Save situations
It's that time again to reveal the balloting for the latest Baseball Hall of Fame class. Since I got the phone call last January, my life has changed. I have so many lasting memories from the past year.
Whoever gets elected on Tuesday will have their life changed forever, too. Here are my picks for the 2006 Hall of Fame class:
1. Bruce Sutter. It's a shame he has been on the ballot for 13 years, but he is this year's favorite to be elected. Sutter was the dominating closer in the late 1970s with the Chicago Cubs and the early 1980s with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he revolutionized the way a bullpen is structured in the majors. At the time, he was the first pitcher I faced who had a split-finger fastball that fell off the edge of the table right as it got to home plate.
2. Jim Rice. He's another guy who dominated his position for a period of time. I think it has taken him this long to get in because of the inflated outfield numbers guys are putting up these days. Rice was an incredible power hitter for the Boston Red Sox, and he was one of the league's most feared hitters for 10 years. He also hit for average with a lifetime .298 average.
3. Goose Gossage. He pitched for 22 years and nobody was tougher. When Goose came in, you knew your chances to score were very slim. He would often come into the game to get the save in the seventh inning, shortening a game into a six-inning affair. I think he'll get a big jump in votes, but I still think he might have to wait another year.
4. Andre Dawson. The best player I ever played with – as I said in my induction speech last year. He's a Hall of Famer in my book. He dominated his position for a long period of time and won the 1987 MVP for a last-place Chicago Cubs team. A great all-around player who was strong in every aspect of the game, Dawson was a true professional.
5. Lee Smith. He helped define the role of a closer, and he is the all-times saves leader with 478. Lee would come into a game and intimidate the other team. It's time for the dominating relievers of the 1980s to be inducted.
