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2014 BJOL HOF Ballot

By Dave Fleming
November 27, 2013
 
Hey-o. Welcome to the 2014 BJOL Hall of Fame Vote.
 
For any newcomers to the site, this marks the sixth year we’ve run a vote that parallels the official BBWAA vote. We operate with the same rules at the good folks at the BBWAA: voters can select up to ten players, 75% gets a player elected, and less than 5% gets the player dropped from the ballot.
 
One of the reasons I started this years ago was to focus our conversation about the Hall-of-Fame towards the players we’re most interested in talking about. In that first year, Tim Raines and Bert Blyleven were on the ballot. I had a strong suspicion that:
 
a) Most BJOL readers believed both men to be eminently deserving of Cooperstown, and
b) Most readers didn’t want to read annual articles advocating their candidacy, until the BBWAA got around to electing them.
 
If the BBWAA wants to spend five years scratching their heads over Tim Raines, that’s fine. But I figured that our conversations…the conversations that takes place here, on this site….needn’t be shaped by what other people are thinking over in BBWAA-land.
 
One of the positives is that we have a much more manageable ballot than the BBWAA one. We’ve done a better job of voting people in. This lets us squeeze other, deserving players onto our ballot: Lou Whittaker was the winner of last year’s write-in vote: he is a new addition to our ballot this year.
 
We’ve done a better job, too, of voting the right players in. Here are the four players the BBWAA and the BJOL readers agree on:
 
Rickey Henderson
Barry Larkin
Roberto Alomar
Bert Blyleven
 
Of those four, BJOL voters elected three of them earlier than the BBWAA did. All four were first-ballot entrants to the BJOL HOF….only Rickey had comparable lucky with the BBWAA.

Here’s where the BJOL readers have split from the BBWAA:
 
 
BJOL
 
BBWAA
Tim Raines
Jim Rice
Alan Trammell
Andre Dawson
Mark McGwire
Jeff Bagwell
Edgar Martinez
Craig Biggio
Mike Piazza
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
 
Which seems a better list? Even if you’re a steroid black-lister, you’d probably concede that Raines, Trammell, Martinez, Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza makes for a stronger Hall than Andre Dawson and Jim Rice. Which one would you rather visit? Me, too.
 
Anyway, we ride the circus wheel again. Here are this year’s candidates.
 
 
 
2014 BJOL HOF Ballot
 
 
Name
 
Career  rWAR
 
Career Win Shares
 
Prev. BJOL Vote %
Greg Maddux
106.8
398
--
Mike Mussina
83
270
--
Tom Glavine
81.4
314
--
Curt Schilling
79.9
252
54.4%
Lou Whitaker*
74.8
351
--
Frank Thomas
73.6
405
--
Larry Walker
72.6
308
49.5%
Rafael Palmeiro
71.8
394
48.5%
Kevin Brown
68.5
242
18.4%
Kenny Lofton
68.1
287
25.2%
Andre Dawson
64.4
340
38.8%
Sammy Sosa
58.4
321
33.0%
John Olerud
58
302
5.8%
Jeff Kent
55.2
339
--
Fred McGriff
52.6
326
28.2%
Luis Gonzalez
51.5
318
--
Kenny Rogers
51.4
206
--
Bernie Williams
49.5
312
9.7%
Dale Murphy
46.3
230
10.7%
Jack Morris
44.1
225
8.7%
Moises Alou
39.7
277
--
Ray Durham
33.7
231
--
Hideo Nomo
21.1
108
--
Mike Timlin
19.6
124
--
Paul LoDuca
17.9
127
--
Richie Sexson
17.9
154
--
Armano Benitez
17.7
128
--
Sean Casey
16.4
156
--
Eric Gagne
11.9
86
--
Jacque Jones
11.5
124
--
J.T. Snow
11
170
--
Todd Jones
10.9
119
--
 
Please feel free to submit your ballots in the comments section below. I’ll post the results when the BBWAA announces their results.
 
And we’re doing another write-in candidate for this year: in addition to the standard ten players, voters are invited to list one write-in candidate, for any player they want to see on next year’s ballot. Eligible players must not be
a) In the actual Hall-of-Fame, and
b) On our current ballot.
 
Whoever gets the most write-in votes will get a spot on next year’s ballot.
 
*          *          *
 

With such a sizeable ballot, it helps to break the players down into groups. Running them down, with some additional commentary:
 
 
The Obviously Qualified Player, 
Whom the BBWAA is Totally Going to Elect
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Greg Maddux
106.8
398
Four CY Awards. One more win than Roger.
 
I think that the BBWAA voting system is clearly broken. It’s like a clogged drain: there are far too many candidates on the current ballot for 400+ voters to come to a consensus on, and the 10-player limit means that deserving player are going to drop off like flies. Kenny Lofton dropped off last year. Kevin Brown dropped off the year before.
 
What Maddux’s candidacy will test is whether the clog is absolutely stopped, or whether there’s still a trickle of water getting through.
 
If Maddux gets elected, then the Hall of Fame and the BBWAA can pretend, for one more year, that the current backlog of qualified players isn’t a tremendous problem. If Maddux fails to get elected - if such an obviously great and deserving player doesn’t make it past the guards – the Hall and the BBWAA will be forced to acknowledge that a problem exists, and they’ll have to fix it.
 
So I’m hoping that he doesn’t get in. I’d like the BBWAA and the Hall of drastically overhaul their system, and figure out a more equitable way to get the best players represented. It is really silly that the likes of Ron Santo, Joe Buck, and Marvin Miller actually died before their careers and contributions were celebrated. It’d be a shame if players like Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell and Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina are kept in a similar limbo.
 
I think, though, that Maddux will get through. I’ll wager that he and Biggio will get elected, with Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, Jack Morris, and Jeff Bagwell falling short.
 
I could be wrong about Jack Morris, but I don’t know that the ‘last-year bump’ is going to happen on such a crowded ballot. I think he falls short.
 
