Is Curt Schilling Hall of Fame Material?

A couple of notable players from baseball's Steroids Era - Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens - were at one time considered to be sure-fire-first-ballot Hall of Fame shoe-ins.  Next year, their body of work (no pun intended) will be scrutinized by Cooperstown's Hall of Fame voters for the first time, as 2013 marks their first year of eligibility.

Of course, we all know there's no way Bonds nor Clemens stand a chance of sliding into Cooperstown any time soon; certainly not on that first ballot.  Despite their remarkable career achievements, Barry and Roger are perceived to be two surly Poster Children for Performance Enhancing Drugs.  In time, the voters will gradually parole the pair for their Crimes Against Baseball; after all, both performed at Hall of Fame standards for the bulk of their careers (no pun intended), without the juice.  Had their careers ended the day before they began their performance enhancing regimen, they would already be enshrined, and I wouldn't have used this segue to examine the Hall of Fame credentials for Curt Schilling - a former right-handed pitcher who toiled for twenty major league seasons* (and has never been linked to performance enhancing drugs).

*Note:  Although Schilling spent the first three years of his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles (1988-90), he is still credited with playing for a "major league team" (technically).

Curt Schilling was actually drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the January, 1986 amateur draft.  After signing his first professional contract with those Bambino Cursed Bo-Sox on May 30, 1986, the young Schilling no doubt dreamed of joining a rotation featuring the aforementioned Roger Clemens; on a star-studded roster boasting other talented players such as Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, and Bill Buckner (the pre-World Series goat version).

Somehow, Schilling's dream job in Boston took a detour; by the time the hard throwing right-hander was given his shot in The Show late in the '88 season - it was with the hapless Orioles, working out of their hapless bullpen.  Schilling's career seemed destined only for obscurity; by the time he was dealt to the Houston Astros after the 1990 season, Schilling had a lifetime 1-6 record, with three saves (only 600 behind Mariano Rivera's current total).  He spent the entire '91 season working out of Houston's bullpen, notching eight saves in 56 appearances, with a so-so 3.81 ERA.

Schilling's next stop was to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1992, where he was gradually worked into the starting rotation, and flourished, on a team that floundered all season long; winning 14 games with an impressive 2.35 ERA and NL best 0.990 WHIP, Schilling was now a rising star.

The following season - 1993 - the Phillies shocked the baseball world by rising to the top of the National League, en route to their first World Series engagement in a decade; Schilling pitched well in one World Series outing vs the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays, and not so well in the other, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA; Philly fell to Toronto in six games, highlighted by Joe Carter's dramatic 9th-inning World Series-winning home run off Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams in Game Six.  Philadelphia would have to wait until 2008 to make it all the way back to the Fall Classic; beating Tampa Bay's Rays in convincing fashion - four games to one.  Of course, Toronto has long been trying to figure out a way to once again get past the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays; oh my; in its quest to grab Title Number Three.

Meanwhile, Curt Schilling would spend the rest of the '90s pitching well enough, when healthy; but was frequently frustrated by arm troubles, and even more frustrated by his team's inability to reach the post season again.  The Atlanta Braves - the National League's Team of the Nineties - virtually owned the East; reaching the post season in Philadelphia simply wasn't going to happen, so Schilling lobbied for a change of venue, which was granted mid-way through the 2000 season.  Next stop:  The Arizona Diamondbacks.

Schilling's move to the Arizona desert was a fortuitous one; teaming up with the incredible Randy Johnson in 2001 to form one of the most imposing "one-two" pitching tandems in baseball history, the D-Backs captured their first National League pennant, then prevailed over the vaunted New York Yankees in a truly classic Seven Game World Series, as Johnson and Schilling were fittingly named co-MVPs.  Curt pitched brilliantly for Arizona in his three World Series starts (1.69 ERA), winning once and getting a no-decision twice.

Schilling's regular season work in '01 was superb, finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to - who else? - Randy Johnson.  While Johnson's ERA was roughly half a run lower than Schilling's that season, Curt actually led the league in wins (22), games started (35), complete games (6), and innings pitched (256.2).  On top of all that, Schilling's strikeout to walk ratio (7.51) was the best in baseball; a feat  he would accomplish in four consecutive seasons.

