Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven enter Cooperstown

Roberto Alomar made it in his second try,it took Bert Blyleven fourteen,but both enter Baseball's Hall of Fame as the class of 2011.
Both of these players are deserving and I have no problem with either.
I have been a champion for Blyleven for years and perhaps no inductee has gained as much from the sabermetric crowd as Blyleven has over his last few tries.
Alomar was named on 90 percent of voters ballots,while Blyleven was on 79.7 percent.
Former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin led the other candidates at 62.1 percent.

The steroid era has begun as writers continue to withhold votes from suspected users.
Mark McGwire continues to sputter at around twenty percent and Rafael Palmeiro put up an eleven in his first appearance,but Jeff Bagwell has just 41 percent of voter support.
Now Bagwell did change in his appearance as his career went on,his name was not one that came up all the time and no accusers ever "outed" Bagwell for PED's.
Bagwell could get in eventually,but it may take him quite a while.

I have always been a fan of Dave Parker and Dale Murphy and both are borderline candidates,but their lack of support is surprising with Parker at 15 and Murphy at 11.
I wouldn't argue with anyone that didn't vote for them,but those numbers seem a bit low....

I do have an issue with Larry Walker (20 %) receiving more support than either Parker or Murphy.

Want to know why some of this is bunk anyway?
Check this "voter" Barry Stanton's vote out.
Stanton passes on Alomar,Blyleven,Larkin and Lee Smith.
Stanton does vote for-Jack Morris (Arguable,but not bad),Edgar Martinez (the beginning of the DH era),Don Mattingly (New York guys love him as the Mantle of their childhood),Tino Martinez and B.J. Surhoff.
Tino Martinez and B.J. Surhoff????
And this guy votes on the Hall of Fame!
Give me a !@#$ing break!!!

Underrated players on the ballot that didn't get as many votes as they deserve:
Lee Smith-If we are putting closers in,Big Lee needs to be there.
Tim Raines-A borderline candidate,but better than 37%,but he wasn't a Tino Martinez either!

Overrated players that received too many votes
None that were super egregious,but to name two,Larry Walker (20) and Fred McGriff (17) getting more support than Dave Parker,Dale Murphy and even Don Mattingly seems a little overboard to me...

Hope to be back later with a sweep of the inbox....

Photo Credits

Blyleven:Topps
Alomar:Phil Long-AP