Here Are My 10

It's time for my annual post revealing who I'd vote for for the Baseball Hall of Fame prior to the announcement of who actually got in.  It's no secret that voting this year is harder than ever before.  The ballot is so loaded that even with the 10-vote maximum, there are worthy candidates who'd otherwise be sure-fire selections being left off by every writer that has a vote.  And, of course, the majority of these players were stars during the Steroid Era, which is only going to complicate matters further.  It's a safe bet that a lot, if not all, of them aren't going to get in. 

In fact, if I were to join the Baseball Writers Association of America today, I'd be eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame in 2023.  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will probably still be on the ballot then, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to write their names down.  And the fact that they still won't have plaques in Cooperstown (as well as the likes of Mark McGwire, among others) by then is a complete travesty, and it speaks to the problem with the voting process.  Too many of the writers who have the honor of voting for the Hall of Fame have a "holier than thou" mentality and decide that they get to play prosecutor, judge and jury for any guy they even suspect used performance-enhancing drugs, keeping otherwise worthy players out and clogging up the ballot for years to come.  (In fairness, not all of the voters are like this.  My friend Jim Henneman is one Hall of Fame voter who takes that responsiblity very seriously and treats it as such.)

My stance on the Steroid Era is well-known.  Whether or not they did whatever doesn't change the fact that they were the most dominant players of the late 1990s-early 2000s.  If you saw Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens play, can you honestly say they weren't far and away the best players of their era?  If the Hall of Fame is supposed to be a museum honoring baseball's history, how can you justify keeping the all-time home run king and one of the most intimidating right-handed pitchers in history out?  I can't.  And the "character clause" is a weak argument.  Ty Cobb was one of the biggest racists the sports world has ever known, and he was the first person ever elected to the Hall of Fame.

With all that in mind, here are the 10 players I would've voted for this year if I had a vote.  Filling teh 10 spots was tough.  Not because I couldn't think of 10 worthy guys.  Because I easily could've put down 15 names.  But these are the 10 I settled on, mainly because I think they were the 10 best, most dominant players on the ballot.  (I ranked them in order, but since the Hall of Fame has no ranking system, every vote counts the same.)

1. Barry Bonds, Outfielder (1986-92 Pirates, 1993-2007 Giants)-I don't care about whether or not he knowingly used steroids.  All I know is that he hit more home runs than anyone in the history of the game, and he was such a feared hitter that, for a time, he would see a grand total of about three hittable pitches a game.  It's no surprise, then, that he's the all-time leader in both walks and intentional walks (he was once intentionally walked with the bases loaded).  Sure, he had a poor relationship with the media and the steroid cloud will always be the elephant in the room regarding Barry Bonds, but that's not a reason to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.  He's the only seven-time MVP in history, and he would've been a Hall of Famer had he never played a single game in a Giants uniform.  Barry Bonds was the best player in baseball for an extended period of time.  If that's not a Hall of Famer, what is?

2. Roger Clemens, Pitcher (1984-96 Red Sox, 1997-98 Blue Jays, 1999-2003 Yankees, 2004-06 Astros, 2007 Yankees)-Everything I just said about Barry Bonds also applies to Roger Clemens.  If you're my age or younger, answer this question: Was Roger Clemens NOT the best right-handed pitcher you've ever seen?  Hell, there are some people a lot older than me who'd answer "Yes" to that question.  354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts, seven Cy Young Awards, one MVP, 11 All-Star teams.  Clemens was just as dominant in his early 40s as he was in his 20s, whether or not he was "enhanced" (keep in mind, he was found not guilty in federal court), you have to acknowledge he was a freak.  And again, he would've been a first-ballot Hall of Famer based on his Red Sox career alone.  Roger Clemens was a rare talent that we'll never see again.  Again, if there's not a place for the greatest right-handed pitcher many of us will ever see in the Hall of Fame, what's the point of having a Hall of Fame then?

3. Mike Piazza, Catcher (1992-98 Dodgers, 1998 Marlins, 1998-2005 Mets, 2006 Padres, 2007 Athletics)-I'll be honest.  During his playing career, I never liked Mike Piazza.  I still don't.  But that doesn't mean I can't be objective about him when it comes to his (obvious) Hall of Fame credentials.  And it doesn't change the fact he was the greatest hitting catcher in history.  He hit more home runs as a catcher than anyone else and has a career batting average over .300.  And let's not forget that he was at the center of some of the biggest moments in New York Mets history.  On the short-list of greatest catchers of all-time (Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk), Mike Piazza should be right there in the discussion.  Steroid suspisions, which make no sense to me, will probably keep him out (at least for now), but Mike Piazza should be an easy vote.  As much as it pains me to say it, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

4. Sammy Sosa, Outfielder (1989 Rangers, 1989-91 White Sox, 1992-2004 Cubs, 2005 Orioles, 2007 Rangers)-I'm aware of the fact that Sammy Sosa isn't going to come anywhere near Hall of Fame election.  Not this year.  Not ever.  We've seen the vote totals for his partner in the great 1998 home run race, and we all know that Sosa's going to get roughly the same support as McGwire.  And we all know the reason why.  But if they weren't breaking baseball's rules at the time (which they weren't), I don't view their home run numbers as "tainted" one bit.  With that in mind, it's impossible to ignore 609 career home runs, the fifth-most in history, or the three 60 home run seasons, which is one fewer than all other players in Major League history combined.

