The Josh Innes Show - Who Didn't Vote For Ichiro?

Episode Date: January 22, 2025

Apparently, one person didn't vote for Ichiro to be a Hall Of Fame. I struggle to really care. People say they want this person to be revealed. Why? How is a closer to only player to be a unanimous Hall of Famer? Chipper Jones is bitching about Andrew Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So yesterday we were talking about the Hall of Fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame. And, you know, I stopped the podcast before they actually announced who got in. But Billy Wagner got in and Ichiro got in. And the big story was that Ichiro was not unanimous. He did not get the unanimous vote, right? Like one person, there was one person who didn't think that Ichiro was a Hall of Famer. Out of all the people who vote, this one gentleman or lady, I guess, or they, them said that Ichiro is not a Hall of

Famer. And I don't know if this person has spoken or said who they are yet, but I've seen that it was Bob Costas on TV last night right after I had stopped recording Bob Bob Costas came on TV and he was like I would just like to see who this person is I don't want to fight with them or to disparage them I just want to know why they voted the way they voted I don't really care to know who this person is like to me now this would be my thought because a lot of people view the voting for different halls of fame as kind of a sham anyway I think um was it uh Dan Lebitard that sold his Heisman vote maybe to to was it to Barstool or was it to Deadspin I forgot who he sold his his Heisman vote, I believe it was, to. But a lot of

these, when you really think about it, it's kind of a sham because there is no clear-cut way to put somebody in a Hall of Fame. There is no cut and dry, like, oh, this is the obvious criteria they're in to get into a Hall of Fame, right? It doesn't exist. So it comes down to people voting. And people have biases. We know this. I always talk about this with John McClain. But when Warren Moon finally got into the Hall of Fame, John McClain walked in and goes, well, we got Warren in. And I'm like, it's kind of fucked up that it took that long for Warren Moon to get into the Hall of Fame when Warren Moon is this all time great player. Like the fact that people have to stump for these guys and politic for these guys is just weird. It's weird to me when a guy is on the ballot for 10 years and then now is a Hall of Famer like Billy Wagner. Like why is Billy Wagner a Hall of Famer today? Why are this year, though, he's moved up X number of votes. Why? Did he throw a pitch?

Did he hit it? Did he have a home run? Did he hit like 10 extra home runs? Like, what exactly was the reason why this happened? But everybody, Bob Costas, back to Bob Costas and others, people want to see this guy who kept Ken Griffey from being unanimous or kept Ichiro from being a unanimous selection for the Hall of Fame. We must see. We demand, the people demand to know who this person is so we can take them to the town square and behead them. Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that that's what that person wants.

Because there's no way you'd look at Ichiro's body of work and go, yeah, guy's not a Hall of Famer. Like if you wanted to make any case, you could could say well the guy's just a glorified slap hitter but so is pete fucking rose people blow pete rose all the time it's not like pete rose was launching home runs or anything the guy was just hitting singles but you know he's the all-time hits king so he's a hall of famer he's not a hall of famer but he's a hall of famer but like of course ichiro is a Hall of Famer, right? So the only reason somebody would not vote for Ichiro is so they could be known as the person who didn't vote for Ichiro. And then people would talk about them and say, oh, look, there's Bill Smitherson of the Associated Press or the Daily Dunklin Democrat. And he decided that Ichiro is not a Hall of Famer. Like that's the same concept as taking school shooters and putting them on the cover of magazines. Well, a lot of people just want to be famous. A lot of people commit crimes and do horrible, dastardly things because they kind of want the fame that goes along with it. So the argument is don't put this person's face all over the news

24-7. Don't put their picture on the cover of magazines because then you're just giving them what they want. They wanted the fame. They they wanted the attention they wanted to be popular and you're giving that to them like and by the way there's nothing inside of me that gives two shits about unearthing who this person is like oh my god let's go find that person that one singular person who kept Ichiro from being a unanimous hall of Famer. I guess my question would be, why the fuck is Mariano Rivera the only unanimous Hall of Famer? When like, like, you want to tell it like Mariano Rivera kicks ass, Hall of Famer, 100%. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the most important baseball players in the history of baseball, has over 600 home runs. If he didn't

get hurt, probably would have hit 800 home runs or 750 home runs. Dude's a fucking tank. Dude's awesome. Like made baseball fun in the nineties. And we're like, you know what? Ken Griffey, not a unanimous hall of famer. Like, like, do people do that to just like kind of keep it humble? But if that's the case, then no one should have ever been a unanimous hall of famer. Like, why did we decide that Mariano Rivera, a closer, by the way, which look, congrats on being a great closer, but let's be honest about closers. People like to talk about saves. How many saves, again, I'm not trying to say that Mariano Rivera is not a Hall of Famer. Put him in the Hall of Fame. He is a Hall of Famer. He's great. A closer gets rewarded a save and dudes get bonused on saves. It's zone individual statistic.

