You make the call.......

[Rick2583]

On Tuesday January 6th at 2PM the announcements will be made on the newest members to the HOF,

HOLDOVERS.......

Craig Biggio (74.8%)
Mike Piazza (62.2%)
Jeff Bagwell (54.3%)
Tim Raines (46.1%)
Roger Clemens (35.4%)
Barry Bonds (34.7%)
Lee Smith (29.9%)
Curt Schilling (29.2%)
Edgar Martinez (25.2%)
Alan Trammell (20.8%)
Mike Mussina (20.3%)
Jeff Kent (15.2%)
Fred McGriff (11.7%)
Mark McGwire (11.0%)
Larry Walker (10.2%)
Don Mattingly (8.2%) this is his 15th & final year.
Sammy Sosa (7.2%)

NEWCOMERS.......

Rich Aurilia
Aaron Boone
Tony Clark
Carlos Delgado
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Cliff Floyd
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Tom Gordon
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Troy Percival
John Smoltz
Gary Sheffield

Some of the NEWCOMERS are a joke & IMO won't even get the required 5% to remain on the ballot going forward. (Aurilia, Boone, Clark, Dye, Erstad, Floyd, Giles, Gordon & Percival).

I think the only ones getting in this time are Pedro, Johnson & holdover Biggio

Here's the final votes........

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/06/here-are-the-complete-hall-of-fame-voting-totals/

 

[totus44]

Biggio, Unit and Pedro

 

[Mattingly23NY]

Can anyone recall any player who came up short on a 1st time HOF ballot, who received a higher pctg of votes in years to follow...? Garnering the necessary points to gain entrance into the HOF. Or- any other player who does not make it on the 1st ballot, only to gain entry years later, other than the Veterans Committee.....?????

Does anyone know of a player other than Babe Ruth, to gain entrance into the Hallowed Halls, who did not get the necessary votes in the 1st year of eligibilty, only to receive more votes, enough to gain entry, in following years..????

 

[Mattingly23NY]

RJ and Pedro only.....this year, should get in on the 1st ballot.

Maybe if luck prevails, and history doesn't repeat itself, Biggio should gain entry this year. Tho' I can only think of one player who did not get in the 1st year, to gain entrance in following years, less the Veteran's Committee's blessings.

Give Smoltz, a year or 2, and he will be in the HOF. But then we might get surprised with Smoltz getting in this year. IMO, not likely, but possible.

Trammel, Raines, and Edgar Martinez should of been in already, IMO....!

These next 4, should already be in the HOF.....If MLB honored some of the greatest turn two defenses, then both Trammel and Whitaker would be in a long time ago. We all know Lou will never make the HOF on his own. I doubt Trammel will ever get in, but deserves to be in. Same with the others noted below.

HOLDOVERS
Lee Smith (29.9%)
Edgar Martinez (25.2%)
Alan Trammell (20.8%)
Fred McGriff (11.7%)

NEWCOMERS.......
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
John Smoltz

 

[Hammerojustice]

On Tuesday January 6th at 2PM the announcements will be made on the newest members to the HOF,

HOLDOVERS.......

Craig Biggio (74.8%)
Mike Piazza (62.2%)
Jeff Bagwell (54.3%)
Tim Raines (46.1%)
Roger Clemens (35.4%)
Barry Bonds (34.7%)
Lee Smith (29.9%)
Curt Schilling (29.2%)
Edgar Martinez (25.2%)
Alan Trammell (20.8%)
Mike Mussina (20.3%)
Jeff Kent (15.2%)
Fred McGriff (11.7%)
Mark McGwire (11.0%)
Larry Walker (10.2%)
Don Mattingly (8.2%) this is his 15th & final year.
Sammy Sosa (7.2%)

NEWCOMERS.......

Rich Aurilia
Aaron Boone
Tony Clark
Carlos Delgado
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Cliff Floyd
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Tom Gordon
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Troy Percival
John Smoltz
Gary Sheffield

Some of the NEWCOMERS are a joke & IMO won't even get the required 5% to remain on the ballot going forward. (Aurilia, Boone, Clark, Dye, Erstad, Floyd, Giles, Gordon & Percival).

I think the only ones getting in this time are Pedro, Johnson & holdover Biggio

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Biggio, & Piazza get my votes

 

[yankeesince59]

Biggio, Raines, Mussina, Pedro, Big Unit.