While his regular season accomplishments are noteworthy, they may fall just a bit short in the voter's eyes when it comes to Cooperstown consideration:

216 wins - 146 losses (.597 winning percentage)
3.46 ERA
3116 strikeouts
128 ERA+
1.137 WHIP

Major League Baseball Network analyst Mitch Williams - a former teammate of Schilling's - contends that Schilling's 216 regular season wins during his 20-year big league career doesn't cut the mustard:  "He only averaged about 10 wins per season!"  According to the "Wild Thing", a player's post season accomplishments are meaningless; the only "true measurement" of a player's value is derived from regular season play:  "It's not the Hall of Post Season Fame", is Williams' perplexing concluding argument in his case against Curt Schilling's Cooperstown credentials.

It should be noted that a line drive once smacked off the "Wild Thing's" skull during one of his (unsuccessful) relief appearances, back in the day.  The only reason I know this is because Mitch has proudly repeated this story numerous times on the air, claiming no long-lasting ill-effects from the head whacking.  I'm not so sure about that; better get that noggin x-ray-ed again, Mitch; I think they missed something that first time around, old bean.

Perhaps a player's post season accomplishments have no "Hall of Fame" value when they don't help his team win post season games (for example, Game Six of the '93 World Series).  However, when a player performs at astounding levels during the post season, helping his team win not one, but three World Championships in seven years; that should count for something.  Bonus points should be awarded for helping one of his teams break an 86-year old curse one year, then helping them win the whole she-bang three short years later.

In essence, playing a huge role in a team's successful World Championship run is what matters the most. Repeating that magic on three separate occasions is the stuff of legends.  Curt Schilling was at his best when the games mattered the most - on baseball's grandest stage.  He was on the winning side in three out of four World Series showdowns.  Without his contributions, it is highly unlikely any of those teams would have even made it into the post season; let alone win it all.

In case anyone has forgotten, here's how Curt Schilling performed during his post season career:

11 wins - 2 losses (.846 winning percentage)
2.23 ERA
0.968 WHIP

In seven World Series starts, Schilling was 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.896 WHIP.

Curt Schilling belongs in the Hall of Fame.  Anyone who thinks otherwise, should have their head examined.

Will Extra Wild Card Restore Order?

Since major league baseball added the "wild card" to the post season mix in 1995, ten different "wild card" teams have advanced to the World Series in those seventeen seasons; five of them managed to capture the World Championship:  The '97 Florida Marlins, the 2002 California/LA/Anaheim Angels, the 2003 Marlins, the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and the 2011 St Louis Cardinals.

For the Cardinals, last year's World Championship was the eleventh in franchise history, and their first as a "wild card" entrant; likewise, the 2004 Red Sox not only won their first World Series as a "wild card" entrant, their stunning ALCS comeback against the New York Yankees - winning four straight games after trailing 3 games to none - propelled them to an easy four game sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series; ending the historic Curse of the Bambino in the process.

For the Marlins, the only time they've ever won the World Series came in those two "wild card" seasons; likewise, the Halos have only appeared in the Fall Classic that one "wild card" season, and with a little help from the Rally Monkey, captured their one and only championship since the franchise came into existence over 50 years ago (1961).

Clearly, "wild card" teams have had little trouble prevailing over higher seeded teams in advancing to the World Series; and thanks to the luck of the draw, four out of the five "wild card" World Series champions had the all-important home-field advantage when playing for all the marbles.  The only "wild card" team to overcome home-field "disadvantage" were those pesky 2003 Marlins, who handled the seemingly invincible Yankees in six games.  

Strangely enough, the Yankees have had their share of "wild card" trouble over the years; aside from that upset at the hands of those '03 Marlins, the Bronx Bombers have been bounced from the post season by the 2002 Angels, those '04 Red Sox, and the '06 "wild card" Detroit Tigers.  Of course, the Yankees were the original American League "wild card" edition back in '95, but they failed to get past an inspired Seattle Mariners team in a truly classic five game ALDS; capped off by Edgar Martinez' clutch two-run double which plated a jubilant Ken Griffey, Jr with the deciding run.

Many baseball purists despise the entire concept of allowing "wild card" teams into the post season to begin with.  It's "unfair", they contend, to give marginally talented teams an opportunity to eliminate superior teams in a short, five game series; or even a slightly longer, seven game series.  To make matters worse for these purists is the shocking reality that 50% of those lucky, talent-less "wild cards" have had the audacity to win the World Series (through 2011)!

