Yesterday was Induction Day at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Who was inducted? Deacon White, who last played in 1890. Hank O'Day, an umpire who was last behind the plate in 1927. And Jacob Ruppert, owner of the New York Yankees from 1915-1938.
So while the BBWAA failed in so many ways, here's a reminder of everyone - that we know of - who did not vote for Craig Biggio:
Pat Caputo (The Press & Guide - Dearborn, MI)
I suspect each of the above-mentioned players of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
Tim Cowlishaw (Dallas Morning News)
Bob Klapisch (The Record - New Jersey)
"Close call, but not a first-ballot candidate. Next year."
Mike Fine (The Patriot Ledger)
Joe Capozzi (Palm Beach Post)
"I gave careful thought to Craig Biggio, one of 28 players in history with 3,000 hits. But when I think of the most dominating players in the 1990s and 2000s, Biggio (3,060 hits) just doesn’t rank at the top."
Bob Brookover (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Mark Faller (Arizona Central) (blank ballot)
Ken Rosenthal (Fox Sports) (Rosenthal does not vote for any player of this era first ballot)
Jeff Flanagan (Fox Sports News)
Peter Kerasotis (Space Coast Daily)
"Same with Craig Biggio, who definitely has Hall of Fame credentials by virtue of his 3,060 hits. But I look at his body-type transformation and so many of the whispers surrounding his name, that I just want to wait."
Danny Knobler (CBSSports.com)
Garry Howard (Sporting News)
Mike Imrem (Chicago Daily Herald)
John Perrotto (Baseball Prospectus)
"As much as I admired him as a player, his 3,000 hits seem to me to be partially a product of playing 20 seasons, as he only surpassed 180 hits in a season four times."
Murray Chass (Noted Internet Blogger)
Jorge Ebro (El Nuevo Herald) (blank ballot- according to Google Translate)
Ron Rapoport (LA Observed) (in video)
John Tomase (Boston Herald)
"Craig Biggio recorded 3,000 hits in an era of big offense, but falls just short for now."
Phil Rogers (Chicago Tribune) (subscription required)*
Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune) (subscription required)*
Fred Mitchell (Chicago Tribune) (subscription required)*
Mark Gonzalez (Chicago Tribune) (subscription required)*
Clark Spencer (Miami Herald)
Dave Kindred (Sports on Earth)
Marcos Breton (The Sacramento Bee)
Rick Hurd (Contra Costa Times)
"No first-ballot votes, ever, to any Steroid Era players."
Jon Heyman (CBS Sports)
"I am one who doesn't think there are magic numbers, (i.e. 3,000 hits) and prefer greatness to longevity, so I leaned no, on first go-round anyway."
Mike Shalin
Marty Noble (MLB.com)
Ken Gurnick (MLB.com)
Jim Alexander (Southern California Press Enterprise)
Dan Shaughnessy (Boston Globe) (subscription required)
Sean McAdams (Comcast Sports New England)
"And there is this: As impressive as his career totals are, I never considered Biggio one of the best players in the game."
Monte Poole (Oakland Tribune)
Bud Geracie (Bay Area News Group)
Kevin Modesti (L.A. Daily News)
Tom Powers (Pioneer Press)
Howard Bryant (ESPN) (Blank Ballot)
Dan Graziano (ESPN's NFC East blogger)
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
