2011 Hall of Fame Ballot

[Guest Edgy DC]

You don't want to be breaking that glass house in the middle of winter.

[Valadius]

Never mind, found it.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/beat/Hall%20of%20Fame/

HOF % Leaderboard through 71 Full Ballots� 95.8 - Alomar 78.9 - Blyleven 71.8 - Larkin 52.1 - Raines 52.1 - J. Morris 42.3 - Bagwell 32.4 - Edgar Martinez 29.6 - Lee Smith 29.6 - Trammell 22.5 - McGwire 15.5 - L.Walker 15.5 - McGriff .9.9 - Palmeiro . 8.5 - D. Murphy . 7.0 - Baines . 5.6 - D. Parker . 4.2 - K. Brown . 4.2 - Mattingly . 4.2 - Juan Gone . 1.4 - John Franco . 1.4 - Pete Rose (Write-in) Top Partial Ballot Leaders� (102 Full/Partials) 76 - Alomar 70 - Blyleven 53 - Larkin

[Guest Edgy DC]

Picky people these days.

Free Tim Raines.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

F'real. Free Trammell and Walker, too.

Plus-- since nitpicking is my favorite early-January-baseball-related activity-- Alomar's a shoo-in, but Larkin isn't? I'm pretty sure I'd take Larkin to be my starting all-time shortstop before I'd consider taking Alomar as the same number at second.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Hard to fathom, huh? Part of it is attributable to the exposure you get from moving around, coming from a famous family, getting your name in blockbuster trades, and a lot of post-seasoniness. (Try and explain his brother's six All-Star appearnces someday.)

But Larkin OPS'd .862 in the post-season, and .950 in his only World Series, and that World Series was an All-Time stunning upset. Eleven All-Star games and three Gold Gloves while fighting an uphill battle against the force of nature that was Ozzie Smith. If he's not one of the top ten all-time shortstops, I don't know what he is.

[Valadius]

Latest:

HOF % Leaderboard through 79 Full Ballots� 96.2 - Alomar 77.2 - Blyleven 69.6 - Larkin 53.2 - Raines 51.9 - J. Morris 38.0 - Bagwell 31.6 - L. Smith 30.4 - Edgar Martinez 29.1 - Trammell 20.3 - McGwire 16.5 - L.Walker 13.9 - McGriff .8.9 - Palmeiro . 7.6 - D. Murphy . 7.6 - Baines . 6.3 - Mattingly . 6.3 - D. Parker . 3.8 - K. Brown . 3.8 - Juan Gone . 1.3 - John Franco . 1.3 - Pete Rose (Write-in) Top Partial Ballot Leaders� (110 Full/Partials) 84 - Alomar 74 - Blyleven

[Guest Edgy DC]

Is there any magic number where you know the consensus is going to tip? Like anybody who gets above X% before their last ballot eventually gets voted in with the 75%? Is it like 60%?

[Fman99]

How does Trammell get so much less respect than Ozzie Smith? Not enough backflips perhaps?

[Valadius]

Edgy DC wrote: Is there any magic number where you know the consensus is going to tip? Like anybody who gets above X% before their last ballot eventually gets voted in with the 75%? Is it like 60%?

The only player ever to get more than 60% and not ultimately get voted in is Gil Hodges.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Hard to fathom, huh? Part of it is attributable to the exposure you get from moving around, coming from a famous family, getting your name in blockbuster trades, and a lot of post-seasoniness. (Try and explain his brother's six All-Star appearnces someday.) But Larkin OPS'd .862 in the post-season, and .950 in his only World Series, and that World Series was an All-Time stunning upset. Eleven All-Star games and three Gold Gloves while fighting an uphill battle against the force of nature that was Ozzie Smith. If he's not one of the top ten all-time shortstops, I don't know what he is.

The only thing I can figure out about that is that the voters are holding the "Next shortstop elected to the Hall" spot open for Jeter. And when he gets in, they will pass a law saying that no more shortstops will ever be admitted to the Hall again.

Later

[seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: Picky people these days. Free Tim Raines.

So true.

Fman99 wrote: How does Trammell get so much less respect than Ozzie Smith? Not enough backflips perhaps?

Actually? I think you're right. Ozzie got bonus points for the "fame" part.

[Frayed Knot]

Guys who are really, really good at one thing tend to get more support than those who are merely good at everything - so Ozzie's defense & McGwire's HRs tend to trump the overall goodness of say Trammel & Bagwell.
Now obviously Bagwell's pct - whatever it may be - is going to be higher than Big Red but, IMO, wouldn't be if not for the whole 'roids deal.

[Valadius]

Update: John Olerud is going to get at least one vote for the Hall of Fame.

