Monday, July 30, 2012

Season 23 Hall of Fame Vote

It's a pretty well-known fact that the voting process for the HBD Hall of Fame is broken. There are far too many players on the ballot, which, combined with a clumsy voting interface, leads to too many deserving players being left out of the Hall of Fame season after season. We aim to address this backlog of well-deserving players in World Alexander beginning this season by agreeing on 3 players that everyone will vote for. Your other 2 votes are free to go to whichever players you wish. 

Below is my opinion on who everyone should vote for. I believe the Tier 1 players are no-brainers, and one of the Tier 2 players should be picked to be added to the 3 players everyone votes for. Please vote for one Tier 2 player in the poll on this blog. The leading Tier 2 vote-getter, along with the 2 Tier 1 players, will be the 3 players everyone votes for this season. 


Tier 1 

Karim Martin: Like Rudy Aldridge in season 21, Martin is a lock for the Hall of Fame. He ranks 2nd all-time in HR and 1st in hits, runs, and RBI. Add to that 4 MVP awards and 8 All-Star appearances, and you have possibly the most prolific hitter in World Alexander history.

Jimmy Springer: While Springer doesn't have as many wins as some other nominated pitchers, it's hard to deny just how dominant he was. He is tied for 1st place in World Alexander history with a .741 winning percentage (197-69), and with a career 3.22 ERA, a staggering 4 Cy Young awards, 7 All-Star appearances, and 6 World Series rings, he was probably the most dominant SP of his era.

Tier 2

Ryan Andrews: Like some of HBD's best players, Andrews' overall stats suffer from the fact that he was mid-career in season 1 of World Alexander. He still managed 8 All-Star appearances and 7 World Series rings, as well as racking up 576 HR. He was a key player in the dominating Rochester Big and Tall dynasty.

Wally Crespo: Crespo is another player who was mid-career when World Alexander began. He still managed to rack up nearly 2500 hits, 583 HR, 11 All-Star appearances, and 6 Silver Slugger awards at C, all with a PC rating of 95.

Otis Lowell: Lowell was one of those rare players with a combination of a monster bat and blazing speed. Another member of the Big and Tall dynasty, he racked up 2164 hits, 406 HR, and 597 SB (5th in World Alexander history), along with 7 All-Star appearances, 5 Silver Slugger awards (3 at LF, 2 at 1B), and 5 World Series rings.

Edwin Parker: Another player with a shortened career, Parker racked up an impressive 2503 hits and 602 HR. He was also a solid defender, with a Gold Glove award at 1B to go along with 4 All-Star appearances. 

Garry Stankiewicz: Stankiewicz was one of the most prolific leadoff hitters in World Alexander history. He finished 2nd in career hits and runs (behind only Martin), while also racking up 400+ HR and SB. Add to this 10 All-Star appearances, 5 Silver Slugger awards at CF, 4 World Series rings, and 3 Gold Glove awards at CF, and you have a very well-rounded and deserving candidate.