2015 Hall of Fame ballot

[bukie]

Official names on ballot: http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2015.shtml

 

There are probably 25 debatable hall of famers on that ballot, and 15 that should be in the HOF no matter what, but thanks to the indignant ignorance of the BBWAA, and the idiocy of the voting process (10 max) maybe 2-3 make it in this season.

 

Speculation is that Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson make it for sure this year, with a potential for Craig Biggio since he was 1 vote shy last year, and possibly John Smoltz because of the Tinker-Evers-Chance scenario (Glavine and Maddux are in already).

 

The flip side to there being 15 shoo-in HOF candidates with only being allowed to vote in 10 players, and many writers being stupid and abstaining from voting anyone, is the likelihood that some borderline HOF candidates aren't going to get 5% of the vote and will be dropped off the ballot. Joe Posnanski blogs here about the players he speculates will not get 5% of the vote and will fall off the ballot.

 

Among those he lists:

 

- Brian Giles, who finished his career with a lifetime OBP over .400 and had more BaseRuns than Pete Rose

- Carlos Delgado, who had more HRs than Carl Yastrzemski and more RBIs than Mickey Mantle

- Nomar Garciaparra, whose career OPS is the highest of any SS in MLB history

- Don Mattingly, who is about as borderline as Kirby Puckett, who made it in his first year

- Sammy Sosa, who had 3 seasons unmatched by anyone in baseball history and over 600 career HRs

- Mark McGwire, who set the MLB single season record in 1998 and finished with 586 career HRs

- Gary Sheffield, who had more Runs Created than Mike Schmidt, Honus Wagner, and George Brett, and finished with over 500 career HRs

[bukie]

As for my personal preferences on the candidates:

 

Players who are sure fire Hall of Famers:

1. Barry Bonds

2. Roger Clemens

3. Randy Johnson

4. Mike Piazza

5. Pedro Martinez

6. Curt Schilling

7. Jeff Bagwell

8. Mike Mussina

9. Larry Walker

10. Alan Trammell

(and we already have a problem)

 

Players who probably should be Hall of Famers also:

11. Edgar Martinez

12. Tim Raines

13. Craig Biggio

14. Sammy Sosa

15. Mark McGwire

16. John Smoltz

17. Jeff Kent

18. Nomar Garciaparra

 

Players who are borderline but I can see arguments for them in the HOF:

19. Gary Sheffield

20. Fred McGriff

21. Don Mattingly

22. Lee Smith

23. Brian Giles

24. Carlos Delgado

 

Players who I'd revoke BBWAA voting privileges for anyone that votes for them over any of the above 24 players:

Troy Percival, Jermaine Dye, Jason Schmidt, Darin Erstad, Cliff Floyd, Tony Clark, Tom Gordon, Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Eddie Guardado

[imb]

eddie guardado lmao

[Sammy Sofa]

eddie guardado lmao

 

I know this is painted on your wall:

 

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners/files/2012/01/Guardado-8-Eddie-480x360.jpg

[OleMissCub]

 

Players who are borderline but I can see arguments for them in the HOF:

23. Brian Giles

 

Someone please make an argument for Brian Giles...

[bukie]

 

Players who are borderline but I can see arguments for them in the HOF:

23. Brian Giles

 

Someone please make an argument for Brian Giles...

- Brian Giles, who finished his career with a lifetime OBP over .400 and had more BaseRuns than Pete Rose

[OleMissCub]

 

Players who are borderline but I can see arguments for them in the HOF:

23. Brian Giles

 

Someone please make an argument for Brian Giles...

- Brian Giles, who finished his career with a lifetime OBP over .400 and had more BaseRuns than Pete Rose

 

I saw that and I read what Pos wrote (which wasn't an actual argument in favor of Giles being a HOFer). I guess I'm just wanting someone to try using the more traditional HOF arguments.

[jersey cubs fan]

I guess I'm just wanting someone to try using the more traditional HOF arguments.

 

I think the point is that "traditional" methods would not work in his favor.

[OleMissCub]

I guess I'm just wanting someone to try using the more traditional HOF arguments.

 

I think the point is that "traditional" methods would not work in his favor.

 

haha, fair enough.

[Sammy Sofa]

Look, Cliff Floyd belongs in there for one reason, dammit.

[OleMissCub]

Look, Cliff Floyd belongs in there for one reason, dammit.