 
Three Extremely Talented Pitchers, Who Would Each 
Be the Best Pitchers on the Ballot in a Normal Year
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Mike Mussina
83.0
270
The least moose-like player to be called 'Moose.'
Tom Glavine
81.4
314
305 wins. Billerica's native son.
Curt Schilling
79.9
252
216-146 record, 127 ERA+, 3116 k's, bloody sock.
 
Who is the best pitcher, among these three?
 
Glavine is the obvious choice: he has the most wins, and the only one with 300+ wins. He won two Cy Young Awards, while Mussina and Schilling never won any. Glavine threw the most innings of the trio, 4,413 to 3,562 (Mussina) and 3,261 (Schilling). That’s a sizeable gap.
 
But the other two have their cases: Mussina spent his career in the competitive American League East, where he posted a better Adjusted ERA than Glavine, with more strikeouts. Curt Schilling lags behind the other two in wins and innings pitched, but he outpaces both in strikeouts.
 
Here’s an interest fact: Tom Glavine walked more batters than Mussina and Schilling. Not individually: combined. Glavine walked exactly 1500 batters, whereas Schilling (711) and Mussina (785) gave away just 1496 combined free passes.
 
 
Three More Talented Pitchers, Who Maybe 
Aren’t Quite As Talented As the Guys Above
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Kevin Brown
68.5
242
 211-144 record, 3.28 ERA, 127 ERA+, (some) blood.
Jack Morris
44.1
225
254-186 record, 3.90 ERA, 105 ERA+. Iconic ’stache.
Kenny Rogers
51.4
206
The Gambler.
 
Cleaning my house yesterday, I came across a 1992 Score baseball card of Kenny Rogers. This was weird because a) I live in New Zealand, and b) I live in 2013. I don’t know where it came from, but it had my son’s teeth marks all over it. On the back it said this:
 
 
"He was drafted way down in the 39th round in ’82 after playing exclusively in the outfield in high school. Then, in seven seasons in the minors, Kenny compiled a less-than-inspiring 19-38 record, with a 4.25 ERA."
 
Kenny Rogers will probably not get too many votes for the Hall-of-Fame this year. That said, Rogers’ career is perhaps the most improbable of any of the players on the ballot. Rogers spent seven years in the minors, and four more years as an effective bullpen arm for the Rangers before they let him start. He was twenty-eight at the time, and he had a long career, with solid years intermixed with some bright moments. His career looks a lot like Tim Wakefield’s career. He made the All-Star team for three straight years between the ages of 39 and 41, receiving his first votes for the Cy Young and MVP in that last season. He was a major league starter through the age of 43. He got a ‘W’ in the record book more times than Curt Schilling, or Don Drysdale, or Hal Newhouser. He has as many career victories as Pedro Martinez.
 
There’s little to add about Jack Morris: I think he was an excellent pitcher, and I think he is either the sixth or seventh best starting pitcher on this ballot.
 
 
Two First Basemen of Comparable Value
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Frank Thomas
73.6
405
521 HR. Part of the .300/.400/.500 Club.
Rafael Palmeiro
71.8
394
3020 hits, 560 HR, 1865 RBI. Sang about belugas.
 
Pass. I’ll spin this out into another article.
 
 
Two Other First Basemen Who Are Not Quite 
Comparable to the First Group. Or Each Other
 
Fred McGriff
52.6
326
493 HR, 1550 RBI, 134 OPS+. Crime Dog.
John Olerud
58.0
302
1993 batting title, 255 HR. Wore a helmet
 
Let’s count the differences. McGriff was a strong power-hitter, a perennial contender for the HR crown.  Olerud was a solid contact guy who once made a run at .400. McGriff had a thin body with muscle: he had an athlete’s body, one that suggested he could play any sport. Olerud, though strong and agile, didn’t have the same physique. In recent pictures, Olerud looks like a math teacher, or an insurance adjuster.  
 
 Olerud had one blindingly bright season, but was mostly considered a second-tier star. McGriff never finished as high as Olerud in an MVP vote, but he showed up on ballots eight times. Olerud was on just two ballots (3rd and 12th). McGriff had a great nickname, while Olerud didn’t have a nickname. Olerud won two championships in his early twenties, while McGriff had to wait until he was thirty-two to get a ring. Fred McGriff was traded, mid-career, with Tony Fernandez, for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. John Olerud was traded, mid-career, for someone named Robert Person. Olerud went from college straight to the majors. McGriff was drafted out of high school, and was traded around in the minors. Olerud’s post-season numbers as slightly worse than his regular season numbers; McGriff was very good in the postseason.
 
Olerud is from Washington, the northwest part of the US. McGriff is from Florida, which doesn’t actually exist.
 
 
Two Second Basemen Who Both Rate 
Somewhere in the Top-20 at that Position
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Lou Whitaker*
74.8
351
244 HR, 117 OPS+. Sweet Lou.
Jeff Kent
55.2
339
377 HR, 1518 RBI (529 non-Bonds RBI's).
 
Just my two-cents: I think it’ll take Jeff Kent a long time to get into Cooperstown. I don’t know that he will get in, but if he does, it’s not going to happen quickly. He’ll stick to the ballot, but I don’t imagine that there will be a groundswell of people writing ‘Get Jeff Kent in the Hall’ articles. Which is somewhat surprising: he holds the record for most homeruns by a second baseman, and it’s not particularly close.
 
Lou Whitaker, one of the most underrated players in history, is the first write-in candidate for the BJOL HOF.
 
