2015 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot

[jasvlm]

Will get in:
Pedro
Johnson
Biggio
 
Should get in:
Bonds
Clemens
Piazza
Schilling
Bagwell
Mussina
Walker
Edgar
Raines
Smoltz
McGwire(borderline, but I'll give it to him because I'll always remember the home run race)
 
I think the names listed above are mostly Hall worthy, with the exception of Walker.  I don't know that he'll make it because of the Coors factor.  He was good-not great, away from Coors, but was a monster there.  The rest seem like guys I could see throwing support behind, even if the writers continue to blackball the steroid crew.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

Should get in and will get in this year:
 
Pedro
Johnson
Biggio
Smoltz
 
Should get in and eventually will :
Piazza
Bagwell
Mussina
Schilling
Edgar
 
Mussina and Schilling are pretty borderline IMO. Edgar will eventually get in the year before Papi becomes eligible - thus paving the way.  Piazza and Bagwell are locks. Bagwell's only knock is the guilt by association.
 
Should get in but will sadly fall short
Trammell

Raines

 
The exclusion of Raines will be a particularly ridiculous oversight. Trammell's star is dimmed by Ripken and the Troika but was a terrific player in his own right - before SSs were expected to provide offense.
 
 
The steroid guys can have their very own Hall - along with all the chemists to whom they owe so much.

 

[Pedro 4 99MVP]

My vote would be:
1. Pedro
2. Big Unit
3. Smoltz
4. Biggio
5. Bagwell
6. Schilling
7. Raines
8. Mussina
9. Edgar
 
I also think Clemens and Bonds are HOFers as both were dominant even before the steroids allegedly helped prolong their careers. However, I couldn't decide which of the 2 I would use my tenth vote on. I really believe there are 11 very worthy candidates (plus Walker and McGwire). My fear is if we keep having years where guys get close but not in, then some worthy players are going to start dropping off. If there are too many worthy candidates, the vote gets split and some very worthy people might not get enough votes to stay on. I don't think you will see a Jim Rice or Bert Blyleven situation, because those guys might drop off from lack of votes way before the year's limit. Maybe the solution if to allow voters more than 10 votes, or maybe someone else can come up with a different solution.
 
Who I actually think gets in:
Pedro, Big Unit, Smoltz, Biggio...but hoping for a couple more to fix the logjam.

 

[gryoung]

If Smoltz gets in .....will the Atlanta Braves be the only team to have three starting pitchers from the same rotation in the HOF?

 

[NoLastCall125]

If Smoltz gets in .....will the Atlanta Braves be the only team to have three starting pitchers from the same rotation in the HOF?

 
From 1949-1956, Bob Feller-Early Wynn-Bob Lemon pitched in Cleveland and in 1954 helped the Indians win 111 games where they also had Hal Newhouser coming out of the bullpen.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Bob Ryan has an excellent article up, nominally complaining about how Pedro and Unit will undeservedly be denied a unanimous vote, but mostly (and more importantly) talking about PEDs and how they affect present-day HOF votes.
 
In particular, he presents a solution that I think is creative and also feels right to me.  I won't do it a disservice by paraphrasing, so I encourage everyone to read it.  It's not long.

 

[Leskanic's Thread]

It's a really solid argument. There should be similar caveats about stats and accomplishments accumulated before integration.
 
As for the "no unanimous selection" voters...I'm terrified that is going to come to a head in five years, and Jeter will be the first to get in with 100% of the vote.  Even if he doesn't, it will be about a two year drumbeat from the NY and national media that it should happen.

 

[NJ Fan]

It may have been staring me in the face but I didn't see results on SoSH from the Golden Era Committee voting.  No player(s) received the required 12 votes (out of 15).  Richie Allen and Tony Oliva each got 11; Jim Kaat got 10.

 

[gaelgirl]

I hope someone gets voted in and announces in his induction speech that he used PEDs and so did a lot of others, some of whom are also already elected Hall of Famers and that the BBWAA keeping the "known" users out is ridiculous. 
 
There will likely be a number of PED users in the Hall of Fame, they just aren't going to be the ones who happened to get caught. 

 

[NJ Fan]

I forgot to add above that El Tiante got "3 votes or less" from the crack 16-man committee.  They apparently didn't release the details for those with 3 or less.

 

[JimRiceHOFer]

Totals for the 10 former Red Sox on this year's Ballot:
 
Pedro Martinez - 91.1% (HOF)
John Smoltz - 82.9% (HOF)
Jeff Bagwell - 55.7%
Curt Schilling - 39.2%
Roger Clemens - 37.5%
Lee Smith - 30.2%
Nomar Garciaparra - 5.5%
Tom Gordon - 0.4% (removed from future ballots)
Tony Clark - 0.0% (removed from future ballots)
Cliff Floyd - 0.0% (removed from future ballots)

 

[Spacemans Bong]

It may have been staring me in the face but I didn't see results on SoSH from the Golden Era Committee voting.  No player(s) received the required 12 votes (out of 15).  Richie Allen and Tony Oliva each got 11; Jim Kaat got 10.

 
Maury Wills getting 9 votes while Tiant got less than 3 is a joke, though I am mildly impressed Dick Allen came so close to selection.
 
