Gotta say the Hall of Fame inductees this year is a solid group. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy “The Kid” Wagner all worthy candidates. CC represents, though, a change in how pitching will be looked at in the future. 250 wins is probably the bar now (CC with 251), while his lifetime ERA is high at 3.74 (highest of any LHP). Still, over 3,000K and 3,577.1 IP ain’t shabby. Ichiro - well, we all know his story. Let me highlight just his 10 consecutive seasons with 200 hits, 3,089 hits, and .311 BA - in MLB alone, not counting his NPBL stats. Billy Wagner makes it in his last year of eligibility for many reasons, but 422 saves over only 903 IP with a career WHIP under 1.00 demonstrates his talent. He was a prototype of the modern closer. Dave Parker and Dick Allen arrive from the Classic Era Baseball Committee (I liked Veterans Committee better), while Tom Hamilton, the marvelous play-by-play announcer of the Cleveland Guardians, earns the Ford Frick Award, and Tom Boswell of the Washington Post received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

Best news of all? A-Roid was listed on only 37.1% of ballots and has only 6 more years left.