My Hall of Fame Ballot - Bert Blyleven

#4 on my Hall of Fame Ballot

Bert Blyleven: Blyleven was very good for a long time and when you look at his number as a whole he is a hall of famer. He is fifth on the all time strikeout list with 3,701 (making him the only pitcher with over 3,000 K's not in the hall), he finished in the top five 13 times, and the top ten 15 times. He was in the top ten for K/BB16 times. He was in top ten for K/9 14 times. He was in top ten in ERA+ 12 times. Since 1900 he has the 8th most shutouts and 19th most wins. He was in the top ten in shutouts 10 times. He has a higher ERA+ than hall of famers Jim Bunning, Ferguson Jenkins, and Catfish Hunter. Blyleven is one of only nine pitchers to have thrown over 4,500 innings and have an ERA+ of at least 117, and of those nine he has the second most strikeouts trailing only Roger Clemens. He was in top ten in complete games 12 times. He also won 2 World Series with the '79 Pirates and '87 Twins and had a 2.47 ERA in 47 postseason innings with 36 strikeouts and only 8 walks. I just don't understand - if he won 13 more games (did you know he lost 36 games when he allowed 2 or fewer runs?) would he then all of sudden be a hall of famer? The fact of the matter is that he is a hall of famer now and always will be, and it's just one more knock on the BBWAA for not voting him in (though he has made progress the last few years).

So that wraps up my ballot. My apologies to Jim Rice, Andre Dawson,Jack Morris and others who didn't make the cut. I was on the Rice bandwagon when I was younger but no longer. I took a closer look at his numbers and one could say he was a hall of famer at Fenway but otherwise pretty average on the road. But no worries Red Sox fans he will get in this year.