TORONTO - The baseball Hall of Fame voting system is flat-out busted.
It’s in dire need of repair, so people say.
Well, take a breath before you jump to conclusions — like each time Canada loses at the world juniors — therefore hockey has to be revamped.
This was the eighth time voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America didn’t elect anyone since voting began in 1936. The last time writers tossed a shutout was in 1996.
Did the walls tumble in Cooperstown?
Not quite. Consider ...
Phil Niekro. Don Sutton, Tony Perez, Bruce Sutter and Jim Rice all fell short of the required that year, were eventually elected. Plus, Ron Santo was elected in 2011 by the Golden Era committee. Six in all.
There was another shut out in 1971. Yogi Berra, Early Wynn, Ralph Kiner, Bob Lemon and Duke Snider, whose numbers aren’t as good as Larry Walker’s, finished up the ballot track. All were elected by writers.