 
A Cluster of Outfielders That I Can’t 
Be Bothered To Sort Out
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Larry Walker
72.6
308
383 HR, .313 BA, 7 Gold Gloves
Kenny Lofton
68.1
287
Five-time All-Star, 4 Gold Gloves. 622 steals, 2428 hits.
Andre Dawson
64.4
340
438 HR, 314 SB, 1987 MVP, HOFer
Sammy Sosa
58.4
321
609 homeruns, 1667 RBI. 1998  MVP. Three 60+ HR.
Bernie Williams
49.5
312
Good guitarist. Career OPS+ of 125, 287 HR.
Dale Murphy
46.3
230
Two MVP's, five Gold Gloves. Nice guy.
Moises Alou
39.7
277
332 HR, 106 SB, 128 OPS+
Luis Gonzalez
51.5
318
354 HR, 128 SB, 119 OPS+
 
Ugh.
 
Okay…Maybe I should break this down a bit.
 
 
Five-Tool Superstars Who Might’ve Benefited 
From Some Late-Career Park Effects
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Larry Walker
72.6
308
383 HR, .313 BA, 7 Gold Gloves
Andre Dawson
64.4
340
438 HR, 314 SB, 1987 MVP, HOFer
 
Dawson and Walker seem very similar players. Baseball-reference lets you adjust a player’s entire batting line to neutral league and park contexts. Here are Dawson and Walker’s career numbers, adjusted to a neutral context, and stated per-162 games:
 
 
Player
 
R
 
H
 
2B
 
3B
 
HR
 
RBI
 
SB
 
BB
 
K
 
BA
 
OBP
 
SLG
Walker
96
162
36
5
28
93
17
68
101
.294
.379
.531
Dawson
90
176
32
6
28
103
20
38
93
.286
.330
.494
 
Yup…very similar. I’m happy that Dawson has a plaque in Cooperstown, and I’d like to see Larry Walker join him.
 
 
Three Outfielders Who Did a Lot of Things Well
 
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Bernie Williams
49.5
312
Good guitarist. Career OPS+ of 125, 287 HR.
Dale Murphy
46.3
230
Two MVP's, five Gold Gloves. Nice guy.
Moises Alou
39.7
277
332 HR, 106 SB, 128 OPS+
 
One of the reasons I’m a ‘Big Hall’ guy is that I think it’s worth rewarding players like Murphy and Bernie. Murphy was, for those who missed out on a fun decade, one of the big stars of the 1980’s…it was sort of taken for granted that he’d make the Hall of Fame. His numbers were inflated by a tremendous home park, and his decline was precipitous, but he was an upstanding role model in a messy era, and one of the few highlights for the pre-Glavine/Smoltz/Maddux Braves.
 
Bernie Williams was the steadily excellent center fielder for six World Series teams: he was, quietly, a central cog in that Yankee dynasty
 
Moises Alou got a very late start to his major league career, not getting a full-time job until he was twenty five. This is a surprising fact, considering his parentage. It is very clear that Alou had Hall-of-Fame talent, but the slow start, coupled with lots of injuries, kept him from putting up the career numbers for Cooperstown. At his best, Alou was a player comparable to Beltran: someone who excelled at every facet of the game.
 
 
The Best Case Scenario 
For Billy Hamilton, Jr.
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Kenny Lofton
68.1
287
Five-time All-Star, 4 Gold Gloves. 622 steals, 2428 hits.
 
Kenny Lofton is still on our ballot, and he should make an interesting case to consider once we clear the deck of all the pitchers. Because his defense is a central component to his candidacy, there’s a wider-than-usual gap between rWAR and Win Shares’ evaluation of him.
 
 
The Big ‘S’
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
 
Notes
Sammy Sosa
58.4
321
609 homeruns, 1667 RBI. 1998  MVP. Three 60+ HR.
Luis Gonzalez
51.5
318
354 HR, 128 SB, 119 OPS+
 
It’s astonishing how many players on this ballot have tremendous RBI tallies. Fifty-one players have accumulated 1500+ RBI’s…our ballot has six of them:
 
Raffy – 1835
The Big Hurt – 1704
Sosa – 1667
Dawson - 1591
McGriff – 1550
Kent – 1518
 
The BBWAA has Bonds (1996) and Bagwell (1529), too, though they’ve already elected Dawson.
 
 
Players Only a Homer
 
Could Vote For
 
 
Name
 
rWAR
 
Win Shares
Ray Durham
33.7
231
Hideo Nomo
21.1
108
Mike Timlin
19.6
124
Paul LoDuca
17.9
127
Richie Sexson
17.9
154
Armano Benitez
17.7
128
Sean Casey
16.4
156
Eric Gagne
11.9
86
Jacque Jones
11.5
124
J.T. Snow
11
170
Todd Jones
10.9
119
 
Hideo Nomo is a player whose mark on the game far exceeds his counting stats. The first Japanese player to ‘break’ the system and sign with a major league team, Nomo was an instant star: I remember the first time I saw him pitch, the first time I saw that brief pause he had in his wind-up. He was brilliant in his rookie year, and he had a few other highlights along the way. His second no-hitter (in his first start with the Red Sox) was the first no-hitter I watched from start to finish. His breakout performance was directly responsible for the influx of Japanese players who followed in his wake.
 
Anyway, I’ll have more to come in the following week. In the meantime, be sure to cast your votes in the comments section.
 
David Fleming is a writer living in Wellington, New Zealand. He welcomes comments, questions, and suggestions here and at dfleming1986@yahoo.com.
 
