Imrem: It's good Griffey Jr. wasn't unanimous Hall of Fame pick pick
Faith was reinforced in the voting process for baseball's Hall of Fame voting.
More precisely, it was reinforced by the three members of the electorate who chose not to vote for Ken Griffey Jr.
Much of the suspense leading up to Wednesday's announcement centered on whether Griffey would be the first player elected unanimously.
As it turned out, Griffey was selected on 99 percent of the ballots. (Mike Piazza, this year's only other electee, made it in with 83 percent).
A movement certainly will mount to strip the vote from the three voters who passed on Griffey.
Instead they should be inducted into Cooperstown with Griffey and Piazza.
Think about it: If the result of any election in America is unanimous, the balloting probably was rigged.
Consider that Chicago's Democratic machine can't even get anyone elected with 100 percent of the vote.
Griffey certainly was worthy of being named on every ballot … and it would have been worthy of a recount.
Nothing is unanimous in a country comprised of various races, religions, genders, income levels and baseball precincts.
How many times have you heard, “We'll just have to agree to disagree?” Usually the remark is followed by a disagreement over whether it's OK to agree to disagree.
Seriously, it's our birthright to differ on issues. Actually, as has been said, “If two people agree, one is unnecessary.”
Fortunately, we usually settle our intramural disputes at the ballot box rather than on the battlefield.
When Griffey collected “only” 437 of the 440 votes cast, well, that's the way it goes in America.
I have learned a few things while being a Hall voter for more than a quarter-century. Prominent among them is that this isn't one solid voting bloc; this year it was 440 individual voting blocs.
That helps answer the question of how three members of the Baseball Writers Association of America declined the opportunity to vote for Griffey Jr.
Here are a few possibilities: One hated that Griffey wore his baseball cap backward during batting practice; another was snubbed by former major-leaguer Griffy Sr.; another had a bad experience with a product endorsed by either of the Griffeys.
Baseball writers are people, too. They have personal likes and dislikes and agendas and prejudices.
They even make remarkably dumb mistakes.
Trust me, some voters in some years — not necessarily any of the three who didn't select Griffey Jr. — simply forgot to put a check mark next to an obvious Hall candidate's name.
It's unimportant, in addition to being un-American, for any winner of any election to receive every vote cast.
Consider that Babe Ruth, the greatest slugger ever, received 95.13 percent of the vote, tied for only 13th on the all-time list.
Then consider that Willie Mays, the greatest all-around player since World War II, received 94.68 percent, good for only 16th all time.
Griffey Jr.'s total exceeded previous top vote-getter Tom Seaver, still No. 1 among pitchers with 98.84 percent.
Yet Seaver surely is one of the best pitchers in baseball history, but was he better than, say, Bob Feller or Warren Spahn?
The number doesn't really matter as long as it reaches at least the 75 percent required for election.
So thanks, you three dissenters, for reinforcing faith in the Hall of Fame election process by not voting for Ken Griffey Jr.
mimrem@dailyherald.com