Cy Young Got How Many Votes?

Seaver: Highest percentage

USA Today showed the highest and lowest baseball Hall of Fame voting percentages this week in its "Snapshots" corner on page one of sports. It blew me away. Voting for the Hall of Fame can be tough, especially now with so many "PED" and "cheating" scandals to wade through. There are certain people, however, who need no thought at all.

Let's look at the top five highest percentages:

1. Tom Seaver (1992) - 98.84%
2. Nolan Ryan (1999) - 98.79%
3. Cal Ripken Jr. (2007) - 98.53%
4. Ty Cobb (1936) - 98.23%
5. George Brett (1999) - 98.19%

All no-doubt Hall of Famers, for sure. But this list (complete list of votes and percentages here) raises so many questions. 

First, why aren't there any receiving 100 percent of the vote? There was really a writer out there with the balls to think Nolan Ryan didn't deserve to be in the Hall? In fact, there were six who didn't include him on their list.

Some people didn't vote for Ruth

Why isn't Babe Ruth at the top with 100 percent of the votes? Ruth received 95.1 percent of votes in 1936, the first year of voting, the same as Honus Wagner but less than Ty Cobb. (Both Cobb and Ruth should have gotten 100 percent.) Eleven of the 226 ballots excluded Ruth that year. He must have pissed a few of the writers off at some point because not voting for him just doesn't make sense. Not only were his 714 career home runs more than some franchises at the time, he also hit .342 for a career, in case you forget. And we shouldn't forget his 94-46 pitching record with a 2.28 ERA in 1,221 innings pitched. 

Let's move to the next year, 1937. Only three players were elected that year, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Denton True "Cy" Young. You know, the guy who holds unbreakable pitching records like career wins (511), innings pitched (7,355) and games started (815). Well, he barely made it. Young is sixth from the bottom on percentage of votes all-time - 76.12 percent. Ryne Sandberg got a better percentage in 2005. Only 153 of 201 voters thought Cy Young should be in the Hall of Fame. And that was an INCREASE from the first vote the previous year when he got less than 50 percent. 

It's amazing to see the voting of players that are, without question, the greatest players in the history of the game. Joe DiMaggio? Only 88 percent. Maybe the almighty Baseball Writers' Association of America had some sort of grudge against these guys like there is today. I don't know, it was 50, 60, 70 years ago. I also don't care. The only thing I know is what they did on the field and the stories that have been told. 

I can only imagine people in another 50 years who are looking back on, what can only be assumed, ridiculous voting percentages coming up for greats like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, two of the best players to ever play. If it took Lefty Grove, a 300-game winner, three tries and then only got 76.4 percent, it's not hard to see voters trying to make a point on Clemens.

It's either yes or no when it comes to the Hall of Fame. The philosophy that seems to fit best is "if you even have to think about it, no." (Thank you, Skip Bayless.) It's just a quick yes or no. No thought, no debate. Ted Williams? Yes! Joe DiMaggio? Yes! Cy Young? Yes! Bert Blyleven? Well, I don't know, let me look at his ---- No! Barry Bonds? Yes!

Maybe it's a lost cause to think people will get the voting "right" during the much-debated "Steroid Era." I mean, 20 voters didn't think Ted Williams should be in the Hall of Fame his first year. And that's unacceptable. So is not letting in the greats of the game. 

*I also feel Joe Jackson should be in the Hall of Fame. Despite what the courts may have said and testimony there may have been, he still performed at a high level during that Black Sox World Series and was an all-time great. 

**And yes, Pete Rose should be in, too.