8 Hall of Famers on a Veteran's Committee is way too much. Joe Morgan is not voting anybody in who didn't play on the Big Red Machine, and I am not sure Jim Bunning is on Planet Earth most of the time. Ozzie was a kid when most of the candidates played.

 

[JimRiceHOFer]

Looking ahead, Notable players that will be eligible for next year Hall of Fame Ballot include:  http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/future-eligibles 
 
Of this group, I see only two being elected next year, or any year for that matter - Ken Griffey, Jr and Trevor Hoffman
 
 

GARRET ANDERSON
Three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner in played 18 seasons in the outfield for Angels, Braves and Dodgers…Won 2003 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award…Led AL in doubles twice and his 522 two-baggers rank No. 43 all-time…Topped the 100-RBI mark four times and finished with 2,529 hits.

BRAD AUSMUS
Three-time Gold Glove Award winner at catcher an a 1999 All-Star…Played 18 seasons with Padres, Tigers, Astros and Dodgers…Appeared in 1,938 games as a catcher, seventh on the all-time list.

LUIS CASTILLO
Three-time All-Star Game selection and three-time Gold Glove Award winner at second base…Played 15 seasons for Marlins, Twins and Mets…Led league in stolen bases twice.

JIM EDMONDS
Eight-time Gold Glove Award winner in center field and four-time All-Star played 17 seasons for Angels, Cardinals, Padres, Cubs, Brewers and Reds…Reached the 20-homer plateau 11 times en route to 393 career home runs…Posted .284 career batting average with .376 on-base percentage.

TROY GLAUS
Four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner at third base played 13 seasons for Angels, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Braves…Hit 320 career home runs, including an AL-best 47 in 2000…Won 2002 World Series Most Valuable Player Award as member of champion Anaheim Angels.

KEN GRIFFEY JR.
Selected to 13 All-Star Games, won 10 Gold Glove Awards in center field and seven Silver Slugger Awards in 22-year career with Mariners, Reds and White Sox…Won 1997 AL Most Valuable Player Award and finished in Top 5 of MVP vote four other times…Won 1992 All-Star Game MVP…Led AL in home runs four times and finished with 630 home runs, sixth on all-time list.

MARK GRUDZIELANEK
Named to one All-Star Game at shortstop and won one Gold Glove Award at second base in 15 seasons for Expos, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals and Indians…Batted .289 with 2,040 hits…Led National League in doubles in 1997 with 54.

JOSE GUILLEN
Reached the 20-homer plateau five times in 14-year career as outfielder with Pirates, Devil Rays, Diamondbacks, Reds, A’s, Angels, Nationals, Mariners, Royals and Giants…Hit .270 for career with 1,591 hits.

MIKE HAMPTON
Two-time All-Star pitched 16 seasons for Mariners, Astros, Mets, Rockies, Braves and Diamondbacks…Went 22-4 for Astros in 1999 when he finished second in National League MVP voting…Won five Silver Slugger Awards and the 2003 Gold Glove Award…Finished with 148 victories.

TREVOR HOFFMAN
Seven-time All-Star and two-time runner-up in the National League Cy Young voting pitched 18 seasons for Marlins, Padres and Brewers…Finished career with 601 saves, tops on the all-time list at the time of his retirement…Led NL in saves twice and finished with 2.87 earned-run average in 1,035 games.

JASON KENDALL
Three-time All-Star batted .288 in 15 seasons with Pirates, A’s, Cubs, Brewers and Royals…Appeared in 2,025 games as a catcher, fifth on the all-time list ...Led league in assists as a catcher five times…Caught at least 140 games in nine big league seasons, the most seasons among all catchers.

MIKE LOWELL
Four-time All-Star and 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player played 13 seasons with Yankees, Marlins and Red Sox…Won 2003 Silver Slugger Award and 2005 Gold Glove Award at third base…Reached 20-home run mark six times and drove in 100-or-more runs three times…Member of World Series winning teams with Marlins in 2003 and Red Sox in 2007.

RUSS ORTIZ
Pitched four Giants, Braves, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Astros and Dodgers over 12 big league seasons, earning All-Star Game selection in 2003…Led National League with 21 wins in 2003 and reached the 15-win mark four times.

CHAN HO PARK
Pitched 17 seasons for Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, Mets, Phillies, Yankees and Pirates, becoming the first South Korean-born player to appear in a big league game…Led National League pitchers with a 6.9 hits-per-innings pitched ratio in 2000 and was named to 2001 NL All-Star team…Finished career with 124 victories.

MIKE SWEENEY
Five-time All-Star first baseman played 16 years for Royals, A’s, Mariners and Phillies…Hit 20-or-more home runs in six seasons and drove in 100-plus runs twice…Won 2007 Hutch Award.

BILLY WAGNER
Seven-time All-Star pitched 16 seasons for Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves…Saved 422 games – second all-time among left-handers and fifth overall – en route to 47-40 record with 2.31 ERA…Career WHIP of 0.998 would rank No. 2 among all pitchers if he had enough innings to qualify (finished 97 innings short of 1,000-inning threshold).