​
 
 

COMMENTS (119 Comments, most recent shown first)

jeffsol
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Schilling
Thomas
Walker
Whitaker
Lofton
Sosa
Kent

Write-In: Grich
1:50 PM Jan 7th
 
DaveFleming
Also: that's the second ballot you cast.
1:46 PM Jan 7th
 
DaveFleming
Instead of amending your ballot, maybe you should read the article, ye oldehippy.
1:37 PM Jan 7th
 
jayodum
My ballot:

Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Sammy Sosa
Fred McGriff
Rafael Palmeiro

Write In: Will Clark

12:58 AM Jan 7th
 
oldehippy
Is it too late to append to my ballot Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens? Thanks!
6:20 PM Jan 2nd
 
JimPertierra
Dave,
Here are my 10...
Frank Thomas
Greg Maddux
Lou Whitaker
Andre Dawson
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
Tom Glavine
Larry Walker
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling

I hope they all make it.
Best/Jim
11:41 AM Jan 2nd
 
MattD1
Write-In : Bobby Grich
6:45 AM Dec 31st
 
MattD1
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmeiro
Andre Dawson
Sammy Sosa
Kenny Lofton
Jeff Kent
6:44 AM Dec 31st
 
lporschen
Maddux
Glavine
Whitaker
Thomas
Palmero
Dawson
Mcgriff
Walker​
10:44 PM Dec 30th
 
oldehippy
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Mike Piazza
10:40 AM Dec 29th
 
mferris106
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Schilling
Whitaker
Thomas
Walker
Palmeiro
McGriff
Williams

Write-In David Cone
7:54 AM Dec 29th
 
casey310
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Schilling
Whitaker
Thomas
Walker
Palmeiro
Brown
Sosa
3:11 PM Dec 27th
 
joedimino
Forgot my write in - Will Clark
8:33 PM Dec 23rd
 
joedimino
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Kevin Brown
Andre Dawson
Bernie Williams
8:32 PM Dec 23rd
 
cderosa
Ballot:
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Bernie Williams
Fred McGriff
Rafael Palmeiro
Tom Glavine
Jeff Kent
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Curt Schilling

Write-in:
Will Clark

Thanks to:
Dave Fleming

6:12 AM Dec 21st
 
terrific
Greg Maddux
Mike Piazza
Craig Biggio
Tom Glavine
Frank Thomas
7:27 PM Dec 20th
 
bhaworth
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Kenny Lofton
Andre Dawson
Bernie Williams

Write In: Bobby Grich
1:38 PM Dec 20th
 
mvandermast
GMaddux
MMussina
TGlavine
CSchilling
LWhitaker
FThomas
KLofton
ADawson
JOlerud
FMcGriff

Write-in: Bobby Grich
4:04 PM Dec 19th
 
ghoulama
Maddux,Mussina,Thomas,Glavine,Schilling, Whitaker
1:06 PM Dec 19th
 
BrianFleming
Mussina
Whitaker
Palmerio
Dawson
Sosa
Murphy
Morris
Kent
Mcgriff
Walker

Write in: Dewey

Yes Glavine, Maddux, and Thomas all deserve to be in too, but ten votes is ten votes and I'll spend mine on some guys who otherwise fall off from discussion.
11:00 AM Dec 18th
 
ksclacktc
Maddux, Mussina, Glavine, Schilling, Thomas
8:46 AM Dec 18th
 
Davidg32
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Frank Thomas
Curt Schilling
Larry Walker
Sammy Sosa
Dale Murphy
10:11 PM Dec 17th
 
therevverend
Dawson
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Whitaker
Thomas
Walker
Sosa
McGriff
Palmeiro
1:47 PM Dec 17th
 
digbaseball
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Bernie Williams
Moises Alou

Write-In
David Cone

​
12:02 PM Dec 17th
 
EdgarFan
Maddox
Mussina
Glavine
Schilling
Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Walker
Palmeiro
Kent
McGriff

Write-in candidate: Bobby Grich



9:05 PM Dec 13th
 
DaveFleming
Might as well add my own ballot:

Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling
Lou Whittaker
Larry Walker
Andre Dawson
Rafael Palmeiro
Dale Murphy
Bernie Williams
John Olerud
4:07 PM Dec 13th
 
DaveFleming
I never know what to do with the ballots (secondbaserules is the latest) that have guys like Jeff Bagwell and Edgar Martinez on them.

I suppose that I could just count the players who are actually ON our ballot.

But...these ballots are potentially damaging to the players on the BJOL ballot, who aren't on the BBWAA ballot (Whittaker, Dawson).

2Brules voted for Alan Trammell....he's already been voted in by the BJOL readers. Doesn't it seem likely that he would've also voted for Whitaker, if he knew that it was Sweet Lou who was on our ballot?

I don't know if I should count these ballots or discard them. Hrm....
3:43 PM Dec 13th
 
rjm1026
Maddux
Glavine
Thomas
Palmiero
Mussina
Whitaker
Walker
Sosa


Write in: Dwight Evans
11:52 AM Dec 9th
 
secondbaserules
1. Greg Maddux
2. Curt Schilling
3. Jeff Bagwell
4. Mike Mussina
5. Tom Glavine
6. Frank Thomas
7. Mike Piazza
8. Edgar Martinez
9. Craig Biggio
10. Alan Trammell
9:39 PM Dec 6th
 
rbhobbs73
1. Greg Maddux - best pitcher of all time IMO, considering the era.
2. Frank Thomas - 90s version of Miguel Cabrera.
3. Tom Glavine - 300 game winner, 2 CYA, WS MVP
4. Mike Mussina - most underrated pitcher of his generation
5. Lou Whitaker - better than half the 2B already in the Hall
6. Fred McGriff - Is there really any difference between 493 and 500?
7. Curt Schilling - Big game pitcher. overcame injuries often.
8. Bernie Williams - quiet, consistent. great postseason player.
9. Dale Murphy - If he came a decade later, he would hit 550 HR
10. Kenny Lofton - lead off men are always underrated.


