Is this Piazza's year?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

New Hall of Fame ballot:

The new candidates on the ballot include Cy Young Award winners like Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, along with sluggers Carlos Delgado and Gary Sheffield, two-time batting champion Nomar Garciaparra and lock-down closer Troy Percival. Other first-time candidates include: Rich Aurilia, Aaron Boone, Tony Clark, Jermaine Dye, Darin Erstad, Cliff Floyd, Brian Giles, Tom Gordon, Eddie Guardado and Jason Schmidt.

The 17 candidates returning to the BBWAA ballot (with their 2014 election percentages) are: Craig Biggio (74.8%), Mike Piazza (62.2%), Jeff Bagwell (54.3%), Tim Raines (46.1%), Roger Clemens (35.4%), Barry Bonds (34.7%), Lee Smith (29.9%), Curt Schilling (29.2%), Edgar Martinez (25.2%), Alan Trammell (20.8%), Mike Mussina (20.3%), Jeff Kent (15.2%), Fred McGriff (11.7%), Mark McGwire (11.0%), Larry Walker (10.2%), Don Mattingly (8.2%) and Sammy Sosa (7.2%).

A number of Metly connections on this year's ballot: Piazza, of course. But also Pedro, Delgado, Sheffield, Tony Clark, Cliff Floyd and Jeff Kent.

At first blush, I'd vote:

1) Piazza
2) Pedro
3) Biggio
4) Raines
5) Johnson
6) Bagwell
7) Trammell
8) Lee Smith
9) Smoltz

[Ceetar]

I don't particularly care anymore. He's a Hall of Famer whether or not some hack "writers" vote for him.

I was all set to go up to Cooperstown and have a really great weekend for his induction too, but not sure it's in the cards should it happen this year.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Biggio was something like a vote or two shy, so I'd be stunned if he didn't get in. Randy Johnson is probably a lock, unless he gets dogged by the guys who don't vote for anyone from the era. I would not be surprised if Pedro was a first-ballot guy.

Piazza, at 62 percent, is headed in the right direction and getting closer. The writers rarely, if ever, put four guys in, though.

[Ceetar]

These are the gimme's for my IBWAA Hall vote. (Biggio and Piazza are already in)

Jeff Bagwell
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Edgar Martinez
Curt Schilling
Sammy Sosa
John Smoltz
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez

I have to look closer at Sheffield, Nomar, and Delgado.

[Frayed Knot]

[u:1ei3y63d]Returnees w/previous year's pct[/u:1ei3y63d]:

Craig Biggio -- 74.80%
Mike Piazza -- 62.20%
Jeff Bagwell -- 54.30%
Tim Raines -- 46.10%
Roger Clemens -- 35.40%
Barry Bonds -- 34.70%
Lee Smith -- 29.90%
Curt Schilling -- 29.20%
Edgar Martinez -- 25.20%
Alan Trammell -- 20.80%
Mike Mussina -- 20.30%
Jeff Kent -- 15.20%
Fred McGriff -- 11.70%
Mark McGwire -- 11%
Larry Walker -- 10.20%
Don Mattingly -- 8.20%
Sammy Sosa -- 7.20%



[u:1ei3y63d]NEW TO BALLOT[/u:1ei3y63d]:

Rich Aurilia
Aaron Boone
Tony Clark
Carlos Delgado
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Cliff Floyd
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Tom Gordon
Eddie Guardado
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Troy Percival
Jason Schmidt
Gary Sheffield
John Smoltz

[Edgy MD]

Stacked.

