野球殿堂、リプケンの獲得率は史上３番目

Mark McGwire fell far short in his first try for the Hall of Fame, picked by 23.5 percent of voters while Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. easily gained baseball's highest honor.

Tarnished by accusations of steroid use, McGwire appeared on 128 of a record 545 ballots in voting released Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ripken was picked by 537 voters and appeared on 98.53 percent of ballots to finish with the third-highest percentage behind Tom Seaver (98.84) and Nolan Ryan (98.79).

The former Baltimore Orioles shortstop said he was both relieved and euphoric. If he had been picked by two of the eight voters who didn't select him, he would have set the percentage record -- but he didn't mind.

"All I wanted to hear was, `You're in,"' Ripken said during a conference call. "I really didn't get caught up with wanting to be unanimous or wanting to be the most."

Gwynn received 532 votes for 97.61 percent, the seventh-highest ever, also trailing Ty Cobb, George Brett and Hank Aaron.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to know that people think that what you did was worthy," Gwynn said. "For me, it's kind of validation. The type of player that I was doesn't get a whole lot of credit in today's game."

Goose Gossage finished third with 388 votes, falling 21 shy of the necessary 409. His percentage increased from 64.6 to 71.2, putting him in good position to reach the necessary 75 percent next year. The highest percentage for a player who wasn't elected in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.

---
１位　98.84%　Tom Seaver
２位　98.79%　Nolan Ryan
３位　98.53%　Cal Ripken Jr.
４位　98.23%　Ty Cobb　222
５位　98.03% or 97.84%　George Brett　488
６位　97.83%　Hank Aaron　406
７位　97.61%　Tony Gwynn

４～６位の少数点以下２位までの比率を算出。
４位　Cobb 222/98% = 226.5
222/225 = 98.67% 222/226 = 98.23% 222/227 = 97.80%
５位　Brett 498/98% = 508.2
498/508 = 98.03% 498/509 = 97.839%
６位　Aaron 406/98% = 414.3
406/414 = 98.07% 406/415 = 97.831%

将来、７位以内に入るのはクレメンス。

ＭＬＢ 野球殿堂記録

SI.comより抜粋。

Tony Gwynn
・8-time NL batting champ
・15-time All-Star
・5 Gold Gloves
・.338, 319 SB, 3,141 hits

Cal Ripken Jr.
・2-time Al MVP(1983,1991)
・19-time All-Star 2 Gold Gloves
・2,632 consec. games played
・3,184 hits, 431 HR、1,695 RBIs

落選した選手紹介例
Don Mattingly
・1985 AL MVP
・6-time All-Star
・9 Gold Gloves
・.307, 222 HR, 1,099 RBIs

Dave Concepcion
・9-time All-Star
・5 Gold Gloves
・389 doubles, 321 SB
・.297 postseason average

---
現在のイチローの成績で作成
Ichiro Suzuki
・2001 AL MVP
・6-time All-Star 6 Gold Gloves
・262 hits (2004)
・.331, 235 SB

MLB野球殿堂アンケート

実際の結果と、SI.comのアンケート結果を比較

2007 Hall of Fame voting results
The complete vote (545 ballots, 409 needed for election)

得票数　比率　選手　←　ＳＩアンケート結果
537 98.5% Cal Ripken　←　９６．５％
532 97.6% Tony Gwynn　←　９６．７％
--
388 71.2% Rich "Goose" Gossage　←　６９％
346 63.5% Jim Rice　←　６１％
309 56.7% Andre Dawson　←　５９％

260 47.7% Bert Blyleven　←　４４％
217 39.8% Lee Smith　←　４６％
202 37.1% Jack Morris　←　４７％
128 23.5% Mark McGwire　←　２６％
125 22.9% Tommy John　←　３１％

115 21.1% Steve Garvey　←　３０％
74 13.6% Dave Concepcion　←　２５％
73 13.4% Alan Trammell　←　１５％
62 11.4% Dave Parker　←　２０％
54 9.9% Don Mattingly　←　３３％

50 9.2% Dale Murphy　←　２２％
29 5.3% Harold Baines　←　６％
--
24 4.4% Orel Hershiser　←　２１％
19 3.5% Albert Belle　←　６％
12 2.2% Paul O'Neill　←　６％

7 1.3% Bret Saberhagen　←　７％
6 1.1% Jose Canseco　←　４％
4 0.7% Tony Fernandez　←　２％
3 0.6% Dante Bichette　←　１％
3 0.6% Eric Davis　←　２％