Write In - Minnie Minoso​
5:46 PM Dec 6th
 
dbutler69
1 Greg Maddux
2 Frank Thomas
3 Andre Dawson
4 Lou Whitaker
5 Kenny Lofton
6 Curt Schilling
7 Tom Glavine
8 Mike Mussina
9 Kevin Brown
10 Larry Walker (sorry Fred McGriff. I really wish I had an 11th vote)

9:35 AM Dec 6th
 
jimmybart
1) Greg Maddux
2) Tom Glavine
3) Curt Schilling
4) Frank Thomas
5) Sammy Sosa
6) Larry Walker
7) Lou Whitaker
8) Andre Dawson

write-in: Minnie Minoso​
3:58 PM Dec 5th
 
slh112358
Maddux
Glavine
Mussina
Schilling
Brown
Whitaker
Thomas
Walker
Murphy

Write In: Dwight Evans
11:41 AM Dec 5th
 
davesiglin
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Lou Whitaker
Jeff Kent
Curt Schilling
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine

write in:
Dick Allen - the best hitting 1B after Frank Thomas in modern baseball that's not in the HOF or BJHOF.
9:41 AM Dec 5th
 
jimgus
Hope it's not too late!

Alphabetically,
Andre "Awesome" Dawson - this guy might have actually been the second coming of Willie Mays
Tom Glavine - overshadowed by his staff-mate, but only a whisker less valuable. Probably will have to wait for the BBWAA, but shouldn't have to wait for us.
Kenny Lofton - gets on base, gets the extra base, ungodly defender, gets the odd key hit, but most of all... a winner.
Greg Maddux - could there BE a more obvious choice?
Fred McGriff "The Crime Dog" - would have already been in from the BBWAA long ago with just 7 more HR's :-(
Mike "Loggins and" Mussina - this is a vote for "consistent really good-ness"
Curt Schilling - like Mussina, consistently really good... plus the post-season heroics
Frank Thomas - better be immediate with the BBWAA
Larry Walker - let's don't forget, he played in Montreal and St. Louis, too. It's not like Todd Helton with "all-Coors" to have to consider.
Lou Whitaker - Trammell's in, Lou should be, too

Write in: Will The Thrill (Clark). I wavered... really thought hard about Keith Hernandez, but it's Will.

Cordially,
JimmyG

9:10 AM Dec 5th
 
peterunger
1 Greg Maddux
2 Mike Mussina
3 om Glavine
4 Curt Schilling
5 Lou Whitaker
6 Frank Thomas
7 Larry Walker
8 Rafael Palmeiro
9 Kenny Lofton
10 Andre Dawson​
11:53 PM Dec 4th
 
yorobert
maddux
glavine
whitaker
thomas
palmeiro
sosa
walker
schilling
dawson

write in: willie davis
8:18 PM Dec 4th
 
hdhartig

1) Greg Maddux
2) Tom Glavine
3) Lou Whitaker
4) Frank Thomas
5) Kevin Brown
6) Kenny Lofton
7) Dale Murphy
8) Jack Morris
9) Hideo Nomo
10) Lee Smith

write-in: Bobby Grich
1:09 PM Dec 4th
 
price499
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmeiro
Sammy Sosa
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Larry Walker
Fred McGriff

Write in Pete Rose

9:59 PM Dec 3rd
 
mrbryan
Maddux
Glavine
Mussina
Thomas
Whitaker
Palmeiro

Write-in: Grich
11:48 AM Dec 3rd
 
lazer
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Lou Whitaker
Rafael Palmeiro
Andre Dawson
Sammy Sosa
Mike Mussina

Write in: Dwight Evans

9:55 PM Dec 2nd
 
beantown defender
1 Maddux
2 Mussina
3 Glavine
4 Schilling
5 Whitaker
6 Thomas
7 Sosa
8 McGriff
9 Palmeiro
10 Kent

Write in - Dwight Evans

2:01 PM Dec 2nd
 
gejerz
Frank Thomas
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine

Curt Schilling
Kenny Lofton
Andre Dawson

Iffy on these two, but I will put them on the list:

Mike Mussina
Jeff Kent


Write In - Shoeless Joe. If we are gonna have Palmeiro and Sosa and Rose considered, why not Joe?

1:54 PM Dec 2nd
 
mikewright
Didn't realize Dewey and Grich weren't in. Put them down as my write-ins.
11:01 AM Dec 2nd
 
mikewright
Maddux
Glavine
McGriff
Whittikar
Thomas
Bernie
Loftin
Mussina

Still not sold on Schilling and I'm punishing Palmero two years.
10:52 AM Dec 2nd
 
Detroiter
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Schilling
Whitaker
Thomas
Walker
Palmeiro
Lofton

Grich (write-in)
10:24 AM Dec 2nd
 
Sparky133
1. Maddux
2. Schilling
3. Thomas
4. Glavine
5. Mussina
6. Brown
7. Whitaker
9:08 AM Dec 2nd
 
myachimantis
1: Greg Maddux
2: Curt Schilling
3: Mike Mussina
4: Tom Glavine
5: Kevin Brown
6: Frank Thomas
7: Larry Walker
8: Kenny Lofton
9: Sammy Sosa
10: Rafael Palmeiro

Write-in Candidate: Wes Ferrell
7:29 PM Dec 1st
 
casejud
1 Greg Maddux
2 Mike Mussina
3 Tom Glavine
4 Curt Schilling
5 Lou Whitaker
6 Frank Thomas
7 Rafael Palmeiro
8 Andre Dawson
9 Fred McGriff
10 Jeff Kent

write in: If this vote was created to try and correct a lot of the BS that goes on with the real HOF ballot, wouldn't electing Pete Rose be a good way to do that? Or, is he just too wretched of a human being to let in? On the field, he represented just about everything many people love in an athlete, and he played FOREVER.

My way of looking at it is that I don't really know very many of these guys, as human beings, and as long as they aren't complete sociopaths, why should I care? If Rose isn't eligible, then Dewey Evans and Bobby Grich would make fine Hall of Famers also.
5:09 PM Dec 1st
 
LansdowneSt
1. Greg Maddux
2. Tom Glavine
3. Frank Thomas
4. Curt Schilling
5. Mike Mussina
6. Rafael Palmerio
7. Lou Whitaker
8. Andre Dawson

Write in: Dwight Evans
3:58 PM Dec 1st
 
tkoegel
Double oops. Forgot Piazza was in the BJHOF already.

