Could No One Be Elected to Baseball HOF this year?

[Top Ute]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jeff Bagwell. I think he's just as if not more qualified than Don Mattingly. Frankly, I think neither should make it.

The biggest strikes against Bags are that his best season was 1994 -- which was cut short due to the players' strike -- and the fact that he was absolutely horrible in the postseason. And when Houston finally made it to a World Series with Bags there, his impact was reduced to below that of utility infielder. He'll stay on the ballot for a long time at the very worst, but I'd say he'll have to wait at least 8-10 years before induction if he ever gets in to begin with. Had he played his entire career in the Astrodome, he'd be a shoo-in with those numbers.

Along those same lines, Craig Biggio will be the first player in the 3,000 hit club not to be inducted into the HOF.

[wuapinmon]

:crazy:
Along those same lines, Craig Biggio will be the first player in the 3,000 hit club not to be inducted into the HOF.

[Top Ute]

Blyleven and Alomar are locks for induction. Both were less than 10 votes from being inducted last year, and no player that close to induction has ever been denied induction. Also, George Steinbrenner will be inducted by the Veterans Committee. It would be entirely fitting for Marvin Miller to go in to the HOF as The Boss as well.

Three inductees, maybe four.

2 for 2 so far. I have no idea if or when the Veterans Committee holds its vote.

[Non Sequitur]

Blyleven and Alomar in.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/sp...ll/06hall.html

[wuapinmon]

Just a quick list of how I'd vote if I had a ballot. This is not a lengthy analysis, more of a gut reaction thing.

Moises Alou a player not unlike Will Clark, he wasn't good enough for long enough to get my vote.

Jeff Bagwell I'm not voting for him, but he'll get in. He's on the cusp, but I think he needed two more seasons or a World Series win (and not the choke of 2005) to get in.

Armando Benitez No. He wasn't that good for that long.

Craig Biggio 3,000 hits, automatic yes for me. And, he started as a catcher.

Barry Bonds HELL NO! I think Aaron's record should be reinstated.

Sean Casey The only time he ever led the league in anything was grounding into 27 double plays in 2005. No


Roger Clemens The most dominant pitcher of my lifetime. I just can't vote for him yet. And, the bat thrown at Piazza was a clear Roberto Alomaresque WTF moment.

Ray Durham No. A decent 2nd baseman, but he wasn't Ryne Sandberg


Eric Gagne No. He was a flash in the pan for me.

Tom Glavine Yes. Aside from my love of the Braves, he got to 300, which is an automatic for me. And, he might be the last person to do so. 2 Cy Young awards, 5 20-win seasons (and he led the league in wins in each of those five seasons), and 10 All-Star selections (pitchers are not voted in, but selected).


Luis Gonzalez No. He was good, but not enshrinable good. Another Tony Perez/Billy Williams kind of LF.


Jacque Jones No. He's just happy to be on the ballot. If he gets any votes, they'll be homer votes.

Todd Jones No. His ERA was too high for a closer. Gossage, Fingers, and Sutter all beat him by a run per 9.

Jeff Kent Yes. He was a better hitter than Ryne Sandberg, and he won an MVP at 2B. I think he should have to allocute to how he really broke his hand before admission to the Hall. I can look past his playing for the Dodgers since he was from LA.

Paul Lo Duca No. I doubt he gets any votes.

Greg Maddux Yes, and I think anyone who doesn't vote for Maddux should have his membership in the BBWAA revoked, or at least questioned. Only someone who doesn't understand the game at all wouldn't vote for him.


Edgar Martinez No, if you're the DESIGNATED HITTER, you'd better be unbelievable to get a HOF vote.


Don Mattingly Yes. Kirby Puckett is almost exactly the same stat-wise. And, Mattingly was a mid-80's rock star.


Fred McGriff Yes, better than Willie Stargell with fewer years and a higher average. His first two years with the Braves, he murdered the ball.


Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, & No. They cheated. They were baseball porn.

Sammy Sosa


Jack Morris No. Leave this one to the Veterans. 1991 & 1992 still hurt.

Mike Mussina Yes, but playing for the Yankees and NOT winning a WS makes me not like this vote.

Hideo Nomo No. He was good, but not long enough.

Mike Piazza Yes. One of the best catchers ever. I've come around to voting for him.

