Yes, I was admitted to the BBRAA this morning. As I mentioned in a comment on a previous thread, I didn’t ask ESPN to submit my name this year, and did not intend to seek membership, but once my name was submitted, I couldn’t retract my name without getting clearance from the powers that be at the Four-Letter.
I am still unclear on why, exactly, I might need to be a member; after conversations with probably a dozen current members, I think the opposite is true – the BBRAA needed people like me, Rob, etc. as members, to try to boost their credibility as an organization in a time when they receive so much criticism for the backwardness and outright hostility towards intelligent analysis (statistical or scouting) displayed in so much mainstream writing, to say nothing of the RBI/wins fetish in BBRAA voting.
I suppose the plus side is that Tim Raines will get one more Hall of Fame vote in 2018, because Lord knows he’s not getting in any time soon.
Congrats Keith. Obviously overdue.
Congrats, Keith. Or should that be condolences?
Either way, the BBRAA just stepped up a bit in my estimation.
congrats, keith. you and rob both deserve it.
Congratulations!(?)
Seriously, no matter how backwards the organization has been recently, they’ll benefit from adding you to their membership. Whether it’s caving to outcry or sudden enlightenment, I’m glad that they (finally) made the right choice here.
Congrats! Now we get some actual voters!
Yes Keith, congrats. Nice honor.
I for one don’t think it’s much of an honor to be grudgingly admitted into the Raccoon Lodge, but just the same it’s a validation of the tremendous work you do, Keith — they couldn’t keep you (and Rob) out any longer and retain any credibility, is how I read this. So congratulations on having your years of work and open-mindedness recognized.
I wasn’t sure how you would feel about your acceptance but came to congratulate you nonetheless.
One small victory..
Russell
Congrats. The wheels of progress are slowly turning even if you are experiencing a little of the Groucho Marx feeling.
A reward and responsibility for good insight and great work.
Do you know if Rob got in too?
Congrats Keith! I will no longer completely disregard the BBRAA’s votes.
Rob got in and so did Will and Christina from BP.
Congratulations Keith! Didn’t you once quote Woody Allen, “I would not be a member of any club that would have me?” or do I have it all wrong? In any event – congrats, you’ve earned this.
congrats
Congrats Keith – You put the BB in the BBRAA.
Congrats Keith. It’s always a good thing to add more informed voters. Too bad it takes so long for you to be able to vote on the Hall. Unfortunately, Raines may be off the ballot by then.
We need you on that wall protecting us against Rice getting into the Hall of Fame.
Congrats Keith – fantastic news!
Congrats Keith. about time
Raines will be on the ballot until 2022, assuming he’s not elected by then.
KLAW in the BBRAA! It even sounds right.
Congrats Keith, hopefully they’ll ask you and Rob to give a presentation on stats beyond wins and rbi’s. Is it too much to ask to also provide the other writers with rules on rookie eligibility?
Could make for some awkward cocktail hours…congrats Keith
Congrats, Keith. Well deserved.
Guess I will be flying solo this year…:)
Congrats, Keith. Keep up the great work.
Congrats Keith. Does this mean you’ll be moving out of Mommy’s basement?
Congratulations, Keith, even if this wasn’t something you particularly wanted. As long as it doesn’t prohibit you from writing honestly, I hope you accept and make the BBRAA a better organization.
Avoid the BBWAA mixers; cast deciding HOF votes.
Way to go Keith. Fight the power from the inside.
Congrats Keith, maybe you can inspire those cavemen to stop their prehistoric thinking. Also, can you give Blyleven some love too.
Congratulations… so long as the honest writing about your (now) peers doesn’t change. It would be sad to no longer see the BBRAA tag used on this site.
congratulations! forget baseball. enlighten those bbraa guys on 5guys and in-n-out. maybe that’ll get their heads out of their asses.
Congrats, I guess… it’s a nice recognition of your work, at the least!
The “I’d never join a club that would have me for a member” quote was Groucho Marx.
PS – Congrats, K-Dog
Congrats Keith, as long as you still keep speaking your mind BBWAA and don’t become assimilated. (like thats gonna happen).
Congrats Keith.
Just to let you know – I haven’t got a couple of RSS updates (the last 3 now to be exact). I’m using Google Reader. Not sure if its the dish or me.
Congrats…but does this mean we have to retire the BBRAA abbreviation?
Congratulations.
Although it will be a little odd to think of you as part of the BBRAA.
Kudos, KLaw. Now you’re part of the problem.
Congrats Keith, if you welcome them. Now, do you get award voted right away, or are those “special privs?”
Congrats – well deserved. Take em’ down from the inside….
that should say vote, not voted
Congratulations Keith! It’s well deserved and overdue.
When can we expect the first piece with faux logic for electing Jim Rice then?
You must have reported at a lot of games this last year to convince them. I am sure Rob [Neyer] got in on your shirt tails! (spelt tales first time can I get in!)
Look on the bright side at least you can now be thrown out of it….
Congrats Keith, but dear god, if you turn into Tracy Ringolsby, we’ll gonna have to check if you’ve been put under the Imperious curse. 😉
Absolutely right, I think, that they need you more than you need them. But with you, Rob, Carroll and Kahrl going in and the Flat Earthers generally getting old, this is just great, great news for the rest of us.
Brian – my understanding is that you need to be there for 10 years for a HOF vote (gonna be a long time to wait…but maybe they can change some fellow members’ minds in the meantime).
I don’t *think* the season awards have that (or any) sort of service requirement, but I don’t actually know.
Keith can’t comment on any of your thoughts right now, he’s wearing a hooded robe and being forced to chant “RBI, RBI, RBI” There’s got to be some kind of initiation and hazing involved…
I guess congratulations are in order, although it doesn’t seem like Keith is all that enthused to be so honored lol.
Congrats Keith, hopefully you can educate your fellow BBRAA better than some of your espn readers!