>>> 2015 INDUCTEES TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME WERE
ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK.
RON CHIMELIS IS ONE OF THE SELECT GROUP OF BASEBALL
WRITERS THAT GET TO SUBMIT A HALL OF FAME BALLOT AND HE CAME
IN TO TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR'S CHOICES TO ENTER THE SHRINE AT
COOPERSTOWN.
>> IF YOU ARE A HALL OF FAMER, WHY WAIT.
? SOME PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT FOR -- NOT A GUY LIKE PEDRO.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WON'T VOTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS AND I
DON'T AGREE WITH IT.
>> A COUPLE OF REMARKS FROM BASEBALL FANS I KNOW, I CANNOT
WAIT FOR INDUCTION DAY AND PEDRO'S SPEECH.
>> WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THIS, HALL OF FAME VOTE HAS BECOME A
NEGATIVE THING IN BASEBALL BECAUSE OF THE STEROID.
IT SHOULD BE A DAY OF CELEBRATION.
I THINK IT WILL BE THIS YEAR.
PEDRO -- GUYS THAT BRING A SMILE TO PEOPLE'S FACES.
I THINK THE HALL OF FAME DESPERATELY NEEDS THAT.
LET'S LOOK AT WHO IS GETTING IN, NOT WHO DIDN'T.
>> RANDY JOHNSON, PITCHED FOR ARIZONA, YANKEES, I REMEMBER
SEEING HIM ONCE AND I THOUGHT WHAT MUST IT BE LIKE TO BE IN
THE HITTER'S BOX AND SEE HIM COMING AT YOU -- WHAT WAS HE
6'5" -- >> 6'10".
>> HUGE GUY.
>> YEAH, EARLY IN THE CAREER, WILD AS A HAWK.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN SCARY.
HE THREW AT ALMOST 100 MILES AN HOUR.
ONCE HE FOUND THE STRIKE ZONE HE WAS ALMOST UNHITTABLE.
EARLY IN HIS CAREER THERE WAS A QUESTION WHETHER HE COULD TRAIN
THE BIG BODY TO DO THAT.
HE HONED HIS GAME. 300 GAME WINNER.
MAYBE THE LAST ONE WE WILL EVER SEE.
A PITCHER AS WELL AS A THROWER AND OBVIOUSLY VERY DESERVING.
>> ANOTHER FIRST-YEAR GUY YOU WERE CHEERING FOR.
>> YEAH, I VOTED FOR HIM AND 97% OF THE VOTE.
EIGHTH HIGHEST VOTE GETTER IN HISTORY.
IT DIDN'T TAKE A LOT OF CONVINCING FOR RANDY.
>> JOHN SMOLTZ, IN THE COLUMN YOU WROTE ABOUT GETTING READY
TO SEND YOUR VOTE IN, YOU SAID HE ALONG WITH MARTINEZ, RANDY
JOHNSON, A NO-BRAINER.
>> NOT TO ME.
LOOKED AT HIM AS A STARTING PITCHER.
STILL DO.
VERY GOOD IN BOTH CAPACITIES, EMINENTLY DESERVING.
>> I ACTUALLY FORGOTTEN ONE OF HIS LAST STOPS IN BASEBALL WAS
WITH THE RED SOX BRIEFLY.
>> THAT DIDN'T GET HIM INTO THE HALL OF FAME.
HE WAS A GREAT GUY TO HAVE AROUND.
TOWARD THE END OF HIS CAREER.
WASN'T HERE FOR LONG BUT IT IS COOL TO SAY THAT HE DID PITCH
FOR THE BOSTON RED SOX.
>> FOUR GUYS GETTING IN THIS YEAR.
THAT ALONE IS RARE.
IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS THREE THAT GET ENOUGH VOTES.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE FOURTH PERSON IN A MINUTE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT FOUR MADE IT THIS YEAR?
