2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

[dickay]

The situation is even worse than it was last year since the BBWAA failed to induct a single player.

The above poll leaves off Jacque Jones since there are 36 names on the ballot and polls are limited to 35 options.

18 players are in my personal Hall of Fame but with a ballot limited to 10 votes, these would be mine:

1) Jeff Bagwell
2) Craig Biggio
3) Barry Bonds
4) Roger Clemens
5) Tom Glavine
6) Greg Maddux
7) Mike Piazza
8) Tim Raines
9) Frank Thomas
10) Curt Schilling

The other 8 players are Jeff Kent, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGwire, Mike Mussina, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Alan Trammell and Larry Walker.

I honestly haven't given this much time and effort reviewing stats and the like (as my vote doesn't count i don't see the need to waste the time) but my first thoughts on who would be a HOF'er from what I remember them doing are:

1) Bonds
2) Clemens
3) Maddux
4) Bagwell
5) Piazza
6) Thomas
7) Raines
8) Kent
9) Palmeiro
10) Biggio

W/O much research, from memory...i'm honestly on the fence about Biggio and I think persuaded by the recent talk in here and talk radio about him being one who should be in. When I think of HOF's I think he was borderline but there's very likely some valid statistical reasoning i'm overlooking since so many believe he's a no brainer. I guess Palmeiro is where I start to doubt candidacy. Others you've mentioned, Glavine/Edgar/McGwire are close to me but not people I thought of as HOF's when they played and Schilling/Mussina/Sosa/Trammell/Walker, from memory and perception (possibly false) I don't think of as HOF's period. Hall of fame to me isn't Hall of very good but rather Hall of great. Interesting to me is that I think of Kent as having a HOF career but not Biggiio, yet from everyone liking Biggio more I'd venture a guess his overall stats were better.

The fact Palmeiro is now off future ballots is a travesty.

[dickay]

ok i looked at both bigs and kent...and as suspected, Bigs had a better career and is far more worthy than Kent and a no brainer IMO. In light of, i'd swap Bigs with Kent on my list, maybe put him just above Raines and drop Kent into the fringe category leaving me with a list of 9.

[dickay]

Alot of people taking issue with Ken Gurnick:

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/stor...ck-morris-vote

Personally I have less an issue with him putting nobody who played in the "steroid era" on than those who picked and chose who was dirty and who wasn't. I listened to an interview he gave on XM and found him to be very honest and consistent. I don't agree with his stance on voting, but he's not saying he thinks Maddux did roids he's saying that he thinks the whole era tainted and doesn't see how he can pick and choose who did and who didn't thus he'll choose none. He rightfully explains the players union involvement and while he didn't go into it, wasn't Glavine significfantly involved with the players union and fighting against testing for PEDs? Personally I don't think any of that should matter to the HOF vote, the era was what it was...but certainly the mlbpa's involvement is at least a logical link to hold all players somewhat accountable and complicit. I think his choice of Morris is suspect. I believe he didn't want to be a reason Morris didn't reach minimum quota and thus pu$$ied out on his stance and gave him a vote. Morris had I think it was 70+ wins AFTER the time period in which Gurnick stated he believed the "era" began. He was consistent up until that point IMO. I guess my bigger issue is guys that will choose Maddux/Glavine and not Clemens or Bagwell, etc.

Gurnick has stated he will abstain from any future votes, which is the right thing to do and should've been done prior to this.

[Jeffy25]

So I'm late to join and place my vote

My 10

1. Biggio
2. Bagwell
3. Bonds
4. Clemens
5. Glavine
6. Maddux
7. Mussina
8. Raines
9. Schilling
10. Thomas

Martinez, Walker, Trammell would also get votes from me if over 10 were allowed (with Kent on the borderline that I haven't made a choice on yet).


EDIT: I meant to vote for Bagwell, but Walker got my selection above in the ballot....whoops

[Jeffy25]

Alot of people taking issue with Ken Gurnick:

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/stor...ck-morris-vote

Personally I have less an issue with him putting nobody who played in the "steroid era" on than those who picked and chose who was dirty and who wasn't. I listened to an interview he gave on XM and found him to be very honest and consistent. I don't agree with his stance on voting, but he's not saying he thinks Maddux did roids he's saying that he thinks the whole era tainted and doesn't see how he can pick and choose who did and who didn't thus he'll choose none. He rightfully explains the players union involvement and while he didn't go into it, wasn't Glavine significfantly involved with the players union and fighting against testing for PEDs? Personally I don't think any of that should matter to the HOF vote, the era was what it was...but certainly the mlbpa's involvement is at least a logical link to hold all players somewhat accountable and complicit. I think his choice of Morris is suspect. I believe he didn't want to be a reason Morris didn't reach minimum quota and thus pu$$ied out on his stance and gave him a vote. Morris had I think it was 70+ wins AFTER the time period in which Gurnick stated he believed the "era" began. He was consistent up until that point IMO. I guess my bigger issue is guys that will choose Maddux/Glavine and not Clemens or Bagwell, etc.

Gurnick has stated he will abstain from any future votes, which is the right thing to do and should've been done prior to this.

He also said on the radio he didn't want to pick Maddux because he 'picked on him'

whaaaa?

And didn't Morris technically pitch in the steroid era?

[dickay]

He also said on the radio he didn't want to pick Maddux because he 'picked on him'

whaaaa?

And didn't Morris technically pitch in the steroid era?

i didn't hear or don't understand your comments that he "picked on him"? I heard him say more than once that he feels Maddux is a HOF'er and was in no way singling him out.

As to Morris, yes according to where most put a start to the "era". As I said in the post you quoted, Morris had some 70+ wins AFTER Gurnick said the steroid era began. Gurnick said that he voted for Morris based upon his performance prior to the era's beginning but thats the one area where I feel he's inconsistent and call bullsh!t. I think he didn't want to see Morris drop from the ballot so gave him a vote personally. Why not just be honest about it though?

[dps]

Morris is dropping from the ballot anyway--this was his 15th and final year of eligibility with the BBWAA.