 

[blgridesagain]

Biggio, Raines, Mussina, Pedro, Big Unit.

Agree and they should also end the charade and include Piazza.
Alan Trammel is probably the best all around SS not in the HOF.
I think he belongs, and I think he's been slighted by the geniuses who call themselves sportswriters. Where have they been on this guy? jmo

I just don't think Smoltz was a "HOF" pitcher....I sense some kind of ground swell which dearly wants to have him be the final piece of the Braves' pitching staff representing that great run the Braves had.

I like Smoltz, he was an outstanding SP but I don't give him extra consideration (points) for being a good relief pitcher for a couple of years and I don't believe in HOF coat tails.
He falls into my category of being very good enough not to be a HOFer lol

 

[Rick2583]

Agree and they should also end the charade and include Piazza.
Alan Trammel is probably the best all around SS not in the HOF.
I think he belongs, and I think he's been slighted by the geniuses who call themselves sportswriters. Where have they been on this guy? jmo

I just don't think Smoltz was a "HOF" pitcher....I sense some kind of ground swell which dearly wants to have him be the final piece of the Braves' pitching staff representing that great run the Braves had.

I like Smoltz, he was an outstanding SP but I don't give him extra consideration (points) for being a good relief pitcher for a couple of years and I don't believe in HOF coat tails.
He falls into my category of being very good enough not to be a HOFer lol

I have to put Trammell in this catagory also, a 4 time gold glove winner, a career 285 hitter with only 2,300 hits & never led the league in anything. Very good but not very good enough IMO.

 

[blgridesagain]

I have to put Trammell in this catagory also, a 4 time gold glove winner, a career 285 hitter with only 2,300 hits & never led the league in anything. Very good but not very good enough IMO.

And just how much better was Barry Larkin?
Not here to knock Larkin, He was terrific and deserving but just because Trammel may not have been quite as good doesn't mean he isn't a "HOF" SS.…..IMO.

Trammel was every bit the fielder Larkin was and while Trammel never won an MVP which of course sometimes can be debatable, he did VERY well in the Tigers' last WS Championship.

 

[Rick2583]

And just how much better was Barry Larkin?
Not here to knock Larkin, He was terrific and deserving but just because Trammel may not have been quite as good doesn't mean he isn't a "HOF" SS.…..IMO.

Trammel was every bit the fielder Larkin was and while Trammel never won an MVP which of course sometimes can be debatable, he did VERY well in the Tigers' last WS Championship.

If I'm being honest IMO I don't think Larkin should be in the HOF either. His stats are very similar to Trammell's only with less GGs & a little higher career BA. As far as his MVP in 95 I don't know what the hell the voters were looking at?

1995

Larkin = 15 / 66 / 319 .394 OBP, .492 SLG%, .886 OPS

Bichette = 40 / 128 / 340 .364 OBP, .620 SLG%, .984 OPS

Piazza = 32 / 93 / 346, .400 OBP, .606 SLG%, 1.oo6 OPS

 

[Rick2583]

I just saw this.......http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...z-elected-espn-2015-baseball-hall-fame-ballot

 

[Mattingly23NY]

I just saw this.......http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...z-elected-espn-2015-baseball-hall-fame-ballot

Interesting to say the least. Surprised Piazza is considered with his supposed involvement with Vitamin S. tho' I'm not the expert on what or when he did what or took what.???

I too get the feeling the BBWA, wants to complete the HOF lineup of Braves by adding Smoltz, either way, it won't be a surprise.

 

[totus44]

One would hope voters wouldn't penalize anyone for Vitamin S for prior to 2003 based on speculation....unless they admitted to it. And then only for things that required prescriptions.

Dinging a guy for something sold OTC at your local GNC up til 2001 is bs IMO.

 

[blgridesagain]

If I'm being honest IMO I don't think Larkin should be in the HOF either. His stats are very similar to Trammell's only with less GGs & a little higher career BA. As far as his MVP in 95 I don't know what the hell the voters were looking at?

1995

Larkin = 15 / 66 / 319 .394 OBP, .492 SLG%, .886 OPS

Bichette = 40 / 128 / 340 .364 OBP, .620 SLG%, .984 OPS

Piazza = 32 / 93 / 346, .400 OBP, .606 SLG%, 1.oo6 OPS

To be honest, sometimes these "MVP" awards are a bunch of horseshit.
There are too many times when one or more other players have very comparable or BETTER numbers, are just as "valuable" to their teams, play on winning teams,
and then it boils down to the personal preferences OR GRUDGES from the voters.


