September 6, 2003

In the Batter's Box
with Eric LeBlanc

Hall of Folly?

I know it’s been a few months since the voting for the 2003 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame. But I was looking at the results this week, and a few things puzzled me.

One thing was that a few players who deserved more than 25 votes, did not get that many and therefore dropped off of the ballot forever. None of them this year really had any chance of ever making the Hall, but they didn’t deserve the quick exit that the voters gave them.

Players who receive less than five percent of the vote are dropped from the ballot, and this year 13 players met that fate.

Of the 13, nine really did not deserve to be there. Todd Worrell and Mitch Williams’ careers were too short for closers. Mark Davis only had two good seasons in a long career. Darryl Kile, even though his untimely passing made him a sentimental choice, his years in Colorado ruined any chance he had. Danny Jackson and Rick Honeycutt were good pitchers, but they were just that. Sid Fernandez fizzled out way too quickly. Tony Pena, even though he was a great catcher for two decades, was never the best in the league. And Darren Daulton, even though he’s one of my favorite players, had two great years followed by a rash of injuries.

But the four that remain deserved a little more than zero to seven votes.

Let’s start with catcher Mickey Tettleton. Granted, Tettleton will never be elected to the Hall of Fame, but he ranks as one of the most prolific switch-hitting home run hitters of all time. His 245 home runs are not much compared to everyone else, but among switch-hitters he ranks high on the list. But he got zero votes. Zero.

Outfielder Danny Tartabull at least got one vote. But he deserved more than that. Sure his career was over at 34, but he had six incredible seasons with the Royals and Yankees. He drove in over 100 runs five times, hit at least 25 home runs seven times and was even a two-time .300 hitter. He would never make the Hall, but one vote? Come on.

Next on our list is the player who made the baseball world forget about Rickey Henderson for four years. I’m talking about Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman. Is this a player who only deserves three votes? Coleman finished his career with 752 stolen bases, good enough for sixth on the all-time list. Sure he was never a great hitter (.264 lifetime) and he really was never a great leadoff guy (.324 lifetime on-base percentage), but he was the best base stealer this side of Rickey Henderson ever to play the game. Coleman burst onto the scene with three straight 100-stolen base season to begin his career. But after he left the Cardinals in 1991, he was never the same. But Coleman deserves better.

And the most glaring snub of this year’s voting was the great leadoff hitter Brett Butler. Two votes. Two votes is all Butler received in this year’s voting. All Butler did in his career was hit over .300 six times, scored 100 runs or more six times, steal over 30 bases 12 times and have an on-base percentage of over .350 15 times. He also led the league in triples four times. He was one of the greatest leadoff hitters of his era, and possibly of all-time. Butler finished his career with a .290 batting average, a .377 on-base percentage, 558 stolen bases and 2,375 hits. He ranks in the top 100 of all-time in six categories including stolen bases (23rd), walks (57th), triples (78th), runs scored (80th), at-bats (99th) and hits (100th).

Is that really deserving of two votes? Do Keith Hernandez, Fernando Valenzuela, Dave Parker and Don Mattingly really deserve to still be on the ballot more than Butler. I don’t think so.

Tettleton, Tartabull and Coleman don’t bother me being left off the list, but Butler should be there. This is just as bad as when Lou Whitaker was snubbed a couple of years ago. But that’s another column.

Eric LeBlanc can’t wait to see how badly the BBWAA will snub Jose Canseco when he becomes eligible in 2007. He can be assured otherwise at (985) 758-2795, ext. 219 or by e-mail at EricL@heraldguide.com.