1960

Three names drop from the ballot: Heinie Manush and Dicky Lundy have used u[ their eligibility and Pete Reiser from lack of support.

8 Newt Allen
3 Lou Boudreau 7th
9 Tommy Bridges
7 Ray Brown 9th
5 Bill Byrd
8 Roy Cullenbine
2 Ray Dandridge
5 Leon Day
14 Dizzy Dean 6th
2 Dom DiMaggio
1 Joe Dobson
4 Bobby Doerr
2 Bob Elliott
14 Wes Ferrell 10th
12 Lefty Gomez
5 Joe Gordon 5th
8 Stan Hack 3rd
8 Billy Herman 4th
10 Bob Johnson
3 Charlie Keller
11 Chuck Klein
2 Dutch Leonard
8 Ernie Lombardi
9 Ted Lyons
2 Marty Marion
7 Joe Medwick 8th
2 Bobo Newsom
1 Mickey Owen
1 Joe Page
1 Johnny Pesky
1 Ken Raffenberger
1 Allie Reynolds
1 Preacher Roe
8 Red Ruffing
1 Connie Ryan
7 Hilton Smith
2 Eddie Stanky
5 Bucky Walters
1 John Wyrostek

Bob’s ballot:

This is one wide open election. There doesn’t seem to be a strong consensus among us as to who should go in. With this in mind I have decided for this election to take the men who placed #3 thru #10 in ’59 and place them in my Top 8 spots, in order of how I see them. I have no idea who will win this year, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be two of these eight. My 9th and 10th spots are basically write-ins, guys who I’m keeping on the ballot for next year’s election, guys who no one else might vote for.

1. Dean
2. Herman
3. Hack
4. Medwick
5. Ferrell
6. Gordon
7. Boudreau
8. Brown
9. Doerr
10. Gomez

I have rarely voted for Dean in the past, but ultimately he is and was the most famous/renowned person on this ballot, and that should count for something. To paraphrase Ventboys, Win Shares and WAR and other metrics are good for picking the best players; they are not so good at picking museum pieces. Looking at the GOR as if it were real, which player from this election would I want a 2112 fan strolling thru the “GOR Great Hall Of Plaques” to learn about? That answer for me is Dean.

Terry’s ballot:

1: Dizzy Dean– Out here in Spokane we have this new channel, called MeTV. Is it a national thing, or just local? They show all kinds of old shows, from Bob Newhart to Big Valley to Rockford Files to Emergency, and they are threatening to run “Love American Style”. I can hardly wait for that one…

Anyway, because of this new channel I’ve been belatedly introduced to Master Sergeant Ernie Bilko. First of all, I love the show. It holds up well, the acting and the writing were smart and really funny. Harvey Lembeck’s Corporal Barbarella is hilarious, and of course Phil Silvers is brilliant as Bilko. I kind of wonder if Bilko was sort of a take-off on Dizzy Dean. Dean was that kind of shyster, a smooth talking rube who made you feel like you were in charge while he picked your pockets clean, and by the time you figured it out he was long gone…. Well, until the next time, when he’d fleece you again even though you swore that you wouldn’t let him get you.

2: Joe Gordon
3: Billy Herman
4: Stan Hack
5: Joe Medwick
6: Ray Brown
7: Lou Boudreau
8: Leon Day
9: Wes Ferrell
10: Hilton Smith

Allie Reynolds– His 1952 season was one for the ages. He led the league in strikeouts, era and shutouts, won 20 games (20-8), and saved six games in six relief appearances. It was a fluky season, he wasn’tthat good, but he was a valuable part of several championship teams.

Johnny Pesky– He always seemed like a Hall of Fame quality player to me, but he got about as screwed by the War as anyone. I figure he should at least get a mention.

Results:

Wow! It was like watching and waiting for Ohio to vote. Dean took an early lead that he never relinquished, but who would come in second was in doubt until I woke up this morning. The ’61 election will likely be just as close. The ’62 election…..not so much.

12 ballots; the results:

92 Dizzy Dean
76 Wes Ferrell
**************
70 Stan Hack
69 Billy Herman
68 Joe Gordon
65 Lou Boudreau
49 Ray Brown
43 Joe Medwick
28 Red Ruffing
23 Ray Dandridge
23 Ted Lyons
18 Hilton Smith
15 Chuck Klein
14 Leon Day
14 Ernie Lombardi
12 Bob Johnson
11 Bill Byrd
10 Newt Allen
10 Charlie Keller
10 Bucky Walters
7 Bobby Doerr
3 Lefty Gomez
1 Johnny Pesky
1 Allie Reynolds