And Suddenly, I Hate Cano A Little Less: Wakefield HOF Debate

I've never been a fan of Robinson Cano. I've got my reasons, most of which include him looking incredibly lazy on the field most of the time. When I read the headline of Ken Rosenthal's article on Wakefield's chances at being inducted into Cooperstown, I thought it was a joke. The headline said "Cano: Send Wakefield To Cooperstown." (Actually, the title is Peter Abraham's article about Rosenthal's article. Pete's article is here... though it offers little more than Ken's)

I thought he was being snarky and suggesting that Tim just needs to go to Cooperstown. I don't know why I didn't come to the obvious conclusion that he meant Tim should be IN the Hall of Fame. I guess I have to hate him less.

“One-hundred ninety-five wins are impressive, I told Cano, but Wake’s career ERA of 4.38? Too high.
Yeah, but he’s a knuckleballer,” Cano said, surprised that I did not view Wake as a more serious candidate. Cano then offered his own ringing endorsement.

“Tell Wakefield he’s got my vote,” he said, smiling.

Honestly, I don't think we'll ever see Tim Wakefield inducted into the Hall of Fame. If we do, I will make the trip for his induction ceremony. We know Wake meets the criteria of having played in ten seasons, but realistically, does he have a chance? According the the BBWAA, these are the categories that the writers supposedly vote on (but I'll leave my opinion of the voters for another time):

5. Voting: Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

He's the active leader in wins, he's played any role that the team needs him to, and no one would ever question his character, integrity, or sportsmanship... and if they would dare, I have some kind words and punches to the face for them. If you look at Wakefield's numbers objectively, they aren't fancy... but they have to be looked at in comparison to the era in which he played and the numbers that the batters in that era were putting up. Does being slightly above average for an extraordinary amount of time make one worthy of induction? Again, I don't know. I had honestly never even thought about the possibility before, but I think it would be a fantastic event if he could get elected. But, I hope we're still a few years off from even seriously debating this. I'm not ready to let Tim go yet.