Omar Vizquel's recent appearance in Cleveland with the San Francisco Giants triggered another round of debate about whether the slick-fielding shortstop belongs in the Hall of Fame.

In my mind it shouldn't be a question and any BBWAA member not voting for him on the first ballot should be stripped of all privileges and forced to cover minor-league hockey.

A few unenlightened East Coast friends, some whose baseball knowledge I once respected, scoff at this. But I think it's because they never saw Vizquel play all that much during his prime, the bulk of which was spent in the relative obscurity of Seattle and Cleveland.

My reasoning goes like this: Ozzie Smith is in, so Vizquel needs to be ...

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