98.6% - Cal's in the Hall

[Stinky The Clown]

The political connection? Tenuous at best. Good guys DO finish first.

In pro sports, a squeaky clean career is a rarity. Cal Ripkin is one of the squeaky cleanest.

It showed today in not only his induction into the Hall of Fame, but also in the numbers by which he was elected. Only Tom Seaver (98.8%) and Nolan Ryan (98.79%) got higher counts.

Nuff said.



Highest Pct. Of Votes All-Time (Year/Percentage/Votes Cast)
Tom Seaver/1992/98.84/425 of 430
Nolan Ryan/1999/98.79/491 of 497
Cal Ripken Jr./2007/98.53/537 of 545
Ty Cobb/1936/98.23, 222 of 226
George Brett/1999/98.19, 488 of 497
Hank Aaron/1982/97.83, 406 of 415
Tony Gwynn/2007/97.61, 532 of 545

Pretty exaulted company, I'd say!

(We won't discuss how Steroid Mark McGwire was not elected and garnered only a paltry 23.5% vote. This just underscores how the good guys win.)

[Bill McBlueState]

1. wow, all but eight voted for him

Earlier today I heard that one voter is turning in blank ballots until we learn more about the steroid problem, which I think is kind of an overreaction. There's never been a suggestion that Cal or Tony Gwinn used steroids.

Congratulations to Cal Ripken!

[cmkramer]

4. Blank ballot

Isn't there one sportswriter who always returns a blank ballot to make sure no one is ever elected unanimously? Supposedly it's because Babe Ruth was not elected unanimously and the guy feels that if he wasn't, no one should be either.

Yay for Cal!

[Bill McBlueState]

12. yes

I did hear that on the radio this morning.

[SaveElmer]

2. Glad Cal is in the hall...but

That Bert Blyleven is not in is not right. I can't believe his vote went down this year...

Anyway, I have to say I didn't like Cal when he first came up...I thought Kent Hrbek should have gotten rookie of the year that year...


But I have grown to like Cal...and living near DC saw him play quite a bit...

He was a class act speaking at Kirby Pucketts memorial last year!!!

[LynneSin]

6. Or Davey Concepcion

Concepcion was one of the premier shortstops of the 70s and part of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine". If Concepcion played for any other team I think he'd be in the Hall of Fame, but because he was on a team with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez - well Davey gets overlooked alot. I think he's time on the ballot will soon come to an end and hopefully the Veteran Committee will see to it he gets in the HOF

[hughee99]

3. I have to admit, I'm a little curious about the 8 voters

who didn't vote for them. Given the fact that no one has ever received 100% of the vote, I guess it was bound to happen, though.

[Marnieworld]

5. I'm going to his induction ceremony

My hubby is a big O's fan and a big Cal fan. It was a dream of his to go and who am I to say no? ;) I can't wait too.

[LynneSin]

7. I'm just glad that Mark McGwire was rejected - I hope that is a sign of the times

Clearly McGwire had some help getting all of those homeruns. If Pete Rose can't be in the Hall-of-Fame for gambling then neither should anyone who used enhancers to help bulk themselves and boost homerun totals. Say what you will about Rose, but he got all those hits on his own hustling. McGwire and Bonds got homeruns because they bulked themselves up with steriods

[Doctor_J]

8. Yeah, those sports writers who made their living off of Big Red for years

are now kicking him under the bus. What hypocrites.

[k_jerome]

9. amphetamines? greenies? nt.

[Doctor_J]

10. I know. If Cal decides to get into MD politics, that state will

go red.

I wonder which 8 morons voted against him.

[LynneSin]

11. Lynn Swann ran for governor and trust me - we stayed blue

Then again Maryland doesn't have a Philly/Pittsburgh divide like PA does

[deepthought42]

13. Go O's!

:toast: Congrats to the Iron Man! :toast:


It's been all over the news here in Baltimore, hon! lol