#EdgarHOF - Day 31

The votes are starting to come in, and Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) is leaning into the yeoman’s work of tracking these suckers. One projection shows Edgar getting 50% of the vote, which is a big step forward for him although still well short of the mark he needs.

Here are a few of the early ballots:

Ted Berg over at USA Today’s FTW said he would give Edgar his vote...except he doesn’t have a vote yet. It might be that no player is more negatively impacted by the reduction of eligibility than Edgar, who is working against the two-pronged dinosaur of “DHs don’t belong in the Hall” and “he didn’t hit enough home runs.” That part of the voting bloc is dying out or being relieved of their watch, but it might not come in time to help Edgar. Hopefully, some of those younger people who will have a vote one day have the ear of their older colleagues. The article does include a link to Adam Rubin’s ballot, and he did vote for Edgar. Thanks, Adam.

Bruce Jenkins at the SF Chronicle makes his vote public, and this year he has again voted for Edgar. He explains some of his rationale here. His Bay Area counterpart, Pat Caputo, once again left Edgar off his ballot. Side note: when you Google “Pat Caputo,” you get a hit from a show he used to do in Detroit with the intro: “Outspoken, opinionated and definitely not afraid to say what he honestly thinks...” It’s amazing how those three descriptors, each so innocent on their own, when combined become one giant red flag that reads SHALLOW THINKING AHEAD. If you dare, feel free to go ask Pat on Twitter about his reasoning.

David Maril also thinks Edgar comes up a little short, although he is willing to write about his choices in a lengthy blog post. I feel like we might be able to work on David, you guys. He’s not on twitter but his e-mail address is right there at the bottom of the page (david@davidmaril.com). Be nice and ask him why he thinks Edgar comes up short, and offer him your best arguments. The Pat Caputos of the world are a child’s toybox, all plastic sides and shrill sounds; we will never convince them. But David...we might be able to work on him. Anyone who’s smart enough to avoid Twitter, thus never breaking Rule #1, is probably someone who will be able to appreciate a good argument.

Ryan Fagan of the Sporting News is eligible to vote for the first time this year. He put Edgar on his hypothetical ballot last year, but that in no way guarantees Edgar a spot this year. Why not pop over to Twitter and gently remind Ryan that we at #EdgarHOF would love his support? While you’re at it, here are some other first-time voters who could maybe get a nudge from you: Mike Harrington and Dan Hayes.

Things are still looking grim but there is a bright spot: Edgar already has a net gain of two votes. One of those came from George Willis, who posted a pic of his ballot and it only has 12 sad little likes. Go let George know we appreciate him:

Remember, if you’re interacting with a writer, the goal is to get them on our side. Be polite, be respectful of their time, and make your best case. Except for Pat Caputo. Screw that dude.