For those wishing to have order restored in the world of post season baseball, there is good news:  Each league will add one more "wild card" into the mix.  Theoretically, ten teams will now enter the post season with a chance to win the World Series.  However, one of those "wild card" teams will have their hopes dashed in one fell swoop - a one game playoff between the "wild cards" quickly brings the total of World Series hopefuls back down to eight.  However, the surviving "wild cards" will be facing much longer odds in their attempt to continue advancing in the post season; after all, that one game victory over their fellow "wild cards" means a less favorable pitching rotation when the league division series begins.  It won't be impossible for "wild card" teams to prosper in the post season; but it will be extremely difficult.  It could be a long, long time before we see a repeat of what the St Louis Cardinals pulled off last year.

For those wishing to see the odds stacked back in favor of teams that win division titles, this expanded playoff picture should do the trick.  Only time will tell, but it seems as though the extra "wild cards" should restore order in major league baseball.

Braun's "Truth Prevailed" Speech is "Fatally Flawed"

Let's face it.  Ryan Braun avoided the fifty game penalty he deserved for violating MLB's drug policy, on a technicality.  As we all know, in legal situations, the technicalities usually determine the outcome of the case. Of course, the technicality that Braun's skillful attorneys exploited had absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand - the indisputable fact that he failed the drug test.  Period.

During Braun's emotional press conference on Friday, the reigning NL MVP claimed to be "the victim of a process that was fatally flawed", making a big deal about the "timeliness" in getting his urine sample shipped off to the lab, while questioning the integrity of the guy who collected the sample.  We're supposed to believe this guy had something to do with that urine having all that synthetic testosterone in it?  Based on the fact that the sample arrived at the lab intact - with no evidence of tampering - we can rule out that conspiracy theory.

The irrefutable evidence which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Braun is guilty, involves the "type" of testosterone discovered in his urine sample:  SYNTHETIC - the kind that comes ONLY FROM PHARMACEUTICALS.  There is no other way, period; that's according to Dr Gary Walder, who is the World Anti-Doping Agency Chairman.  "Synthetic testosterone is not made in the human body", Walder confirmed on ESPN's "Outside the Lines".

Okay, we know beyond a shadow of doubt that Ryan Braun did indeed add a banned pharmaceutical to his breakfast of champions, prior to his October 1, 2011 drug test.  I have little doubt that this was his first violation, based on his consistent performance during his stellar five-year career.  Plus, he's passed numerous drug tests prior to this one.

What would motivate Braun to cheat this time around?  Simple.  He wanted to win a World Series, and he figured his best shot - maybe his only shot - would be to do it while Prince Fielder was still on the team.  Elementary, my dear Watson.

Aside from having all that testosterone in his system, there is compelling evidence that Braun's performance was indeed enhanced during the first round of the playoffs.  Here are the MVP's offensive stats in the 5 game 2011 NLDS:

BA - .500 (9 hits in 18 AB) - including 4 doubles and 1 home run
OBP - .571
SLG - .889
5 runs scored, 4 runs driven in, 1 stolen base, 3 bases on balls

162 GAME PROJECTION:

291 HITS, 32 HOME RUNS, 130 DOUBLES, 162 RUNS, 130 RBIs, 32 STOLEN BASES,  96 BB

As the pharmaceuticals began wearing off, Braun's offensive production returned to more "normal" levels in the 6 game 2011 NLCS, hitting .333, with a .385 OBP, and .583 SLG.  Those are still great numbers, but clearly, Superman left the building without that coveted World Series ring.

While Braun plays the part of "victim" in this ordeal, he left us with this endearing sound bite:  "At the end of the day, the truth prevailed."

The truth is, Braun beat the system on a technicality.  That's the absolute truth, and he knows it.

Braun Case Left With One Big Unanswered Question

Ryan Braun may have won his appeal, thanks to a brain-dead arbitration panel (well, only two out of the three panelists are brain-dead) who took "technicalities" to a whole new level of absurdity.  Maybe I'm missing something, so let's review the events:

STEP 1:  Braun provides a urine sample on a Saturday.  The guy who collects the sample doesn't ship it out until the following Monday - 44 hours later.  There is no evidence that the sample was tampered with.

