If Edgar is the only other player voted in by the writers, this is going to be the baseball purist's dream Hall of Fame class. Two closers and two DHs. I do think Edgar will join Mariano, Lee Smith and Harold Baines on the stage in Cooperstown, but I don't think they'll be the only ones. The ballots that have been made public so far indicate that there will be at least one other player elected...maybe more.
This is always one of my favorite posts of the year. I love the Baseball Hall of Fame vote and the debate it creates. Mariano Rivera is obviously going to get in as the head of the class. Thanks to that rube from Boston, it won't be unanimous. But there's definitely a chance he'll break Ken Griffey, Jr.'s record percentage of 99.32. Three people didn't vote for Junior. Will anyone else not vote for Mo?
I'm also curious to see how the controversial election of Baines affects the borderline guys on the writers' ballot. Because there are a lot of players who were a lot better than Harold Baines that have come closer to five percent than 75. Will Baines getting in get fellow Hall of Very Good player Fred McGriff any additional voter love?
As a refresher, I rank my selections. With voters limited to 10 votes, I find that to be the easiest way, especially when there are more than 10 worthy candidates. Four players were voted in last year, which means I have six returners. There are three obvious choices among first-timers. So, somebody new is making his way to my ballot for the first time.
My stance on Bonds and Clemens hasn't changed either. I've "voted" for them every year, and I will continue to do so until they're either elected or no longer on the ballot. I also ended up using half my ballot on starting pitchers representing every team in the AL East except for Tampa Bay. Completely unintentional. But it further shows just how good that division was in the late 90s and early 2000s.
1. Mariano Rivera, Pitcher (1995-2013 Yankees): Talk about an easy one. They probably started working on his plaque the second he announced 2013 would be his final season, if not earlier than that. It's impossible to overstate Mariano's greatness. He was the best ever in his role. There's all the superlatives. The five rings. All the All*Star selections. The fact that everyone else knew they were watching greatness when he pitched. Opposing teams sending right-handers up there as pinch hitters because lefties couldn't hit his cutter. But the biggest testament to Mariano Rivera is this: Most fans leave when the home team is ahead after eight innings. Nobody ever left after eight innings at Yankee Stadium, though. Instead, fans wanted the bottom of the eighth to go quickly just so they could hear "Enter Sandman" and see that bullpen door swing open.
2. Barry Bonds, Outfielder (1986-92 Pirates, 1993-2007 Giants): Can you write the history of baseball, especially in the 90s and 2000s, without mentioning Barry Bonds? Of course not! Can you write the history of baseball in the 1980s and 90s without Harold Baines? Yes you can! I don't mean to keep picking on Baines, but the Hall of Fame wouldn't feel incomplete without him. It does feel incomplete without Barry Bonds. And it will until he finally gets in.
3. Roger Clemens, Pitcher (1984-96 Red Sox, 1997-98 Blue Jays, 1999-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007 Yankees): The same goes for Roger Clemens. I realize I sound like a broken record on these two, but Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson were the two most feared strikeout pitchers of their era. He and Bonds were Hall of Famers before what they were alleged of doing, which wasn't against the rules at the time. That's why they have my support. They were already on a Hall of Fame path and they weren't breaking any rules. So, if people were OK with it then, why aren't they now?
4. Curt Schilling, Pitcher (1988-90 Orioles, 1991 Astros, 1992-2000 Phillies, 2000-03 Diamondbacks, 2004-07 Red Sox): Mussina seems more likely to get in, but I rank Schilling slightly ahead of him. Why? Because he was dominant in the postseason. Ace of a Phillies team that made the World Series in 1993. World Series Co-MVP with the 2001 Diamondbacks. Two titles in Boston. That career postseason mark of 11-2, including 7-0 in elimination games stands out way too much, which is why, if I could only choose one of the two, I'd pick Schilling.
