@jerrylu42.bsky.social
Rob, I have a question for you. I want you to know how much I loved reading your articles on baseball and how your views inspired me to analyze baseball differently. I also know that you’re a BBWAA member starting from 2008. Just curious, did you ever vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame in the past?
December 16, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Rob, I have a question for you. I want you to know how much I loved reading your articles on baseball and how your views inspired me to analyze baseball differently. I also know that you’re a BBWAA member starting from 2008. Just curious, did you ever vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame in the past?
For sure. People are going to have different opinions, and that’s what makes baseball debates fun and interesting. We can respect each other’s differences while understanding the different thoughts, just like how I often disagree with many writers.
Bye now as well, best wishes!
Bye now as well, best wishes!
December 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
For sure. People are going to have different opinions, and that’s what makes baseball debates fun and interesting. We can respect each other’s differences while understanding the different thoughts, just like how I often disagree with many writers.
Bye now as well, best wishes!
Bye now as well, best wishes!
I get what you mean, I just feel like preferring players with dominant peaks and strong hitting over the ones with longer careers. Jones and Utley has better cases than Wright for sure due to longevity. I felt that Rollins’ weak hitting doesn’t merit induction over Wright, who was a tremendous 3B.
December 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
I get what you mean, I just feel like preferring players with dominant peaks and strong hitting over the ones with longer careers. Jones and Utley has better cases than Wright for sure due to longevity. I felt that Rollins’ weak hitting doesn’t merit induction over Wright, who was a tremendous 3B.
Wright’s 2007 season is the real MVP caliber season for me over Rollins, I can tell you that I disagree with that choice. Wright had like 7.5 big seasons for me which defensive metrics may have underrated his performance. I don’t say he 100% belongs due to lack of counting numbers, but he dominated.
December 13, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Wright’s 2007 season is the real MVP caliber season for me over Rollins, I can tell you that I disagree with that choice. Wright had like 7.5 big seasons for me which defensive metrics may have underrated his performance. I don’t say he 100% belongs due to lack of counting numbers, but he dominated.
As for Papelbon, he may had a shorter relieving career in 725 innings, but from 06-09 and 11-15 he was as dominant a closer as you can get and the quality of his pitching is also similar to K-Rod’s peak. I get that K-Rod may have a lot of saves, but I think rate stats tell a different story.
December 13, 2025 at 9:28 AM
As for Papelbon, he may had a shorter relieving career in 725 innings, but from 06-09 and 11-15 he was as dominant a closer as you can get and the quality of his pitching is also similar to K-Rod’s peak. I get that K-Rod may have a lot of saves, but I think rate stats tell a different story.
For Nathan, you can check his peak stats. Nathan had a dazzling 7 year peak from 03 to 09, add in 2 great seasons in 12 and 13. The quality of his pitching (ERA+, FIP) can be argued to be stronger than K-Rod’s peak from 03-08 and 10 11 13 15 seasons. The metrics showed that they were close in value.
December 13, 2025 at 9:26 AM
For Nathan, you can check his peak stats. Nathan had a dazzling 7 year peak from 03 to 09, add in 2 great seasons in 12 and 13. The quality of his pitching (ERA+, FIP) can be argued to be stronger than K-Rod’s peak from 03-08 and 10 11 13 15 seasons. The metrics showed that they were close in value.
OK, to clarify my standards for HOF modern day 1 inning RP, only 3 deserve induction. Rivera, Hoffman, and Wagner. Jansen and Chapman have a chance in the future, but still need to see their stats when finishing their careers. Tom Henke and Dan Quisenberry were good RP who wouldn’t make it for me.
December 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM
OK, to clarify my standards for HOF modern day 1 inning RP, only 3 deserve induction. Rivera, Hoffman, and Wagner. Jansen and Chapman have a chance in the future, but still need to see their stats when finishing their careers. Tom Henke and Dan Quisenberry were good RP who wouldn’t make it for me.
I am not saying my logic and standard is perfect, but I have numbers that are consistent with my method of selection. I like high peak candidates who are impact players even if they accumulate fewer seasons. Utley, Wright, Andruw Jones fall in this group of high impact guys for me unlike Rollins.
December 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I am not saying my logic and standard is perfect, but I have numbers that are consistent with my method of selection. I like high peak candidates who are impact players even if they accumulate fewer seasons. Utley, Wright, Andruw Jones fall in this group of high impact guys for me unlike Rollins.
I focus more on a player’s peak and how well his offense production was meant a lot to me. That is my logic of choosing candidates, I appreciate Rollins’ big accumulated numbers and longevity but his poor hitting in general just made him far less an impact player to me when compared to Wright.
December 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
I focus more on a player’s peak and how well his offense production was meant a lot to me. That is my logic of choosing candidates, I appreciate Rollins’ big accumulated numbers and longevity but his poor hitting in general just made him far less an impact player to me when compared to Wright.
Yeah, the only modern day relievers I’m inducting include Mo, Eck, Hoffman, Wagner, Gossage, Wilhelm, Smith, and Fingers. They accumulated enough innings with high quality to be inducted. Inducting KRod means opening the floodgates for Nathan, Papelbon, Henke, and Quiz, which blurs the line for me.
December 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Yeah, the only modern day relievers I’m inducting include Mo, Eck, Hoffman, Wagner, Gossage, Wilhelm, Smith, and Fingers. They accumulated enough innings with high quality to be inducted. Inducting KRod means opening the floodgates for Nathan, Papelbon, Henke, and Quiz, which blurs the line for me.
