The Votes Are In

 First, I read a passionate defense of HOF candidate Mike Piazza that dismissed all allegations that the former catcher did steroids.  Two days ago, I heard a sportswriter cite Piazza’s acne-filled back and extreme mood swings as evidence of steroids’ use and reasons not to vote for him.  Well, Piazza will be giving his induction speech at Cooperstown come this July.

Either Piazza is right and he never did steroids, or he’s confident that real proof will never come out.  Personally, I wouldn’t want to be guilty of something while proclaiming my innocence; that would only come back to bite me somewhere sensitive.  For Piazza, that would mean blackmail or juicy details spread over weeks in the New York Post.  So, I’m going with the man is innocent of PEDs.

Still, I’d change HOF voting procedures.  Is there any bigger group of cowards than HOF voters?  They want guidance on how to handle players from the steroids’ era.  Hint: decide for yourselves whether or not PEDs’ use was right, and then have the courage of your convictions.  You want Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens enshrined, fine, then vote for them.  Problem solved.

I’m more concerned with players left out of Cooperstown for no good reason—basically, other than that they didn’t play long enough in New York.  Tommie John, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Billy Pierce, Alan Trammel, Lee Smith: what a mass of talent to go unrecognized.  Again, let me suggest that fans take the place of the veterans’ committee to decide on players no longer on the ballot.  Make a list of candidates and set a number—not a percentage—of votes to qualify.  Then open up the voting for a two-week period at $25-$50 a vote; either mandate one vote per person or allow ballot-box stuffing like they do for last roster spots for the All-Star Game, I don’t care.  Any player who receives the necessary votes gets inducted.  That, or the top three.  And do it every year.

Baseball wants my money all the time.  Why not as a HOF voter, too?