Tim Raines Yes. This article sold me on him. http://mlb.si.com/2013/12/06/jaws-and-the-2014-hall-of-fame-ballot-tim-raines/

Kenny Rogers No. And his 22.50 ERA in the 1996 World Series still bring me joy.

Curt Schilling No. But, I'll vote for him next year.

Richie Sexson No. He will drop from the ballot too.

Lee Smith No. But, he'll get in.

J.T. Snow No. Not good enough.

Frank Thomas Yes. This is what a DH should be. Feared, back-to-back MVP's based on your bat and base-running.

Mike Timlin No. Not even close.


Alan Trammell No. He'll get in if Barry Larkin got in. But, he wasn't Sandberg or Kent.

Larry Walker No. Not good enough for long enough.

[cougjunkie]

Just a quick list of how I'd vote if I had a ballot. This is not a lengthy analysis, more of a gut reaction thing.

Moises Alou a player not unlike Will Clark, he wasn't good enough for long enough to get my vote.

Jeff Bagwell I'm not voting for him, but he'll get in. He's on the cusp, but I think he needed two more seasons or a World Series win (and not the choke of 2005) to get in.

Armando Benitez No. He wasn't that good for that long.

Craig Biggio 3,000 hits, automatic yes for me. And, he started as a catcher.

Barry Bonds HELL NO! I think Aaron's record should be reinstated.

Sean Casey The only time he ever led the league in anything was grounding into 27 double plays in 2005. No


Roger Clemens The most dominant pitcher of my lifetime. I just can't vote for him yet. And, the bat thrown at Piazza was a clear Roberto Alomaresque WTF moment.

Ray Durham No. A decent 2nd baseman, but he wasn't Ryne Sandberg


Eric Gagne No. He was a flash in the pan for me.

Tom Glavine Yes. Aside from my love of the Braves, he got to 300, which is an automatic for me. And, he might be the last person to do so. 2 Cy Young awards, 5 20-win seasons (and he led the league in wins in each of those five seasons), and 10 All-Star selections (pitchers are not voted in, but selected).


Luis Gonzalez No. He was good, but not enshrinable good. Another Tony Perez/Billy Williams kind of LF.


Jacque Jones No. He's just happy to be on the ballot. If he gets any votes, they'll be homer votes.

Todd Jones No. His ERA was too high for a closer. Gossage, Fingers, and Sutter all beat him by a run per 9.

Jeff Kent Yes. He was a better hitter than Ryne Sandberg, and he won an MVP at 2B. I think he should have to allocute to how he really broke his hand before admission to the Hall. I can look past his playing for the Dodgers since he was from LA.

Paul Lo Duca No. I doubt he gets any votes.

Greg Maddux Yes, and I think anyone who doesn't vote for Maddux should have his membership in the BBWAA revoked, or at least questioned. Only someone who doesn't understand the game at all wouldn't vote for him.


Edgar Martinez No, if you're the DESIGNATED HITTER, you'd better be unbelievable to get a HOF vote.


Don Mattingly Yes. Kirby Puckett is almost exactly the same stat-wise. And, Mattingly was a mid-80's rock star.


Fred McGriff Yes, better than Willie Stargell with fewer years and a higher average. His first two years with the Braves, he murdered the ball.


Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, & No. They cheated. They were baseball porn.

Sammy Sosa


Jack Morris No. Leave this one to the Veterans. 1991 & 1992 still hurt.

Mike Mussina Yes, but playing for the Yankees and NOT winning a WS makes me not like this vote.

Hideo Nomo No. He was good, but not long enough.

Mike Piazza Yes. One of the best catchers ever. I've come around to voting for him.

Tim Raines Yes. This article sold me on him. http://mlb.si.com/2013/12/06/jaws-and-the-2014-hall-of-fame-ballot-tim-raines/

Kenny Rogers No. And his 22.50 ERA in the 1996 World Series still bring me joy.

Curt Schilling No. But, I'll vote for him next year.

Richie Sexson No. He will drop from the ballot too.

Lee Smith No. But, he'll get in.

J.T. Snow No. Not good enough.

Frank Thomas Yes. This is what a DH should be. Feared, back-to-back MVP's based on your bat and base-running.

Mike Timlin No. Not even close.


Alan Trammell No. He'll get in if Barry Larkin got in. But, he wasn't Sandberg or Kent.

Larry Walker No. Not good enough for long enough.

Edgar Martinez was the best DH of all time. If any DH gets in it should be Edgar. .312 average, .418 OBP and .540 slugging is automatic.

Also quit being a homer with Crime Dog, if he gets in Bagwell, Thomas, Walker, and William Nuschler Clark deserve to get in.

Bonds is a no doubter whether he cheated or not.

Larry Walker had 4 seasons where he hit .350 or higher, I don't care that he played at Coors he deserves to get in. He also had the best arm in baseball for the better part of a decade.

Also if you don't like cheaters Clemens and Schilling should never get in.

Jeff Kent is a definite and he broke his hand washing his car, just ask him.........He is also MO which should be automatic.

[wuapinmon]

Frank Thomas

                                                                                                                                      
Year    Age   Tm    G    PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH  SF IBB    Awards
1990     22  CHW   60   240  191   39   63  11  3   7   31  0  1   44   54 .330 .454 .529  .983  177  101   5   2  0   3             0
1991     23  CHW  158   701  559  104  178  31  2  32  109  1  2  138  112 .318 .453 .553 1.006  180  309  20   1  0   2  13   MVP-3SS
1992     24  CHW  160   711  573  108  185  46  2  24  115  6  3  122   88 .323 .439 .536  .975  174  307  19   5  0  11   6     MVP-8
1993     25  CHW  153   676  549  106  174  36  0  41  128  4  2  112   54 .317 .426 .607 1.033  177  333  10   2  0  13  23 ASMVP-1SS
1994     26  CHW  113   517  399  106  141  34  1  38  101  2  3  109   61 .353 .487 .729 1.217  212  291  15   2  0   7  12 ASMVP-1SS
1995     27  CHW  145   647  493  102  152  27  0  40  111  3  2  136   74 .308 .454 .606 1.061  179  299  14   6  0  12  29   ASMVP-8
1996     28  CHW  141   649  527  110  184  26  0  40  134  1  1  109   70 .349 .459 .626 1.085  178  330  25   5  0   8  26   ASMVP-8
1997     29  CHW  146   649  530  110  184  35  0  35  125  1  1  109   69 .347 .456 .611 1.067  181  324  15   3  0   7   9   ASMVP-3
1998     30  CHW  160   712  585  109  155  35  2  29  109  7  0  110   93 .265 .381 .480  .861  126  281  14   6  0  11             2
1999     31  CHW  135   590  486   74  148  36  0  15   77  3  3   87   66 .305 .414 .471  .885  125  229  15   9  0   8            13
2000     32  CHW  159   707  582  115  191  44  0  43  143  1  3  112   94 .328 .436 .625 1.061  163  364  13   5  0   8  18   MVP-2SS
2001     33  CHW   20    79   68    8   15   3  0   4   10  0  0   10   12 .221 .316 .441  .758   94   30   0   0  0   1             2
2002     34  CHW  148   628  523   77  132  29  1  28   92  3  0   88  115 .252 .361 .472  .834  119  247  10   7  0  10             2
2003     35  CHW  153   662  546   87  146  35  0  42  105  0  0  100  115 .267 .390 .562  .952  146  307  11  12  0   4   4    MVP-15
2004     36  CHW   74   311  240   53   65  16  0  18   49  0  2   64   57 .271 .434 .563  .997  156  135   2   6  0   1             3
2005     37  CHW   34   124  105   19   23   3  0  12   26  0  0   16   31 .219 .315 .590  .905  131   62   2   0  0   3             0
2006     38  OAK  137   559  466   77  126  11  0  39  114  0  0   81   81 .270 .381 .545  .926  140  254  13   6  0   6   3     MVP-4
2007     39  TOR  155   624  531   63  147  30  0  26   95  0  0   81   94 .277 .377 .480  .857  125  255  14   7  0   5   3    MVP-23
2008     40  TOT   71   289  246   27   59   7  1   8   30  0  0   39   57 .240 .349 .374  .723   97   92   9   3  0   1             0
2008     40  TOR   16    72   60    7   10   1  0   3   11  0  0   11   13 .167 .306 .333  .639   72   20   3   1  0   0             0
2008     40  OAK   55   217  186   20   49   6  1   5   19  0  0   28   44 .263 .364 .387  .751  106   72   6   2  0   1             0
19 Yrs           2322 10075 8199 1494 2468 495 12 521 1704 32 23 1667 1397 .301 .419 .555  .974  156 4550 226  87  0 121           168
162 Game Avg.     162   703  572  104  172  35  1  36  119  2  2  116   97 .301 .419 .555  .974  156  317  16   6  0   8            12
                    G    PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH  SF IBB    Awards
CHW (16 yrs)     1959  8603 6956 1327 2136 447 11 448 1465 32 23 1466 1165 .307 .427 .568  .995  161 3949 190  71  0 109           162
OAK (2 yrs)       192   776  652   97  175  17  1  44  133  0  0  109  125 .268 .376 .500  .876  130  326  19   8  0   7             3
TOR (2 yrs)       171   696  591   70  157  31  0  29  106  0  0   92  107 .266 .369 .465  .835  119  275  17   8  0   5             3

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2013.


Edgar Martínez.

                                                                                                                                           
Year    Age   Tm    G   PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB   Pos     Awards
1987     24  SEA   13   46   43    6   16   5  2   0    5  0  0    2    5 .372 .413 .581  .994  155   25   0   1  0  0   0              5/D
1988     25  SEA   14   38   32    0    9   4  0   0    5  0  0    4    7 .281 .351 .406  .758  109   13   0   0  1  1   0                5
1989     26  SEA   65  196  171   20   41   5  0   2   20  2  1   17   26 .240 .314 .304  .619   74   52   3   3  2  3   1                5
1990     27  SEA  144  572  487   71  147  27  2  11   49  1  4   74   62 .302 .397 .433  .830  133  211  13   5  1  3   3             *5/D
1991     28  SEA  150  642  544   98  167  35  1  14   52  0  3   84   72 .307 .405 .452  .857  138  246  19   8  2  4   9             *5/D
1992     29  SEA  135  592  528  100  181  46  3  18   73 14  4   54   61 .343 .404 .544  .948  164  287  15   4  1  5   2  5D/3 ASMVP-12SS
1993     30  SEA   42  165  135   20   32   7  0   4   13  0  0   28   19 .237 .366 .378  .744  100   51   4   0  1  1   1               D5
1994     31  SEA   89  387  326   47   93  23  1  13   51  6  2   53   42 .285 .387 .482  .869  122  157   2   3  2  3   3               5D
1995     32  SEA  145  639  511  121  182  52  0  29  113  4  3  116   87 .356 .479 .628 1.107  185  321  11   8  0  4  19 *D/53  ASMVP-3SS
1996     33  SEA  139  634  499  121  163  52  2  26  103  3  3  123   84 .327 .464 .595 1.059  167  297  15   8  0  4  12 *D/35         AS
1997     34  SEA  155  678  542  104  179  35  1  28  108  2  4  119   86 .330 .456 .554 1.009  165  300  21  11  0  6  11 *D/35 ASMVP-14SS
1998     35  SEA  154  672  556   86  179  46  1  29  102  1  1  106   96 .322 .429 .565  .993  158  314  13   3  0  7   4             *D/3
1999     36  SEA  142  608  502   86  169  35  1  24   86  7  2   97   99 .337 .447 .554 1.001  152  278  12   6  0  3   6             *D/3
2000     37  SEA  153  665  556  100  180  31  0  37  145  3  0   96   95 .324 .423 .579 1.002  158  322  13   5  0  8   8  *D/3    ASMVP-6
2001     38  SEA  132  581  470   80  144  40  1  23  116  4  1   93   90 .306 .423 .543  .966  160  255  11   9  0  9   9  *D/3 ASMVP-16SS
2002     39  SEA   97  407  328   42   91  23  0  15   59  1  1   67   69 .277 .403 .485  .888  139  159   6   6  0  6   8                D
2003     40  SEA  145  603  497   72  146  25  0  24   98  0  1   92   95 .294 .406 .489  .895  141  243  17   7  0  7   7    *D       ASSS
2004     41  SEA  141  549  486   45  128  23  0  12   63  1  0   58  107 .263 .342 .385  .727   92  187  15   2  0  3  10             *D/5
18 Yrs           2055 8674 7213 1219 2247 514 15 309 1261 49 30 1283 1202 .312 .418 .515  .933  147 3718 190  89 10 77                  113
162 Game Avg.     162  684  569   96  177  41  1  24   99  4  2  101   95 .312 .418 .515  .933  147  293  15   7  1  6                    9
                    G   PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB   Pos     Awards

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2013.

I'll take Frank Thomas any day.

[wuapinmon]

     Mcgriff                                                                                                                                      
Year   Age  Tm  Lg    G    PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards
19 Yrs             2460 10174 8757 1349 2490 441 24 493 1550 72 38 1305 1882 .284 .377 .509 .886  134 4458 226  39  2 71            171
162 Game Avg.       162   670  577   89  164  29  2  32  102  5  3   86  124 .284 .377 .509 .886  134  294  15   3  0  5             11
Bagwell                                                                                                                                   
Year   Age  Tm  Lg    G   PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS   BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH  SF IBB Pos Awards
15 Yrs             2150 9431 7797 1517 2314 488 32 449 1529 202 78 1401 1558 .297 .408 .540 .948  149 4213 221 128  3 102            155
162 Game Avg.       162  711  587  114  174  37  2  34  115  15  6  106  117 .297 .408 .540 .948  149  317  17  10  0   8             12
Larry Walker
Year   Age  Tm  Lg    G   PA   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+   TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards
17 Yrs             1988 8030 6907 1355 2160 471 62 383 1311 230 76 913 1231 .313 .400 .565 .965  141 3904 153 138  7 65            117
162 Game Avg.       162  654  563  110  176  38  5  31  107  19  6  74  100 .313 .400 .565 .965  141  318  12  11  1  5             10

McGriff also had this

                                                                                                                      
Year   Age  Tm Lg Series Opp Rslt  G  PA  AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS  TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1989    25 TOR AL   ALCS OAK    L  5  21  21  1  3  0  0  0   3  0  0  0  4 .143 .143 .143  .286   3   0   0  0  0   0
                                                                                                                      
1993    29 ATL NL   NLCS PHI    L  6  27  23  6 10  3  0  1   4  0  0  4  7 .435 .519 .696 1.214  16   0   0  0  0   1
                                                                                                                      
1995    31 ATL NL   NLDS COL    W  4  20  18  4  6  0  0  2   6  0  0  2  3 .333 .400 .667 1.067  12   1   0  0  0   0
1995    31 ATL NL   NLCS CIN    W  4  19  16  5  7  4  0  0   0  0  0  3  0 .438 .526 .688 1.214  11   0   0  0  0   2
1995    31 ATL NL     WS CLE    W  6  26  23  5  6  2  0  2   3  1  0  3  7 .261 .346 .609  .955  14   1   0  0  0   0
1996    32 ATL NL   NLDS LAD    W  3  12   9  1  3  1  0  1   3  0  1  2  1 .333 .417 .778 1.194   7   0   0  0  1   0
1996    32 ATL NL   NLCS STL    W  7  31  28  6  7  0  1  2   7  0  0  3  5 .250 .323 .536  .858  15   1   0  0  0   0
1996    32 ATL NL     WS NYY    L  6  26  20  4  6  0  0  2   6  0  0  5  4 .300 .423 .600 1.023  12   1   0  0  1   1
1997    33 ATL NL   NLDS HOU    W  3  12   9  4  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  3  2 .222 .417 .222  .639   2   0   0  0  0   0
1997    33 ATL NL   NLCS FLA    L  6  24  21  0  7  1  0  0   4  0  0  2  7 .333 .375 .381  .756   8   0   0  0  1   0
5 Yrs (10 Series)                 50 218 188 36 57 11  1 10  37  1  1 27 40 .303 .385 .532  .917 100   4   0  0  3   4
3 NLDS                            10  44  36  9 11  1  0  3  10  0  1  7  6 .306 .409 .583  .992  21   1   0  0  1   0
4 NLCS                            23 101  88 17 31  8  1  3  15  0  0 12 19 .352 .426 .568  .994  50   1   0  0  1   3
1 ALCS                             5  21  21  1  3  0  0  0   3  0  0  0  4 .143 .143 .143  .286   3   0   0  0  0   0
2 WS                              12  52  43  9 12  2  0  4   9  1  0  8 11 .279 .385 .605  .989  26   2   0  0  1   1

He was also free of PED's. The other two, I can't say, especially Bagwell.


.

[San Juan Sun]

Just a quick list of how I'd vote if I had a ballot. This is not a lengthy analysis, more of a gut reaction thing.

Moises Alou a player not unlike Will Clark, he wasn't good enough for long enough to get my vote.

Jeff Bagwell I'm not voting for him, but he'll get in. He's on the cusp, but I think he needed two more seasons or a World Series win (and not the choke of 2005) to get in.

Armando Benitez No. He wasn't that good for that long.

Craig Biggio 3,000 hits, automatic yes for me. And, he started as a catcher.

Barry Bonds HELL NO! I think Aaron's record should be reinstated.

Sean Casey The only time he ever led the league in anything was grounding into 27 double plays in 2005. No


Roger Clemens The most dominant pitcher of my lifetime. I just can't vote for him yet. And, the bat thrown at Piazza was a clear Roberto Alomaresque WTF moment.

Ray Durham No. A decent 2nd baseman, but he wasn't Ryne Sandberg


Eric Gagne No. He was a flash in the pan for me.

Tom Glavine Yes. Aside from my love of the Braves, he got to 300, which is an automatic for me. And, he might be the last person to do so. 2 Cy Young awards, 5 20-win seasons (and he led the league in wins in each of those five seasons), and 10 All-Star selections (pitchers are not voted in, but selected).


Luis Gonzalez No. He was good, but not enshrinable good. Another Tony Perez/Billy Williams kind of LF.


Jacque Jones No. He's just happy to be on the ballot. If he gets any votes, they'll be homer votes.

Todd Jones No. His ERA was too high for a closer. Gossage, Fingers, and Sutter all beat him by a run per 9.

Jeff Kent Yes. He was a better hitter than Ryne Sandberg, and he won an MVP at 2B. I think he should have to allocute to how he really broke his hand before admission to the Hall. I can look past his playing for the Dodgers since he was from LA.

Paul Lo Duca No. I doubt he gets any votes.

Greg Maddux Yes, and I think anyone who doesn't vote for Maddux should have his membership in the BBWAA revoked, or at least questioned. Only someone who doesn't understand the game at all wouldn't vote for him.


Edgar Martinez No, if you're the DESIGNATED HITTER, you'd better be unbelievable to get a HOF vote.


Don Mattingly Yes. Kirby Puckett is almost exactly the same stat-wise. And, Mattingly was a mid-80's rock star.


Fred McGriff Yes, better than Willie Stargell with fewer years and a higher average. His first two years with the Braves, he murdered the ball.


Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, & No. They cheated. They were baseball porn.

Sammy Sosa


Jack Morris No. Leave this one to the Veterans. 1991 & 1992 still hurt.

Mike Mussina Yes, but playing for the Yankees and NOT winning a WS makes me not like this vote.

Hideo Nomo No. He was good, but not long enough.

Mike Piazza Yes. One of the best catchers ever. I've come around to voting for him.

Tim Raines Yes. This article sold me on him. http://mlb.si.com/2013/12/06/jaws-and-the-2014-hall-of-fame-ballot-tim-raines/

Kenny Rogers No. And his 22.50 ERA in the 1996 World Series still bring me joy.

Curt Schilling No. But, I'll vote for him next year.

Richie Sexson No. He will drop from the ballot too.

Lee Smith No. But, he'll get in.

J.T. Snow No. Not good enough.

Frank Thomas Yes. This is what a DH should be. Feared, back-to-back MVP's based on your bat and base-running.

Mike Timlin No. Not even close.


Alan Trammell No. He'll get in if Barry Larkin got in. But, he wasn't Sandberg or Kent.

Larry Walker No. Not good enough for long enough.

I'm for a large Hall of Fame. So I'd vote yes for:

Jeff Bagwell - excellent all-around 1b for over a decade, his longevity gets him in
Craig Biggio - 3000 hits playing the first 1/2 of his career as a catcher, that's amazing
Barry Bonds - no brainer
Roger Clemens - no brainer
Tom Glavine - 300 wins in the 5 man rotation era, 2 Cy Youngs, 6 top 3 Cy Young finishes
Jeff Kent - best offensive 2B for a decade, won an MVP
Greg Maddux - no brainer
Edgar Martinez - offensive numbers are worthy, if he played in the no DH era he'd still have those numbers
Don Mattingly - Donnie Baseball, he was the Yankees for a decade, his hair alone should get him in
Fred McGriff - something like 8 seasons in a row with 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs
Mark Mcgwire - no brainer
Sammy Sosa - 600+ HRs, 'nuff said
Mike Mussina - AL version of Glavine
Mike Piazza - best offensive catcher in history
Tim Raines - a force of nature who wasted away in Montreal
Curt Schilling - he was in the conversation of best pitcher in MLB for about 8 years
Lee Smith - huge save numbers
Alan Trammell - great all-around SS, best player on good mid-80s Tigers teams
Frank Thomas - no brainer, for a while he was more feared than Ken Griffey Jr
Larry Walker - a decade of multi-tool dominance

[wuapinmon]

I'm for a large Hall of Fame. So I'd vote yes for:

Jeff Bagwell - excellent all-around 1b for over a decade, his longevity gets him in
Craig Biggio - 3000 hits playing the first 1/2 of his career as a catcher, that's amazing
Barry Bonds - no brainer
Roger Clemens - no brainer
Tom Glavine - 300 wins in the 5 man rotation era, 2 Cy Youngs, 6 top 3 Cy Young finishes
Jeff Kent - best offensive 2B for a decade, won an MVP
Greg Maddux - no brainer
Edgar Martinez - offensive numbers are worthy, if he played in the no DH era he'd still have those numbers
Don Mattingly - Donnie Baseball, he was the Yankees for a decade, his hair alone should get him in
Fred McGriff - something like 8 seasons in a row with 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs
Mark Mcgwire - no brainer
Sammy Sosa - 600+ HRs, 'nuff said
Mike Mussina - AL version of Glavine
Mike Piazza - best offensive catcher in history
Tim Raines - a force of nature who wasted away in Montreal
Curt Schilling - he was in the conversation of best pitcher in MLB for about 8 years
Lee Smith - huge save numbers
Alan Trammell - great all-around SS, best player on good mid-80s Tigers teams
Frank Thomas - no brainer, for a while he was more feared than Ken Griffey Jr
Larry Walker - a decade of multi-tool dominance

Since you've voted for known cheaters, does that mean that you don't care, that you choose to ignore it, that you think everyone did it so it was a level playing field, the 70's & 80's had amphetamines and cocaine, or something else? You're the only person I know who votes to include the cheaters, so I'm curious about how/why. Also, would you elect Palmeiro?

[San Juan Sun]

Since you've voted for known cheaters, does that mean that you don't care, that you choose to ignore it, that you think everyone did it so it was a level playing field, the 70's & 80's had amphetamines and cocaine, or something else? You're the only person I know who votes to include the cheaters, so I'm curious about how/why. Also, would you elect Palmeiro?

Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell with certainty who was a cheater for the most part. So where and with whom, do you draw the line? I view the Hall of Fame as a baseball museum in a way, and steroids were a part of that era, for better or worse. Ignoring Bonds or Clemens ignores history in my mind. But they don't give me a vote, so my opinion doesn't matter very much.

Yes, I would elect Palmeiro.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Jonah Keri does a great job breaking down the ballot.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...ll-fame-ballot

Rob Neyer breaking down Murray Chass' awful Hall of Fame Ballot

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/1...iggio-steroids

[MarkGrace]

Instead, I'll ask you to simply ponder what Maddux did in his prime. In 1994 and 1995 — the height of the PED, small-ballpark, juiced-ball, pitcher whiplash era — Maddux threw a total of 411⅔ innings and gave up just 73 earned runs. Let me help you with the math: That's a 1.60 ERA, posted under infinitely more challenging conditions than the 30-foot mounds, gigantic ballparks, and 145-pound shortstops Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson faced when they put up their video game stats.

[Parrot Head]

Jonah Keri does a great job breaking down the ballot.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...ll-fame-ballot

Rob Neyer breaking down Murray Chass' awful Hall of Fame Ballot

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/1...iggio-steroids

And then the worst HOF ballot... http://www.baseballnation.com/2014/1...st-ever-voting

[wapiti]

I'm hoping for Maddux, Glavine, and Morris to all get in. Three of my favorite pitchers of all time, it would be awesome if they all go in together.