Puckett's Pond » Hall of Fame

Reviewing the Twins Hall of Fame Ballot

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:08:31 +0000

The Twins Hall of Fame ballot came out a couple weeks ago, so if you haven’t voted yet, check it out. If you don’t know how to vote, allow me to provide a helpful explanation on all of the candidates.

One note on my votes. Yes obviously means I’m voting for the player this year. If I say no, that means I don’t think the player should ever be in the team Hall of Fame. Maybe means that I might vote for him in the future, but not right now. I think if we choose more than one or two players per year, the HOF will fill up with some marginal players pretty quickly, so some of these guys will just have to wait.

Dave Boswell, P. 8 seasons with Twins, 67-54, 3.49 ERA. My vote: No.

Boswell was a very competent pitcher, and he had one very good year in 1969. But he was never the staff ace, and his stock fell fast, to the point that he was cut by the team at age 26. Also, it’s hard to vote for a guy who got in a fight with Bob Allison and his manager.

Tom Brunansky, OF. 7 seasons, .250/.330/.432, 163 HR, 432 RBI. My vote: Maybe.

Bruno’s 9th place standing on the Twins home run list is safe now that Michael Cuddyer, who was 22 behind him, has left the team. He was a key piece of the 1987 Championship team, and his trade to the Cardinals in 1988 ushered in a 19 year curse that prevented any Twin from topping 30 homers in a season. He’s on the cusp of the Twins HOF. If he can get Rochester to hit well, that’ll put him over the top. (more…)

Former Twins Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat are Passed Over by Hall Voters Again

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:07:51 +0000

The late Ron Santo, winner of Fansided’s shadow Hall of Fame vote last week, has earned a slightly higher honor today. The Veterans Committee has selected him as their only inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Former Twins Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva were equally deserving of HOF honors, but their luck did not hold. Hopefully the Twins will take this opportunity to announce the retirement of Kaat’s jersey number.

Of the 16 Veterans Committee members, 15 voted for Santo. Kaat came very close to the 12 needed for election, receiving 10 votes, the second highest total. Oliva received eight. Hall of Fame member Mike Schmidt wrote a pretty convincing article in favor of Kaat where he pointed out that from 1962 through 1974 only Bob Gibson won more games than Kaat. Oliva also had plenty of high-profile support, including a website devoted to his candidacy. Whether the Veterans Committee voters paid attention to either campaign is not known.

Oliva won three batting titles (1964, 1965, and 1971), which makes him the only retired player to win three AL titles and not be elected to the Hall of Fame. Kaat pitched for a quarter century and won 283 games. He was an important bullpen contributor to the 1982 Cardinals team that won the World Series. Both have been active in baseball since retirement, Oliva as a coach and Kaat as a broadcaster. (more…)

Hall of Fame Edition: Veterans Committee, Twins Hall, and… Brad Radke?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:08:37 +0000

If you’re a Twins fan and a Hall of Fame fan, this is a huge week for you. There’s something going on with every facet of the Hall, and the Twins are involved in all of them. The Veterans Committee vote, the Twins team Hall of Fame, and the regular 2012 election are all in the news right now. Let’s get ready to mark our ballots for Jim Kaat, Corey Koskie, and Brad Radke!

First, as I’ve mentioned once or twice, Kaat and Tony Oliva are up for election by the Veterans Committee. The Committee will meet December 5th, the first day of the Winter Meetings, to give one more chance to Kaat, Oliva, and eight other previously-snubbed greats of the game. Ron Santo won our mock Veterans Committee vote, and I’d wager even money that he will be elected by the real veterans as well. Santo died last year at the age of 70, and for millions of fans that sad event served as an exclamation point on the injustice of his exclusion. Judging by their stats and careers, Kaat and Oliva would appear to be as deserving or more so than the other candidates on the ballot, but that certainly does not guarantee that anyone will vote for them. Kaat, at least, consoles himself by being the founding member of the Hall of Enjoyment. His positive attitude and admirable modesty further prove that the Twins need to retire his jersey number. (more…)