Yesterday Sports Illustrated upchucked Jon Heyman and Dan Shaughnessy’s Hall of Fame columns on an unsuspecting and unprepared populace. To atone for those sins, they run Joe Posnanski’s today. Ahhh, sweet, fresh coherence . . .
Best part: he comments on all 26 players on the ballot, including the Kevin Appiers and Eric Karroses (Karroi?) of the world. Coherence and comprehensiveness. You’d think it would be a prerequisite for getting a gig at a big fancy magazine like Sports Illustrated, but apparently Posnanski’s hiring represented SI moving into that territory for the first time.
Anyway, I agree with seven of his eight selections: Trammell, Alomar, Larkin, Blyleven, Martinez, Raines and McGwire.
I don’t agree with his eighth selection: Dale Murphy. Even as a Braves fan who loved, loved, loved Murph back in the day, I can’t bring myself to support him for the Hall. The peak was great, but it was really five or six elite years surrounded by one or two good years surrounded by an abyss that no one has ever managed to explain. I won’t rage against the fates if Murph makes it in one day -- I got that out of my system with Jim Rice last year -- but Murphy fell right off the cliff, and in my mind he falls just short.
Beyond that, though? Excellent ballot and an excellent column supporting it. But whaddaya expect? It’s Posnanski.