Trust me, i've chuckled many a time after seeing Sheff fall over from his swing. It looks even sillier if he is striking out swinging! LOL!

Seriously though, when he was a Dodger, there were a number of games i'd watch on TV where he'd change the outcome of a game in a matter of seconds. The year before he joined ATL, he didn't hit a lick in one of the series, but i was sweating the entire time. And it wasn't even the playoffs!

As for the HoF:
Sandberg BARELY got in. The only thing that i can come up with is that he was an offensive force for a second baseman, for his era. He had decent stolen base totals and was a 10 time All Star, as well as MVP. The sick thing? With his numbers, there is a chance that Jeff Kent will get in once he is eligible. Now that is not right. Check out how eerily similar their numbers are...

Bruce Sutter should have got in over Ryne. His role as a closer was so
much different than it is now. Instead of 3 outs, with no pressure, he often came into the game to get 5-6 outs with runners on base. His 300 saves sure look good there, not to mention the 100+ innings/season as a reliever.

I don't know enough about Morris or Blyleven to comment all that much, but i don't believe either had a Cy Young. Morris had something close to a 4 ERA for his career, so that may have weighed in with the voters. But he DID pitch the greatest postseason game EVER. You'd think that Bly being pretty up there in terms of career strikeouts would help him out, but i guess not.

My dreams of Dale Murphy getting in are over. Ain't happening and it
honestly shouldn't. Next year should be interesting though. Not a strong
class next year, so perhaps we'll see Sutter and Morris/Bly get in. Then,
2007 is when Gwynn, Big Mac and Cal are eligible, i believe.

Lee Smith should get in before Surtter. Lee is the all time saves leader. I do agree that closing then was much different, and that's why Sutter, Gossage and Smith can't get in. If the all time saves leader can't get in the hall then no closer ever should make it in!

I couldn't agree more on the Jeff Kent argument. Although Kent does now have the record for most HRs by a 2nd baseman (Ryno previously held the record), and he is going to keep adding to his total for some time.

Blyleven stats: 287 wins (25th), 3,701 K's (5th), 4,970 IP (13th), 60 SO (9th). All this while spending 95% of his career on losing teams. Jesus the guy had 20 no Decisions in 1 season. There are several guys below him with less wins, k's and/or IP who are already in the hall. Blyleven is the ONLY pitcher in the top 20 shutouts list who isn't in the hall.

Morris stats: 254 Wins, 2,478 K's. Hold AL Record for most putouts in a career. HIs ERA was 3.94, but come on the guy spent most of his career with the Tigers. Led all ML pitchers in the 1980s with 162 wins, 133 complete games, 332 starts and 2,443 innings , and lets face it he the the most dominant pitcher in the 80's.

Both ptichers stats are comprable to the following hall members: Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton.

Curt Schilling has never won a Cy Young...

A Cy Young is for a season. All-Star games are based on Yankee-ness (were you a Yankee, are you currently a Yankee, etc.) ERA and Ks are what YOU do as a PITCHER. Even wins and losses are more about the team than the pitcher.

Stupid HOF voters not voting for Bert.

So, how is the National League All Star Team decided then? I'm interested to hear this conspiracy theory.

Yeah, i dunno what is up with Lee Smith. Odd that the votes for him were LESS than Sutter. Are they swayed by the ERA? Hope not, because Smith pitched quite a bit longer than Sutter in terms of years.

Curt Schilling, in my opinion, does not belong in the Hall. I just don't think that he has enough left in the tank to put up another (needed) 3-4 years of solid stats. He WILL have 200 wins, but boy, i hope that isn't the criteria...and if that is the case, does Mussina get in? Fuck, i hope not.

Maddux goes in. Glavine? Eh, hard to say. Probably, but if he doesn't, i won't disagree with it. I doubt Smoltz goes in, but if he remained a closer and saved another 100 games, he could very well be considered. At this stage of Glavine and Smoltz' careers, i don't think they get in.

Now i can agree with you on Blyleven and Sutton being similar, statistically, but i don't know that you lump Morris in there at the same time. ERA and Win totals aren't quite the same. Plus, Sutton has over 1000 more K's than Morris. And putouts? Who gives a fuck? So does that mean Andruw Jones should go to the Hall based on his fielding? I know, different positions, but still...putouts, as a stat, are useless. Kinda like sacrifice flies.

I think if Schilling gets in then it's cause of the bloody ankle. Maddux deserves it, but I agree Glavine and Smoltz will have a hard time getting in.

Actually, I saw the comparison of Morris to Sutton & Ryan on a MLB.com aritcle about Morris. I threw Blyleven in there cause I thought he fit better than Morris. I just thought that the putout stat was amusing. I always thought Morris was statistically better than he actually was. I didn't realize that he was statistically worse than Blyleven till I made the above post. Maybe that's why Bert won't make it to the hall, a lot of people don't think of him as being as good of a pitcher as he really was.

Add in "Are you paid like a Yankee"

Being paid like a Yankee doesn't guarantee shit! Just ask Mike Hampton and Darren Dreifort. Haha!

Well it's not a guarantee, Ryan. Just a guideline for the All Star Game.

Ahh. I follow. Well, if it helps any, the 2005 Yankees rotation will cost the same as the entire 2004 NL All-star pitching roster.

Glavine- $10mill
Hernandez- $6
Johnson- $16.5
Pavano- $3.8
Schmidt- $7.9
Sheets- $2.4
Zambrano- $450,000
Benitez- $3.5
Gagne- $5
Graves- $6
Kolb- $1.5

How is that for constructive? Yeah, i know...i know...

Well, Johnson is in both lists, but I get the point. Comparisons like this can go on and on. I mean how many hall of fame players could be on the Yankees if you figured their worth in their prime into current dollars?

Point being the Yankees make me sick and George Steinbrenner IS everything that is wrong with baseball (other than domes).

Of course he is in both lists! He was an All Star last year and a Yankee next. :-)

Well, I coud have commented on how wrong it is that Glavine is paid more the Schmidt, and Schmidt is the better pitcher.

Well, thats the Mets for ya. They'll overpay for anyone. Doesn't matter WHO it is. But yeah, Schmidt is (now) the better pitcher. Took him awhile to get there, but yeah...

Yeah, it was all those unfortunate years he spent in ATL that held him back .

Seriously, one can only hope that Schmidt puts up the career number that Glavine has. Hell, I just hope he stays healthy all year so he finally wins 20 and finally gets a Cy Young award.