Blyleven waiting for that call from the Hall

With a year on the horizon, so is the balloting for the 2009 baseball Hall of Fame. One who gains more and more attention every ballot is former Minnesota Twins Bert Blyleven. Blyleven also has service with four other teams in his checkered 22 year career. Since I'm a Twins fan that's who I'll mention through out this blog. This will be his 12th year on the ballot for the Hall.

"I still feel my numbers are Hall of Fame numbers," said Bert Blyleven, who ranks fifth all-time in big league history with 3,701 career strikeouts.

Some of Blylevens accomplishments really can leave you scratching your head, why hasn't he gotten in already. He is 27th on the all-time win list, with 287. Fifth in all-time strikeouts, and he is 11th in all time game starts 685. There are two categories for which no modern era pitcher will ever reach. Shutouts, Blyleven is 9th all-time with 60, and 13th in innings pitched 4,970. Granted the game has changed considerable since Blylevens rookie season in 1970. You have keep some of these stats in perspective, these tally's were accomplished with some of baseballs worst teams. The Rangers, Angels and Indians, even the Twins were horrible during some of his time.

Unlike past ballots, Blyleven has goods reasons to be optimistic. Every year he has garnered more votes last season finishing with (61.9%). Only Andre Dawson and Jim Rice were ahead of him. How and Why baffles me, especially Jim Rice. I'm old enough to have grown up with both players being there team leaders. But can someone really tell me why Jim Rice is even receiving votes? The almost 62% he received last year was a 14% jump from the previous season. Meaning every year he gains more and more respect. If Blyleven can at least reach the 70% total, then it will just a matter of when he gets elected. All players who have reached the 70 percentile have all been elected into the Hall. Since 1980 only four players who reached 60% did not eventually end up in the Hall of Fame.

"It's a nice positive in what I feel is negative situation," Blyleven said after last year's ballot result were released.

Live coverage of the Hall of Fame's announcement on Jan. 12 can be seen on MLB.com.

2009 candidates• Harold Baines• Jay Bell• Bert Blyleven• David Cone• Andre Dawson• Ron Gant• Mark Grace• Rickey Henderson• Tommy John• Don Mattingly• Mark McGwire• Jack Morris• Dale Murphy• Jesse Orosco• Dave Parker• Dan Plesac• Tim Raines• Jim Rice• Lee Smith• Alan Trammell• Greg Vaughn• Mo Vaughn• Matt Williams

Blyleven who doesn't understand what or why for the increasing support he's gotten over the years. "I don't know what the writers look at and why, all of a sudden, one year you don't vote for a guy and next year you do," Blyleven said. "It seems I always find myself this time of year defending my numbers more that admiring them."

The big knock against Blyleven has been his lack of benchmark achievements: 300 victories, no CY Young Awards, and only one 20 win season. What he does have is three, yes three World Series rings. Two with the Twins and one with the Pirates.

Even former players and Hall of Famers believe that he should already be in Cooperstown. "The writers never had to face him," George Brett said a few years ago about Blyleven. "If they did, they'd vote for him. He was a good as there was for a long time. Bert is up there with the toughest four or five guys I faced in my career."

Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.