My line for whether to induct PED players into the Hall is drawn between the formalized drug tests after 2004 and whether a player is suspended or not from the test results. Pettitte was never suspended, so he belonged to the group of Bonds and Clemens, unlike ARod who is suspended for PED usage.
December 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
My line for whether to induct PED players into the Hall is drawn between the formalized drug tests after 2004 and whether a player is suspended or not from the test results. Pettitte was never suspended, so he belonged to the group of Bonds and Clemens, unlike ARod who is suspended for PED usage.
Yeah, you do know that each of those 7 seasons you mentioned were excellent all round seasons as a 3B where excelled on hitting, defense, and baserunning, right? His well balanced hitting numbers regularly reach over 135 OPS+, showing how elite he was at the very peak, it’s real perfect and amazing.
December 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Yeah, you do know that each of those 7 seasons you mentioned were excellent all round seasons as a 3B where excelled on hitting, defense, and baserunning, right? His well balanced hitting numbers regularly reach over 135 OPS+, showing how elite he was at the very peak, it’s real perfect and amazing.
@dszymborski.fangraphs.com What a beautiful ballot you’ve sent in, I certainly appreciate the time you spent on making your choices and the clear process of deciding HOFers. Even though I have a marginally smaller Hall than you (Excluding Pedroia and Buerhle), I really like the choices you made.
December 10, 2025 at 11:05 AM
@dszymborski.fangraphs.com What a beautiful ballot you’ve sent in, I certainly appreciate the time you spent on making your choices and the clear process of deciding HOFers. Even though I have a marginally smaller Hall than you (Excluding Pedroia and Buerhle), I really like the choices you made.
I can easily explain the choices Dan made with the right stats and numbers to you. Wright was far stronger as a hitter and had an amazing peak as a hitter and 3B, while Rollins is often below average. KRod is not gonna make it if you hold high standards for RP and Pettitte was a starter.
December 10, 2025 at 11:01 AM
I can easily explain the choices Dan made with the right stats and numbers to you. Wright was far stronger as a hitter and had an amazing peak as a hitter and 3B, while Rollins is often below average. KRod is not gonna make it if you hold high standards for RP and Pettitte was a starter.
Johan fell off due to the competition of the spaces on the ballot during the year he made it. To me, he’s a surefire HOFer. As for the other comparisons, I’d choose Wright over Rollins due to his farstronger hitting during his peak and for Pettitte and KRod, I think starters are more valuable.
December 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Johan fell off due to the competition of the spaces on the ballot during the year he made it. To me, he’s a surefire HOFer. As for the other comparisons, I’d choose Wright over Rollins due to his farstronger hitting during his peak and for Pettitte and KRod, I think starters are more valuable.
I’m really interested in the project, Adam!
December 8, 2025 at 1:17 AM
I’m really interested in the project, Adam!
Me too. I am eager to hear more on this as well!
December 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Me too. I am eager to hear more on this as well!
The All MLB Team concept sounds good, but the deciding process seems fishy as fan voting and a panel consisting of media members, former players, and baseball officials decide the results. As postseason is also a factor that influences results, it has produced weird results in the past as well.
November 16, 2025 at 11:21 AM
The All MLB Team concept sounds good, but the deciding process seems fishy as fan voting and a panel consisting of media members, former players, and baseball officials decide the results. As postseason is also a factor that influences results, it has produced weird results in the past as well.
Wondering if the Hall is going to deliberately eliminate the committee nomination qualifications of Bonds, Clemens, and other PED guys by putting up an anti PED voting group.
November 6, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Wondering if the Hall is going to deliberately eliminate the committee nomination qualifications of Bonds, Clemens, and other PED guys by putting up an anti PED voting group.
Dave, just wondering why you would rank Kent over Shef? And what would be your rankings after the 3? I feel fine with the mentioned 4 legends and Delgado, Murphy if any one of them are inducted. Letting in Mattingly and Valenzuela does seem to lower the induction standards stats-wise in my opinion.
November 4, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Dave, just wondering why you would rank Kent over Shef? And what would be your rankings after the 3? I feel fine with the mentioned 4 legends and Delgado, Murphy if any one of them are inducted. Letting in Mattingly and Valenzuela does seem to lower the induction standards stats-wise in my opinion.
True, not gonna argue about that.
September 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
True, not gonna argue about that.
It’s fair to say I probably wasn’t aware enough of how serious Kershaw’s views and actions are to the LGBT+ community cause I thought he had great public image besides this and he also did good charity work. I respect your views and your line of disqualification, and we’ll see how the writers vote.
September 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
It’s fair to say I probably wasn’t aware enough of how serious Kershaw’s views and actions are to the LGBT+ community cause I thought he had great public image besides this and he also did good charity work. I respect your views and your line of disqualification, and we’ll see how the writers vote.
Yeah, great point. It’s examples like these which made me wonder whether the applying of character clause is consistent from the writers and what the general line is for writers to deny a player’s induction despite strong enough numbers. Baseball has a real small Hall, so each induction is precious.
September 20, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Yeah, great point. It’s examples like these which made me wonder whether the applying of character clause is consistent from the writers and what the general line is for writers to deny a player’s induction despite strong enough numbers. Baseball has a real small Hall, so each induction is precious.
Let’s see if his hitting can hit another gear in the near future.
September 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Let’s see if his hitting can hit another gear in the near future.
That’s painful to hear for Angels fans and ownership for sure, lol.
September 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
That’s painful to hear for Angels fans and ownership for sure, lol.