*sound of drinking second cup of coffee*
12:46 PM Dec 1st
 
tkoegel
Oops, please add Piazza to my vote.
12:45 PM Dec 1st
 
tkoegel
Maddux
Glavine
Mussina
Frank Thomas
Dawson (irrational, I know)

Write in: Will Clark
12:45 PM Dec 1st
 
gogiggs
Maddux
Mussina
Schilling
Whitaker
Thomas
Lofton
Kent

If Tom Glavine ends up 1 vote short, count me. Otherwise, I'm still pissed about the '95 series.

I'd like Dewey Evans back on the ballot. If he's not eligible, Will Clark is a fine choice.​
12:25 PM Dec 1st
 
78sman
Maddux
Glavine
Thomas
Whittaker
Mussina
Walker
Kent


Write-in: Reggie Smith
8:14 AM Dec 1st
 
dburba
Maddux
Glavine
Thomas
Dawson
Sosa

Write-in: Ted Simmons
4:50 AM Dec 1st
 
sayhey
Maddux
Glavine
Thomas
Mussina
Schilling
Walker
10:55 PM Nov 30th
 
doncoffin

Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker*
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Kevin Brown

I've only got those 8. For my write-in for next year's ballot, Bobby Grich. Or did he already get into the BJOLHOF?

9:08 PM Nov 30th
 
DaveFleming
Old Hippie,

This is an alternative ballot to the BBWAA one. The BJOL readers elected Piazza last year, his first year of eligibility.
6:46 PM Nov 30th
 
oldehippy
Do folks here realize that Mike Piazza is not in the HOF? Did I miss some good reading that told Mike takes Steroids stories? I know he wasn't beloved like The Kid but weren't his offensive numbers simply the best of all time? Was Mike that bad defensively? Isn't this an example of punishing the steroid era player without much of a clue that he really took steroids? Maybe I'm missing something else?​
6:30 PM Nov 30th
 
ChitownRon
Dave,

I copied and pasted the wrong results, so please do not use that as my ballot.

I will send a corrected ballot to you in the next day or so...

Ron
6:19 PM Nov 30th
 
oldehippy
1) Greg Maddux
2) Mike Piazza
3) Tom Glavine
4) Rafael Palmeiro
5) Frank Thomas
6) Larry Walker
7) Jeff Kent
8) Mike Mussina
9) Curt Schilling
10) Lee Smith

Write-in: Don Mattingly
6:17 PM Nov 30th
 
sprox
My ballot

Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Kevin Brown
Kenny Lofton
Sammy Sosa
Fred McGriff

5:45 PM Nov 30th
 
DaveFleming
I don't know how to read your ballot, Ron. We've already voted Biggio and Piazza in. I assume that Willie McGee or Bobby Bonilla is your write-in candidate.

I suppose I'll count who I can count. I don't know that a Bonilla-for-the-Hall campaign is going to get a lot of traction around here.
3:47 PM Nov 30th
 
ChitownRon
1. Greg Maddux
2. Craig Biggio
3. Tom Glavine
4. Kenny Lofton
5. Mike Piazza
6. Willie McGee
7. Jack Morris
8. Sam Sosa
9. Mike Mussina
10. Roberto Bonilla
2:09 PM Nov 30th
 
evanecurb
Maddux
Sosa
Piazza
Thomas
Glavine
Schilling
Brown
Mussina
Palmeiro
McGriff
12:14 PM Nov 30th
 
mrvino
I keep forgetting: A sentimental write-in for Will Clark. Clark was still a great player when he retired. He ended his career to devote time to a child who needed him.
10:20 AM Nov 30th
 
mrvino
The Giants website now has a good career summation on Jeff Kent. mlb.mlb.com/news/article/sf/team-success-mattered-most-to-first-time-hall-of-fame-candidate-jeff-kent?ymd=20131126&content_id=64199502&vkey=news_sf
10:17 AM Nov 30th
 
jpc1957
Maddux
Thomas
Glavine
Sosa
Palmeiro

Write-in: Bob Caruthers
12:41 AM Nov 30th
 
bearbyz
1. Greg Maddux
2. Mike Mussina
3. Tom Glavine
4. Curt Schilling
5. Frank Thomas
6. Lou Whitaker
7. Kenny Loften
7:25 PM Nov 29th
 
rkowna
Greg Madddux
Frank Thomas
Andre Dawson

5:20 PM Nov 29th
 
kgh
Frank Thomas
Greg Maddux
Lou Whitaker
Jeff Kent
Tom Glavine
Larry Walker
Mike Mussina


Write-in: Bobby Grich

1:49 PM Nov 29th
 
mrvino
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Jeff Kent
Tom Glavine
Fred McGriff
Kenny Lofton
Luis Gonzalez
Lou Whitaker*
Andre Dawson
Larry Walker

I was an avid Giants fan during Jeff Kent's tenure, and whenever Bonds was walked intentionally because the pitcher (or manager) would rather face Kent, the whole crowd would buzz with the same words: "Big Mistake".​
1:39 PM Nov 29th
 
Jack
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmeiro
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
Larry Walker

Write-in: Dwight Evans
10:49 AM Nov 29th
 
rlk123
Maddux
Thomas
Glavine
Whitaker
Walker
McGriff
Kent
10:01 AM Nov 29th
 
ventboys
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Andre Dawson
Fred McGriff
Dale Murphy
Jack Morris
Kenny Lofton
Mike Mussina

Write in: Will Clark

I always vote for ten since I'm one of those Socialists who want the Hall of Fame to be as crowded as the OTB on Derby Day, but this ballot ain't anywhere near as deep as the real one. My bottom half, and the next few I'd list, are more likely headed for the Veteran's Committee in a coupla decades.
12:25 AM Nov 29th
 
pbspelly
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Frank Thomas
Lou Whitaker
Rafael Palmeiro
Dale Murphy
Kenny Lofton
Andre Dawson

write-in: Keith Hernandez

3:40 PM Nov 28th
 
CWright
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmeiro
Andre Dawson
Jeff Kent