2 0.4% Bobby Bonilla　←　２％
2 0.4% Ken Caminiti　←　２％
1 0.2% Jay Buhner　←　１％
0 Scott Brosius　←　２％
0 Wally Joyner　←　２％
0 Devon White　←　２％

0 Bobby Witt　←　１％

---
実際の投票より、アンケート結果の高い選手が人気があったということか。

Don Mattingly　３３％　→　１０％（－２３％）
Orel Hershiser　２１％　→　４％（－１７％）
Dale Murphy　２２％　→　９％（－１３％）
Dave Concepcion　２５％　→　１４％（－１１％）
Jack Morris　４７％　→　３７％（－１０％）

井川ＮＥＷＳ、MLB HP記事 - ヤンキース入団会見

Kei Igawa debuted as a New York Yankee on Monday, donning a pinstriped jersey and -- amid a flurry of camera flashes -- proudly delivering the speech for which he'd been rehearsing.
To recite his brief introduction in English, Igawa had put in about two days of study. But the moment was one he'd been preparing for all his life.

"Today, my lifelong dream became a reality, to be a Major League Baseball player," Igawa said. "I want to thank the New York Yankees, especially Mr. Steinbrenner and Mr. Cashman. I will give you my best as a Yankee. I'm here to do my best to win the championships for this great city, New York."

Igawa, 27, was officially introduced in a Yankee Stadium press conference after recently returning to the United States from Japan. The left-hander agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract with the Yankees on Dec. 27, following the Yankees' reported $26 million bid for exclusive negotiating rights a month earlier.

With the Yankees, Igawa will wear uniform No. 29, the same number he wore for his former club, the Hanshin Tigers, as one of the top pitchers in Japan's Central League. The number happened to be available, having been last worn by free agent reliever Octavio Dotel.

"I never dreamed I'd wear the number again," Igawa said through an interpreter.

Igawa's trip to Yankee Stadium was a repeat visit, having toured the facility during a Dec. 20 meeting with general manager Brian Cashman. Then, there appeared to be little question if Igawa would reach an agreement, having been spotted leaving the stadium wearing a satin Yankees dugout jacket.

He has obviously taken a shine to the team colors, speaking reverentially about the uniform top.

"I cannot believe it," Igawa said. "I'm in awe and of course a bit nervous wearing these pinstripes, knowing and having all this knowledge about the tradition and greatness of the New York Yankees."

Igawa comes to the Yankees off an impressive showing with Hanshin in 2006, when was 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA in 29 starts. Igawa tied for the league lead with 194 strikeouts and ranked second in the league in wins and complete games, while placing third in the circuit with 209 innings pitched and seventh in earned run average.

A strikeout artist who features a fastball that the Yankees report ranges from 87 to 92 MPH, a curveball, slider and what is described as a "plus" changeup, Igawa was not short on success in Japan, earning selection as a three-time Central League All-Star (2001, 2002, 2003).

Last year, he became the fifth-fastest pitcher in Japanese baseball history to record 1,000 career strikeouts, doing so in 1,058 innings pitched. Igawa said that appearing in the Major Leagues would fulfill a goal set when he first became a professional player nine years ago.

"Since that time, I've had this desire and this sense of hope that I would one day be in the big leagues," Igawa said. "That became reality, and of course the New York Yankees were one of the teams that I had hoped for."

Hideki Matsui was invited to Igawa's press conference on Monday, the Yankees said, but was unable to attend. The two have not spoken yet about Igawa's new affiliation, but the outfielder relayed a message for Igawa, delivered at the press conference by Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo.

"I am very excited Kei Igawa has become a member of the New York Yankees," Matsui said in a translated statement. "We played against each other many times in Japan, and I know first-hand that he is a highly talented player. On the other hand, if he gets knocked out of a game, he will hear it from me before he hears it from the fans. Let's work together and do our best to become world champions."

Quietly, the Yankees have tempered expectations for Igawa's Major League debut, with Cashman citing transition issues between life in Japan and the Major Leagues.

The Boston Red Sox may be leaning on Daisuke Matsuzaka to be of ace quality this season, but Igawa seemed uncomfortable answering one reporter's question regarding a 'rivalry' between Igawa and Matsuzaka.

Later, Cashman stated that the two pitchers are dissimilar, saying, "He's not Matsuzaka," and noting that Igawa should be projected as more of a long-term asset -- hence the five-year contract.

