the boys are boppin'

great news last night when we learned that dick allen and dave parker are headed to the national baseball hall of fame. here's the newest parker card i've come across

it was in the one pack of 2024 allen & ginter that i've opened, and it's an a&g back to boot.

while i am disappointed that others on the ballot did not get the requisite 12 votes (tommy john got seven, and the rest, including steve garvey and luis tiant, received fewer than five based on initial reports), i am happy for parker and for allen's family and for the fans of 70's baseball like me.

the eras committees are all about the gray area of hall of fame candidacy and i am hopeful that at some point the membership of the committee aligns with those of us who grew up watching some of these players and thinking that they are worthy of enshrinement.

both allen and parker are already in my hall of famer collection, but now i've moved them from the "maybe someday" group to the official hall of fame group. i'm excited to see who joins them at cooperstown in july!