Write-in: Dwight Evans
3:07 PM Nov 28th
 
Edward
For the Hall, and exercising my right not to vote for some deserving candidates:

1. Greg Maddux
2. Frank Thomas
3. Curt Schilling
4. Tom Glavine
5. Larry Walker
6. Kenny Lofton
12:42 PM Nov 28th
 
kcbbfan
Andre Dawson
Tom Glavine
Jeff Kent
Greg Maddux
Fred McGriff
Mike Mussina
Rafael Palmeiro
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Lou Whitaker*

Listed alphabetically, though ranking wise Dawson was the bottom of the list rather than the top. I would have voted for Walker, Sosa and Olerude also. Maybe Williams, Lofton and Brown too.
11:34 AM Nov 28th
 
agcohen
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Tom Glavine
Lou Whitaker
Rafael Palmeiro
Kenny Lofton
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling
Jeff Kent
Lee Smith

Write In -- Pete Rose

11:27 AM Nov 28th
 
stedman15
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
F. Thomas
Sosa
Schilling
Whitaker
Kent
McGriff
K. Brown

Write In: Kevin Appier
9:12 AM Nov 28th
 
mahdishain
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Tom Glavine
Lou Whitaker
Larry Walker

Write In: Keith Hernandez
8:51 AM Nov 28th
 
sdbunting
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Whitaker
Thomas
Murphy
Kent

...hee hee, Benitez. Good one.
8:08 AM Nov 28th
 
rgregory1956

I just wanted to take a moment to invite anyone interested that there is another HOF type vote going on in the Reader Posts. It's called the Gallery Of Renown (or GOR for short). It's separate and different from Dave's. Just look for the thread titled "2014 gor".
6:54 AM Nov 28th
 
dtandy
Maddux
Mussina
Glavine
Whitaker
Thomas
Palmeiro
Kent

write-in: Dewey Evans

3:22 AM Nov 28th
 
Hal10000
1. Greg Maddux
2. Frank Thomas
3. Tom Glavine
4. Mike Mussina
5. Curt Schilling
6. Rafael Palmeiro
7. Kevin Brown
8. Sammy Sosa
9. Jeff Kent
10. Fred McGriff

8:35 PM Nov 27th
 
metsfan17
Ah, that was one of the greatest moments in Mets history. The day we got Keith for Neil Allen and of course don't forget Rick Ownbey. Not that I remember that trade very well. Every 5 minutes that night, Bob Murphy would say, and if you haven't heard, the Mets got Keith Hernandez.
8:35 PM Nov 27th
 
tigerlily
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams
Andre Dawson
Tom Glavine
Mike Mussina
Fred McGriff

Write-in Candidate: Will Clark
8:06 PM Nov 27th
 
OwenH
Five pitchers, five hitters, and a write-in second baseman. Maddux, Mussina, Glavine, Schilling, and Kevin Brown. Sweet Lou, the Big Hurt, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, and the Hawk, Andre Dawson. Bobby Grich is the write-in, building some good mojo as I gladly observe.
7:46 PM Nov 27th
 
itchie
Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams


First time I have not voted for Jack Morris. I have finally been convinced that he falls a bit short.

I surprised myself by including Whitaker and Williams. Makes me think the Bobby's, Murcer and Grich, should also be in.

I saw a comment regarding Keith Hernandez deserving the HOF in part because he was the greatest fielding 1st baseman. While I would not vote for Keith Hernandez, I watched Keith Hernandez from the time he was a rookie with my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. He was a very, very good player. He was, without question (in my mind), the absolute greatest fielding first baseman I ever saw. The Cardinals had Hernandez, Herr, and Ozzie in the same infield. That is pretty impressive. Of course, the 3rd Baseman was Ken Oberkfell.

Hernandez lacked power and is more Mark Grace than Frank Thomas. He falls short. Perhaps I am still bitter that his shenanigans forced Whitey Herzog to trade him for Neil Allen.​
5:39 PM Nov 27th
 
rgregory1956
Alphabetically, Kevin Brown, Andre Dawson, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Larry Walker and Bernie Williams. I would have voted for Lee Smith as my tenth name.

Like last year, I'm not voting for any of the first year guys. They are all guilty of either steroid use or keeping quiet about it. I know it's toothless, but it's the only way I have of protesting the Steroid Era.
4:13 PM Nov 27th
 
Robinsong
Maddux
Thomas
Glavine
Whitaker
Sosa
Mussina
Palmeiro
Walker
Schilling
Lofton

Write in: Grich
3:50 PM Nov 27th
 
russelfe
Tom Glavine
Jeff Kent
Greg Maddux
Rafael Palmeiro
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker​
3:17 PM Nov 27th
 
DaveFleming
A little error on the ballot: Lee Smith received something like 7% last year, but I forgot to include him on this year's ballot. As we've already gotten a lot of votes in, we'll just bring him back on next year...
3:05 PM Nov 27th
 
metsfan17
Its pretty amazing how many guys who probably should have gotten more support from the Baseball writers dropped off quickly. Grich, Nettles, both Evans, Randolph. Its tough as there are so many excellent ballplayers.
2:58 PM Nov 27th
 
metsfan17
Thank you everybody else who wrote in KEITH HERNANDEZ, who should be in the Hall of Fame.
2:53 PM Nov 27th
 
jalbright
My ballot, in alphabetical order
Dawson
Glavine
Lofton
Maddux
Mussina
Schilling
Sosa
Thomas
Walker
Whitaker
2:52 PM Nov 27th
 
metsfan17
Oh yeah. Write in candidate: KEITH HERNANDEZ
2:50 PM Nov 27th
 
metsfan17
Maddux, Mussina, Glavine, Schilling, Whitaker, Thomas, Bernie (I'm a Met fan but I loved Bernie even though he probably really isn't a Hall of Famer.)

