My Hall of Fame Ballot

It’s no secret that I am enamored with the rhetoric and hysteria centered around the baseball Hall of Fame. For some reason the other sports haven’t caught up, and I expect they never will. I once heard Tiki Barber, former NFL star, say that talking about baseball was way more fun than watching it… which like— fair.

Of course, I don’t think that (at least not all the time), but it’s hard to deny that nothing will get a baseball fan’s blood boiling like a shitty Hall of Fame ballot.

Maybe some day the BBWAA will come calling my name and ask for my opinion on who deserves to get be enshrined in Cooperstown, or maybe they’ll read this blog and immediately come to their senses; to not only forgo my chances of getting a ballot but also permanently ban me from the museum itself.

Until that fictitious day comes, I’m stuck here barking out my ballot like a ring master trying to lure you into the circus. Though perhaps that you’ll find this ballot closer to the clown show than the lion tamer. Yet, without further ado, here is where I would allot my 10 votes.

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1) Barry Bonds

Did this surprise any of you? I mean 7 MVPs, countless records etc. you’ve heard it all before. When it comes to whether or not we should let PED users in the Hall of Fame comes down to a couple of things. The first is that the inclusion of Pudge and Jeff Bagwell likely means that PED users are already past the pearly gates. The second is that simply you cannot tell the story of baseball with this era. Excluding the most prominent players from the 90s and 00s is negligent towards the history of the sport. Finally the Hall of Fame has to ask it’s self one simple question. Who is the Hall of Fame for? Is it for the players? The fans? The past members? If it’s for the players, then sure, keep cheaters out. Honor the guys who did things legally and didn’t pull punches below the belt. This means you have to take Gaylord Perry and other pitchers that threw illegal pitches too. Good luck with that. If it’s for the fans then you have to let them in, otherwise an entire generation is going to miss their favorite players going up to the podium in Cooperstown and unveiling their plaques.

2) Roger Clemens

See Barry Bonds, then imagine the same thing, but this time for pitching. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, bar none.

3) Roy Halladay

He was the greatest pitcher of 00s. Long in the shadow of playing in the AL East for a team that wasn’t the Red Sox or Yankees, Halladay shined for the Blue Jays. Halladay won two Cy Young awards, one in each league. From 2006-11 Halladay finished no-worse than 5th place in Cy Young voting. He retired at 36, and spent a couple of years dealing with injuries. The ultimate competitor, Doc led the league in complete games seven times while leading the league in shut outs four times. The Doc died tragically last year, when he was flying a plane under the influence of drugs. Halladay will get in— unfortunately posthumously.

4) Mike Mussina

Obviously, not all Hall of Famers fit the same mold. There is those that dominate for a very short time, i.e. Sandy Koufax. Then there is those that are just really good for an insane amount of time, i.e. Adrian Beltre (he will get in his first year on the ballot) Mussina fits closer to the latter. The Moose amassed a 83 WAR (don’t tell my dad that is higher than Nolan Ryan’s).

5) Sammy Sosa

Another ‘roider, though not on the same level at Bonds and Clemens, he was still great. Hit 60+ homeruns three times, only Big Mac has done it twice. He hit the most home runs in a five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 year span (479 big flies in 10 seasons). Hit 609 home runs and has a stake for my favorite player of all time.

6) Manny Ramirez

PED guy, but one of the greatest hitters I’ve ever seen. There is no doubt he would be in, if not for steroids.

7) Curt Schilling

The only reason I can possibly imagine that Curt Schilling is not in the HoF is his political beliefs. Which is asinine, next.

8) Edgar Martinez

The DH exists and has for 46 years. Are we going to ignore it? Best DH ever according to people who saw him play.

9) Larry Walker

He simply has yet to have an all out Hall of Fame campaign like Tim Raines and Edgar have seen. His time of justice will come, just wait. He was one of the best two-way players in the NL for over a decade. His biggest fault? Playing in a city a mile above sea-level. Apparently you can’t be a Rockie and a Hall of Famer.

10) Andruw Jones

Behind Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez he was the best player in the MLB for a decade. This is the whole peak versus longevity thing. Jones was one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game and he hit over 400 homeruns. His biggest fault? He got fat and sucked after age 30.

As for Mo. The BBWAA only allows 10 votes for each voter, I know Mariano is getting in, so why for him?

Also BBWAA change the 10 voting limit. I could vote for at least five more guys if I was allowed.