Re: MLB 2014: I paid the $20 mil posting fee for the right to start this thread
Since that time is approaching, who would you include on your HOF ballot for this year?
Here is a link to the ballot...
http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2015.shtml
For me:
Craig Biggio - He should have got in last year. 3000+ hits, 7-time All Star, 4 Golden Gloves. He never had that great MVP type season, but he also played in an era where nearly everyone was juicing.
Roger Clemens - I understand the objections based on steroid allegations. However, the guy has arguably the best numbers ever produced by a pitcher in the history of the game. Moreover, he was a likely HOFer before any steroid allegations. He has waited a couple years now...put him in the Hall.
Barry Bonds - Basically the same argument as Clemens.
Mark McGwire - Similar argument to Clemens and Bonds, although I don't feel quite as strongly that McGwire would have made it w/o steroids. That being said, I think he belongs in the HOF.
Randy Johnson - No brainer. 303 wins, 4875 Ks, 10-time All Star, 5 Cy Youngs, World Series MVP...first ballot HOFer...no question
Pedro Martinez - A closer call for me than some of the others, but...211-100 (.684), career 2.93 ERA and 1.054 WHIP, 8-time All Star, 3 Cy Youngs...maybe the greatest stretch ever for a pitcher from 1997-2000. He's a HOFer for sure in my book.
John Smoltz - Another first balloter for me. 213 Wins, 154 saves, career 3.33 ERA and 1.176 WHIP, 8-time All Star, 1 Cy Young. Of the three aces in their first ballot, he's third on my list. However, he's still a HOFer.
Curt Schilling - 216 Wins, career 3.46 ERA and 1.137 WHIP. 6-time All Star, never won a Cy Young, but was tremendous in the post season (11-2, won 3 World Series). He's a HOFer for me.
Mike Mussina - 270 Wins, career 3.68 ERA and 1.192 WHIP. 5-time All Star, never won a Cy Young, but won 7 gold gloves. Nearly 3k SOs...he's very borderline for me, but 270 wins is pretty impressive.
Pete Rose - I would write Rose in. As should be evident, I am a firm believer that your transgressions shouldn't hold you back forever. I'd also consider writing in Palmeiro, but I think Rose is more deserving.
Not yet, but close...largely because you only get 10 names on your ballot: (in order)
Mike Piazza
Tim Raines
Sammy Sosa
Jeff Bagwell
Gary Sheffield
Alan Trammell
Edgar Martinez
Rafael Palmeiro
I think what will need to happen eventually is that the HOF will have to have a "steroid era committee" sort through all the players from that era. The BBWAA are not going to put them in. The problem is, we can guess as to who was on steroids (and we know others), but there isn't definitive proof on many of the players. As a result, I pretty much assume that the majority of players were on something during that time period, and we should vote in the juicers that were so much better than everyone else. That being said, I completely understand if people wanted to leave them out entirely.
