founded and sets a dangerous precedent that we are seeing in all too many other facets of life these days.

So what are the common denominators that we are seeing here as the BBWAA determines who gets into the Hall of Fame?

Rules are being applied differently depending upon the candidate.

Goalposts are being changed and moved.

Inconsistencies in the decision-making process are being accepted and embraced. Apples and oranges are being equated as the same thing.

Logic and a consistent way of presenting information is absent.

And many don’t seem to mind.

Many of these writers are trying to change the rules so that they suit them. Never mind the established rules. Never mind that these people do not hold a decision-making seat or even sit on a committee that would consider such things. We’ve now got unelected and self-appointed individuals who are trying to circumvent the rules and impose their beliefs on others without a democratic system in place.

For me, there is only 1 way to resolve this mess of a voting system.

Take the vote away from the BBWAA. Afterall, the arrangement for them to do the voting was not based upon qualifications, but on generating publicity for them combined with how news was disseminated back in the early ‘30’s. Times have clearly changed.

So who should take over the voting?

Players and managers. Who better than those who worked and played against you and spent much quality time with you instead of those who were removed from that interaction? Worse yet, those who never knew the individual candidate at all or passed judgment based upon a couple of interviews?

Would you want a stranger passing judgment on you for an important life moment? Of course not.

In a recent MLB tv show that documented the lives of the 7 Hall of Famers we lost this past year, the closing statements were saved for the most special of them. An ending that is based upon character. The narrator said this about him:

“He was welcomed into Cooperstown as a first ballot Hall of Famer. He epitomized what a Hall of Famer is. He was respected and loved by everybody….He was the most perfect gentleman.”

Who is that man?

Al Kaline.

He should be standard-bearer of who gets elected to the Hall.

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