It's hard to believe, but there are some "baseball writers" who did not vote for
Pedro Martinez or
Randy Johnson for the
Hall of Fame. Their various hair-brained explanations are not worthy of examination, but the fact that these people actually
exist suggests a need for reform in the balloting process. Let's look at one of these geniuses who did not vote for Pedro. His name is
Larry Rocca, and
he has not covered major league baseball since 2004 when he worked for
The Newark Star-Ledger (big surprise on
that score, huh?). He's grandfathered in by the BBWAA as an "honorary"
Hall of Fame voter. How ridiculous is this? Aside from other possible reforms (like naming—by acclimation—certain players as
unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famers), those who haven't covered baseball
for over a decade should not be allowed to make a mockery of the voting process. Period.
