MLB Hall of Fame: Ballot not so sweet for Lou Whitaker

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BOSTON – OCTOBER 13: Former Boston Red Sox great, Dwight Evans throws out the first pitch before game three of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Executive and My Personal Ballot

Marvin Miller

Marvin Miller is the Babe Ruth of baseball executives. Babe Ruth changed the sport by ushering in a new era of offense. Before Babe Ruth (and the lively ball), baseball was a game of small ball, with bunting, the hit-and-run, and base-stealing reigning supreme. Ruth changed that when he started hitting more home runs in a season than other entire teams.

Miller had a similar impact, but it wasn’t on the field. He changed the relationship between the owners and players. The biggest change was with the Reserve Clause, which led to free agency. He also brought about collective bargaining, arbitration of grievances by an impartial party, agent representation, and the ability to refuse a trade after a player has accrued enough service time. Salaries for active players increased dramatically during his tenure as head of the MLBPA and retired players saw an increase in their pensions. Miller should have been in the Hall of Fame years ago.

My take on the Modern MLB Hall of Fame Ballot:

C Ted Simmons—Yes
1B Don Mattingly—No
1B Steve Garvey—No
SS Alan Trammell—Yes
OF Dale Murphy—No
OF Dave Parker—No
SP Tommy John—Yes
SP Luis Tiant—No
SP Jack Morris—No
Marvin Miller—Yes

More from Call to the Pen

The Modern MLB Hall of Fame Ballot I would have created (with apologies to Buddy Bell, Darrell Evans, and Keith Hernandez):

C Ted Simmons
2B Bobby Grich
2B Lou Whitaker
SS Alan Trammell
3B Graig Nettles
OF Dwight Evans
OF Reggie Smith
SP Tommy John
SP Rick Reuschel
Marvin Miller

Next: MLB Free Agency 2017-18: Biggest Holes for Every Team

My ballot would have included the four players I would vote for—Ted Simmons, Alan Trammell, Tommy John, and Marvin Miller—along with Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, Graig Nettles, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, and Rick Reuschel. Everyone has his or her own thoughts on the Hall of Fame. I prefer to vote for the best players, not necessarily the most famous. I realize Don Mattingly, Steve Garvey, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, and Jack Morris are more famous than the guys I would have on my ballot, but I think my guys were better players.

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