Ignore Those Who Didn't Vote for Ken Griffey Jr., They Don't Deserve the Attention

Much ink is being spilled over the three Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters who didn’t include Ken Griffey Jr. on their Hall of Fame ballots. From Seattle to Cincinnati, blood is boiling at the audacity of the lunatic fringe. Amateur sleuths are donning their best Sarah Koenig wig and attempting to discover the identities of the three anonymous voters who prevented Griffey from becoming the first-ever unanimous selection for enshrinement in Cooperstown.

And it’s understandable. How anyone wouldn’t think Griffey is worthy of the Hall of Fame is unconscionable. All the outfielder did was make a Major League roster at 19 and immediately dominate for over a decade. For ten straight seasons he was both an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner. All he did was amass 2,781 hits and 630 home runs despite battling injuries for several years near the end of his career. Had he stayed healthy he would have likely passed the 3,000-hit mark and joined the 700-homer club.

In addition to being one of the all-time greats on the field, Griffey injected new life and energy into the game and broadened Major League Baseball’s appeal. Young people identified with his backward hat and smooth swagger. His poster was ubiquitous on walls across the nation, regardless of rooting affiliation. Hunting down his iconic rookie card and perfecting an imitation of his effortless swing were rites of passage for baseball fans of a certain age.

Despite playing in an era sullied by steroids, there was never a whiff that Griffey was anything less than squeaky clean.

There is no logical reason his name would not appear on a voter’s Hall of Fame ballot the moment it became eligible. That leaves a few possible explanations as to why three people chose not to include him. Phil Rogers capably lays them out:

Preservation of the no unanimous selections legacy
Mismarked ballot
Political statement about the steroid era as a whole
Voting for fringe players instead of slam-dunk candidates

We don’t know what happened because the three voters are yet to be identified. Realistically, we can expect that to happen as soon as they finish their self-important columns. There’s clickbait — and then there’s reputation-threatening clickbait. If not voting for Griffey was done to get attention, it’s a sad example of a person charged with creating the story intentionally becoming the story themselves.

And we shouldn’t care why this trio did what they did. Focusing on the 0.7 percent of voters who opted not to apply common sense and giving them a platform takes away from what should be a celebration of Griffey’s greatness.

The simple fact is this: if you cover baseball for a living and don’t think Griffey is Hall of Fame-worthy today, then, hell, why would anyone trust your opinion on any issue? Failure to make an informed decision in the meaty part of one’s purview doesn’t instill confidence. And what about their decisions suggests sanity or a grounding in reality?

All BBWA members are within their rights to turn their Hall of Fame vote into a political statement. Membership in this exclusive club grants them the opportunity to take a great honor and make it about themselves. But the public at large is also within their rights to tune out a voter shouting from a soapbox.

It’s natural to wonder why a small fraction zigs when the rest zags. Curiosity is a tough itch not to scratch. That said, the best thing a person outraged about Griffey not being a unanimous inductee can do is deny the dissenters an audience. Exposure and attention will only embolden those who wish to leave off deserving players in the future.

It’s a tough ask, especially in 2016. Perhaps focusing on the fact 99.3 percent of voters have their heads screwed on straight will help quell your rage. Perhaps knowing nothing the lunatic fringe can say will change Griffey’s legacy — or your fond memories of him — will put things in perspective.

Agitators only succeed when others allow themselves to be agitated.

Come late July, Griffey Jr. will have a plaque in Upstate New York and no one will care about what these three people did in early January.

Why start now?

Image via USA Today Sports