A starting pitcher has to have the lead after like five and a half innings or five innings pitch to get a victory to qualify for a win. A starting pitcher has to pitch five innings and have the lead when he leaves the game and then hope that the lead is not blown for him. To have a quality start, a pitcher has to do what? Like pitch six innings of three-run baseball, right? Like you have to pitch six innings to get a quality start, which is its own statistic. A closer has to come in with a three-run lead in the ninth inning and in theory

could just get one out with a three-run lead and get a save. A save is a sham. Now, if you come into a situation and its base is loaded with one out and they ask you to close the door and you get out of it, that's respectable. If it's a one-run game in the ninth inning, I'd say, okay, good. You didn't give up a run in one inning. Good. You don't give up three runs in one inning and you get a save and people get bonuses on saves? Like, what the fuck are we doing? So the only unanimous Hall of Famer ever is a guy whose most important statistics saves, the thing that everybody's going to look at and say, that's why he's the all-timer, could be a situation where it was a two-run save

in the ninth inning or a three-run save. The fact that you can come into a three, like three runs is the line of, oh, that's a save. It's one fucking inning. It's one inning. If a starting pitcher comes in and gives up two runs in the first inning, we would say, geez, that sucked. Closer comes in, gives up two runs, but they hold on to the lead,

a three-run lead. He gives up two runs. We go, that's a save. It's fucking dumb. And just to think that the only baseball player that has been unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame is Mariano Rivera. Not Ken Griffey Jr. It won't be Albert Pujols, the greatest hitter that with my own eyes I've ever watched.

The greatest hitter I've ever watched is Albert Pujols. With my own eyes. I couldn't tell you what Mickey Mantle did. I don't think it's fair for me to talk about those guys. I didn't see them play. I watched Albert Pujols play. Albert Pujols in St. Louis, the first 10 years he was in the league, the most amazing hitter I had ever seen. He's not going to be a unanimous Hall of Famer. Dude's got 700 home runs, 703 home runs, 703 home runs. And that's despite the fact that he was pretty mediocre for about a decade,

the back half of his career in Anaheim. 700 career home runs. Best hitter I've ever seen. Won't be unanimous. But Mariano Rivera, a guy whose number one attribute is that he gets saves and he comes in in three-run games. Now I'd like to know the percentage of saves from Mariano Rivera that were one-run saves versus three-run saves.

It's preposterous, but whatever. Let me play a couple commercials. Then I want to talk about something that Chipper Jones said about Andrew Jones, his former teammate as it relates to getting into the Hall of Fame. Let me find that, and we will play some commercials right now. All right, if you're ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs, you've got to check out Pick 6 from DraftKings. When it comes to basketball payouts, DraftKings Pick 6 posterizes the competition,

including prize picks. It's a very simple concept. Hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on Pick 6, plus even more cash if you outscore the competition pick six is available in most states including Missouri California Texas Georgia and more and I absolutely love it look every night we're going to be having playoff basketball every night so when you're sitting around and you might not have interest in a particular game let's say you're a fan of a particular team they're not playing that night here's how you make it a little bit more fun for the other games. Build a little lineup there with pick six. It's

really great. Me and my wife do it all the time. So make sure you do it. And new players get 50 in pick six credits instantly on just a $5 entry. Download the DraftKings Pick 6 app now and use code INNES, that's my name, I-N-N-E-S, for new customers to play. $5, get 50 in Pick 6 credits, better payouts, bigger wins, only with Pick 6 from DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org in Connecticut. Must be 18 plus. Age and eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction. Pick six not available everywhere, including New York and Ontario. Voidware prohibited. One per new customer. Bonus award. It is non-withdrawable pick six credits that expire

in 14 days limited time offer see terms at pick six dot draft kings dot com slash promos all right so here's a tweet from chipper jones last night i want to ask all hall of fame voters one question if andrew jones plays for the new york yankees for 15 years with 10 gold gloves, 400 home runs, 13 RBIs, is he a Hall of Famer? Let me answer for you. First ballot. Time to have the conversation about Hall of Famers chiming in. 75 living members can make sure it's right. Many elements of that are wrong. One, I think people, just the fact that you played doesn't make you a good observer of talent. you're clearly biased you played with the guy fine I also don't believe that baseball writers and media people are the

end-all be-all either my biggest issue that I have with that statement from Chipper Jones saying that if if Andrew Jones would have played in New York he would have been a first ballot hall of famer is you're talking about a guy who played his career in Atlanta and he wasn't on all those 90s dominant teams but let's not like Atlanta is Tampa or Kansas City or Pittsburgh where dudes are going to get ignored because the teams are terrible you played for the fucking Braves they were 14 times in a row went to the playoffs, and that included a lot of Andrew Jones' career doing that. So the idea that Andrew Jones would be a no-doubt Hall of Famer because he was in New York when he played in Atlanta,

a team who every game he played was essentially on national television. Oh, but if he played in New York, no doubt that he would be a no-doubt. Although we can go back to the argument about Mariano Rivera and say Mariano Rivera and say Mariano Rivera is the only unanimous hall of famer ever and we're like all these great baseball players and Mariano Rivera a closer is the all-time great it's like saying a kicker well the kicker made all the game-winning kicks sure but the kicker ain't Peyton fucking Manning but anyway like Mariano Rivera ain't Greg Maddox Greg Maddox

not a unanimous hall of famer Mariano Rivera is but just this idea that somehow that uh that Andrew Jones got screwed because Andrew Jones didn't play in New York that argument only works in towns that people ignore no one ignoresores Atlanta. You played for the Braves. Look at the number of Hall of Famers they had from that era. The big three starting pitchers are all in the Hall of Fame, correct? Glavin, Smoltz, Maddox, they're all in. And then you've got Fred McGriff, who got into the Hall of Fame as well, the crime dog, who didn't play his whole career there.

