COOPERSTOWN, NY – As the newest member for the MLB Hall of Fame was being named, the line of “They’ll let anyone in” came to mind. Not to take anything away from new inductee Scott Rolen. He was a good player, but is he a Hall of Famer? Hell no!
The most prestigious HOF out of all the major sports is soon going to resemble them. The NBA opens its doors to almost anyone that’s shined for a moment. Names like Yao Ming, Mitch Richmond, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh and Toni Kukoc, just to name a few. The NFL seems to add in a handful of good, not great, players every year. The once immortal MLB HOF seems to be following that route.
Rolen was a damn good player when he stayed on the field. In 17 seasons he played 150 plus games a total of five times. That’s 5X! If that gets one in, then enshrine pitcher Don Gullet and outfielder Bo Jackson.
Inside those halls of Cooperstown immortals rule the walls. Babe, Lou, Hank, Willie, Ted, all the way up to Roberto, Reggie, Bench, and hundreds of others! These HOF’ers are known by one name. When those names are mentioned one knows their faces. When they walk into a room, the room lights up without a bulb being switched on. It’s the aura and the magnitude that they possess.
Can Scott be identified by just one name? If he walked into a room full of people would he draw attention? Damn good player, but an immortal? Hell No! If it’s going to come to this, then put Al Oliver in. What about Richie Zisk? Let’s not forget Rusty Staub.
Get ready for a swarm of good players to enter Cooperstown in the next decade. It’ll cheapen the process, but the theory here is induction day will be a ghost town with no inductees.
With Albert Pujols and Adrian Beltre being automatics soon, the doors will open wide for the Billy Wagner’s and Todd Helton’s to enter.
The Veterans Committee needs to step it up and decorate the walls with the plaques of Luis Tiant, Tommy John, and Thurman Munson. Keeping the Hall of Fame sacred should be the top priority.
