NY Daily News' John Harper, notes HOF qualities, 12/30/07

• Criteria mentioned for the Hall by NY Daily News' John Harper (for historical reference, for the record, etc.):
• "big game pitcher,"
• "toughness more important than ERA,"
• "great shortstop on championship teams."

• From Harper's NY Daily News column 12/30/07:

"Hall of Fame ballots are due Monday. I’m voting for five players: Goose Gossage, Jim Rice, Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, and Dave Concepcion.

• Gossage, denied too long, should finally make it; Rice might benefit from steroids-weary voters taking another look at his power-hitting persona;

• Morris doesn’t get enough credit as a big-game pitcher whose toughness was more important than his ERA;

• I’ve come around finally on Blyleven because his numbers are too hard to ignore;

• Concepcion gets my vote partly because he’s on the ballot for the 15th and final time, and deserved more consideration over the years as a great shortstop on championship teams;

• finally, I know people are making a case for first-timer Tim Raines, but I have a hard time thinking of him as a first-ballot Hall of Famer."....

On another subject in his article, he reminds you of the "steroids" report even though it was more an HGH report--Harper again invites the reader to make

• no distinction between HGH and steroids.

He just uses the term "steroids" even though more claims in the report were about HGH, not steroids. Hey, it must sell hatred, newspapers and media invitations.

• "In a holiday season filled with accusations of and confessions

• to cheating with steroids,

here’s a nod to some of our local players who have made an effort to spread some cheer in recent weeks to sick or underprivileged kids in the New York area. Prominent among Yankees making appearances have been Mariano Rivera, Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano, Shelley Duncan, Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera, and Edwar Ramirez. For the Mets, David Wright has made is presence felt for several causes, along with Billy Wagner and Willie Randolph, while others such as Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado have been active in their home countries of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico."

• Items from NY Daily News column by John Harper, "Scott Boras' Ego has yet to Recover from A-rod's Pounding," 12/30/07

Fine. The confession about which Harper is most giddy was HGH, not steroids. (sm)

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