8 Players on Contemporary Era HOF ballot announced.

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by TenaciousJDD

The candidates were revealed last month, yes, but the 16 person voting committee was just revealed this morning. That's what I linked.

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Oh, OK, thanks. They must've updated the original article in which the nominees were announced, because the article linked in the very first post in this thread from November 3rd now has the list of the judges, too.

[49ersSF]

Fernando was great for a 6-year period. He was a definite icon for the Dodgers. However, there are far too many pitchers not in that deserve entry long before Fernando.

Just look at pitchers like Kevin Brown, Vida Blue, Tommy John, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Johan Santana, Ron Guidry, Mickey Lolich, and Andy Messersmith. It's hard to consider Fernando when these guys are better and not in the Hall of Fame.

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Fernandomania itself only lasted a short period of time. He won the CYA, ROY and World Series his first full season, and it was downhill from there.

Orel Hershiser was the Dodgers ace in the mid-to-late 80s.

I honesty didnt know Fernando had as good of a career as he did. I thought it was Fernandomania then done.

[Handsome Wes]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

It's good to see multiple others commenting in this thread who have drawn the same conclusion as I have -- this committee is transparently a sham process designed to favor certain players over others. None of the voters played in the 2000s -- what an absolute joke. It's kind of refreshing to see no disagreement on this.

When people talk about the Hall being a joke (because 'worthy' candidates aren't elected and 'unworthy' ones are), most of the problem is because of the cronyism of the Veteran's Committee.

It seems in the 75 years that has been a problem, the Hall has done nothing to address that issue.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by 49ersSF

Fernando was great for a 6-year period. He was a definite icon for the Dodgers. However, there are far too many pitchers not in that deserve entry long before Fernando.

Statistically, yes, but Fernando certainly has more fame to fit in the Hall of Fame. It shouldn't just be the Hall of Numbers.

[cfern023]

Originally Posted by TenaciousJDD

Overall this feels stacked in favor of Mattingly and Murphy as most of the players on the committee were their contemporaries. Ng was Mattingly's boss in Miami and I believe Attanasio has said that Mattingly was his favorite player growing up.

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Honestly, Ng, Attasio and Tony Perez have Mattingly ties. Perez was a Special Advisor to the president for the Marlins from 1998 to 2017 (When Jeter Fired him, Dawson, Conine and Mckeon).

[Skipscards]

For Fernando, just being on the ballot is an honor. He just passed and I am sure that brought attention to the selection committee. He definitely had an impact on baseball worthy of being inducted as a contributor. But he’s got zero chance of going in this round. Since he’s never been considered, this gives them a chance to take a deep dive on his career.

I am the first to say the Old Timer/Vets/Era Committee is historically guilty of cronyism. But, they do take the process seriously and spend a long time talking about each and every candidate. I don’t agree with plenty of their selections and disagree with even more they have excluded over the years, but I’m just hoping they elect someone, hopefully two. All 8 have a strong argument and anyone who gets in clears the way for other worthy candidates later. I just wish they each had 4 votes instead of 3.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

For Fernando, just being on the ballot is an honor. He just passed and I am sure that brought attention to the selection committee. He definitely had an impact on baseball worthy of being inducted as a contributor. But he’s got zero chance of going in this round. Since he’s never been considered, this gives them a chance to take a deep dive on his career.

Fernando had a big impact culturally in the early 80s. His fame transcended the sport. He's an iconic Mexican-American. When you think of the LA Dodgers, you think of Koufax and then Fernando.

Not many MLB players can say they had the level of impact that Fernando had.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Fernando had a big impact culturally in the early 80s. His fame transcended the sport. He's an iconic Mexican-American. When you think of the LA Dodgers, you think of Koufax and then Fernando.

Not many MLB players can say they had the level of impact that Fernando had.

No. Koufax, Garvey then Fernando. Being the face of 4 World Series teams and 1 Championship team hasn't gotten Steve Garvey enough support for the HOF. I doubt it will be enough for Fernando.

[SaveMeTheGum]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Fernando had a big impact culturally in the early 80s. His fame transcended the sport. He's an iconic Mexican-American. When you think of the LA Dodgers, you think of Koufax and then Fernando.

Not many MLB players can say they had the level of impact that Fernando had.

You do? Koufax, Jackie, Snider, Kershaw, Drysdale, Ohtani, Gibson, Campanella, a whole bunch of other guys.... and then maybe Fernando.

[hammertime]

I assume he was drawing a distinction between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the LA Dodgers. I still wouldn't put Fernando 2nd though.

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by SaveMeTheGum

You do? Koufax, Jackie, Snider, Kershaw, Drysdale, Ohtani, Gibson, Campanella, a whole bunch of other guys.... and then maybe Fernando.

He’s not a baseball fan. He’s a math fan. Calculus vs. Geometry in the 2026 World Series on espn 8.

[Handsome Wes]

Originally Posted by f2tornado

Statistically, yes, but Fernando certainly has more fame to fit in the Hall of Fame. It shouldn't just be the Hall of Numbers.

There was a baseball movie from the 1990s starring Brendan Fraser called "The Scout." It's one of those baseball movies where anyone who knows the game watching it would say "that's not how that works," but that's beside the point.

I do remember a quote from the trailer, though. The Scout (Albert Brooks!) was describing Valenzuela by saying he "started as a pitcher, ended up a truck."

