The Case For: A Baseball Hall of Fame Podcast

Russell breaks down the entire 2025 BBWAA ballot in advance of the Jan 21st announcement and makes the case for who he thinks will and won't get elected. If you're looking for a crash-course on the 2025 BBWAA ballot look no further! Featuring the exclusive Dan Bern song "That's The List" written for the occasion! 

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Episode 21 features a very special interview with critically acclaimed singer- songwriter, novelist, painter, and fellow baseball fan extraordinaire Dan Bern. 

Bern's music has been compared to that of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs and Elvis Costello. A prolific composer, Bern estimates to have written over one thousand songs. His music has been featured in Amazon Prime’s award-winning kids program “The Stinky & Dirty Show” as well as films “Jimmy Carter Man From Plains”, “Get Him to the Greek”, “The Bubble”, “Zero Effect”, and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story". Dan is also an inductee of the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame. 

An avid baseball fan, Dan has penned numerous songs about baseball many of which have been featured on "The Tony Kornheiser Show". He has also released two albums of baseball songs - "Doubleheader" (2012) and "Rivalry" (2020). 

Dan joins "The Case For" for a very special interview where him and Russell discuss a variety of topics including baseball lore, the Steroid Era, The BBWAA and Veteran's Committee Ballots, pitch-clocks, Steve Goodman, John McEnroe, Barry Bonds, Pete Rose and everything in-between including Dan's baseball songs. Dan even wrote a song specifically for the episode entitled "That's the List" which plays in its entirety at the conclusion of the episode!!  

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Listen as Russell breaks down the Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot voting and congratulates new Hall of Famers Dick Allen and Dave Parker! He'll also break down his prediction for next year's era committee ballot. (spoiler alert - it's Dale Murphy's year!)

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The Classic Baseball Era Ballot vote is Sunday, December 8, 2024. The 8 players on the ballot are Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris, Tommy John, Dave Parker, and Luis Tiant.

Who will get in? Who would Russ vote for? Listen to find out!

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Famed Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant is up for consideration on this year's Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot. 

The son of famed Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant Sr., Luis pitched 19 seasons in MLB and is one of only 11 pitchers in MLB history to retire with 225+ wins, 2400+ strikeouts, 49+ shutouts and a career ERA under 3.30. The other 10 are all in the HOF. 

Tiant's 49 career shutouts tie him with HOFers Don Drysdale, Fergie Jenkins, and Early Wynn for 21st best in MLB history. Every pitcher with more career shutouts than Tiant is in the HOF. 

A legendary character and beloved teammate, Tiant was a hero in the 1975 post-season for the Boston Red Sox. Are his career numbers, hardware, and fame factor good enough to merit induction into Cooperstown? 

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Left-handed pitcher Tommy John earned 288 Wins over a 26 year career, the second longest in MLB history. Most notably, 164 of John's wins came AFTER he underwent the groundbreaking surgery which now bears his name. A 3-time 20 game winner, John twice led the league in Win-Loss % and led all of MLB in shutouts 3 times (1966, 1967, 1980). A 4 time All-Star, john received MVP votes in 2 seasons (1977 and 1979) and CY Young votes in 4 seasons (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) including two #2 Cy Young finishes (1977 and 1979). An outstanding post-season pitcher, John posted a 6-3 record and a 2.65 ERA in the post-season, including a .69 ERA in the 1981 World Series. 

Only 22 pitchers in MLB history have recorded 285+ wins and 2,000+ strikeouts, and the only two of those pitchers not in the Hall of Fame are Roger Clemens and Tommy John. Beyond the field Tommy John's impact upon the game of baseball is incalculable as his pioneering surgery has saved countless careers including those of two Hall of Famers (Paul Molitor and John Smoltz) and future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Shohei Ohtani. Tommy John is on the 2025 Classic Baseball Era Committee Ballot, does he deserve enshrinement in Cooperstown? 

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A 7 time All-Star, Dick Allen won the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1972 AL MVP Awards. He is one of only 28 players to have won both a ROY and an MVP Award. 

Allen is one of only 10 players in baseball history to retire with 350+ home runs, 1000+ RBI, 1000+ runs, 100+ stolen bases, and 75+ triples. 

He is also one of only five players in MLB history to retire with 350+ home runs,  a .290+ BA, a .375+ OBP, a career OPS+ of 155 or higher, 75+ triples; and 100+ stolen bases. The other four are Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Lou Gehrig. 

Hall of Famer Goose Goosage once called Allen "the greatest player I've ever seen play in my life" and the Wall Street Journal dubbed Allen “the best player eligible for the Hall of Fame”. Despite his statistics and accolades HOF induction eluded Allen, who passed away in 2020. 

Allen is up election on the 2025 Classic Baseball Era ballot. Will he finally get into Cooperstown this year? 

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Felix Hernandez pitched his entire 15 year career with the Seattle Mariners. A 6 time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young Award Winner, Felix finished his career with 169 wins, 2524 strikeouts, and a 3.42 ERA. He also pitched the 23rd Perfect Game in MLB history on August 15, 2012.

Despite a very strong 7 year peak between 2009 and 2015, does "King Felix" have the career stats and hardware to land him in the HOF? Will his "fame factor" give him the edge"? 

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Dave "The Cobra" Parker played 19 year and amassed  2,712 hits, 526 doubles, 75 triples, 339 home runs, 1493 RBI, 154 stolen bases, 4405 Total Bases and a career .290 BA. 

Parker was a 2 time batting champion, 2 time World Series Champion, the 1979 All-Star Game MVP and the 1978 NL MVP. A longtime fan favorite, his counting stats, hardware, and championships bode well for his Hall of Fame case as does the sentimental tug of time. But modern advanced statistics aren't as kind to Parker's case, and his HOF discussion truly requires a complex analysis of his stats, hardware, and fame factor. 

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In Episode 13, the last Episode of Season 1, Russell breaks down the 2024 BBWAA ballot including the players elected to the Hall, who fell off the ballot, who is still on for next year and what newcomers to watch for in 2025. 

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