Going into this HOF Results day, I had absolutely no idea which way the votes would fall. Unlike last year with Griffey, there wasn't a surefire first-ballot runaway this year, or so I thought. I worried we'd get another zero year of induction, or maybe just one guy getting in.
However, I was wrong, thankfully. We have three new Hall of Famers, and all three of them deserve the honor, at least in my opinion.
Ivan Rodriguez had the best chances of any of the newbies, and I'm guessing a great deal of the new additions aren't going to last long on the ballot anyway (poor Pat Burrell). I-Rod was a consistent catcher, a great hitter, a great centerpiece for a lineup (especially in Florida and Detroit), and an all-around great player. Plus, now my cousin Dylan can say that a Hall of Famer told him to go screw himself at a Spring Training game.
Tim Raines was the guy that I was pulling for, and have been for the past few seasons, since I began collecting him. He's a base-stealing legend, he was a versatile athlete, and managed to make the Expos relevant in the 80's, after Dawson and Carter had left. The guy was stealing bases well into his career, played into his forties, and retired as a legend. It's very nice he's finally getting into the Hall, as he deserved it.
Jeff Bagwell's induction is probably the biggest takeaway, as this is a guy that should have been inducted a few years ago, and finally got in. Along with Craig Biggio, he helped make the Houston Astros one of the more important squads of the 90's, hitting like hell and being a gold standard for the NL.
Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero should have gotten in, but they'll get there next year I think.
Steroid guys advanced, but...ach, I dunno...
Still, this was a good HOF day all-around, and will keep me plenty satisfied until Thome and Chipper get here next year.
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