 

I need that gif bookmarked

[Tracer Bullet]

eddie guardado lmao

 

I know this is painted on your wall:

 

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners/files/2012/01/Guardado-8-Eddie-480x360.jpg

 

Oops. I thought Eddie Guardado was Maddux's personal catch in Atlanta. I'd vote for that guy over some journeyman relief pitcher.

[SouthSideRyan]

Sammy's probably getting booted from the ballot for falling below 5%. It's sad.

[Clem Fandango]

I'm still baffled that Piazza isn't already in the hall of fame. I know people say its because of steroid allegations, but maybe my memory is cloudy because i don't ever recall people accusing him of it along with guys like Bonds and McGwire. Actually he only thing I ever recall the media accusing him of was being gay.

[SouthSideRyan]

He had backne.

[Guest]

I'm still baffled that Piazza isn't already in the hall of fame. I know people say its because of steroid allegations, but maybe my memory is cloudy because i don't ever recall people accusing him of it along with guys like Bonds and McGwire. Actually he only thing I ever recall the media accusing him of was being gay.

Same with Beggio. All the sudden there are murmurs about steroids.

 

I think the baseball writers and MLB need to come to some kind of consensus about this era of baseball. The owners are almost as much to blame as the players. I think they have to use the area as it's own universe and evaluate the players based entirely on the context of the era. Maybe they could just have a line on every plaque that says, "he played during the steroid era".

 

It's a travesty to keep out the no doubt hall of famers.

[George Hayduke]

I'm still baffled that Piazza isn't already in the hall of fame. I know people say its because of steroid allegations, but maybe my memory is cloudy because i don't ever recall people accusing him of it along with guys like Bonds and McGwire. Actually he only thing I ever recall the media accusing him of was being gay.

I remember reading an article a year or two ago that basically said Piazza is in a weird middle ground where some voters seem to be holding the steroid thing against him and some aren't. Like, they think he likely used them but aren't really sure and aren't crucifying him over it the way they are Bonds, Mac, etc. The thinking is he'll have enough votes sooner or later, but the naysayers will keep him out for a few years of his eligibility.

[OleMissCub]

Oops. I thought Eddie Guardado was Maddux's personal catch in Atlanta. I'd vote for that guy over some journeyman relief pitcher.

 

Yep. For some reason I had the same brain fart. His catcher was Eddie Perez, of course.

 

Sammy's probably getting booted from the ballot for falling below 5%. It's sad.

 

Yes it is. I guess we'll have to wait until like 2035 for the next Cubs player(s) to get in....hopefully.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

pedro, rj, biggio are locks this year. smoltz won't get in because of the first ballot thingy

[imb]

i bet smoltz gets in

[SouthSideRyan]

Smoltz is pretty much a lock.

 

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsstand/discussion/the_2015_hof_ballot_collecting_gizmo/P1000/

[bukie]

Pete Rose write-in voters with this ballot can just go [expletive] right on off and start their own Pete Rose HOF that nobody can care about.

[UMFan83]

Would suck to see Sosa chopped off the ballot but he isn't getting in through the voters anyways. His only shot is the veterans committee and attitudes toward the steroid era doing a 180.

 

I know Sosa was an [expletive] who cheated repeatedly to get his numbers and is now a weird vampire, but dammit he gave me too many happy childhood memories so I hope he gets in one day.

[Rex Buckingham]

going off of the numbers baseball think factory's ballot collector has, Biggio getting in and Bagwell not coming all that close would be an absolute joke.

 

Biggio's last well above average season was 2001 (OPS+ of 111, bbrefWAR 3.2). After that season he collected another 911 hits, including 130 in his final season where he recorded a Nefii-esque -2.1 WAR and an OPS+ of 71.

 

Bagwell's worst single season was his last- when he only played 39 games and got 123 PA, and he still put up an OPS+ of 94 and 0.3 WAR. His 2 worst seasons otherwise (according to BB Ref WAR) are both 3.7 WAR

[Sammy Sofa]

Would suck to see Sosa chopped off the ballot but he isn't getting in through the voters anyways. His only shot is the veterans committee and attitudes toward the steroid era doing a 180.

 

I know Sosa was an [expletive] who cheated repeatedly to get his numbers and is now a weird vampire, but dammit he gave me too many happy childhood memories so I hope he gets in one day.

 

You [expletive] coward.