My Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot, 2015 Edition
One thing is certain when the results of the Cooperstown Class of 2015 voting are announced later today - once again, no one will be unanimously elected. While some BBWAA voters may still cling to asinine personal guidelines such as no first-year candidate should ever be elected, I cannot fault one of the thought processes several voters have offered this year.
Rules limit voting to a maximum of ten candidates on a ballot. However, many voters feel that there are many more than ten players worthy of enshrinement on this year's ballot. So, some BBWAA members are casting votes for borderline candidates who they feel are worthy, and relying on their fellow electors to enshrine the slam-dunk candidates. There is an obvious danger in that line of thinking, in that if too many writers vote that way, the seemingly no-brainer candidates may not be elected either.
With that in mind, here is who I would select on my ballot (if I had one).
Do I think that John Smoltz belongs in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely! Why is he not listed on my ballot then? For two reasons. First, because I've finally been convinced that the woefully under-appreciated Alan Trammell deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown. This is Trammell's fourteenth year on the ballot. If he is not elected this year, he will have just one year of eligibility remaining before he falls off the ballot and must wait fifteen years(!) for consideration by the Veterans Committee. Secondly, I picked Mussina and Schilling ahead of Smoltz because I feel their respective bodies of work are a bit stronger than that of Smoltz.
I've said that I would have voted for Fred McGriff and Lee Smith in previous ballots. This year I just don't have room for them, and one or either of both of them may not receive enough votes to remain on next year's ballot.
I've flip-flopped on Tim Raines on past ballots. On the 2013 ballot, I said yes. Last year, I said no, partly because my ballot was full. Mostly though I felt that Kenny Lofton was every bit as good as Raines, yet the BBWAA failed to name Lofton on at least five percent of its ballots. That was certainly no fault of Raines, so I shouldn't hold the BBWAA's voting against him. However, I don't have room for him again on this year's ballot.
I not convinced on Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent and Larry Walker. I think they merit further consideration though, and I hope they remain on next year's ballot.
I'm not convinced on Gary Sheffield either. I always though of him more as a Hall of Fame pr*ck with jaw dropping bat speed than a Hall of Famer. His number merit strong consideration though. Though he's not getting my vote this year, he deserves to remain on next year's ballot.
I've said no with regard to Mark McGwire's case in the past, not because of any involvement with steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. However, if I had room on my ballot, I'm leaning back toward yes again. Why? Because when I think of Big Mac, phrases such as "most feared hitter of his era” and "most prolific home run hitter of his era” come to mind. I’m reminded that McGwire is "second to only Babe Ruth in career home run frequency.” Those are Hall of Fame caliber intangibles in my book. Again though, no room on this year's ballot. I hope to see McGwire still on next year's ballot.
I'm not entirely convinced that Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro are not a Hall of Famers too. Steroids happened. Raffy and Sammy happened. The Hall is a museum. Get off your high horse.
What about Don Mattingly, you ask? This is his final year of eligibility for election by the BBWAA. I think Mattingly the player still falls a bit short of enshrinement in Cooperstown. Hopefully his career arc will be similar to that of Joe Torre, and Mattingly the player and manager will ultimately be elected.
I loved to watch Edgar Martinez hit. He’s in the Hall of Very Very VERY Good for me though.
Nomar? Sorry, no. Hall of Fame Saturday Night Live sketch though.
Troy Percival? 17.2 bWAR seems low for four-time All-Star with 358 saves with 146 ERA+, 1.108 WHIP and 9.9K/9. Angels Hall of Famer, definitely.
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