The Results Are In

No Hawk this time. No McGwire either.

These votes always leave me with mixed emotions. I love that the Baseball Hall of Fame is such a tough institution to get into, but the voting process itself can be frustrating.

For instance, why no unanimous selections? Who doesn't vote for Cal Ripkin or Tony Gwynn? These guys were both brilliant players & fantastic ambassadors for the game; what could be any logical objection?

The rules eliminate any players who get less than 5% of the vote. I propose a secondary rule. If, as one of the voters, you vote with a minority of 5% or less, you have to justify the vote. You'll have to present your reasoning to a committee of peers, and, if your justification is deemed insufficient, you'll lose your voting privileges. If you can't adequately justify voting against Cal Ripkin, or, on the flip side, voting for Jose Canseco, you don't deserve to vote at all.