>> I THINK THREE NEWCOMERS WERE JUST ABOUT NO-BRAINERS,
INCLUDING SMOLTZ WHO GOT ABOUT 82% OF THE VOTE.
YOU START WITH THEM.
LAST YEAR -- I REMEMBER THINKING YOUR VOTE CAN'T COUNT
IN THIS ELECTION.
MISSED BY TWO VOTES.
I THOUGHT HE WOULD MAKE IT THIS YEAR.
PIAZZA, HE IS COMING CLOSE.
I THINK HE IS GOING TO MAKE IT.
FOUR IS A HEALTHY CLASS AND I THINK THEY WERE THE RIGHT
COURSES.
>> A HITTER, BUT NOT A HOME-RUN HITTER, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE
THAT TAKES HIM DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THIS WAS HIS THIRD YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY, DOES THAT SOUND
RIGHT?
>> YEAH, FIRST YEAR HE CAME CLOSE.
LAST YEAR AGONIZINGLY CLOSE.
SOME OF THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE MORE THAN HOME RUNS.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO CRITICIZE STEROID GUYS FOR HITTING THE
HOME RUNS THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE.
YOU CAN'T IGNORE PEOPLE THAT DID IT SO WELL.
HE HAD 3,000 HITS.
STAR ON THE SAME TEAM FOR 20 YEARS.
THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
ALL-AROUND PLAYER.
JUST BECAUSE HE WASN'T A SLUGGER DOESN'T MEAN HE IS OUT
OF THE HALL OF FAME.
>> RUMORS AROUND THE INTERNET LAST COUPLE OF DAYS BASED ON
SOME WRITERS, LIKE YOURSELF, HAD BASICALLY WRITTEN ABOUT WHO
YOU WERE VOTING FOR AND SUPPORTING AND SOME FOLKS SAID
THERE MIGHT BE AS MANY AS FIVE THIS YEAR.
FOUR WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT AND MIKE PIAZZA WHO YOU
JUST MENTIONED, DID NOT MAKE IT IN AGAIN.
WHAT ABOUT HIM?
WHAT IS HIS POSSIBILITY?
>> I THINK HE IS GOING TO MAKE IT.
AND I THINK HE PROBABLY WILL MAKE IT NEXT YEAR.
I WILL USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SUSPICION AND RUMORS -- BUT THAT IS ALL.
HE HAS NEVER BEEN ON A LIST, MITCHELL REPORT OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
I BELIEVE THIS IS HIS THIRD YEAR ON THE BALLOT.
I CAN'T KEEP HIM OFF BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS A WHISPER.
A LOT OF WRITERS ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
HE CAME VERY CLOSE THIS YEAR.
I THINK EITHER NEXT YEAR OR YEAR AFTER -- HE IS A HALL OF
FAME PLAYER IF YOU LOOK AT HIS CAREER.
>> BASEBALL WRITER'S ASSOCIATION, YOU TALK A LOT
ABOUT LENGTH OF TIME SOMEONE PLAYS, CONSISTENCY, A LOT OF
FOLKS THROW IN CHARACTER AND I THINK SOMETIMES SOME SPORTS
WRITERS THROW IN WAS THIS GUY A GUY WHO TALKED UP THE GAME, WHO
TALKED TO THE MEDIA AND -- >> THAT SHOULDN'T COUNT.
JEFF KEMP WAS ON THE BALLOT.
I VOTED FOR HIM -- NEVER DEALT WITH HIM, I HEAR IT IS
DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH HIM.
YOU CAN'T START TO KEEP GUYS OUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE
THEM.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE A CRITERIA.
BUT I CAN'T HONESTLY SAY THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
>> KURT SCHILLING ON THE BALLOT AGAIN.
DID NOT MAKE IT AGAIN.
IN SOME WAYS IT SEEMS TO ME IN BASEBALL LEGEND AND LURE, JUST
THE BLOODY SOCK ALONE OF 2004 IS THE KIND OF STORIED STUFF
THAT GETS YOU INTO THE HALL OF FAME.
