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

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Rabbit Maranville was one of the worst choices ever made. What happened was that Maranville was a 20-year player and colorful character. He was also the titular head of newsboys with a newspaper chain (I think it was Hearst, but I'm not 100 percent sure). Maranville was dying of cancer (again, not 100 percent sure) and there was a campaign to get him into the Hall of Fame. Jack Lang, who worked for the chain, later admitted it was a big mistake.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Maranville is by far the worst writer's pick of all-time.

He's got a long way to go to get to the top 15 based on the veteran's picks.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Super small early sample size:

5 ballots
5 Greg Maddux
5 Tom Glavine
4 Frank Thomas
4 Jack Morris
3 Jeff Bagwell
3 Mike Piazza
3 Barry Bonds
3 Roger Clemens
3 Craig Biggio
2 Curt Schilling
2 Tim Raines
2 Lee Smith
1 Fred McGriff
1 Mike Mussina
1 Sammy Sosa
1 Rafael Palmeiro
1 Curt Schilling

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Bob Sansevere had a full ballot last year. Because of the limit, he dropped Bagwell, Biggio, Raines and McGwire to add Maddux, Glavine, Thomas and Mussina. Carried over Bonds, Clemens, Morris, Schilling, Sosa, Palmeiro. So he's 0-for-2 on Piazza

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

How the hell does a guy leave off Piazza while voting for McGwire, as this guy did last year?

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Thomas and Mussina must have had big seasons.

Sosa, Palmeiro, Morris & Schilling over Bagwell I totally don't get. He obviously doesn't care about the PED whispers, so what other reason is there not to vote for Bagwell? Does he not take the context of the numbers into account? Is it all about raw numbers? Sosa over Mays?

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

I would never vote for Sosa or Palmeiro over Piazza or Bagwell. Particulary not Palmeiro, who is Hall of Good but not Hall of Fame.

I also don't get dropping Biggio or Raines for Mussina, who strikes me as a borderline candidate.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Bagwell is a great example of why I have been so critical of the voters who are misusing their ballots to punish those they think use PEDs, even in the absence of real evidence. Momentum matters in these things. It shouldn't, but it does. He belongs in the Hall of Fame, but he may not get there based on suspicions that nobody can come close to supporting.

I agree with Morris. No way Mussina should be on the ballot over Bagwell or Piazza, but even that isn't as bad as McGwire over Piazza last year.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

From what I found, this guy votes for his candidates based on senority on the ballot since he has so many guys he would vote for.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Marc Maturo doesn't vote for Thomas or Bagwell but at least uses at 10 spots -- Maddux, Glavine, Bonds, Clemens, Piazza, Biggio, Kent, J. Morris, Raines and E. Martinez.

That's the first Kent and Martinez vote I've seen.

He dropped Palmeiro to get the three newcomers and Edgar on for the first time. The others are his holdovers

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Edgar Martinez over Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell? That's just insane. And I say that knowing Marc and thinking very highly of him.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

He doesn't explain his rationale either, just lists the player's accomplishments.