Quote: Results of the 2008 Post-1942 Players Ballot (48 votes needed for election): Santo (39 votes, 60.9 percent), Jim Kaat (38, 59.4 percent), Tony Oliva (33, 51.6 percent), Gil Hodges (28, 43.8 percent), Joe Torre (19, 29.7 percent), Maury Wills (15, 23.4 percent), Luis Tiant (13, 20.3 percent), Vada Pinson (12, 18.8 percent), Al Oliver (nine, 14.1 percent), Dick Allen (seven, 10.9 percent).
Of those on the Veteran's committee ballot, I would have voted for Santo & Oliva.
I like Kitty as a person and announcer, but like with Blyleven, I had no great "dread" of him. I like an "Oh SHIT!" element in a player. Someone you just don't want to see up against your team.
So, your team is in a pennant race and you have to win the big game and you see the has, say, Gibson, Drysdale, Koufax, Palmer, Hunter, Marichal, Carlton .... it's "OH Shit!"
Honestly I think Holtzman, McNally and Guidry, among others, were ALL better than either Katt or Burt. Anyway, I don't like compilers. Stats aren't everything.
Which is why I like Oliva. Sure his career was cut short, but when that guy was healthy he was great. He put up is numbers in the worst environment for hitters. When he was up in the big spot, the other team was afraid.
And, if the tying run was on, you didn't want to see Ron Santo up against you. I think playing in the 60s and 70s and thus not having the HUGE numbers has hurt him.
Sadly I don't think they vote on players again until 2010 [for 2011 induction]. And, no one was all that close this time. Maybe next time it'll be a whole different set of voters.
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