Baseball Season Never Really Ends

What is much more disturbing to me than six people not voting for Nolan Ryan for the Hall of Fame [Viewpoint, Jan. 9] is that six people did vote for George Bell. Or that players such as Leibrandt, Tanana and Candelaria even get on the ballot. These are supposed to be the best, most dominating players of all time, not just anybody who hung around for at least 10 years.

There can be healthy dispute about the Ryans, Fisks, Cepedas and Rices. There is no such dispute about the Witts or Boddickers, or the scary crop from next year--Jack Morris, Kent Hrbek and Bob Welch. Who in their right mind thinks these players should be in the Hall of Fame? The selection process needs to be seriously reevaluated.

MICHAEL HELWIG

Canoga Park

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Someone paying $2.7 million for a baseball is another example of the fiscal insanity running rampant in professional sports. Why, in the good old days, you could sign two utility infielders for an entire season for that much money!

ALLEN E. KAHN

Playa del Rey

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I found quite interesting two adjoining Dodger comments in Bill Shaikin’s Jan. 12 story on Kevin Brown: “If the Dodgers . . . can afford to pay him $105 million,” and, in the very next column, “. . . to generate additional revenue to support the exploding player payroll . . . the Dodgers might also include ads along the outfield wall.”

Either you can afford the tab, or you have to scrounge around to cover it.

TOM SINGER

Placentia

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Angel Pena is now the catcher formerly known as Prince.

BILL STEIN

Arroyo Grande, Calif.