It feels weird not to be using this space to make a Hall of Fame case for Jack Morris. After all those years on the writer's ballot, it took the Veterans Committee for him to finally get his due, and Morris, along with Alan Trammell will be making a speech in Cooperstown this summer. But who will join him?
From the votes that have been made public and the projections I've seen, this could be a historically large class. Chipper Jones is going to get in. There's no doubt about that. And he'll be the headliner. But there could be as many as four others, which would give us an eight-person class! (Which would essentially give Mariano Rivera the stage to himself next year.)
I don't think it'll be that many. But Chipper won't be the only one, either. The writers have elected 12 Hall of Famers since 2014, and we're bound to get a few more. If I had to put odds on it, I'd say we get three, in addition to Chipper, Morris and Trammell. And if I had to guess, I'd say those other three will be Jim Thome, Vlad Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman.
Now on to my ballot. For those of you new to this space, I firmly believe in using all 10 spaces. I also rank the candidates. And I've got seven holdovers from last year, which means I've got three open spots, one of which goes to...
1. Chipper Jones, Third Baseman (1993-2014 Braves): Ken Griffey, Jr., was the first No. 1 overall pick to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Chipper Jones will be the second. He'll likely be the leading vote-getter and will easily top 90 percent. Which he should. Because, while that Braves dynasty was built on pitching, Chipper was the best everyday player on those teams. And he was there long after the three pitchers were all gone. The heart and soul of the team for 20 years. The last of the group to retire, he'll once again be teammates with Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz (as well as his GM and manager) in Cooperstown.
2. Barry Bonds, Outfielder (1986-92 Pirates, 1993-2007 Giants): He's not going to get in this year. I know that. But Barry Bonds was the best player of his era. By a wide margin. You can't write about the history of baseball in the 1990s and early 2000s without including him. Slowly but surely, the writers are coming around, too. The all-time home run leader belongs in the Hall of Fame. I don't care what Joe Morgan says.
3. Roger Clemens, Pitcher (1984-96 Red Sox, 1997-98 Blue Jays, 1999-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007 Yankees): Ditto about Roger Clemens. Think whatever you want about him personally. There's no way to deny that he was one of the most intimidating pitchers of all-time. And one of the best. Some would put him on the short list of greatest right-handers ever. So, if he's one of the greatest right-handers ever, how do you explain why he isn't in the Hall of Fame?
4. Trevor Hoffman, Pitcher (1993 Marlins, 1993-2008 Padres, 2009-10 Brewers): Here's where things get interesting. Hoffman missed election by just a handful of votes last year, so you'd think he'll get the call this time. Although, if he doesn't, it could be kinda cool to have the two greatest closers of all-time go in together. I hope he's not being kept out simply because he wasn't as good as Mariano, though. Because Hoffman would be the greatest closer of all-time if not for Mo. He's a Hall of Famer in his own right.
5. Vladimir Guerrero, Outfielder (1996-2003 Expos, 2004-09 Angels, 2010 Rangers, 2011 Orioles): Another guy who got painfully close last year, you'd have to think Vlad Guerrero gets over the hump this time around. I have a feeling, though, that he could end up close, but short of 75 percent again. Regardless, Vladdy will eventually take his rightful place in Cooperstown. It really is ridiculous how good this guy was. Yes, he finished 51 homers short of 500 and 410 hits shy of 3000. Numbers he easily would've gotten had he played an extra couple of years instead of retiring at 36.
6. Curt Schilling, Pitcher (1988-90 Orioles, 1991 Astros, 1992-2000 Phillies, 2000-03 Diamondbacks, 2004-07 Red Sox): Why Schilling ahead of Mussina? It's a reasonable question, especially considering how remarkably similar their careers were. But, to me, there are two reasons why Schilling rates slightly higher. The first is his role as an ace on three different teams that he unquestionably made better. The second is his postseason prowess. Three World Series titles, one World Series Co-MVP, an 11-2 career postseason record, including a 7-0 mark in elimination games.
7. Mike Mussina, Pitcher (1991-2000 Orioles, 2001-08 Yankees): Mussina's success, meanwhile, was mostly found in the regular season. Although, he deserves plenty of credit for winning 270 games while pitching his entire career in the AL East. Mussina didn't win 20 games until his final season, but he had at least 15 wins 11 times and was more than 100 games over .500 for his career. While I doubt he'll get in via the writers, he deserves to stay on the ballot until his time is up. And, who knows, maybe he'll pull an Alan Trammell and get in via the Veterans Committee.
8. Edgar Martinez, Designated Hitter (1987-2004 Mariners): Edgar's time is coming. The stigma attached to being a DH is finally wearing off. People are finally looking at Edgar Martinez for what he was--an outstanding hitter. A career .300 hitter with over 500 doubles, his offensive production in the middle of that stacked Mariners lineup can't be discounted. To say those contributions were somewhat diminished by the fact he didn't own a glove is simply asinine. It won't be held against David Ortiz in a couple years. And it shouldn't be held against Edgar Martinez, either.
9. Larry Walker, Outfielder (1989-94 Expos, 1995-2004 Rockies, 2004-05 Cardinals): For the first time since 2012, I have enough room on my ballot for Larry Walker. My opinion of his career has never wavered. I just didn't rank him among my top 10, so, as a result, I couldn't check his name. You want to know why it's been six years since I've included Walker on my list? Because 2013 is the year the names Bonds and Clemens first showed up. He's been in ballot purgatory ever since the Steroid Era players first became eligible. Most likely, Larry Walker is destined to stay there. Getting enough support to stay on the ballot, not enough to get anywhere near election.
10. Jim Thome, First Baseman (1991-2002 Indians, 2003-05 Phillies, 2006-09 White Sox, 2009 Dodgers, 2010-11 Twins, 2011 Indians, 2012 Phillies, 2012 Orioles): This was the hardest one for me. Thome's likely going to get in. But, for me, he's borderline, and I was tempted to leave him off altogether. But I do think Thome is the 10th-best player on the ballot, so he gets my final vote. You may think I'm crazy, and you may be right. Especially since you'd think the 600 home runs and 1600 RBIs speak for themselves.
Next on my list: Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, Jeff Kent. And, here's something interesting that I realized as I was going back to find the last time I voted for Walker, I used to be a big Sammy Sosa proponent, but his name hasn't even crossed my mind in a few years. I'm a long time Bonds/Clemens supporter, but I can't bring myself around on Sosa and Manny Ramirez.
That's probably why it's so hard to get in. You've got all of these writers, all with their own subjective reasons for voting a certain way, and a maximum of 10 votes apiece. Yet you need 75 percent of them to agree on a candidate. It's an unenviable task to be sure. Although, I would love to have that privilege. Because that's what it is. A privilege.
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