STEP 2:  The sample is tested and extremely high levels of testosterone are discovered.  Record breaking levels of testosterone.  Ridiculously high levels of testosterone.

QUESTION:  How did those high levels of testosterone get into that urine?  Here are the possibilities:

A) High levels of testosterone magically sprout up in urine after a 44 hour waiting period.

B) Braun used some form of a banned substance - a performance enhancing drug - and high levels of testosterone are noticeable characteristic in this banned substance.

So far, no scientific evidence linking high levels of testosterone to two-day old urine have been discovered. I shudder to think of what might happen after some urine sits around in one of those little cups for a month or longer, if "Scenario A" is true.

Ryan Braun got off the hook and will not have to miss the first fifty games of the season now.  That's great news for Milwaukee Brewers fans who are more than likely not concerned with the question that still plagues me:  How did the urine get so much testosterone in it?

Unless that question is answered to conclusively clear up Ryan Braun's good name, I'm not buying his innocence.  This case may be closed, as far as Braun being cleared to play the full 162 game schedule goes.

But it's not closed for me, or anyone else who wants to know the absolute truth in this matter.  It's far from closed.

Surprising Predictions for 2012

Baseball has a history of unpredictability.  Over the course of a 162 game schedule, anything can (and usually does) happen; injuries to key players can doom a team expected to play deep into the post season.  Last year's defending World Champion San Francisco Giants, for example, were knocked out of the box by the end of May when they lost catcher Buster Posey with a season-ending knee injury.  The fact that Posey got hurt was unfortunate and unpredictable; the fact that the Giants failed to reach the post season was not at all surprising, however.

On the other hand, when the St Louis Cardinals lost the ace of their pitching staff, Adam Wainwright, to season-ending Tommy John surgery before the 2011 season even began, the Redbirds were automatically counted out (by the "experts") for any realistic chance of post season play.  Winning the World Series seemed about as likely as winning the lottery.

The Philadelphia Phillies were considered the best team to come out of the National League, and with 102 regular season wins, they were indeed the class of the Senior Circuit.  However, we all know that anything can happen in the post season; including getting bounced after the first round.  Nobody expected the Phillies to lose that NLDS to the long-shot Cardinals.  Nobody.

And nobody expected the Boston Red Sox to fold up like a cheap tent last September, and not even reach the post season as the wild card.  They were widely considered to be the best team in the American League; the team most likely to beat Philadelphia in the World Series; or maybe Atlanta; or maybe San Francisco.

There were many other surprises in baseball last season.  Teams that looked good in the 2011 preseason (according to many "experts"), included such dismal failures as the Colorado Rockies, the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds, the Oakland A's, the Chicago White Sox, and the Minnesota Twins.  None of these teams even finished above .500, let alone competed for a division title.

Of course, there were pleasant surprises, too.  Aside from Kirk Gibson and his young team of over-achievers, nobody gave the Arizona Diamondbacks any chance of competing in the National League West last season; but, compete they did, easily winning the division title over defending World Series champion, San Francisco.

Even last year's runaway American League Central champion Detroit Tigers weren't expected to do what they did.  Now, they seem to be a "lock" to not only repeat as division champions; many expect them to win the next World Series, after adding the huge bat (and body) of Prince Fielder to their lineup.  We'll see.

I think 2012 will continue the trend of unpredictability; at least to a certain degree.  Here's what I foresee:

NO REPEAT DIVISION CHAMPIONS - That's right.  The American League East no longer belongs to the Yankees; same goes with the American League West, as Texas stumbles in 2012, still hung-over from their World Series disaster at the hands of St Louis.  Even the Tigers will take a step back in 2012; unable to fit the newly acquired Prince Fielder into the mix.  Moving Miguel Cabrera to third base will be the biggest disaster to hit Detroit since the Ford Pinto.

In the National League, five-time defending champion Philadelphia will find much more competition in the East; more than they can handle.  The Central champs - the Milwaukee Brewers, will fade into obscurity after losing Fielder to the Tigers; even with Ryan Braun winning his appeal and not facing that 50 game suspension; their pitching, which looked shaky in the '11 post season, will be even shakier in 2012.  Alas, in the West, the Diamondbacks will fail to repeat their 2011 magic, although they will put up a good fight until the very end.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...


