No one can take it back and, yes, I will head out to Cooperstown to see the plaque. But, for those who keep asking why it took so long, I post these reminders.

He was a dick.
This one comes up a lot when you talk to people who knew him during his playing career.

He was okay as a player, not HOF material.
I find this argument specious but it is there.

He was a dick to teammates.
Dan Young would agree with that one.

That last article also points out that he was a hot dog on a shitty team.

Or, as one gentleman I know once said, “I’ll vote for the, self absorbed, prick when he’s fucking cold.”

He did keep his word. All my real friends do.

I was never to fond of him as a broadcaster either he was right up there with Hawk.

Hawk is a professional who understands his target audience. Santo was a homer.

How Santo acted as a broadcaster has nothing to do with his qualifications for the HOF. That he was a dick to the media, fans or his teammates is also irrelevant.

If you want to use the criteria that he was a dick, then Ty Cobb has no business being in the HOF either. Cobb was a bigger asshole than Santo ever could dream of being.

What he did on the field is relevant. And if you look at the stats, he comapres favorably to several other 3rd basemen who are already in the HOF (such as Brooks Robinson who played at the same time as Santo).

I will always maintain that waiting until he was dead to induct him was criminal.

Baines’ turn.