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by rats60

No. Koufax, Garvey then Fernando. Being the face of 4 World Series teams and 1 Championship team hasn't gotten Steve Garvey enough support for the HOF. I doubt it will be enough for Fernando.

Who is more beloved by Dodgers fans -- Fernando or Garvey?

That's what I thought.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by SaveMeTheGum

You do? Koufax, Jackie, Snider, Kershaw, Drysdale, Ohtani, Gibson, Campanella, a whole bunch of other guys.... and then maybe Fernando.

I was distinguishing between Brooklyn and LA. Obviously, Jackie is the GOAT Dodger.

Ohtani is obviously the flavor of the moment, but Fernandomania transcended the sport in the early 80s. Gibson had the greatest moment in Dodgers history, for sure, but he was on the team for only a short period of time. Kershaw failed repeatedly in the playoffs, but is certainly an all-time great. Drysdale gets overshadowed by Koufax.

[no10pin]

Originally Posted by Handsome Wes

There was a baseball movie from the 1990s starring Brendan Fraser called "The Scout." It's one of those baseball movies where anyone who knows the game watching it would say "that's not how that works," but that's beside the point.

I do remember a quote from the trailer, though. The Scout (Albert Brooks!) was describing Valenzuela by saying he "started as a pitcher, ended up a truck."

Steve Nebraska's MLB Debut 1/1 card would blow Skenes' out of the water!

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Handsome Wes

There was a baseball movie from the 1990s starring Brendan Fraser called "The Scout." It's one of those baseball movies where anyone who knows the game watching it would say "that's not how that works," but that's beside the point.

I do remember a quote from the trailer, though. The Scout (Albert Brooks!) was describing Valenzuela by saying he "started as a pitcher, ended up a truck."

I haven't seen that movie since the 90s, but what I remember most about it is how it completely flipped the script and went from a silly comedy, to a serious depiction of someone having mental health problems.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I haven't seen that movie since the 90s, but what I remember most about it is how it completely flipped the script and went from a silly comedy, to a serious depiction of someone having mental health problems.

Yes. The film was a box office bomb but if one casts aside some realism for Hollywood fantasy, then it was a decent 100 minute diversion.

These writers extended his "career" from the film. Entertaining.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Who is more beloved by Dodgers fans -- Fernando or Garvey?

That's what I thought.

You are wrong.

[jdandns]

There is more to this than pure stats. Not to say they all wouldn't have been individually elected on their own merits eventually, but the Chicago Cubs' double-play combination of Tinker, Evers, and Chance were specifically inducted together in 1946 because they were the subject of a famous poem in 1910 that helped the game to become the National Pastime, which is to say they made a major contribution to baseball's early lore beyond their own individual numbers.

In Fernando's case, he made his debut in a spectacular fashion during a season which featured at player's strike right in the middle of it, and his team ended up winning the World Series. Beyond the Cy Young Award he won during his rookie season, he finished in the Top 5 of the CYA voting three more times, so he certainly wasn't a one-hit wonder.

He remained a workhorse for another full decade in the days when team's did not value the health of their pitchers they way they do now. He stayed a active in baseball long after retiring as a player and was calling Dodger games in Spanish until shortly before his death. Valenzuela's own nationality and where he played helped to foster a new MLB fan base that has only increased in numbers over in the decades since.

There has never been a Mexican-born player elected to the Hall of Fame.
Fernando Valenzuela should be the one who changes that.

[rfgilles]

Originally Posted by rats60

No. Koufax, Garvey then Fernando. Being the face of 4 World Series teams and 1 Championship team hasn't gotten Steve Garvey enough support for the HOF. I doubt it will be enough for Fernando.

Hershisher over Fernando

[jdandns]

Let's see: Steve Howe got the final out of the '81 Series in New York, Hershiser in Oakland in '88, Urias in '20 at Tampa Bay, Buehler in '24 in New York, and Yamamoto in '25 at Toronto. I wonder where Ohtani will get his in '26.

[49ersSF]

Tommy John (Peak 1965-1982)

235-160 3.03 ERA 1844 K's 43 Shutouts 3595 IP 55 WAR

Fernando (entire career - 1980-1997)

173-153 3.54 ERA 2074 K's 31 Shutouts 2930 IP 37 WAR

Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame, so I cannot see how Fernando gets in. I'm a lifelong Dodger fan saying this.

[Handsome Wes]

Back on subject...

...I figured that Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy were the two shoe (shoo?)-ins on this ballot - Mattingly definitely.

I have, however, seen a respected sportswriter say that he thought that there was a 90% chance that *Jeff Kent* was going to get inducted. Any thoughts? Honestly I thought this was so far off the radar that I never considered it, but... 90%???

[49ersSF]

Jeff Kent had a much better career than Mattingly. It's not really even close. His numbers, amongst other Hall of Fame second basemen, put him towards the top of the list in many categories.

Career HR - 1st
Career RBI - 3rd (close behind Nap Lajoie and Rogers Hornsby)
Career SLG - 2nd (Rogers Hornsby #1)
Career OPS - 4th (Behind Hornsby, Jackie, Gehringer)

He's an obvious Hall of Famer when you put it in that context. Additionally, he was a solid defensive player throughout his career. He was not a Gold Glove guy but he certainly did not hurt his team on the defensive end.

Mattingly, on the other hand...

Career HR - 71st
Career BA - 41st
Career RBI - 55th
Career SLG - 97th
Career OPS - 91st

Remember, this is where he ranks amongst first basemen only.