AL - EAST:  Boston - Pitching will improve; offense still very good
AL - CENTRAL:  Cleveland - The magic will be back at Progressive Field
AL - WEST:  LA/Anaheim - Relaxed Pujols will have a monster year
WILD CARD:  Texas - Yu Darvish will solidify the pitching staff
WILD CARD #2:  Tampa Bay - Enough pitching and timely hitting to sneak in again


NL - EAST:  Atlanta - Healthy rotation and a great bullpen spells relief
NL - CENTRAL:  St Louis - Albert will be missed; but lineup will stay healthy and be productive
NL - WEST:  LA - Kershaw and Kemp will continue the momentum from last year
WILD CARD:  Washington - Strasburg emerges as baseball's new best pitcher
WILD CARD #2:  Arizona - Still good enough to sneak in

Who will win it all in 2012?  I'll let you know at the end of September.  However, if my prognostication is as accurate as the vast number of last year's experts, the ultimate World Series champion will no doubt come from the other twenty teams not included here...That's baseball; always giving us surprises every year!

Prediction: No Postseason Play for Aging Yankees

Contrary to what most baseball experts believe, the New York Yankees are no longer the best team in the American League.  In fact, they're not even the best team in their division; maybe not even the second best team in the much-improved (except the Yankees) AL East.

On the surface, the Yankees appeared to have addressed their most glaring weakness - starting pitching - when they signed 37-year old free agent former-Dodger Hiroki Kuroda to a $10 million one-year deal and acquired (via trade) 22-year old rookie sensation Michael Pineda from the Mariners.  With last year's shaky pitching trio of AJ Burnett, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes providing little stability to the rotation, adding these two arms should eat up some innings in 2012.  That's the good news.

Here's the bad news:

Kuroda has spent his entire four-year major league career with the Dodgers, who play their home games in pitcher's haven Chavez Ravine.  Consequently, his career ERA of 3.45 is artificially low, which accounts for a so-so won loss record of 41-46.  He may give the Yanks some innings, but don't expect double digit wins as his ERA soars well over 4 runs per game in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.

Likewise, Pineda's 2011 ERA of 3.74 seems like a pretty good number for a rookie, but Safeco Field was his home field advantage.  Pitching away from home resulted in a less than desirable 4.40 ERA for the youngster.  Performing in the harsh spotlight of New York is never easy for even the most seasoned hurler; putting that kind of pressure on a kid with just one season of stress-free experience on his resume may be disastrous.

Last year, the Yankees relied heavily on the one-two pitching punch of CC Sabathia (19-8) and rookie Ivan Nova (16-4) to facilitate another trip to the post season, as AL East division champions. Their failure to get past the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS reveals what is perhaps the real challenge facing New York heading into the 2012 season:  The offensive core of this team has grown old.  Derek Jeter is heading into his age-37 season and Alex Rodriguez seems practically washed-up at the age of 36.  Of course, neither key player did much of anything in that five-game flop against Detroit.

Ironically, only the now-deposed Jorge Posada rose to the occasion in that series, hitting .429 (6 for 14), drawing four walks (OBP of .579), and slugging an impressive (especially for a 40-year old) .571.  By contrast, Jeter hit just .250 while striking out a team-high eight times, and A-Rod managed a paltry .111 BA with six whiffs, including the game and series-ending punch-out.

More bad news:

The Yankees dealt rising star Jesus Montero (.328 - .406 - .590 with four home runs in 18 games) to Seattle in exchange for Pineda.  Montero displayed great opposite-field power in his brief stint with the Yankees last season, and would've fit in nicely in the middle of that lineup in '12.  Certainly, there is some offensive fire-power returning in '12, led by the explosive Robinson Cano, who drove in 118 runs while scoring 104 in '11.  Curtis Granderson had a career year with 139 runs scored, 119 RBIs, 41 home runs, and an OPS+ of 138, but can he keep up that type of production in '12?  It's more likely he'll return to his normal career averages:  109 runs scored, 81 RBIs, 28 home runs, with an OPS+ of 117.  Those are good numbers, but nowhere near his 2011 production.

When all is said and done, the failure of the Yankees to reach the 2012 post season will be largely attributed to the continued demise of Alex Rodriguez.  Here's a look at A-Rod's steadily declining OPS+ since he led the American League in 2007:

'07 - 176
'08 - 150
'09 - 138
'10 - 123
'11 - 116

Look for that OPS+ to fall below the "average" level of 100 in 2012.  That's not the kind of production the Yankees are going to need from its aging superstar third baseman, if they expect to reach the post season, and possibly win another World Series.