But Fred McGriff is a Hall of Famer who I believe was seven home runs short of 500, but nearly hit 500 career home runs, and he got into a Hall of Famer who I believe was seven home runs short of 500, but nearly hit 500 career home runs and he got into the Hall of Fame. So those guys, Chipper Jones, the guy bitching, by the way, Chipper Jones is a Hall of Famer. Chipper Jones played for that same Atlanta team. So your point doesn't really hold up with me. It doesn't hold water with me in your argument. Your argument, of course, being that playing in Atlanta was to the detriment of Andrew Jones when I just named five dudes who played for Atlanta who are Hall of Famers. And I'm sure I'm missing somebody that was on those teams or that was considered a Hall of Fame level guy too. So there's five guys that

I just named from the golden era of the Atlanta Braves that are Hall of Famers. And you want to tell me that Andrew Jones is the one that's getting screwed playing in New York. So you want to play the little guy. You can't be in like the seventh largest city in the country and a baseball team that went to the playoffs every year and went to multiple World Series. And again, he didn't play on all those teams. But you can't tell me that like you're the poor, pitiful, sad sacks. You can't play the little guy. It's like when Philly people love to play the underdog. it's like well you're in philadelphia you're one of the top cities in the country you spend more money you spend a ton of money on your teams like don't play the little guy you're not the underdog just because you're not new york doesn't make you an underdog philly's not an

underdog boston's not a fucking underdog your big major american cities that have sports teams it's been a fuck ton of money you are not underdogs, you want to talk about guys who, like, I think you could make arguments for? I talked about Lance Berkman. Lance Berkman was off the ballot after one year. Lance Berkman nearly hit 400 career home runs and was nearly a 300 hitter and was a switch hitter and a fucking beast.

Lance Berkman was off the ballot after one year. Now, if you want to use the if he had played for a better team argument for someone, Lance Berkman might make more sense. Now, Lance Berkman's not a Hall of Famer, and I don't think Lance Berkman would call himself a Hall of Famer, but Lance Berkman deserved to be on the ballot for longer than a fucking year. If Lance Berkman would have hit 400 career home runs, you want to use the Yankees argument for someone like that. If Lance Berkman's career was spent in New York and he had big postseason moments, which, by the way, he did have big postseason moments playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Astros, by the way, people forget that, you know,

we look at the David Fries home run that was hit, the triple that tied the game, and then the home run in the 11th that won it for the Cardinals. The guy that extended the game in the 10th inning was Lance Berkman, a big two-out, two-strike knock that tied the game. Berkman had some clutch moments. People forget that Berkman would have had the game-winning and series-winning home run over the Cardinals in 05 if not for the fact that Pujols rocked Lidge in the 9th.

People forget these things. If Lance Berkman would have done that kind of shit in a city that people cared about baseball-wise, no doubt he's at least in the consideration. He's not a no-doubt Hall of Famer, I want to be clear. But if he does that in a city like New York or a Boston where you get more attention, I do think that he would have been on the ballot for longer than a year and maybe they discuss it a little bit more. Lance is a Hall of really fucking fucking good but he's not a hall of famer perhaps Andrew Jones is just a hall of really fucking good his numbers very similar to Jimmy Edmonds Jimmy Edmonds is not a hall of famer now I think the numbers are slightly higher for uh Andrew Jones got a couple more gold

gloves a couple more homers driven in a few more obviously Edmonds dealt with injuries towards the end when he was bouncing around I think he played in Milwaukee and Cincinnati I actually think that Edmonds may have played for every team other than Pittsburgh in the NL Central played for the Cardinals played for the Reds played for the Brewers my man just bounced around the NL Central at the end of his career. Played for San Diego, I think, at the end of his career. But injuries hurt him. But if Andrew Jones is a Hall of Famer, to me, Jimmy Edmonds is a Hall of Famer. And I hate Hall of Fame discussion. You guys know I hate Hall of Fame discussion. But when I see Chipper Jones throwing out just, if he played in New York, I don't think that's the reason. I know that's not the reason. I don't know why

Andrew Jones isn't a Hall of Famer. He's pretty fucking good, but he's not in. I don't know why it took 10 years to get Billy Wagner in the Hall of Fame. I don't know why this shit happens. Guy didn't play any more innings, yet he's a Hall of Famer now. None of it makes any fucking sense. But anyway, so Chipper's bitching about that, yet Chipper's a Hall of Famer, yet Smoltz is a Hall of Famer, all playing in Atlanta, Tom Glavin, Greg Maddox, whatever is what it is. All right, more to come.