Three get in, many deserving others left out

Following up on yesterday's entry, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted in three new members to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas.

Maddux led the way receiving 555 of a possible 571 votes, that's 97.2% of the necessary 75% needed for election. I'd like to say that those sixteen members that didn't vote for Maddux clearly should have their voting rights revoked. I'd love to hear your explain why you didn't vote for him. Of course, only 157 writers made their ballot public, so all those cowards that didn't choose Maddux can continue to hide and do their judging from their own private soap box.

Craig Biggio missed election by two votes. I guess enough voters lumped him in with the Steroid Era. Biggio should get in next year, thankfully. Another guy getting lumped in that tainted era is Mike Piazza. Statistically the greatest catcher ever to play the game, Piazza only received 62.2% of the vote. There has never been any hard evidence that Piazza used during his playing days. Only rumors and innuendo. Oh, and that he had back acne. I ask all the baseball writers this. If you wrote a story based on rumors and innuendo, what kind of credibility would you have? Not very much in my opinion. Shame on these writers for forgetting what journalism is supposed to be based upon. The facts are the key to reporting news. Not heresay. Not what an unnamed source whispers about from the shadows. The facts. Piazza's statistics are facts. He's a Hall of Famer.

                                                          Biggio struggle face after missing the Hall by two votes.

                                                                               Soon, Mike. If not, we riot.

It was also revealed that ESPN personality and Miami Herald columnist, Dan Le Batard, allowed Deadspin.com to vote on his behalf. Deadspin put the vote in the hands of its the readers. The ten players receiving the most votes were Maddux, Thomas, Glavine, Piazza, Biggio, Edgar Martinez, Jeff Bagwell, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling. I approve of Le Batard's actions. He allowed the masses to speak out on this issue. I think it proves that the majority of fans are fairly intelligent on who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and I believe it allows shows that fans don't care so much about who was using steroids and who wasn't.  We'll never know exactly who used what. None of these substances were even illegal by baseball rules at the time. It's time to stop the argument, and it's time to admit the greatest players of that era into the Hall. So say the fans.