Baseball Hall Call, 2021 Edition

Bill Madden, the longtime New York Daily News baseball columnist and longtime Hall of Fame voter, put out an article over the weekend that really intrigued me.  He said that he wouldn't mind if the writers pitched a shutout this year.  In fact, he actually admitted that he's hoping for it.  And the more I thought about it, I'd actually be OK with it too.

Madden basically made two main arguments in the article.  The first is that last year's class deserves to have the spotlight without sharing it.  Derek Jeter's gonna be the star attraction either way, but that's still a good point.  (Although, I'd argue that'll be a bigger problem in football, where everyone who got voted in last year will have to share a stage with Peyton Manning, the obvious headliner, this summer.)

His other problem was that there are some reservations about last year's top returning vote-getters, and thus the most likely to reach the 75 percent threshold.  I'm not gonna rehash the Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens debate that comes up every year at this time.  Writers are in one of two camps about Bonds and Clemens.  They either vote for both or neither one. 

Curt Schilling, meanwhile, has made many people uncomfortable with his inflammatory remarks, the latest of which was his support for the Capitol riot (which, it should be noted, took place after the ballots were due).  Schilling has even flat-out said that he thinks he'd be in already if not for his ultra-conservative views.  I have no idea whether or not that's true, but it certainly didn't endear him to any voter who might've been on the fence.

They were the top three vote-getters last year among those who didn't get in, and they're really the only ones who were close enough to make the jump this year.  You also don't have any obvious first-time candidates on this year's ballot, which increases their chances.  But it also increases the chances of this year being a shutout, especially if the voters didn't mark Bonds, Clemens or Schilling's name for whatever reason.

As for me, this is one of my favorite posts every year.  I'm a "10 vote" guy, so I'm more inclined to fill up my entire ballot, a task that has been made easier by the logjam at the top of the ballot being freed up.  Eight of my 10 "votes" from last year return to the ballot (Jeter and Larry Walker were the other two), so that leaves me two spots for new guys.  And with that, here we go...

1. Barry Bonds, Outfielder (1986-92 Pirates, 1993-2007 Giants): Hank Aaron's death over the weekend has brought a renewed focus on the Barry Bonds Hall of Fame debate.  As every tribute to Aaron recalled, he was one of the greatest class acts baseball has ever known.  Bonds, on the other hand, was not.  But, I've been a consistent "Yes" on Bonds ever since he first appeared on the ballot, and I'm not gonna stop now.  His numbers speak for themselves.  And, he wasn't breaking any rules, so he wasn't "cheating" as far as I'm concerned.

2. Roger Clemens, Pitcher (1984-96 Red Sox, 1997-98 Blue Jays, 1999-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007 Yankees): Fortunately, the Bonds-Clemens debate ends after next year.  But, just like my stance on Bonds has never wavered, neither has my stance on Clemens.  Anyone who's ever seen Roger Clemens pitch knows he's one of the greatest right-handers of his generation.  I'd argue only Greg Maddux was better.

3. Curt Schilling, Pitcher (1988-90 Orioles, 1991 Astros, 1992-2000 Phillies, 2001-03 Diamondbacks, 2004-07 Red Sox): From a strictly baseball perspective, Schilling has the numbers.  Frankly, I'm not sure how Mike Mussina is in and Schilling isn't.  Because I don't know how the voters were able to separate the two and, frankly, if I could only choose one, it would've been Schilling.  His postseason record speaks for itself.  If he gets in, it'll be this year.  But, judging by some of the comments of actual voters, I'm not totally sure that happens.

4. Andy Pettitte, Pitcher (1995-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007-10 Yankees, 2012-13 Yankees): There's absolutely no chance Andy Pettitte is going to get in.  There are probably a number of reasons for that, although I do think his percentage goes up on this less-crowded ballot.  And, if we're talking postseason dominance, that's where Pettitte shined.  Five World Series rings, eight World Series appearances, and the all-time records for postseason wins (19) and starts (44).

5. Omar Vizquel, Shortstop (1989-93 Mariners, 1994-2004 Indians, 2005-08 Giants, 2009 Rangers, 2010-11 White Sox, 2012 Blue Jays): Nobody stands to benefit from the wide-open ballot more than Omar Vizquel, who got 52.6 percent of the vote last year.  I'm not saying his vote total will increase enough for him to get in this year (that would be quite a jump), but he's moving in the right direction.  And he should.  Because, outside of Ozzie Smith, there was never a better defensive shortstop than Omar Vizquel.  His leadership can't be discounted, either.

6. Jeff Kent, Second Baseman (1992 Blue Jays, 1992-96 Mets, 1996 Indians, 1997-2002 Giants, 2003-04 Astros, 2005-08 Dodgers): While we're on the subject of players who've so far been overlooked but should now get much more serious consideration, I give you Jeff Kent.  He was overshadowed both at his position (by Roberto Alomar) and on his team (by Barry Bonds), but Jeff Kent was an unheralded superstar in the late 90s/early 2000s.  So overlooked that many baseball fans don't even realize he's the all-time leader in home runs by a second baseman (351).

7. Andruw Jones, Outfielder (1996-2007 Braves, 2008 Dodgers, 2009 Rangers, 2010 White Sox, 2011-12 Yankees): Andruw Jones could do everything!  And he did it all well for 15 years!  Two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series as a rookie; his seemingly annual Gold Glove in center field; a total of 434 homers, including 10 consecutive seasons with 20 or more.  A mainstay in the middle of a lineup for Atlanta's dynasty teams.

8. Todd Helton, First Baseman (1997-2013 Rockies): Todd Helton's probably destined for the Hall of Very Good rather than the Hall of Fame.  But you can't discount the best player in Rockies history as merely a product of Coors Field.  He hit .300 virtually every year (including .372 in 2000) and won three Gold Gloves.  Just your typical season for a first baseman who was consistently great for 15 years.

9. Billy Wagner, Pitcher (1995-2003 Astros, 2004-05 Phillies, 2006-09 Mets, 2009 Red Sox, 2010 Braves): I've finally come around on Billy Wagner.  I still don't think he's in the same league as Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman.  But we all know the value of a good closer, and Wagner was one of the best.  He finished with 422 saves and had 30 or more nine times.  To be that consistent for so long in such an important role shows how valuable Billy Wagner was.  For five different teams.

10. Gary Sheffield, Outfielder (1988-91 Brewers, 1992-93 Padres, 1993-98 Marlins, 1998-2001 Dodgers, 2002-03 Braves, 2004-06 Yankees, 2007-08 Tigers, 2009 Mets): My final spot came down to Gary Sheffield or Scott Rolen.  I went with Sheffield because of his longevity and consistency.  Yes, some would argue that his performance was also "enhanced," but there was a stretch where Sheffield had 30 homers and 100 RBIs every year.  He ended up with 509 career homers.  It's also worth noting that Sheffield started off as a third baseman before becoming a solid right fielder.