HoF Comtemporary Era Ballot Nominees

[Edgy MD]

Cito Gaston, manager

Davey Johnson, manager

Jim Leyland, manager

Ed Montague, umpire

Hank Peters, executive

Lou Pinella, manager

Joe West, umpire

Bill White, executive



I'm not sure where to go with these. Only two umpires have been inducted in the 21st century — Doug Harvey and Hank O'Day — and O'Day is a pre-integration era guy who goes all the way back to the 19th century. So we're overdue for an ump, but Montague and West would not be at the top of my list. I imagine West was pretty good once, but it felt like he had been pretty bad for about 20 years, so I don't remember. Longevity counts for something, but Montague would have a stronger case in my mind. I'm a Dutch Rennert man, but that's probably 12-year-old me going for style over substance.



Of the managers, Gaston is the only one with the magical second championship that seems to be the key when it comes to inducting managers, but he otherwise seemingly has the lowest profile of the nominees. Johnson and Pinella also have strong playing careers to augment their managerial legacies.



Bill White is largely beloved, and has a strong résumé as a player and was a solid broadcaster in the clown college that otherwise was the Yankees broadcast booth. It's odd that he's nominated primarily as an exec here when his tenure as NL president was short and largely defined by the surrender of the National League and American League offices to the MLB overlords. He's 89 years old but still hanging in there, so I'm guessing he gets the most support.



Gaston is my dark horse.

[kcmets]

I snuck mostly out of camera range and fired up a ciggy and I'm

surprised Leyland isn't already in. Davey hunched over his giant

CRT screen before anyone in baseball was should be in too.



Fuck Pinella. 'cause, ya know, he's Lou Pinella...

[nymr83]

Edgy, why are we "overdue for an ump?" Are we overdue for an usher? A bat boy? A security guard? I don't think the hall of fame really needs an umpire. Heck, the guy who invented the electronic strike zone has made a greater contribution to the game!



None of these candidates really move the needle for me.

[Edgy MD]

Umps have long been part of the mandate of contributors to be honored. Some have merely done the job, but others have advanced the game.



If you have a bat boy in mind, I'd certainly love to look at his credentials. I know at least one (probably more than one) who has already been enshrined.

[MFS62]

They used to say the best umpires are the ones you don't notice. You couldn't say that about Joe West.



The clubs Davey managed had a higher winning percentage (.562 ) than Cito's (.516). And his teams had a plus winning percentage in all five cities in which he managed. Even if he hadn't been a Mets Manager, I would vote for him over Cito.



Later

[roger_that]

Is it just being a Mets fan that makes me think of Davey as an "Of Course!" pick and Lou as an "Of Course Not!"???

Help me, Rhonda. Give me a rational basis for this firm opinion of mine.

[stevejrogers]

Leyland with 15 votes is the only one who gets in

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

=stevejrogers post_id=142124 time=1701650281 user_id=57]
Leyland with 15 votes is the only one who gets in

[stevejrogers]

Lou as an "Of Course Not!"??? Help me, Rhonda. Give me a rational basis for this firm opinion of mine.

You're on your own there!



WS winner with the Reds

Managed the Mariners during their most successful era, not saying much but it is what it is, including the record setting 2001.

Went to the postseason back-to-back years with the Cubs.

Tampa wasn't a total disaster, even though it's his lone sub .500 stop



If anything his Yankee tenure is akin to Torre's Mets days. It's over .500 due to the talent on the MFY roster of the late 1980s, but it is in the sense that nothing suggested what he'd be once he left.

[stevejrogers]

Results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Managers/Executives/Umpires Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Jim Leyland (15 votes, 93.8%); Lou Piniella (11 votes, 68.8%); Bill White (10 votes, 62.5%); Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Ed Montague, Hank Peters and Joe West each received less than five votes.

[Edgy MD]

Nobody loves the ump.