Who do you think the Veterans will elect for the HOF?

[Baseball Guru]

Here are some of the players and managers and execs that will have the opportunity to enter the Hall via the VC:

Roger Maris
Joe Torre
Curt Flood
Dick Allen
Bobby Bonds
Rocky Calavito
Gil Hodges
Bob Meusel
Maury Wills
Whitey Herzog
Walter O'Malley
Billy Martin
Phil Wrigley
Thurman Munson
Ron Santo
Minnie Minoso
Tony Oliva

as well as some others....

Do any of these get in????

Any that I dont have lsited??

Why???

[rockin500]

Ron Santo definitely. he should be at any rate. :)

Gil Hodges should be too. other than that, i have no clue.

[Trots]

My guess is Walter O'Malley, Whitey Herzog and Ron Santo get in this year. Why? O'Malley's Dodgers were pretty good, he's the last link to the Dodgers past and he was a dominant figure in the game for a long period of time.

Herzog's managerial success in two cities should garner him enough votes to be enshrined. Santo has been everyone's favorite player not inducted, he has a number of supporters pushing for him and posted some very good numbers for his position. His visibility, by broadcasting Cubs games, won't hurt his chances, either.

Hodges will be very close, but I don't think he'll make it. Torre will eventually get in for his managerial career, but not as a player.

[PopTop]

Your entire list is already in my own Hall of Fame, Guru ... I've been arguing for Santo forever now ... As far as I'm concerned, he was only slightly below Brooks defensively, and a better offensive force than Robinson.

Torre and Hodges are very similar to me: Solid playing careers and successful managerial follow-ups ... Just as Mazeroski and Ozzie Smith got in primarily for their defense, I think Hodges and Torre could be considered for their dual rolls in the sport ... Bonds, Oliva and Allen were a notch above their contemporaries, but not sure that will get them in ... Maris is also deserving in my book, and it's hard to argue against O'Malley's job as an executive or Herzog's results from the dugout.

[Big Dawg]

OK when it comes to evaluating HoF deservedness, there are 2 ways of looking at it:

1. "If X is in, then Y should be in too."

2. "X may be in, but I don't think he deserves it, so I'm not gonna take X into consideration when evaluating Y."

If we go by theory 1, then vitrtually everyone on that list belongs in. I'm more of a theory 2 guy...and I also don't go strictly by the numbers. If I did, we'd have to put Dave Kingman and Jose Canseco in there.

So in my overbloated egotistical opinion, the only people on that list I would vote to be Hall of famers are:

Torre....but not till after he's done managing.
Flood...in terms of having a historical impact on baseball, no one else comes close.
Santo...the best third baseman I ever saw who wasn't named Robinson.
Oliva...I'm not gonna look it up, but it sure seemed like when I was growing up he led the AL in BA every year for like a decade. And for me Hall of Famehood is all about perception; you either are or you're not.
Hodges...because I'm a Met fan.

The others were good...in some cases very good...but to me they just don't make it as Hall of Famers.

As far as who actually will get in, I have a feeling this is Gil's year.

Anyone know with the new rules how many the Vets Committee actually can elect in a given year? I know they only vote every two years...

[PopTop]

Not sure I'd agree with your comment on Flood having the greatest impact historically on baseball, but can't argue with too much of anything else.

I think it's Santo's year, finally, but for all the wrong reasons I suspect considering the bad luck he's had on the health front of late.

[Big Dawg]

decided to try to answer my own question about how many can be elected and found this page at the HoF website:

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/veterans/2003/2003_vet_committee_candidates.htm

What it doesn't seem to say unless I missed it is how many people each voter can choose. I know in the regular election you can pick up to 10 but with the smaller field I wonder if it's different.

[Big Dawg]

OK now I've found this page which explains it all: You can choose up to 10.

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/veterans/rules.htm