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

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Unfortunately it looks like the second-tier candidates are just along for the ride. Good enough to stay on the ballot, not good enough to gain much traction. Or in some cases, losing chunks of support. Early tallies have McGwire, Sosa, Walker getting killed compared to last year.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Rick Gosselin flips to vote for Bonds and Clemens this year, but just votes for eight and one of them isn't Thomas

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

4.2 percent and not yet a vote for Mark McGwire

24 ballots
24 Greg Maddux
24 Tom Glavine
20 Frank Thomas
20 Craig Biggio
19 Jack Morris
18 Mike Piazza
16 Jeff Bagwell
13 Tim Raines
12 Barry Bonds
12 Roger Clemens
10 Curt Schilling
7 Lee Smith
7 Fred McGriff
7 Mike Mussina
5 Alan Trammell
3 Edgar Martinez
3 Jeff Kent
2 Rafael Palmeiro
2 Larry Walker
1 Sammy Sosa

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

What is the possible argument against Frank Thomas? DH?

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

That's the only possible thing, I guess.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Power hitter in the PED era. Come on, folks. He played in the era of rampant PED use and he was big. He must have been cheating, right?

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Up your nose with a rubber hose, oop.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

It's just arithmetic. As voters gradually end their protest/hissy fit about the PED era, guys like Clemens and Bonds get a few more votes, and other candidates get fewer, even if they're worthy. I don't think anything like even a significant minority of voters use all 10 selections. I have the last few years, but before that (I've been voting since 1996), I seldom did.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Gosselin doesn't touch on Thomas, his column is mostly about Bonds and Clemens. But he talks about believing in first ballot being more of an honor, so the only thing I can think is that he views Thomas a hall of famer, but not a first ballot guy.

The reason he flipped to Bonds and Clemens is that while they had first-ballot numbers, the PED stuff forced them to wait a year

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

A lot of the early votes have a full ballot and only one is lower than eight -- the shitty Vene ballot of Glavine, Maddux, Morris and Smith.

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

To say a guy is a Hall of Famer, but not worthy of the first ballot, is stupid.

To say Thomas is not worthy of both even moreso.

(If that was Gosselin's reasoning. He doesn't even address the glaring omission from his ballot)

 

Re: 2014 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released

Very well said, Michael, because that's just what it is -- a hissy fit.

Again, a "level" isn't magically created just because some writers think they're bigger than the process. You're Hall-worthy. Or you're not. (Not directed at you, Della. Just imagining Gosselin standing there.)