Days from the January 24, 2023, announcement by the National Baseball Hall of Fame of candidates who may have been elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), the burning question is not who those candidates, if any, will be. Instead, the burning question is: What morality are BBWAA voters going to legislate for the Hall of Saints this year?

For more than a decade, the controversy over performance-enhancing drugs (PED) has consumed discussion about who should or should not be elected to the Hall, capped by the late Hall of Famer Joe Morgan's now-infamous 2017 missive to voters about keeping the PED Penitents out of Cooperstown. But although the PED predicament remains—among the returning candidates on the 2023 BBWAA ballot are Manny Ramirez and Álex Rodriguez—voters are now finding other performance flaws in candidates to deny them entrance to the Hallowed Hall.

One of the more unique careers in baseball is that of R.A. Dickey, a journeyman and conventional Pitcher who did not make a fulltime Major League roster until he was 28.  That team was the Texas Rangers, where his new pitch, the knuckleball which found him a place in baseball.  He still bounced around going to Seattle, Minnesota and to the New York Mets and h had a good 2010 going 11 and 9 with an ERA under 3.  He had another average season and in 2012 at the age of 37 he would become arguably the biggest surprise winner of the Cy Young when he won 20 Games and was the National League leader in Innings Pitched (233.2) and Strikeouts (230). 

Doug Dickey, Football Coach 1964-69 & Administrator 1985-2003:

Under Dickey’s tutelage, the football program really took shape and he would take them to two SEC Championships while going 104-58-6.  As the Athletic Director, the University would 10 National Championships and 38 SEC Titles.

R.A. Dickey, Baseball 1994-96:

Named the Baseball America Freshman of the Year and would win 38 Games for the Volunteers, a school record and would lead Tennessee win the 1995 College World Series.  Dickey would go on to have a successful career in the Majors, highlighted by winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2012.

Christine Magnuson, Swimming & Diving 2005-08:

Magnuson was the 2008 NCAA Champion in the 100-Yard Butterfly and was also the SEC Swimmer of the Year. She was a 23-time All-American.

Gus Manning, Administrator 1951-2000:

Holding a variety of different positions over his 50-year career serving under eight different Assistant Directors.

Candace Parker, Women’s Basketball 2005-08:

Parker was an absolute superstar leading the Lady Vols to the NCAA Championship in both 2007 and 2008.  She would also win the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2008 and the John R. Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008.  She would score 2,137 Points and made history as the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament Game.  Parker would later become the number one draft pick in the WNBA and is a two-time league MVP.  She is also a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist for Team U.S.A.

Tony Parrilla, Men’s Track & Field 1991-94:

Parrilla won four 800-Meter Titles and was a 10-time All-American.  He was named the 1994 SEC Men’s Track & Field Outdoor Athlete of the Year.

The Class of 2019 will be officially inducted on October 25 and they will be recognized the following day during their football game against South Carolina.  

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the future University of Tennessee Hall of Famers.

In December 2009, R.A. Dickey joined Flushing on a modest minor league deal, as a 35-year-old journeyman fighting to stay in baseball. For years, he had been a fringe major leaguer struggling to master his pitching, especially after learning he entirely lacked an ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.

Dickey was highly effective right from the start, posting a remarkable 2.84 ERA in 2010 and pitching over 200 innings in 2011. He utilized what analysts described as a "hard knuckleball," delivering the pitch at an unprecedented 78-to-80 mph with sharp, late movement.

That solid foundation led to an extraordinary standout during the legendary 2012 season. That summer, Dickey hit a career peak, delivering a remarkable campaign that is arguably the best individual season by a knuckleballer in Major League history. He impressed the city by going 20-6 and leading the National League in strikeouts (230), innings pitched (233.2), complete games (5), and shutouts (3). His efficiency peaked in June when he threw consecutive one-hitters with double-digit strikeouts, setting a franchise record with 32.2 straight scoreless innings and earning an All-Star nod. His historic dominance was confirmed when he was named the clear winner of the National League Cy Young Award, marking the first time a knuckleball pitcher won this honor.

In December 2012, at the peak of his trade worth, the rebuilding Mets sent the reigning Cy Young winner to the Toronto Blue Jays in a major seven-player trade that brought back numerous top prospects, such as future All-Star catcher Travis d'Arnaud and pitcher Noah Syndergaard. He left Queens with an impressive 39-28 record and a remarkable 2.95 ERA over three seasons with the team.