The Hall Pass

Hall of Fame day is always one of the most talked about days in baseball, and this years class included Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.

On his third try, former Houston Astro, Craig Biggio, got his Hall pass into Cooperstown after finishing a mere two votes shy last year. Biggio transformed himself from an All-Star catcher into a Gold Glove-winning second baseman; then, with the help of former teammate, Jeff Bagwell, helped usher in the most successful era in Astros history.

Sadly, B-G-O’s teammate of 15 years was once again denied. This was Bagwell’s fifth bid. After receiving 54.3 percent of the vote last year, he only got a mere 1.4 percent more this year. If this is any indication of what’s to come, then it seems unlikely that “Bags” will reach the required 75 percent in his remaining 5 years of eligibility.

So why isn’t Bagwell in the Hall of Fame? His stats are certainly worthy. Is it personal? Are some voters jealous of his attractive ex-wife, his big muscles, or his manicured goatee? Or are many grouping him with “The Abusers” . . . steroid users prevalent during his time in the league. That easily explains why his former teammate and pitching great, Roger Clemens, and home run king, Barry Bonds, only received 37.5 percent and 36.8 percent, respectively.

Hopefully, those “No” voters will soon realize the error of their ways, so that a year from now I’ll be congratulating another Houston Astro on his well-deserved Hall pass.

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