[Vic Sage]

Of the 1st timers, i would vote for the following 4:
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Gary Sheffield
John Smoltz

Of the holdovers i would vote for the following 6:
Barry Bonds -- 34.70%
Roger Clemens -- 35.40%
Craig Biggio -- 74.80%
Mike Piazza -- 62.20%
Jeff Bagwell -- 54.30%
Tim Raines -- 46.10%

I would also vote for these guys if there were more spots on the ballot (or if i left off Bonds and Clemens):
Edgar Martinez -- 25.20%
Alan Trammell -- 20.80%

Borderline:
Curt Schilling -- 29.20%
Jeff Kent -- 15.20%
Mark McGwire -- 11%
Larry Walker -- 10.20%

Close, but no cigar:
Lee Smith -- 29.90%
Mike Mussina -- 20.30%
Fred McGriff -- 11.70%
Don Mattingly -- 8.20%
Sammy Sosa -- 7.20%
Carlos Delgado
Nomar Garciaparra
Troy Percival

1 & done:
Rich Aurilia
Aaron Boone
Tony Clark
Jermaine Dye
Darin Erstad
Cliff Floyd
Brian Giles
Tom Gordon
Eddie Guardado
Jason Schmidt

[Edgy MD]

Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
John Smoltz
Craig Biggio
Mike Piazza
Jeff Bagwell
Tim Raines
Edgar Martinez
Alan Trammell
Curt Schilling

[Vic Sage]

no to Sheff on character grounds? or because you just don't think he was as good as Schilling?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
John Smoltz
Mike Piazza
Jeff Bagwell
Roger Clemens
Barry Bonds
Craig Biggio
Tim Raines
Alan Trammell

JUST OUT (numbers game): Sheffield, Martinez, Schilling, McGwire
JUST OUT (borderline): Kent, Walker, McGriff, Mussina, Sosa, Delgado, Mattingly, Smith, Percival
JUST PLAIN OUT: Everybody else

[Gwreck]

My Ten:
Bagwell
Biggio
Bonds
Clemens
Johnson
P. Martinez
McGwire
Piazza
Raines
Trammell


Left off due to lack of room on the ballot:
E. Martinez
Schilling
Smoltz
Walker

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

There are probably 13 guys I'd vote for.

[Edgy MD]

Vic Sage wrote: no to Sheff on character grounds? or because you just don't think he was as good as Schilling?

It's not really a no, so much as a not-as-much-as. I guess I'd consider Sheff's counterproductive personality (and it's not like Schilling is the awesomest) if the two were closer in my mind.

The ballot is stacked.

[Edgy MD]

I keep thinking Aaron Boone retired after coming to camp with the 2006 Mets, but that was Bret. Didn't even get into a game, I think.

Both, by the way, are supposedly direct descendants of Dan'l.

[seawolf17]

Gonna put up a vote poll.

[nymr83]

merge this into the one with the poll?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Recognizing that I am usually the first one to jump all over Verducci, I do think his column about Gil Hodges and the Hall is excellent.


http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/11/25/gil-hodges-hall-fame-brooklyn-dodgers

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Recognizing that I am usually the first one to jump all over Verducci, I do think his column about Gil Hodges and the Hall is excellent. http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/11/25/gil-hodges-hall-fame-brooklyn-dodgers

agree, that is the best of many I have read about Hodges.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Meanwhile, if Mike Piazza falls one vote short next month, here's your man.

Lynn Henning of the Detroit News is boycotting this year because he's angry that he can't vote for more than 10 players.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/lynn-henning/2014/12/08/henning-player-limit-justifies-boycott-hall-vote/20094565/

I realize his vote won't play into the percentages unless he turns in blank ballot. But he's screwing the mid-level guys he proclaims to be helping. Randy Johnson and Pedro are gonna get in regardless.

This also is why there will never be a unanimous player. There's always somebody out there looking to draw attention to himself make a statement.

[Ceetar]

Buster Olney too on the abstaining.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Here's Buster's rant.

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/8805?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_whyimabstainingfromhalloffamevoting

Hey, Buster. This balloting is controlled entirely by the baseball writers themselves. Round up your colleagues and fix the problem.

[seawolf17]

Ceetar wrote: Buster Olney too on the abstaining.

Abstaining helps, though, because then it doesn't count toward the percentage. The blank ballots are the idiotic ones.

[Edgy MD]

Abstaining, I guess, would help in theory.

But if a supporter of Tim Raines thinks not casting his vote for Tim Raines or anybody is the best way to push his numbers up, he or she is wrong.