5. Jack Morris, Pitcher (1977-90 Tigers, 1991 Twins, 1992-93 Blue Jays, 1994 Indians)-The first holdover candidate I'd put down is Jack Morris.  I've always been a  Jack Morris supporter, and I always will be.  I'm still waiting for somebody to convince me that he's NOT a Hall of Famer.  Jack Morris was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s and the definition of an "ace."  The big black mark against him is a career ERA of 3.90, but that ERA doesn't do him justice, and, if that's the reason he's being kept out, it's a complete shame.  Morris was old school.  He liked to finish what he started, and, in addition to having more wins and starts than any other pitcher in the 1980s, he also had the most innings pitched in the decade.  And, I know I always bring it up, but...Game 7, 1991 World Series.  Morris got his most support ever last year and is the leading vote-getter among returning candidates.  Do the steroid guys help or hurt him?  I wouldn't be surprised if this is finally the year, but, sadly, I don't think it will be.

6. Mark McGwire, 1st Baseman (1986-97 Athletics, 1997-2001 Cardinals)-Mark McGwire won't get in.  I know that.  He knows that.  But if I'm keeping my vote consistent, I write his name down again.  He's no different than any of the other Steroid Era sluggers I'd vote for.  The only difference with McGwire is that he's admitted it, which will either help his vote total or drop him down even further.  Sure, he was a one-trick pony.  And sure he was "helped" along in the process, likely for his entire career.  But 583 home runs.  I can't overlook that.

7. Jeff Bagwell, 1st Baseman (1991-2005 Astros)-I considered moving Bagwell up in my rankings, but I had him fifth last year and only Barry Larkin got in, so I couldn't move him up that far.  And where he ended up was intentional (you'll see why in a second).  Bagwell finished third last year with 56 percent of the vote.  I don't know why he hasn't gotten more support.  Some writers have a completely unfounded assumption that he must've used something simply because he played in the 90s.  That's the problem with the voting process right now.  Stuff that some people suspect Jeff Bagwell might've done, but can't be proven, is keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.  Or, maybe they were just waiting for...

8. Craig Biggio, 2nd Baseman (Astros 1998-2007)-It would be really cool if Bagwell and Biggio went in together, like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine will next year.  They're the two greatest players in Houston Astros history, but Biggio was so much more than that.  He was also their heart-and-soul.  He left it all out on the field, just look at the constantly-dirty uniform for proof.  Biggio's numbers are comparable with all of the second basemen already in the Hall of Fame, and all 3,060 of his hits came in an Astros uniform.  He's also the all-time Major League leader for getting hit by a pitch, which he did 285 times.  And let's not forget the three position changes and the solid defense he played at three of the most difficult, most important positions on the field (catcher, second base and center field).  Best of all, not even a thought of steroids.  He's not going to be stuck languishing on the ballot year after year.  In fact, Biggio seems like the most likely guy to get elected this year.

9. Curt Schilling, Pitcher (1988-90 Orioles, 1991 Astros, 1992-2000 Phillies, 2001-03 Diamondbacks, 2004-07 Red Sox)-I spent more time thinking about Curt Schilling than anybody on this list before ultimately deciding I would vote for him.  So what ultimately swayed me?  His three World championships, 11-2 career postseason record, 5-0 record in postseason clinching games, and .846 postseason winning percentage.  Schilling was the Phillies' ace for nearly a decade, then was half of dominant 1-2 combinations for championship teams in Arizona and Boston (along with fellow future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez).  Sure, the only major awards he ever was were 1993 NLCS MVP and 2001 World Series Co-MVP, but so what?  Nolan Ryan never won a Cy Young Award either.

10. Edgar Martinez, Designated Hitter (1987-2004 Mariners)-My last vote goes to another holdover--Edgar Martinez.  Edgar's not going to get in, because for some reason DHing is considered a stigma.  Guess what.  It's a position!  And Edgar Martinez was the best one ever.  It's not his fault his knees prevented him from playing the field.  Looking at his hitting stats blindly, you'd see a .312 career average and a ridiculous 514 doubles and assume he was already in.  It's not going to happen, obviously, but hopefully Edgar Martinez gets enough votes to stay on the ballot.

So there you have it.  That was tough.  How tough?  These are the guys that I had on my list last year, but simply didn't have room for on this year's ballot: Tim Raines, Larry Walker, Bernie Williams, Lee Smith, Don Mattingly.  And that's not even mentioning Alan Trammell, Fred McGriff, Rafael Palmeiro and David Wells, who I'd otherwise have given a long look to, but had to simply pass over entirely on this incredibly deep ballot. 

Then there's 2014, when Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas and Mike Mussina join the fun to make voting even harder.  For once, I don't envy the Baseball Hall of Fame voters.  And keeping the "steroid guys" out just because isn't making the process any easier.