HALL OF FAME FIASCO

2005-01-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

DALE MURPHY'S EXCLUSION FROM THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IS THE BIGGEST ELECTORAL BLUNDER SINCE THE SUPREME COURT GAVE THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE WRONG MAN FIVE YEARS AGO.

MURPHY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FIRST BALLOT PICK BUT HAD THE BAD LUCK OF POPPING UP THE SAME YEAR AS NOLAN RYAN, GEORGE BRETT, AND ROBIN YOUNT.

OTHER THAN ROGER MARIS, MURPHY IS THE ONLY TWO-TIME MVP NOT ENSHRINED IN COOPERSTOWN. AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST MAN TO WIN THREE STRAIGHT MVPs IF THE SURPRISE TITLE SEASON OF THE CHICAGO CUBS IN 1984 HADN'T INFLUENCED THE VOTERS IN FAVOR OF RYNE SANDBERG.

IRONICALLY, SANDBERG IS BEATING MURPHY AGAIN -- THIS TIME BY MAKING IT ALL THE WAY TO THE COOPERSTOWN GALLERY.

NOT THAT SANDBERG DOESN'T DESERVE EVENTUAL CONSIDERATION, BUT HAD MURPHY WON THE MVP HE DESERVED IN 1984, THERE'S NO WAY HIS COOPERSTOWN CANDIDACY COULD BE DENIED.

CONSIDER THESE MURPHY FEATS:

TWO MVP AWARDS, TWICE AS MANY AS HANK AARON
TWO RBI CROWNS, TWO MORE THAN WILLIE MAYS
TWO HOME RUN CROWNS, TWO MORE THAN STAN MUSIAL
MOST TOTAL BASES DURING THE DECADE OF THE '80S
398 HOMERS, 1 LESS THAN FIRST-BALLOT PICK AL KALINE
SEVEN ALL-STAR TEAM SELECTIONS
FIVE GOLD GLOVES
IMPECCABLE CHARACTER (no smoking, drinking, swearing)

THE ONLY 'RAP' ON MURPHY IS HIS .265 CAREER AVERAGE, WHICH IS STILL BETTER THAN THE MARKS POSTED BY HARMON KILLEBREW, BILL MAZEROSKI, GARY CARTER, AND OTHERS ALREADY ENSHRINED.

DOMINANT DURING THE DECADE OF THE '80S, MURPHY HAD THE BAD LUCK TO MISS PLAYING IN NEW YORK AND MISS PLAYING IN A WORLD SERIES. THAT HE PLAYED FOR A BAD TEAM MAKES HIS LIFETIME RECORD EVEN MORE REMARKABLE.

THE VOTERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR NOT DOING THEIR HOMEWORK.

BALLTALK

HALL OF FAME FIASCO