Well sports writers... if you want to cast a vote against steroids, now is the time to do it.

The Hall of Fame is announcing its new entries in about 15 minutes and not much has changed from my ballot last year.



VOTE IN:

JIM RICE
Consistently a top 5 MVP candidate from 1975 to 1986. Criminal that he isn't in.

RICH GOSSAGE
Don't dub Mariano Rivera "The Greatest Reliever of All Time" before looking at the Goose and his stats. Let's see Rivera pile up 133+ innings out of the pen and close out the Red Sox, Royals and Dodgers in 1978.

TIM RAINES
My co worker Tim Alves at Sports Unfiltered converted me to Tim Raines' deserving candidacy. He was the best leadoff man in the NL for a decade, mirroring Rickey Henderson's dominance. And played well as a veteran in the World Series for the Yankees. Don't give me the "Not on the First Ballot" garbage. You are a Hall of Famer or you aren't.

JACK MORRIS
Tim doesn't agree with me on this and I don't care. As big a big game pitcher for a decade as there was.

DAVE PARKER
More of an emotional pick than any. Didn't have the career numbers but was a dominating offensive force for the long haul.

ANDRE DAWSON
Another candidate I've been converted to. Put up MVP numbers in anonymity up in Montreal while playing on bad knees on that carpet.


So there's my ballot.
I don't really have hope for Morris, Parker, Dawson nor Raines.
And I wouldn't be upset if Blyleven got in... I just never thought of him as an ace like Morris.

But what a way to protest the latest steroid scandal... by letting in Parker and Raines from the cocaine scandals of the 1980s!

I am rooting big time for two players to make the Hall tomorrow

One Red Sox
One Yankee

Jim Rice and Goose Gossage

I want Rice in their so badly and I know the arguments against him and I don't care... I still want him in.

Goose belonged in years ago

I'm also rooting for Rock Raines, Jack Morris, Dave Parker and Andre Dawson... but I am not expecting them to get in

But man... Rice and Goose would be great.

The spectre of 1986 haunts Jim Rice...
If Schraldi got that last out in the 10th inning or if Stanley struck Mookie Wilson out and the Red Sox won the 1986 World Series... Rice would have been in 10 years ago.

There would be a retort to the voters who analyzed his stats to death.

Yeah Williams and Yaz put up better numbers.
But the Red Sox won it all with Rice.

Alas an inning that had nothing to do with Rice has kept him out of the hall.

(And notice I don't blame Buckner. As I said before, the Buckner error is the most overrated play in sports history. The game was already tied. The play could not have ended the World Series for the Red Sox and it did not win the World Series for the Mets.)

But GO RICE
GO GOOSE!

It's a 1978 playoff reunion

Well people out there who read this blog... I apologize for my not writing since the World Series ended.

I was exhausted after the long season and 7 game series with Cleveland and then suddenly seeing my boys win it all AGAIN... I needed a break.

Plus I had my feature film, I'll Believe You, open and close in the theaters, and the show I produce for, Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller, premiere on the Versus Network.

So basically any funny sports thoughts went into the show... not the blog.

But it's not like a lot has happened!

- Oh sure, Joe Torre became a Dodger and took Donnie Baseball with him.

- And yeah, Boras tried to turn the clinching World Series game into the A-Rod show (the only way A-Rod will ever get into a World Series game).

- And sure A-Rod became a free agent asking for an insane 10 year $20 some odd million contract only to find he had exactly zero suitors.

- And then A-Rod purged himself of Boras (but not really) the Yankees played tough (but not really) and Boras got A-Rod the insane 10 year $20 some odd million contract from Steinbrenner's stupid son despite having no other bidders! Boras is a legitimate genius!

- The Red Sox are World Champions and unlike 2004, I got a grand total of ZERO Christmas presents celebrating the World Series.

- The post World Series glow isn't as surreal as it was in 2004... it is just fun. I kind of like this "being just another team" thing. It's like Pinnochio becoming a real boy.

- The Tigers said "To Hell With Prospects" and brought the best hitter not named A-Rod to Detroit with the Cabrera trade and throw in a pitcher who could win 20 games or could have an ERA of 5... but is one of the most entertaining players in the game with Dontrelle Willis.

- The Mitchell Report came out and was the biggest let down since Eyes Wide Shut. Wow, so you are telling me Canseco, Bonds, Tejada, Clemens and Paul LoDuca did 'roids! What exactly was in that report that Jose Canseco didn't tell us in 2005?

- Pettite admits to taking HGH and is treated like St. Francis of Assisi.

- The Astros trade prospects for fading 'roider Miguel Tejada. Let the Ed Wade era in Houston begin!

- The A's deal away Haren and Swisher and you get the feeling will walk away the winners.

- Tampa Bay drops the "Devil" from their name but the fans still have their heads twist around as they projectile vomit.

- The Red Sox and Yankees play chicken over Johan Santana but you get the feeling the Dodgers or the Mets will sweep in to get them.

- The Angels signed Torii Hunter and have an abundance of major league ready talent and an owner dying to make a splash. Maybe they'll win the Santana chase.

- The Royals signed Hideo Nomo. That'll help.


Guess I didn't miss much.

Wake me when pitchers and catchers report.