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Darren Yourk: This is globesports.com editor Darren Yourk on the line with columnist Jeff Blair who is in Philadelphia today. We just got word that Andre Dawson is the lone player who will be enshrined in the Baseball hall of Fame this year. Your reaction to the vote?
Jeff Blair: As I wrote in the paper, I didn't vote for Andre Dawson for the Hall of Fame. For a guy who was a slugger, his slugging percentage is mediocre. His average season is very mediocre when you factor in that he played a large percentage of his career in Wrigley Field, which is a hitter's park. He had two opportunities in the post season to shine and he failed miserably.
On my ballot I had Robbie Alomar, Tim Raines and Mark McGwire. Alomar actually got more than I thought he would. I didn't think Alomar would get in on the first ballot because a lot of voters, especially older voters, don't like to put somebody in on the first ballot. They just don't think it's quote, unquote appropriate. So I knew Alomar would that have working against him. I also knew, obviously, he's have the spitting incident with Hirschbeck working against him. He got 73.7 per cent, so he'll go in next year. When you get to 65 per cent, you will eventually get the 75 per cent threshold. As I said, at 73.7, Alomar will definitely go in next year.
So I'm not surprised Dawson got in. I would have preferred, frankly, if he didn't because as I've said, I don't believe he's a Hall of Famer. I'm happy Bert Blyleven didn't. I don't think he's in any way, shape or form a Hall of Famer. He got 74.2 per cent, so he's another guy that will go in next year.
Beyond that, Barry Larkin had a pretty good first vote total. I think it's pretty much guaranteed that Larkin will go in, maybe not next year, but the year after. Tim Raines bumped up marginally to 30 per cent. Maybe the most interesting thing is Mark McGwire's vote total stayed essentially the same. It has been remarkably consistent in the upper 20 per cent area. I don't think they'll be any movement in McGwire's total at any point. If he gets into the Hall of Fame it will be purely on a veteran's committee vote.