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: Abstaining, I guess, would help in theory. But if a supporter of Tim Raines thinks not casting his vote for Tim Raines or anybody is the best way to push his numbers up, he or she is wrong.

Agreed.

[Gwreck]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Hey, Buster. This balloting is controlled entirely by the baseball writers themselves. Round up your colleagues and fix the problem.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

I recall that Jayson Stark is also a big opponent of the 10-player limit. Time for the BBWAA to get their house in order.

I also think there's probably some other voting reform that can be done. They make writers wait 10 years before getting a ballot. They should apply a similar rule to writers who no longer cover the game. If you're like our man Murray C. and you've stopped covering baseball, I think it's time to take those votes away.

[bmfc1]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmkBNPY405WAdFBOUVBhbjNRZjYzbWI2d201bm0tSmc&usp=sharing#gid=16

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

bmfc1 wrote: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmkBNPY405WAdFBOUVBhbjNRZjYzbWI2d201bm0tSmc&usp=sharing#gid=16

That's cool! Looking forward to the updates. A little surprised by the support for Smoltz. Imagine if Sheffield is a 500-homer guy and falls off on his first ballot?

[G-Fafif]

If you follow the link on the spreadsheet to the voter who thus far has ixnayed Piazza (specifically to the column in which the voter explains his ballot), you're almost glad not to have the support of one Dan Shaughnessy.

So let it rip. Bring on the hate. Bring on the humiliation. Bring on the blogboy outrage. Bring on the analytic arrogance. Bring on the PED Hall Pass. It�s a tradition like no other. [...] Raines and Trammell are problematic and I am guilty of inconsistency with their candidacies. Raines was a rare combination of power (170 homers) and speed (808 steals). He had six 100-run seasons. Trammell is going to be off the ballot soon, and won�t make the Hall with the BBWAA, but there�s lots of value in a shortstop who hit .300 seven times, won four Gold Gloves and should have been MVP (he lost to George Bell) in 1987. [...] no votes for guys who just don�t look right. Bagwell and Piazza are the two players most penalized for this arbitrary crime. By any statistical measurement, Bagwell and Piazza are first-ballot Hall of Famers, yet their vote totals (62 percent for Piazza last year, 54 percent for Bagwell) remain considerably lower than their r�sum�s merit.

Sticks his tongue out at readers.

Doesn't say why Raines is problematic.

Is down on Piazza and Bagwell for not looking "right" and uses as a further argument for not putting them in the HOF the fact that they're not in the HOF.

[Edgy MD]

How childish.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

G-Fafif wrote: If you follow the link on the spreadsheet to the voter who thus far has ixnayed Piazza (specifically to the column in which the voter explains his ballot), you're almost glad not to have the support of one Dan Shaughnessy. So let it rip. Bring on the hate. Bring on the humiliation. Bring on the blogboy outrage. Bring on the analytic arrogance. Bring on the PED Hall Pass. It�s a tradition like no other. [...] Raines and Trammell are problematic and I am guilty of inconsistency with their candidacies. Raines was a rare combination of power (170 homers) and speed (808 steals). He had six 100-run seasons. Trammell is going to be off the ballot soon, and won�t make the Hall with the BBWAA, but there�s lots of value in a shortstop who hit .300 seven times, won four Gold Gloves and should have been MVP (he lost to George Bell) in 1987. [...] no votes for guys who just don�t look right. Bagwell and Piazza are the two players most penalized for this arbitrary crime. By any statistical measurement, Bagwell and Piazza are first-ballot Hall of Famers, yet their vote totals (62 percent for Piazza last year, 54 percent for Bagwell) remain considerably lower than their r�sum�s merit. Sticks his tongue out at readers. Doesn't say why Raines is problematic. Is down on Piazza and Bagwell for not looking "right" and uses as a further argument for not putting them in the HOF the fact that they're not in the HOF.

He's down on Piazza and Bagwell, but votes for Randy Johnson? That makes no sense to me.