2015 Baseball HOF ballot released

Has there been a pure reliever elected on the first ballot?

 

The only way Hoffman gets in on the first ballot is that all of those wacky Lee Smith voters (30 percent) all go with Hoffman. If they do that, I think he could sneak in at like 77 percent because there would be enough full ballot guys that would add him with three open slots alongside Griffey.

If the Lee Smith contingent stays away trying to get their guy in on his last couple tries, I think Hoffman debuts around 50 percent.

 

Fingers went on the 2nd ballot
Wilhelm went on the 8th ballot
Gossage went on the 9th ballot
Sutter went on the 13th ballot

 

I think Rivera is a first-ballot lock. I think Hoffman will get in first or second try. I think both of those guys were so much better than everyone else that he won't wait long, if at all.

 

There is a significant gap between Rivera and Hoffman, especially when you look at postseason accomplishments. There are enough voters who think going in on the first ballot means something that I think Hoffman has to wait a little while.

 

Was that Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times?

As I remember Joe getting in trouble with the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA for some of his votes. IIRC, he was 'suspended' from voting for a one year period.


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Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports didn't return a ballot and doesn't plan to vote in future years for the HOF. His column explaining his reasons:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-no...is-right-for-this-bbwaa-member-194029335.html

 

While the Erstad vote is MIA, we know one of the Gordon votes:

Murray Janoff went: Garciaparra, Gordon, Johnson, E.Martinez, P.Martinez, Mattingly, Sheffield, Smith, Smoltz, Trammell. Hooray for 10 names, I guess?