"We're trying to be very careful and respectful of the process, and not put too much on his shoulders," Cashman said. "He seems like a tough kid and he's obviously pitched in front of big crowds for a very successful organization. At the same time, there's going to be a lot of new experiences for him here in the States and in this league. We'll have to wait and see what we get."

Still, the Yankees are confident that Igawa has the work ethic and 'pitchability' to become a solid piece of the back end of the rotation in due time.

"We think he can be a successful pitcher in the Major Leagues," Cashman said. "There have been many pitchers to come over from Japan who have had a great deal of success here in the States. I think, in many ways, the way they teach the game over there ... is a lot more fundamentally sound."

With the Yankees' pending trade of Randy Johnson to the Arizona Diamondbacks nearly complete -- Cashman again declined comment until an official transaction is announced -- Igawa projects as New York's fourth starter entering Spring Training, behind Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina.

Igawa said he could not describe himself as a Major League pitcher, nor did he have any statistical goals for his debut season in the big leagues. But he did have one request for any fans curious about how he'll fare in the American League.

"The only thing I can talk about myself is, please come to the Stadium and watch me pitch," Igawa said.

---
井川の英語の発音はお粗末。学生時代、英語は明らかに劣等生。
日本語も、松坂と比べ、中途半端な話し方で、重みがない。
その分、野球に期待できる。

グウィンとリプケンが野球殿堂入り

As anticipated, the dynamic duo of eight-time National League batting champion Tony Gwynn and Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr. earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, both having attained nearly the highest percentage of votes in history.

Ripken garnered 537 votes (98.53 percent of the total vote), the third highest in balloting history done by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, but the most for a position player. Ripken finished behind Tom Seaver (98.83 in 1992) and Nolan Ryan (98.79 in 1999). Gwynn's percentage of 97.6 percent, based on his 532 votes, ranks seventh all-time.

Mark McGwire, also a ballot newcomer, fell well short of election, his name appearing 128 of the record 545 ballots cast, two of which were left completely blank.

Of the 17 first-timers on the ballot, only McGwire and Harold Baines received enough votes to carry them over. Five years after he retires, a player has 15 years of eligibility on the ballot, but he must receive at least 5 percent of the vote each year to maintain that status.

From the outset, Gwynn and Ripken were dead-bang winners.

Aside from tying Honus Wagner for the most NL batting titles in history, Gwynn was a 15-time NL All-Star who had 3,141 hits, batted .338 and won five Gold Gloves as a right fielder in his 20 Major League seasons, all played with the San Diego Padres. His career-high .394 average during the strike-shortened 1994 season is the highest to lead either league in the past 65 years -- since Ted Williams became the last of the .400 hitters when he batted .406 to lead the American League in 1941.

Ripken played in a record 2,632 consecutive games from May 30, 1982, to Sept. 20, 1998, shattering the mark of 2,130 once held by Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig and captivating the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. Ripken had 3,184 hits -- including 431 home runs -- batted .276, was twice an AL Most Valuable Player (1983 and 1991), was a 19-time AL All-Star, and won two Gold Gloves.

2007 Hall of Fame voting results
The complete vote (545 ballots, 409 needed for election)

537 98.5% Cal Ripken
532 97.6% Tony Gwynn
--
388 71.2% Rich "Goose" Gossage
346 63.5% Jim Rice
309 56.7% Andre Dawson

260 47.7% Bert Blyleven
217 39.8% Lee Smith
202 37.1% Jack Morris
128 23.5% Mark McGwire
125 22.9% Tommy John

115 21.1% Steve Garvey
74 13.6% Dave Concepcion
73 13.4% Alan Trammell
62 11.4% Dave Parker
54 9.9% Don Mattingly

50 9.2% Dale Murphy
29 5.3% Harold Baines
--
24 4.4% Orel Hershiser
19 3.5% Albert Belle
12 2.2% Paul O'Neill

7 1.3% Bret Saberhagen
6 1.1% Jose Canseco
4 0.7% Tony Fernandez
3 0.6% Dante Bichette
3 0.6% Eric Davis

2 0.4% Bobby Bonilla
2 0.4% Ken Caminiti
1 0.2% Jay Buhner
0 Scott Brosius
0 Wally Joyner
0 Devon White

0 Bobby Witt

---
今年は予想通り。これしかない。マクガイアーとカンセコの票が伸びないのは当然。