Hall Voters Generous This Year, But Not to Murphy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1/6/99)
By Furman Bisher
By checking another part of the paper, you know by this time that Dale
Murphy didn't make the Baseball Hall of Fame. I didn't expect him to the first time around, but I looked at the generous switch among the baseball writing constitituency and figured anybody might have had a
chance. Even Mike Witt, a mystery candidate who won one game more than he lost.
Usually, it's tougher to get past these voters than it is to get into Augusta National. At other times it's as easy as the United Nations. In the past six years, only five candidates got elected. This time a
deluge of three made it, Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount and George Brett. Poor old Tony Perez didn't make it again. He drove in more runs than both Brett and Yount. Carlton Fisk missed his first time around, and he holds the record for home runs by a catcher.
Murphy finished way down the list, and that gives you a clue that it's going to be a long haul for him, if ever. That in spite of Item
5 in the voting instructions. It reads, among everything else, that "integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to his team" should be considered. On that score, Murphy would be a shoo-in. The .265 batting average didn't impress the jury. Five times he was the Gold Glove center fielder in the National League, but you'll notice defense gets about as much play as a girl with pimples. I cite Dwight Evans here. This guy played the tough field at Fenway Park, had a
gun of an arm and was one of the finest outfielders you'll ever see. He was no donkey with the bat either, .272 average, 385 home
runs and 1,391 runs batted in. Brett and Yount both hit fewer home runs. Evans was buried.
Of the three who survived this electoral triathlon, I voted for two. Once I'd done it, I was sorry I voted for Nolan Ryan. I'm not
certain either is first-time quality, and I say that because Joe DiMaggio didn't make it the first time. Joe DiMaggio. I remember reading that Henry Aaron "would go in by acclamation" when he came up. Nine writers didn't vote for him. Only six didn't vote for Ryan. Ryan was a candidate for down the road, not yet. Sure, he struck out
thousands, he pitched seven no-hitters. A strikeout counts one out. Throw three strikes to three batters and you could have three infield outs. A no-hitter looks no better in the standings than a seven-hitter. For all his firepower, and the help of Advil, he won only 52 percent of his decisions. Don Sutton won just as many games, but he grew grayer by the year waiting to pass this stern board. Ryan never pitched a team to the World Series. The one he played in, he was
a relief pitcher before that one-inning wonder, the closer, was invented. Later, he would have made my ballot, but I booted it. He's
not a first-timer.
Just as I have voted for Evans, I cast losing ballots for Maury Wills for years. I voted for Johnny Mize. I never voted for Gaylord
Perry. He cheated and bleated about it, and still made it. I voted for Jim Bunning. One I would like to have voted for was Mickey Lolich, a hero without blemish in the shadow of the reprobate Denny McLain. There's one last chance from the guys in the back room, the veterans committee. They're not in charge of correcting oversights; it just works out that way a lot of times. But they can't resist voting in some of their old cronies, whose records on the field might be questionable, but who contributed fine harmony at the bar around
midnight.
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