2010 HOF ballot has too many worthy candidates …

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m nervous. With about a week left to go, I am starting to worry that there might not be anybody elected from the BBWAA ballot for next year’s HOF class.

It’s bewildering that the number of worthy candidates should have an impact on the results of any particular individual’s chances, but it seems to be the case, and thus the addition of names like Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff and Andres Galarraga seems ominous for some of the holdovers.

I refer, of course, to Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven, the two candidates with seemingly the best shot at election after a significant number of years on the ballot. For the former, this is the 10th try; for Blyleven, the 2010 vote is No. 14, meaning he’ll have but one more crack at BBWAA election if this year’s tally comes up short.

And I think it might. Depending upon the day you asked me, I would likely say there are between 7-10 guys on the list who would get my vote, and my fear is that with that many worthy nominees the votes get spread around so much that perhaps nobody gets the needed 75 percent.

I am going to blog about the 2010 vote for much of the next few days leading up to the Jan. 6 announcement, citing some of the individual cases of most interest to me. In the meantime, it’s worth noting that many of our cherished notions about magic numbers and hallowed benchmarks need to be re-examined, to say nothing about the looming (actually already upon us) dilemma about what to do with the steroids questions.

I hold no illusions that my prognostications are any more valid than anybody else’s, but if I am going to blog I might as well put something at risk: I don’t think the 2010 BBWAA vote will push anyone past the 75 percent threshold.

Even as I type it, I hope to heaven I am wrong about my conclusion. No offense to Doug Harvey and Whitey Herzog, but I’d want to see more folks on the podium next summer.

More on this on the morrow.