5. Mike Mussina, Pitcher (1991-2000 Orioles, 2001-08 Yankees): Fortunately, I don't have to choose between them. I've got plenty of room on my ballot for both. And all votes count the same. He pitched his entire career in the AL East during a ridiculous offensive era and managed to win 270 games. Critics like to make an argument about his ERA being "too high." But there were a lot of runs being scored those days, and he was giving up less than his team was scoring. Mussina is trending upwards. He may or may not get 75 percent this year. Even if he doesn't, his election seems likely sometime soon.
6. Edgar Martinez, Designated Hitter (1987-2004 Mariners): July 21, 2019 will join April 10, 1973 as the two greatest days in the history of the designated hitter. Because two DHs will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the same day in a few months. Edgar's in his final year on the ballot, and it seems likely he'll be elected. Which he should be. The guy got a double every time he stepped to the plate, and more often than not that double drove in a run. Mariano Rivera and Pedro Martinez have both said he's the toughest out they ever faced. They named the freakin' DH award after him for crying out loud! He's a Hall of Famer.
7. Roy Halladay, Pitcher (1998-2009 Blue Jays, 2010-13 Phillies): Whether it's because of his untimely death or because the voters truly consider him a first-ballot Hall of Fame lock, there stands a really good chance that Roy Halladay will be elected. And in all the Hall of Fame stuff I've seen/read, the case that's been made for Halladay is pretty compelling. He was the best pitcher in the game for a span of 5-6 years, won a Cy Young in both leagues, twice finished in the top 10 in MVP voting, and finished his career 100 games over .500. And let's not forget his first year with the Phillies in 2010, when he threw a perfect game in the regular season and another no-hitter in the playoffs. So, upon further consideration, Roy Halladay's Hall of Fame case is pretty strong.
8. Andy Pettitte, Pitcher (1995-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007-10 Yankees, 2012-13 Yankees): He's not going to get in. In fact, he might even be in danger of getting less than the five percent needed to stay on the ballot. Which would be a shame. Because he deserves a closer look. Was Andy Pettitte as good as the other starting pitchers on the ballot? No. But there's nobody else I would've wanted to have the ball in the postseason. Yes, pitching for the Yankees during the dynasty years helped. But his postseason brilliance can't be ignored, either. I'm sure his HGH admission will be held against him. Hopefully not enough for him to be a one-and-done guy.
9. Larry Walker, Outfielder (1989-94 Expos, 1995-2004 Rockies, 2004-05 Cardinals): After the ballot logjam cleared up, I finally had room to vote for Walker last year. I think the actual voters' opinion of Larry Walker has started to change a little bit, too. He's more than just a product of Coors Field. Yes, playing in Colorado helped, but this guy was a complete hitter who always came up clutch. And he played a damn good right field too.
10. Fred McGriff, First Baseman (1986-90 Blue Jays, 1990-93 Padres, 1993-97 Braves, 1998-2001 Devil Rays, 2001-02 Cubs, 2003 Dodgers, 2004 Devil Rays): In his final year on the ballot, I give my last vote to Fred McGriff. The fact that it's his last year was the deciding factor, but it's not the only reason I gave the nod to the Crime Dog. As has been (correctly) pointed out, no one was hurt more by the Steroid Era. While everybody else's home run totals became inflated, he was consistently getting 30 and 100 without the hint of controversy. He finished with 493 home runs, which likely would've been 500 if not for the 1994 strike, in which case he'd probably be in already. Mostly, though, and sorry to bring it back to this again, I think Fred McGriff was a better player than Harold Baines. And if Baines is a Hall of Famer, so is McGriff.
Once again, I have more than 10 players who I wanted to vote for. Omar Vizquel came thisclose to getting my last vote. I had him above McGriff last year, but I've started to look at McGriff's career in a new context, and it was enough to push him ahead of Vizquel. The other players I would've voted for without the 10 limit: Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones, Todd Helton, with Billy Wagner, Gary Sheffield and Miguel Tejada also getting some consideration.
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