>> HE IS A VERY INTERESTING CANDIDATE.
I HAVEN'T VOTED FOR HIM YET.
I CAME CLOSER THIS YEAR.
I THINK HE LOOKS BETTER AS TIME GOES ON.
HE DID ADD TO THE GAME.
HE WAS CLEAN.
TREMENDOUS CLUTCH PERFORMER, POST-SEASON RECORD, ALMOST
SECOND TO NONE.
THOSE THINGS SHOULD COUNT.
HE GOT 40% OF THE VOTE, YOU NEED 75%.
HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.
BUT HE DID PICK UP SOME TRACTION THIS YEAR.
THOSE FOUR GUYS OFF OF THE BALLOT NEXT YEAR THAT GOT IN
THIS YEAR.
HE HAS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TAKING A LONGER LOOK AT SCHILLING AND
LIKING WHAT THEY SEE.
216 -- PEDRO HAD 219.
YOU CAN'T HOLD THAT AGAINST SCHILLING.
>> LIKE ABILITY THING -- HE COULD BE KIND OF ABRASIVE AND
DIFFICULT AND PUT YOU OFF A LITTLE --
>> THE WRITERS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO, AND I SPEAK TO MANY,
ESPECIALLY IN BOSTON WHO DEALT WITH HIM DAY BY DAY, I CAN SAY
THAT WASN'T A FACTOR -- IT WASN'T A FACTOR WITH TIM
RICE -- THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS.
SCHILLING CANDIDACY -- I THINK IT IS A GOOD CANDIDACY, WITH
PEOPLE LIKE THAT IT SOMETIMES TAKES TIME.
HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABRASIVE, BUT HE WASN'T A COMPLETE
TURNOFF EITHER.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FACTOR.
>> WHAT ABOUT PETE ROSE?
IS HE EVER DO YOU THINK GOING TO MAKE IT --
>> THE NEW COMMISSIONER -- WE DON'T KNOW, THERE IS A NEW
COMMISSION NOW, HE HAS TO TAKE HIM OFF THE LAND LIST.
LAST COMMISSIONER WOULDN'T DO THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THE NEW FELLOW WILL DO THAT OR NOT.
ONCE HE DOES THAT, IF HE DOES THAT, AND THAT IS A BIG IF,
VETERANS COMMITTEE TAKES A LOOK AT ROSE.
THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING.
I THINK IF HE EVER GOT ON ANYBODY'S BALLOT, I THINK HE
WOULD MAKE IT BUT RIGHT NOW HE IS NOT ELIGIBLE.
>> LET'S SWITCH QUICKLY.
LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT.
PATRIOTS VERSUS THE BALTIMORE RAVENS THIS SATURDAY.
RAVENS AND PATS HAVE MET THREE TIMES, AND RAVENS HAVE WON
TWICE.
WORD RAVENS SCARE PATRIOTS FANS WHASHGS DO YOU THINK?
>> IT SCARES ME.
THEY ARE FEARLESS COMING INTO FOXBORO.
I THINK THE PATRIOTS ARE GOING TO WIN THE GAME.
I THINK THIS WILL BE A MORE DIFFICULT MATCH-UP THAN MAYBE
PLAYING PITTSBURGH WOULD HAVE BEEN.
RAVENS KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
PATRIOTS I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY WITH A LEAD AND
THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE AGAINST THE BALTIMORE DEFENSE.
>> OUR GUY BRADY VERSUS FLACCO --
>> OUR GUY IS BETTER.
BUT THEIR GUY WINS GAMES IN PLAYOFFS.
BRADY IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE BRADY IN THIS GAME.
AND IF HE IS, THE PATRIOTS WILL WIN.
I DON'T THINK FLACCO IS GOING TO LOSE THE GAME.
I THINK BRADY IS GOING TO HAVE TO WIN IT.
>> ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU IN.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU.