My 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot Would Be...

[Funketown]

Biggio's at 68% with 21.5% of ballots in, and he's the leader.

 

Don't old-school guys typically vote for 3,000 hit guys on their first ballot?

 

Does Biggio have some character issue I'm forgetting about? He seems like an obvious guy these folks would vote for.

[Ennder]

Didn't realize only 10 could get in. If it comes down to that, then I have to drop the steroid users: Sosa, Palmeiro, and McGwire. Along with Martinez.

 

It appears nobody is getting in, which will make it even harder to vote in future years. Not sure how guys like Biggio and Piazza get rejected unless there are writers submitting blank ballots, which is unacceptable.

 

Especially considering the field next year. I would have to assume Maddux goes in 1st vote and anyone who leaves him off should lose their vote. Glavine, Big Hurt, Mussina, Kent etc added to the mix.

[fondybrewfan]

TH amazingly voted for 10 guys including Sosa, Clemens, and Bonds.

 

I justified the selections in his article but I am not buying it. There is enough circumstantial evidence and common sense that these guys should be in the group with Palmeiro and McGwire that he stated he would never vote for.

[Outlander]

He changed and hopefully many other writers eventually do too, thumbs up to him for actually trying to get some players inducted.

[Baldkin]

Biggio's at 68% with 21.5% of ballots in, and he's the leader.

 

Don't old-school guys typically vote for 3,000 hit guys on their first ballot?

 

Does Biggio have some character issue I'm forgetting about? He seems like an obvious guy these folks would vote for.

 

The problem is you can only vote for 10 guys. When suddenly there is 16+ viable candidates, and there are a ton of writers who DON'T (and refuse) to fill up their ballot, there might be a logjam extending out... who knows how long. Maddux, Glavine, Thomas, Mussina, Kent next year. 2015 is Pedro, Randy Johnson, Smoltz and Sheffield. 2016... Griffey and Edmonds, Hoffman.

[owbc]

It's official, Biggio was the highest with 68%. He is only the second player ever with 3,000 hits not to get elected on the first ballot.

 

 

Craig Biggio 68.2%

Jack Morris 67.7%

Jeff Bagwell 59.6%

Mike Piazza 57.8%

Tim Raines 52.2%

Lee Smith 47.8%

Curt Schilling 38.8%

Roger Clemens 37.6%

Barry Bonds 36.2%

Edgar Martinez 35.9%

Alan Trammell 33.6%

Larry Walker 21.6%

Fred McGriff 20.7%

Dale Murphy 18.6%

Mark McGwire 16.9%

Don Mattingly 13.2%

Sammy Sosa 12.5%

Rafael Palmeiro 8.8%

Bernie Williams 3.3%

Kenny Lofton 3.2%

Sandy Alomar Jr. 2.8%

Julio Franco 1.1%

David Wells 0.9%

Steve Finley 0.7%

Shawn Green 0.4%

Aaron Sele 0.2%

[Bombers]

And there it is ... No one gets put in ... http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8828339/baseball-hall-fame-fails-add-new-member-2013

 

68% for Biggio - I would assume at some point he makes it.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, those baseball writers sure showed all those PED users & maybe-users!

[Ennder]

Well Biggio will get in eventually for sure. Piazza probably will too given that result. Royce Clayton got 0 votes in case anyone was curious!

[DuWayne Steurer]

Didn't realize only 10 could get in. If it comes down to that, then I have to drop the steroid users: Sosa, Palmeiro, and McGwire. Along with Martinez.

 

It appears nobody is getting in, which will make it even harder to vote in future years. Not sure how guys like Biggio and Piazza get rejected unless there are writers submitting blank ballots, which is unacceptable.

 

Especially considering the field next year. I would have to assume Maddux goes in 1st vote and anyone who leaves him off should lose their vote. Glavine, Big Hurt, Mussina, Kent etc added to the mix.

 

 

There are writers who turn in blank ballots, especially on guys like Maddux, because they say "nobody should go in with 100% of the vote"

 

I find that notion ridiculous. If you think a guy is deserving, vote him in. If not, don't.

 

This whole thing has become a laughable farce.

[JackNicholson1974]

What happened with Bonds? He had an ops over 1.000 in almost 500 plate appearances in his last season. How did he not get a job the next year?

[Ennder]

There are writers who turn in blank ballots, especially on guys like Maddux, because they say "nobody should go in with 100% of the vote"

 

I find that notion ridiculous. If you think a guy is deserving, vote him in. If not, don't.

 

This whole thing has become a laughable farce.

 

Yeah I know. Those people should lose their votes~. Just like the 1.5% of guys who didn't vote for Ripken.

[JackNicholson1974]

Looking at next years ballot, my 2014 ballot would add:

Maddux

Big Hurt

Glavine

Mussina

Kent

 

as viable candidates, but I would only vote for the top 3, eventually Kent will be in, Mussina might be Jack Morris.

 

2015 gets a great trio in Randy Johnson, Pedro, Smoltz

2016 gets Griffey and Hoffman.

[craigharmann]

McGwire ahead of Mattingly? SERIOUSLY? That's a travesty.

[dlk9s]

What happened with Bonds? He had an ops over 1.000 in almost 500 plate appearances in his last season. How did he not get a job the next year?

http://i.imgur.com/S4Q9f.gif

[pitchleague]

I think it would a travesty, but really neat (i.e. cool), if Maddux was not elected in 2014 so he, Glavine, and Smoltz could all be elected together.

 

Yes, I know Glavine is on the ballot in 2014 as well, but I don't think he's a 1st ballot elect as Maddux should be.

[JohnBriggs12]

And there it is ... No one gets put in ... http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8828339/baseball-hall-fame-fails-add-new-member-2013

 

68% for Biggio - I would assume at some point he makes it.

 

He'll probably get in next year. Bagwell and Piazza look like sure things to get in if not next year, then soon. The weakest vote vis a vis career numbers might have gone to Sosa. Wow.

 

I think eventually both Clemens and Bonds will get in but it might take a special "steroid era" committee to overcome the negativity toward them from the writers. As time passes, the era will be seen for what it was, just players trying to use everything at their disposal to be better.

[LouisEly]

Mike Piazza is arguably the greatest offense catcher to ever play the game.

The fact that he spent his entire career in ballparks that were not known for being hitters parks (Dodger Stadium, Shea Stadium, one year in San Diego and one year in Oakland) definitely makes him one of the best offensive catchers in history. Makes you wonder what he would have done in more hitter-friendly parks. Twice led the league in OPS+ as a catcher. No spikes in power/HRs and a slow regression of power after age 31 suggest no PED usage. He should be in very soon.

 

Kenny Lofton, with 3.2% of the vote, will no longer be on the ballot.

 

I don't understand the hate for Andre Dawson. Yes, a certain amount of his career numbers were based on longevity, but he was a true 5-tool player. People greatly undervalue how good of a defensive OF he was. And he put up those numbers - and trashed his knees - playing in the dome on turf in Montreal, and the voters recognized that. But very few players had the combination of power, speed, and defense that Dawson had. I think only four players in history have >400 HRs and 300 SBs; the other three are Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez. Plus he is in the top 30 all-time in total bases - more than Chipper Jones, Robin Yount, Craig Biggio, and Jim Thome among others.

[SRB]

The Hall of Fame has become beyond irrelevant. Not only does BARRY BONDS not make it into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, but he gets fewer votes than another known steroid user (Clemens)? What is the justification for that other than the baseball media are a bunch of neanderthals who got their feelings hurt because Barry Bonds wasn't nice to them? As the strong campaign for Jack Morris shows, this no longer has anything to do with merit and is just a forum for baseball writers to vote for their friends and people they are friendly with. A complete joke.

[Baldkin]

McGwire ahead of Mattingly? SERIOUSLY? That's a travesty.

 

Morris getting twice as many votes as Schilling is an even bigger travesty.

 

Also, the BWAA is officially a joke.

[remfire]

Rule 5 of the Baseball Hall of Fame voting states: Voting shall be based upon the players record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

 

No one on this board will question Bonds, Clemens, and a few other known/suspected PED users record, playing ability, or contributions the their respected teams, but we should all question their integrity, sportsmanship, and character.

 

Sure, they were not the only one's doing it, but the hundreds of others that were are not up for the hall of fame either. Sure, steroids was not illegal in baseball at the time, but neither is murder. Steroids is a banned substance in this country. Baseball should not have been, nor is it in my mind, an exception. Sure, they weren't the only HOFers whose integrity, sportsmanship, and character have come into question. Stargell passed out amphetamines to teammates. Gaylord Perry wrote a book called "Me and the Spitter". Molitor and Eck supposedly used cocaine. Heck, Ty Cobb allegedly killed a guy. They are all in the Hall because the BBWAA, at that time, felt they still fit the Rule 5 critieria.

 

The BBWAA voters of today obviously have spoken. Sure, Bonds, Clemens, and a few others deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame. When you walk through it, their memorabilia is already there.

 

They just don't deserve a plaque.

[Ennder]

That rule was added at one point, maybe they should just remove it again since they ignored it for 60 years anyway.

[JimH5]

Mike Piazza is arguably the greatest offense catcher to ever play the game.

 

The fact that he spent his entire career in ballparks that were not known for being hitters parks (Dodger Stadium, Shea Stadium, one year in San Diego and one year in Oakland) definitely makes him one of the best offensive catchers in history. Makes you wonder what he would have done in more hitter-friendly parks. Twice led the league in OPS+ as a catcher. No spikes in power/HRs and a slow regression of power after age 31 suggest no PED usage. He should be in very soon.

 

Joel Sherman & Murray Chass have written about Piazza's back acne. He was also a 62nd round non-prospect who developed into that greatest offensive catcher, something that is so unusual, it raises suspicion. Jeff Pearlman also wrote about Piazza & steroid use/suspicions.

 

There isn't a failed test we can point to, or police charges, but it's not like there's nothing on the guy.

[dlk9s]

OH NO BACK ACNE

[dlk9s]

Also, I'm as anti-drug as someone can get, but how would doing cocaine go against the "character clause?"