HOF % Leaderboard through 84 Full Ballots� 95.2 - Alomar 77.4 - Blyleven 69.0 - Larkin 52.4 - Raines 52.4 - J. Morris 40.5 - Bagwell 31.0 - L. Smith 31.0 - Edgar Martinez 29.8 - Trammell 20.2 - McGwire 15.5 - L.Walker 15.5 - McGriff . 9.5 - Palmeiro . 9.5 - D. Murphy . 7.1 - Baines . 6.0 - Mattingly . 6.0 - D. Parker . 3.6 - K. Brown . 3.6 - Juan Gone . 1.2 - John Franco . 1.2 - Olerud (!) . 1.2 - Pete Rose (Write-in) Top Partial Ballot Leaders� (116 Full/Partials) 88 - Alomar 80 - Blyleven

[nymr83]

Valadius wrote: Update: John Olerud is going to get at least one vote for the Hall of Fame.

I promise I didn't steal a ballot...

[Valadius]

Apparently the Olerud voter is John McGrath of the Tacoma (WA) News Tribune.

[seawolf17]

I don't mind hometown voters throwing a token vote to a hometown guy. Sure, it slimes the process a bit, but you know? It's just a game, fellas.

[Valadius]

Voting for John Franco this year are Hall of Fame writer Tracy Ringolsby and former Wall Street Journal columnist Fred Klein.

[metirish]

What is this


HOF % Leaderboard through 84 Full Ballots�

[seawolf17]

Valadius has broken into HoF headquarters, Watergate-style.

[HahnSolo]

metirish wrote: What is this HOF % Leaderboard through 84 Full Ballots�

And since I asked it last year, got an answer, and forgot the answer, What is "Top Partial Ballot Leaders"?

[metsmarathon]

olerud and kevin brown are both way stronger candidates than their one and three votes, respectively, would indicate.

way stronger.

[Guest Edgy DC]

HahnSolo wrote: metirish wrote: What is this HOF % Leaderboard through 84 Full Ballots� And since I asked it last year, got an answer, and forgot the answer, What is "Top Partial Ballot Leaders"?

I interpret that as a inferred summation of the vote that includes guys who've revealed part of their vote, in addition to those that have revealed all of it.

[G-Fafif]

You know how we were all waiting to learn who Ed Price was voting for? Well forget it!

As a reporter, I am naturally in favor of openness. However, from now on, I will no longer reveal my ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. And that is because journalistic principles of fairness trump the desire for openness.

As a reporter, Ed Price is in favor of openness.

As a voter, Ed Price is in favor of fairness.

As a megalomaniac, Ed Price wants you to know what he uses fabric softener on his sheets, but not his towels.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

As a reporter, he would like to not be held accountable by fans and peers for his actions.

Shameful. A Hall of Fame vote is like a public trust.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"And by 'principles of fairness,' I mean that it isn't fair of you guys to blog about my Hall of Fame vote and how misguided it is when I can't even yell at you guys for how bad your Hall of Fame ballot is."

[metirish]

Ed Price - Martyr

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And now that's the mental picture I have of Ed Price. Thanks, Irish!

Unlike the annual BBWAA awards, Hall of Fame voting is by secret ballot. And while in the past I have published my vote, I no longer believe I should. And that's because I don't believe it's fair to publicly accuse someone of using PEDs without some evidence. If I reveal my ballot, and it doesn't include an obvious choice, then I am, in effect, accusing that player because I have made it known I will not vote for a player if I believe there was a reasonable chance he used PEDs.

So... he won't say or imply under his byline that someone used PEDs, and that therefore that guy won't get his HoF vote. But he WILL allow his "private" accusation to stand as part of the BBWAA final vote/public record. That is, he has no problem with being part of a mass, implicit public accusation of PEDs... just an individual, traceable-back-to-him one.

Principled.

[Gwreck]

ESPN had eighteen of their hall of fame voters reveal their ballots (link here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/news/story?id=5984898).

Check out the ballot of News Editor Barry Stanton, who voted for five (5) players:
Edgar Martinez
Tino Martinez
Don Mattingly
Jack Morris
BJ Surhoff

[Frayed Knot]

Gwreck wrote: ESPN had eighteen of their hall of fame voters reveal their ballots (link here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/news/story?id=5984898). Check out the ballot of News Editor Barry Stanton, who voted for five (5) players: Edgar Martinez Tino Martinez Don Mattingly Jack Morris BJ Surhoff

That's why the size of the BBWA membership is similar to that of Congress - so that no one idiot acting alone can do too much damage.
Only two of that guy's names (E. Martinez & Morris) are even arguable IMO.
I have no idea who Barry Stanton is or what he does at ESPN (besides most likely jerk off to college basketball) but I hope someone in their baseball department beats him up. Maybe Tim Kurkjian can get a step-stool and punch him in the nose.

[Vic Sage]

they should have stockades for such buffoons, and pass out the rotten tomatoes.