Unfortunately, if you're a Yankees fan; that's the harsh reality.  Don't expect to see New York playing past the first 162 games in 2012.  Their glory years are at least temporarily on hiatus.


Larry Underwood is a baseball historian, die-hard Cardinals fan and author.  Here's his latest:  St Louis Cardinals IQ - The Ultimate Test of True Fandom (Volume 2)

http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0983792259/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_5

Will Door to Cooperstown Ever Open for Dick Allen?

Dick Allen is one of nine former major league players and one former executive eligible for Hall of Fame consideration - through the Veteran's Committee selection process.  The committee has the authority to elect as many as five of the following (along with Allen): Ken Boyer, Luis Tiant, Jim Kaat, Maury Wills, Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Gil Hodges and Bob Howsam (former general manager of both the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds).

Dick Allen's Cooperstown Credentials:

His career spanned 15 seasons and two name changes.  As "Richie", he was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1964.  By the time he convinced most people he preferred to be called "Dick" (1972), he had become the American League's Most Valuable Player - and its most pre-Reggie Jackson-acclaimed slugger.

One thing is certain:  Richie-call me-Dick Allen could hit a baseball very hard.  So hard, in fact, it was almost beyond belief.  And he did it with a piece of lumber so big and heavy it looked more like a telephone pole than bat.

Swinging that big stick, Allen had the 19th highest OPS+ in MLB history:  156.  The eighteen players in front of him are either in the Hall of Fame or named Bonds or Pujols.  The three players immediately behind him with an OPS+ of 155 are named Aaron, DiMaggio, and Mays.  That's pretty impressive company.

However, the door to Cooperstown never opened for Dick Allen, who retired after the 1977 season with 351 home runs to his credit.  Although he twice led the American League in home runs, Allen's swing usually produced vicious line drives that simply weren't hit high enough to clear the fences.  Allen's specialty was denting the fences, which he did with eye-popping consistency during his career.

Still, this great slugger from Wampum, PA is not in the Hall of Fame.  Why not?   There are a few mitigating factors which may be working against him.  In this recently enlightened age of saber-metrics, the most obvious reason past voters ignored his accomplishments:  Nobody knew what OPS+ was thirty years ago, when Dick Allen's name first appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot.  Home runs mattered most - 500 was the magic number, and he didn't extend his career long enough to reach that plateau.

Hall of Fame voters have typically been enamored with the .300 batting average.  Case in point:  George Kell, who averaged .306 during his well-traveled (five different teams) Hall of Fame career, which featured 78 home runs in 15 nondescript American League seasons during the '40s and '50s.  Kell was a personable fellow - well-liked by just about everyone he knew, including the members of the Hall of Fame Veteran's Committee, who decided he was ready for Cooperstown membership in 1983.

Dick Allen "only" hit .292.  Not good enough, according to the voters, who also seemed to ignore his .378 OBP and his .534 SLG - both Hall of Fame caliber numbers.  How could this happen?

Unfortunately for Dick Allen, he was not universally admired by the "baseball establishment" - owners, front office executives, along with the media - were generally not enamored by the free-spirited antics of this enigmatic superstar.  Since Allen didn't fit the conventional mold of what was considered "acceptable behavior" for superstar ballplayers - he liked to play the horses and hit the nightclub scene from time to time - he wasn't so well-liked (in contrast to the less-skilled but personable Hall of Famer George Kell).

Cooperstown shouldn't be a popularity contest - but let's face it - for players considered to have "borderline" qualifications, they need to have a lot more friends than enemies with the voters who make the decisions on who gets in and who doesn't.  The truth of the matter is, Dick Allen's Hall of Fame credentials aren't "borderline".  They're exemplary.

It's time to open the door to Cooperstown and let Dick Allen in where he belongs.  Hopefully, the Veteran's Committee will get it right this time around.

The ballots will be cast by December 8.


Larry Underwood is a baseball historian - die-hard St Louis Cardinals fan - author:  St Louis Cardinals IQ - The Ultimate Test of True Fandom - Volumes 1 & 2

http://www.amazon.com/St-Louis-Cardinals-IQ-Ultimate/dp/0983792259/ref=cm_pdp_books_itm_title_5