Voting for hall of fame about to get tougher

How about a little baseball diversion- HOF voting this week- (Like to see Tim Raines make it)

The Baseball Writers Association of America has the significant task of annually determining who is and isn't worthy of a bronze plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It can also be considered an unenviable task with the long list of steroids-tainted greats becoming eligible very soon.

Mark McGwire excluded, the BBWAA will wait one more year to mull the topic over as it first must focus on selecting the 2012 HOF class. Voting is released on Jan. 9.

This year's newcomers appear to be a pretty weak bunch, with the likes of Bernie Williams, Vinny Castilla, Javy Lopez and ex-Ranger Ruben Sierra highlighting the group. If anyone has a chance, it's probably Williams, who spent his entire 16-year career with the Yankees.

The Puerto Rican outfielder was a five-time MLB All-Star who earned four Gold Gloves. If Williams is elected, playing a key role on a New York team that won four titles will have just as much to do with it as his statistics.

Ballot holdovers who received more than 40 percent of the 2011 vote include shortstop Barry Larkin (62.1 percent), pitcher Jack Morris (53.5), reliever Lee Smith (45.3) and Jeff Bagwell (41.7).

I'll be surprised if Larkin doesn't get the 75 percent of the votes needed for election. And I'll be surprised if anyone else makes it.

More here-

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/dec/27/voting-for-hall-of-fame-about-to-get-tougher/