Baseball Hall of Fame

Robert Alomar and Bert Byleven have been elected to Cooperstown this year. Both men narrowly missed out on being elected last season.

Alomar spent time with seven different teams during his Hall of Fame career. It is amazing to that a player of his caliber bounced around so often and never spent more than five seasons with one team. Alomar was a 12-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves as a second baseman. In addition, he also won four Silver Sluggers and was the 1992 ALCS MVP, as well as the 1998 All-Star Game MVP.

The baseball writers made him wait far too long, but Bert Blyleven has finally gotten what he long deserved: He and Roberto Alomar became the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The baseball Hall of Fame added two new members to its fraternity today with Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven making it in after narrowly missing last year.

It's been a long road for Blyleven to the Hall of Fame, as this was his last year of eligibility. 

Bert has often spoken out about how he feels he belongs in Cooperstown, but his repeated campaigning didn't pay off until this year. Now, Blyleven can be at ease knowing he will be among baseball's greats, but does he belong?

It's that time of year in Major League Baseball. After free agency dies down, the focus shifts from those searching for a new contract to an entirely different group: those who are retired and now hope to achieve baseball's greatest honor of being placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2011. There's no telling how the results will shake out, but after seeing how the voters have gone the last few years, one thing's for sure: they'll get it wrong.

The Baseball Writers Association of America will soon decide who will be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Among those who are trying to make it to Cooperstown, I believe only five will receive the necessary 75 percent needed to make it to the Hall.

First-timers include three MVPs in Jeff Bagwell (1994), Larry Walker (1997), and Juan Gonzalez (1996 and 1998). Another first-timer is Rafael Palmeiro, who probably would've been a shoe-in his first try, but it was revealed in 2005 that he used steroids.

After the 2008 season—a season where he pitched better than he had in years—Mike Mussina abruptly retired. Never mind that his ERA was the lowest it had been since 2001; likewise his WAR—the lowest since 2001. And never mind that Moose had won 20 games for the first time in career, putting him at 270 wins for his career. 300 wins—and a guaranteed Hall of Fame invite—was within reach.

In wake of the upcoming Hall of Fame elections, I have decided to cast an unofficial ballot.

John Franco: The all-time leader in saves for a left-handed closer.

Lee Smith: Was Trevor Hoffman before Trevor Hoffman.

Fred McGriff: 493 homers... close enough

Roberto Alomar: One of, if not the best second baseman of all time.

Bert Blyleven: Bert is the pitching version of Fred McGriff. Didn't get 300 wins, but was very close.

As we approach the voting results for the Hall of Fame this year, Bert Blyleven's case deserves one more look.  It has been a long and arduous path for Blyleven gaining votes almost yearly until last year he was but five votes short of induction to baseball's highest honor.  This path reminds me of his career — 4970 innings, twice fighting back from injury to reclaim excellence.

One of the all-time great sports debates has always been as to who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and who doesn't.