Then you have the other load of crap where a player with terrific numbers is kinda, usually penalized for playing on a losing team as if it's his fault he's surrounded by a bad team.

Of course there are also those times when it is obvious or more clear cut but too many times it is cloudy.

When I look at a player's career yearly stats, I look for how many great or monster seasons he had.

 

[Rick2583]

One would hope voters wouldn't penalize anyone for Vitamin S for prior to 2003 based on speculation....unless they admitted to it. And then only for things that required prescriptions.

Dinging a guy for something sold OTC at your local GNC up til 2001 is bs IMO.

Sheffield never failed a test, with him its probably a case of guilty by association. (Barry Bonds.)

 

[totus44]

Sheffield never failed a test, with him its probably a case of guilty by association. (Barry Bonds.)

More like guilt by BALCO association. I thought Shef put on the magic cream....

Oh and Rick, BALCO was in fact a clear cut case of cheating. They were using chemists to make analogs that technically weren't banned in dosing form, but once in the body the active ingredients were WADA banned substances. Baseball hadn't banned these things yet (at the majors level) when this was going on....but this shot catered to a lot of other athletes trying to get around testing.

 

[yankeesince59]

^^^yeah, I seem to remember Shef making a vague admission of using the "cream" and/or the "clear".

 

[blgridesagain]

^^^yeah, I seem to remember Shef making a vague admission of using the "cream" and/or the "clear".

I also seem to remember the shcumbag admitting to intentionally throwing away errors when he played 3b for the A.L. Mil Brewers because he wanted out.

 

[Rick2583]

I also seem to remember the shcumbag admitting to intentionally throwing away errors when he played 3b for the A.L. Mil Brewers because he wanted out.

Oh I'm not saying the guy wasn't a major prick, just that he never failed a drug test.

 

[totus44]

^^^yeah, I seem to remember Shef making a vague admission of using the "cream" and/or the "clear".

That's right, cream and clear. Drug testing policies changed after those antics to focus on active ingredients and 13C/12C ratios. Those can still be beat, but requires much more exotic personalized medicine.

 

[totus44]

Oh I'm not saying the guy wasn't a major prick, just that he never failed a drug test.

As per the testing at that time, yes. Lance Armstrong never failed a test either.

 

[bern_baby_bern]

I don't care what the stance is, Clemens and Bonds belong. And Smoltz (and Schilling and Mussina even more so) does not belong. It's the Hall of Fame, not the hall of very good.

 

[Rick2583]

I don't care what the stance is, Clemens and Bonds belong. And Smoltz (and Schilling and Mussina even more so) does not belong. It's the Hall of Fame, not the hall of very good.

Damn it Bern, you had to use THAT avatar, now everyone is going to know what I look like.

 

[Hammerojustice]

I don't care what the stance is, Clemens and Bonds belong. And Smoltz (and Schilling and Mussina even more so) does not belong. It's the Hall of Fame, not the hall of very good.

I disagree wholeheartedly... Bonds & Clemens would have been no brainers, but they definitely do not belong in the hall of fame... Hall of shame, sure, but not the HOF... Smoltz belongs.... Maybe Mussina

 

[yankeesince59]

^^^ this !

 

[yankeesince59]

Damn it Bern, you had to use THAT avatar, now everyone is going to know what I look like.

...and this is what he looks like now;

 

[Rick2583]

...and this is what he looks like now;

Okay so that's what I'll look like in 10-15 more years when I get older.

 

[yankeesince59]

I think I read somewhere that he's actually training in attempt to get into the fight game...he must really need the money. Also read that he nearly drank himself to death.

 

[Hammerojustice]

I think I read somewhere that he's actually training in attempt to get into the fight game...he must really need the money. Also read that he nearly drank himself to death.

He was in The Expendables 2... What, 2 years ago? He looked in good shape then

 

[totus44]

As for Bonds and Clemens, they allegedly took substances that were not banned at the time that they played, however doing so would have been a crime to obtain said materials without a prescription. Sorry but that's equivalent to speed and/or coke use, and there are no shortage of users in the Hall.

You can put those two in the Ty Cobb wing for all time great asshole players. But they belong in.