And as far as the Jim Rice side of the argument is concerned; he clearly caught a break due to timing. The steroid issue (which will be cleared up in time for some admitted users to get in) kept Mark McGwire out in 2009, and at the same time makes power numbers from before the steroid era look that much more impressive.
But let\'s not pretend that he\'s the only one to benefit from timing. Goose Gossage got 78 more votes when he was inducted in 2008 than the previous year. Did his stats get any better in that time? No. But Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. both retired after the 2001 season and became eligible in 2007, so they (rightfully) took votes that may have otherwise gone to Goose (and Jim Rice). Gossage\'s vote total also increased after Bruce Sutter got in, because Goose was then the best (eligible) relief pitcher not in the Hall of Fame. And, while this is no comment on Gossage specifically, being the best eligible player isn\'t automatically a deserving Hall of Famer. Brook Fordyce will be the best eligible catcher in 2010, and he won\'t get a single vote.
The real problem with the voting system, other than the classic case of "how do you compare pitching stats to batting stats?", is that a stat isn\'t the same stat across the board. Don Mattingly hit for a higher average than Jim Rice, but he was supposed to. Rice hit more home runs than Mattingly, but that was his job.
