Maddux, Glavine, Thomas elected to Baseball Hall of Fame; Biggio just misses

The ballot was released today. Lots of intriguing first-timers and holdovers.

Hall of Famers announced Jan. 8.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Maddux, Biggio and Thomas will be.

Raines, Schilling, and Mussina should be.

Morris will be very close, but shouldn't be.

Piazza and Bagwell will be very close, as well.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Not too hard to find the maximum 10 votes on that list.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

It is when you exclude cheaters.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Here's the entire ballot:

The ballot:
Moises Alou,
Jeff Bagwell, Armando Benitez, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds,
Sean Casey, Roger Clemens,
Ray Durham,
Eric Gagne, Tom Glavine, Luis Gonzalez,
Jacque Jones, Todd Jones,
Jeff Kent,
Paul Lo Duca,
Greg Maddux, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Mike Mussina,
Hideo Nomo,
Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza,
Tim Raines, Kenny Rogers,
Curt Schilling, Richie Sexson, Lee Smith, J.T. Snow, Sammy Sosa,
Frank Thomas, Mike Timlin, Alan Trammell,
Larry Walker.


And a video from the Hall of Fame with brief highlight on each one:

http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/2014-hall-fame-ballot-out-today

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Dick, I've stated my policy here before. If the Hall, which MLB controls, wants to kick guys off the ballot for drug use, that's fine. But I won't do Selig's dirty work for him. If players are on the ballot, I will consider them as players, period.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

My dividing line on cheaters:
If the player's primary motivation to cheat was to recover from injury or extend his career I'm not letting it get in the way of believing they are HOFers, Bonds and Clemens.
But if they cheated to become better players than they naturally could be, they are not HOFers, Palmeiro, McGwire and Sosa.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Not at all, but I imagine some jackass will turn in a blank ballot to protest something or other.

Maddux is going to be the latest guy who should be unanimous, but won't. Seriously, what possible argument can you make that the guy doesn't belong? I truly hope there aren't any voters clueless enough to say they honestly don't see him as a Hall of Famer.

Thomas should also get in easily.

I'm not sure Biggio is a lock and honestly, I think Bagwell is more deserving. Those two and Piazza belong, but I'm betting Piazza and Bagwell fall short again. Too many voters who would rather punish the innocent than vote for anybody under any suspicion of PED use, even if there is no evidence against them.

I don't think Mussina belongs, but I don't have a huge problem with him making it. I'd put Schilling in first, but I see both as borderline.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

i will adopt your opinion.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Who on that list has been proven to be a cheater? Not suspected, but proven.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

McGwire missed almost two full years due to injury in the mid-90s. Then he came back and started hitting 50 homers every year. So he meets your criteria as well.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

If your definition of "proven" is "failed an MLB test for PEDs" then Palmeiro is the only one (although McGwire has admitted to using PEDs). If you mean "there is a mountain of circumstantial evidence against them," then Clemens, Sosa and Bonds as well.