2010 Hall of Fame ballot released

[Mainspark]

NEW YORK (AP)—Roberto Alomar is among 15 first-time candidates of this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven.

Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff also are new to the ballot this year. There are 26 candidates, three more than last year when Rickey Henderson was elected in his initial appearance and Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final try. Dawon fell 44 votes shy of the 75 percent needed and Blyleven was 67 short.

Also on the ballot for the first time are Kevin Appier, Ellis Burks, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile.

Other holdovers on the list announced Friday include Harold Baines, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

McGwire, hired last month as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, is on the ballot for the fourth time. While he hit 583 homers, eighth on the career list, he has been stigmatized since his 2005 congressional testimony, when he evaded answering whether he had used steroids. He received 118 votes (22 percent) in last year’s vote, down from 128 in each of his first two tries.

Segui has admitted he used steroids.

Alomar, a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove second baseman, had a .300 batting average, 210 homers and 474 steals in 17 major league seasons.

Martinez spent all 18 seasons with Seattle, winning two AL batting titles and finishing with a .312 average and 309 homers. A seven-time All-Star, he was a designated hitter in 1,412 of 2,055 career regular-season games.

Larkin was a 12-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove shortstop in 19 seasons, all with Cincinnati. He had a .295 career average with 198 homers and won the 1995 NL MVP award.

McGriff is tied with Lou Gehrig for 26th on the career home run with 493 and had a .284 average in 19 seasons. He led the AL in homers for Toronto in 1989 and the NL for San Diego in 1992.

Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote, and results will be announced Jan. 6. Inductions, which will include anyone elected by the Veterans Committee, are scheduled for July 25 at Cooperstown. The Veterans Committee vote will be announced Dec. 7.

The complete ballot: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile

[nate]

I remember that Barry Larkin guy. He was pretty good!

[OnBaseMachine]

Larkin on ballot for 2010 Hall of Fame
Superstar shortstop helped redefine position with Reds
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

11/27/09 2:00 PM EST

CINCINNATI -- During his 19-year career with the Reds, Barry Larkin helped revolutionize the persona of the shortstop position by being both a superb fielder and hitter.

Larkin was one of the great shortstops of his era, but this will be the first chance to discover whether he is a Hall of Fame shortstop. His name is making its debut on the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, which was revealed on Friday.

A native of Cincinnati and a graduate of Moeller High School, Larkin was a 1985 first-round Draft pick of his hometown Reds and would spend his entire career with the team. From 1986-2004, he had a lifetime average of .295 with 198 home runs, 960 RBIs, 2,340 hits, a .371 on-base percentage and 379 stolen bases. He was a 12-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a member of the 1990 World Series championship team and the '95 National League Most Valuable Player.

Although Larkin's offensive numbers lacked the benchmarks of 500 home runs or 3,000 hits, he will still get serious consideration because of his excellence both as a hitter and fielder.

A candidate must receive 75 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America members to gain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Leadoff great Rickey Henderson and former Red Sox slugger Jim Rice reached that threshold to gain entrance in 2009.

Former Expos and Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson (67 percent) and former Twins ace Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent) had the highest totals among those not elected in 2009 voting, and both remain eligible for 2010. They're joined on the ballot this year by a group of newcomers that includes Larkin, former All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar and Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez.

Results of the election will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Larkin replaced another Reds great shortstop in Davey Concepcion and continued a tradition of strength at the position. Nationally, he assumed the mantle held by Ozzie Smith, who was considered the pre-eminent shortstop of the 1980s, but like many shortstops of the previous generations was known entirely as a tremendous fielder but also a light hitter.

"I got more recognized as an offensive threat and multi-dynamic player by hitting home runs and for average and stealing bases while playing good defense," Larkin told MLB.com in 2007 after his election to the Reds Hall of Fame. "I see myself as a trailblazer. It's expected now that if you play shortstop in the big leagues, you have to do well in both sides of the game."

That multi-dimensional talent and leadership ability that eventually earned him the formal title of team captain helped pace the Reds during their wire-to-wire run for the title in 1990. Larkin batted .301 with 67 RBIs and 30 steals and went on to bat .353 in the four-game sweep over the A's in the World Series.

During his 1995 MVP season, Larkin batted .319 with 15 home runs, 66 RBIs and 51 stolen bases. While his offensive numbers weren't the best in the NL that season, his all-around play was considered pivotal in the Reds' run to a NL Central division title.

In 1996, Larkin became the first shortstop in Major League history to be a 30-30 player when he had 33 homers and 36 steals during that season. He was rated by baseball historian Bill James as one of the "10 most complete players in history" and the sixth-greatest shortstop ever. The Reds named him as their captain in 1997, a position he held until retirement.

Now 45 years old, Larkin is currently a television analyst for MLB Network.

"The Reds are the oldest and most storied franchise," Larkin said in 2007. "Being a part of that, having a chance to play there, growing up as a Reds fan in Cincinnati and living my childhood dream -- it all comes into play. I told players all the time that I'm living a dream."

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[Johnny Footstool]

Larkin deserves a first-ballot election. Here's hoping that the writers are smart enough to realize that.

[Joseph]

Alomar better than Barry?

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Joseph

Alomar better than Barry?

Yes he was

[RBA]

Larkin is clearly head and shoulders above anyone else on that list.

[macro]

Even after all these years, when I think of Roberto Alomar, I think of him spitting in the umpire's face.

[Will M]

Originally Posted by Topcat

Yes he was

Larkin:
OPS+ 116
9 Silver Slugger Awards at SS
12 All Star Appearances
1 MVP
379 SB/79 CS
3 Gold Gloves at SS


Alomar:
OPS+ 116
4 Silver Slugger Awards at 2B
12 All Star Appearances
0 MVP
474 SB/114 CS
10 Gold Gloves at 2B

Very similar players. For me I'll take the shortstop over the second baseman.
If you think Alomar was better then back it up.

[Captain Hook]

Originally Posted by RBA

Larkin is clearly head and shoulders above anyone else on that list.

Couldn't agree more.When you can say that a guy redefined a position as important as SS, he's a first ballot HOFer with out a doubt.

[redsfandan]

Just curious. Is it possible to add a poll to this?

[princeton]

I'd go Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, and Alan Trammell

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Will M

Larkin:
OPS+ 116
9 Silver Slugger Awards at SS
12 All Star Appearances
1 MVP
379 SB/79 CS
3 Gold Gloves at SS


Alomar:
OPS+ 116
4 Silver Slugger Awards at 2B
12 All Star Appearances
0 MVP
474 SB/114 CS
10 Gold Gloves at 2B

Very similar players. For me I'll take the shortstop over the second baseman.
If you think Alomar was better then back it up.

Alomar won more and was on better teams. A lot of voters will see that in their votes. When you look at the numbers it is pretty clear that they were very similar players, with the nod going to Larkin because he played a more important position.

FWIW over the past 3 decades now I don't think there has been a NL SS as good as Larkin.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by redsfandan

Just curious. Is it possible to add a poll to this?

I think so. How do you want to do it?

[Bumstead]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Alomar won more and was on better teams. A lot of voters will see that in their votes. When you look at the numbers it is pretty clear that they were very similar players, with the nod going to Larkin because he played a more important position.

FWIW over the past 3 decades now I don't think there has been a NL SS as good as Larkin.

They will also remember Alomar spitting in the umpires face...there's not many things a person can do that is more disrespectful (not the right word but I can't come up with a strong enough term for how I feel about a pathetic like that) to another person.

Having said that, Alomar was every bit as good at 2B as Larkin was at SS. Personally, despite my personal views on that one act of disgust, I think they both should go in on the first ballot.

Bum