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Or at least can we purge the seven people who checked Robin Ventura’s name from the Hall of Fame voting committee?

Andre Dawson is not worthy of the Hall of Fame. He was a formidable power hitter and an excellent defender, but, like Jim Rice, who was inexplicably elected last year, has no business in the same league as Ruth, Ted Williams, Mantle, Mays, et. al.

Meanwhile, Roberto Alomar, arguably the best-hitting second baseman of all time, falls eight votes short, despite having a higher OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) than Dawson even though Alomar was not a power hitter and did not play a power position. Likely left off by some writers because of an unfortunate incident in 1996 when he spit on umpire John Hirschbeck, but for which later he personally apologized. Hirschbeck recently even endorsed Alomar’s Hall candidacy.

Incredible. Insane. You could have pulled 100 random baseball fans off the street and they would have gotten this right.

Interesting tidbit: If Ford runs and wins, he would be the third carpetbagger from an out-of-state political dynasty to hold New York’s class 1 Senate seat in the last 50 years — Robert F. Kennedy held the seat from 1965-68, and of course Hillary Clinton from 2001-08. Also William F. Buckley’s brother James served a term as a member of the Conservative Party from 1971-77, but the Buckley dynasty is firmly a New York institution.