Walker was a very good player but lets face it, his stats are unbelievably inflated by playing in Colorado. Brown was a dominant pitcher for quite awhile. One of the most unhittable pitchers I ever saw but I just don't know if he did it long enough. Many of the other guys are very good players but I just don't think they were quite Hall of Famers, while some were Hall of Famers but you just can't put them in because they were products of the steroid era.
2:49 PM Nov 27th
 
MWeddell
Two things I didn't learn today:
(1) Florida does not exist.
(2) Schilling's first name is Chuck.

My write-in guy is Bill Dahlen, who has the highest b-refWAR of any eligible guy other than Pete Rose.

My ballot:
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Kevin Brown
Andre Dawson
Sammy Sosa

I'm kind of undecided about Jeff Kent, but I already have 10 without him. I've supported Jack Morris in the past, but our ballot is too credited even for a Detroit fan to stretch to include him.

Todd "Roller Coaster" Jones probably beats out Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff and Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas for best nickname on this ballot, but who knows why the BBWAA ballot includes him and omits Keith Foulke (to cite a guy who played the same position).
1:58 PM Nov 27th
 
DaveFleming
Write-in candidates remain on the ballot, unless they a) fall below 5%, or b) get over 75%.
1:10 PM Nov 27th
 
izzy24
1. Greg Maddux
2. Frank Thomas
3. Lou Whitaker
4. Mike Mussina
5. Tom Glavine
6. Curt Schilling
7. Larry Walker
8. Rafael Palmeiro
9. Andre Dawson
10. Kenny Lofton (sorry McGriff and Olerud)

Write in: Bobby Grich

1:06 PM Nov 27th
 
77royals
Maddux,
Glavine,
Thomas,
Sosa,
Whitaker,
Palmiero,
Walker,
Dawson,
Kent,

Write-in vote: Buck O'Neil

12:59 PM Nov 27th
 
chuck
1. Maddux
2. Thomas
3. Mussina
4. Schilling
5. Whitaker
6. Walker
7. Dawson
8. Brown
9. Olerud
10. Lofton

write-in: Dwight Evans
12:38 PM Nov 27th
 
RangeFactor
1. Greg Maddux
2. Tom Glavine
3. Andre Dawson
4. Luis Gonzalez
5. Sammy Sosa
6. Rafael Palmeiro
7. Frank Thomas
8. Mike Mussina
9. Dale Murphy
10. Curt Schilling

One of the milestones I look at for HOF-worthiness is career extra-base hits. You have to slug the crap out of the ball to get 1000 of those, and Andre Dawson and Luis Gonzalez both achieved that mark.
12:12 PM Nov 27th
 
mickandyogi
1. Maddux
2. Mussina
3. Glavine
4. Whitaker
5. Thomas
6. Dawson
7. Murphy
8. B Williams
9. Schilling
10. Morris
11:19 AM Nov 27th
 
Brian
Write-in: Bobby Grich
10:09 AM Nov 27th
 
Brian
1. Dawson
2. Glavine
3. Kent
4. Maddux
5. Mussina
6. Palmeiro
7. Schilling
8. Thomas
9. Walker
10. Whitaker

Dave-Thanks again for doing this.
10:04 AM Nov 27th
 
taosjohn
1 Maddux
2 Thomas
3 Palmiero
4 Glavine
5 Sosa
6 Schilling
7 Whitaker
8 Kent
9 no vote
10 no vote

Write-in: Keith Hernandez

10:04 AM Nov 27th
 
wjwinship
Kevin Brown
Tom Glavine
Kenny Lofton
Jeff Kent
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling
Frank Thomas
Larry Walker
Lou Whitaker

9:42 AM Nov 27th
 
DavidHeflin
Maddux, Glavine, Thomas, Mussina, Schilling, Whitaker, Brown
9:24 AM Nov 27th
 
contrarian
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Curt Schilling
Larry Walker
Lou Whitaker
Kevin Brown
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmeiro
Kenny Lofton
8:53 AM Nov 27th
 
steve161
And my write-in candidate, assuming he's eligible:

Keith Hernandez

There has to be a place for the best defender at his position, no?
8:20 AM Nov 27th
 
rgregory1956
Shouldn't Lee Smith be on the ballot?
7:22 AM Nov 27th
 
steve161
Using all 10 votes, but with nuance.

To a small Hall:

Maddux
Glavine
Thomas

In addition, to a middle-sized Hall:

Mussina
Schilling
Walker

Finally, to a big Hall:

Whitaker
Palmeiro
Dawson
Sosa

Dave, I loved your remarks on Nomo. In my mind's eye, I see him pitching to Craig Counsell, and I pull all the muscles in my rib cage.
6:25 AM Nov 27th
 
David Kowalski
My choices are:

Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Tom Glavine
Lou Whitaker
Frank Thomas
Rafael Palmediro
Larry Walker
Chuck Schilling

For me, the most difficult players to vote in were Larry Walker and Chuck Schilling. For Walker, as you mentioned, playing for the Rockies was the big impediment. I wanted to avoid voting for Schilling but his World Series heroics in two Series and high rWAR score ultimately convinced me.

The big argument against Schilling is his relatively low win total but some of my favorites have less impressive credentials (Allie Reynolds in particular). To consider Reynolds you have to give enormous points for Casey Stengel's weird usage of the man as a semi-frequent reliever which cut him below 200 wins. You also have to place ungodly emphasis on his World Series record. The case for Reynolds falls apart. Schilling is similar but better.


4:10 AM Nov 27th
 
tigerlily
Dave - Regarding the write-in: Is it one and done, or does the write-in candidate stay on the ballot as long as he gets some minimal vote total?
2:05 AM Nov 27th
 
rtallia
Maddux
Glavine
Mussina
Schilling
Whitaker
Thomas


write-in: Dwight Evans
1:44 AM Nov 27th
 
 
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