Pinstripe Alley reviews this year’s Hall of Fame ballot and heaves a sigh.
If I was given a ballot and asked to name at most 10 players for induction, I would first complain that I can’t add more, then submit the following ballot:
[Greg] Maddux, [Frank] Thomas, [Mike] Mussina, [Tom] Glavine, [Barry] Bonds, [Roger] Clemens, [Craig] Biggio, [Jeff] Bagwell, [Mike] Piazza, [Tim] Raines
Seriously, how are voters supposed to cut that down? The BBWAA needs to eliminate the 10-player limit or at least extend it. Otherwise it’s only going to get more crowded next year as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Gary Sheffield join the ballot. My ballot for this year wouldn’t be permitted to include the other worthy players I mentioned above, like [Curt] Schilling, Edgar [Martinez], [Larry] Walker, [Jeff] Kent, and [Alan] Trammell. I frankly don’t bear much ill will to [Mark] McGwire, [Sammy] Sosa, and [Rafael] Palmeiro, either. The bottom line is that the limit of 10 just doesn’t cut it anymore.
In the end, I can sadly see the possibility that only Maddux is chosen for induction. Voters have been weird about seemingly obvious candidates like Thomas before, and despite Biggio’s strong showing last year, the large ballot could complicate matters. Although there are other candidates better than Biggio, those are my predicted top three finishers. Please surprise me and induct more than one Hall of Famer, BBWAA. There are so many worthy candidates.
I can see an even worse possibility, that the writers once again ignore worthy candidates like Raines and Trammell, insult candidates that have no credible allegations of PED use against them like Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza, and elevate clearly less worthy candidates like Jack Morris and Lee Smith instead. The ballot is indeed jammed with deserving candidates this year, with more to come next year, thanks to two consecutive years of inactivity fueled by ignorance and hypocrisy. Going out of their way to enshrine the undeserving at the expense of those who belong in the name of personal vendettas and bogus statistics would be the bitter cherry on top of the rancid sundae. So yeah, that’s what I expect to happen.
I’ve blogged before that I want seemingly obvious roiders to fess up, along with managers, GMs, and Bud, and then let’s look at them individually. On managers, I’ve already said the Vets Comm should give Torre and La Russa the same treatment BBWAA does on players.
Oh, and here’s my long thoughts on who *should* get in, and who I think actually will get in, this year: http://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2013/11/cooperstown-2014-what-are-chances-of.html