Bill Madden: Hall of Fame vote-seller ‘dead’ to BBWAA

BBWAA member Bill Madden of the New York Daily News is very unhappy with Deadspin’s success at buying a Hall of Fame vote. The longtime writer went on Chris Russo’s MLB Network Radio show Wednesday morning to express his discontent, calling it “despicable” and stating matter-of-factly that the vote-seller’s career as a baseball writer is “dead.”

The crux of Madden’s commentary:

I can tell you one thing: This person will be forever banished from the Baseball Writers’ Association. And, in my opinion, this is one of the most despicable things I can ever think of...

There’s always people out there who are going to criticize this vote and criticize the fact that the baseball writers have this vote... the bottom line is ... I think it’s well proven that we have done a pretty damn good job in doing this Hall of Fame vote all through the years...

Because of the baseball writers, because it’s so hard to get into the Hall of Fame, that’s the reason this is the only Hall of Fame that anyone gives a damn about.

Madden’s anger stems from Deadspin writer Tim Marchman’s quest to purchase a vote from a Hall of Fame voter and then poll the site’s readers to fill out the ballot. The stated purpose behind the campaign is to “make a mockery and farce of the increasingly solemn and absurd election process,” which Marchman and others believe has not been conducted in the best interests of baseball.

Deadspin launched its campaign just two weeks ago, but has already found a taker, which has riled up Madden and other BBWAA members who have a HOF vote:

The identity of the writer who sold his/her vote is unknown at the moment, but he/she is expected to reveal him/herself -- and explain the intentions behind selling the vote -- once the ballot has been collected early next year.

The 2014 Hall of Fame ballot was announced Tuesday morning. Among the 19 new names on the list are Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas, all of whom are expected to get serious consideration for induction next summer. They join a list of 17 holdovers that features Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines, meaning it might be difficult for voters to fill out their ballot this time around.

If you’d like to hear Madden’s indignation for yourself, the radio snippet can be heard here.

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