The most anticipated day in Baseball Hall of Fame history has arrived, and like Al Capone’s Vault, the answer was Nothing. No PED users (or suspected users) got in, and nor did anybody considered clean. Let’s take a look at the vote, and give our synopsis.
Craig Biggio 68.2, 1st Year, #14 on our list.
The highest vote getter this year, Craig Biggio had 3,000 hits, though was never considered a dominating player, was a legitimate seven time All Star. Despite the glut of new talent on next year’s ballot, a 68.2 percent debut tells us that he will get in eventually.
Jack Morris 67.7 14th Year, #38 on our list.
The most polarizing non PED user on the ballot asks the debate of wins and clutch performances VS overall low ERA and Sabremetrics. We thought Morris would have had a good shot this year, but with some very capable pitchers entering next year’s ballot, that 7.3 percent he is shy looks like a canyon; especially considering he only moved up one percent this year.
Jeff Bagwell 59.6 3rd Year, #3 on our list
Is Jeff Bagwell being smeared with a potential “did he do PED’s” brush? Probably. Bagwell did move up from his 56 percent last year, but is he less of a player than long time teammate Craig Biggio? We don’t think so.
Mike Piazza 57.8 1st Year, #4 on our list
Never named to a PED list, but always suspected to be. This could be why the top offensive Catcher in baseball’s history failed to enter Cooperstown on his first try. Still a 57 percent on a debut does bode well for him to move up in the future.
Tim Raines 52.2 6th Year, #5 on our list
I nice move up for the “Rock”, as he has now gone over the 50 percent mark for the first time. His momentum is slowly growing and with and with nine more years to go, he may yet get his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
Lee Smith 47.8 11th Year, #32 on our list.
The top reliever on the ballot is hovering around 50 percent….just like always. No reason to think this will ever change.
Curt Schilling 38.8 1st Year, #19 on our list
Didn’t you think that he was going to debut higher than this? It isn’t that we thought he would get in right away, but we thought that it would be closer than this. With the glut of pitchers coming on next year’s ballot, Curt will have to wait for the call a little longer.
Roger Clemens 37.6 1st Year, #2 on our list
This is about the percentage that was projected based on the AP article two weeks ago. This answers the PED question for the Hall and right now it seems like this is how the voters will think for a few years. We have gone our soap box elsewhere on this site, so you know our feelings on it, so there is no need to debate it again here. We will say that this disappoints us.
Barry Bonds 36.2 1st Year, #1C on our list
See above….only magnify our anger by three. Bonds should be in.
Edgar Martinez 35.9 4th Year, #15 on our list
Forgotten in the PED debate, is the DH debate. Edgar’s vote tally hasn’t moved up much and there is little reason to think that 75 percent of the Hall of Fame voters will ever get aboard the Designated Hitter bandwagon; at least not in our generation.
Alan Trammell 33.6 12th Year, #9 on our list
It seems there are constant articles extolling the virtues of Alan Trammell (and Lou Whitaker) for that matter for the Hall. It may not be working. Trammell actually lost support from his 36.8 percent last year. It is not looking good for him with only three years left on the ballot.
Larry Waker 21.6 3rd Year, #11 on our list
Think this is about PEDs? Nope, this is the Hall of Fame voters debating Coors Field and thin air. Walker actually lost a percentage of support this year from last.
Fred McGriff 20.7 4th Year, #27 on our list
McGriff also lost a few percent off his support, and unlike others who are hovering around the same support on the ballot, the Crime Dog does not get any love from writers extolling his virtues. He is just “there” on the ballot. He will probably be at the same level of support on year 15.
Dale Murphy 18.6 15th Year #48 on the list
For the last week, Dale Murphy’s family has been pointing at integrity as a focal point for induction. Looks like it didn’t work, and Dale is off the ballot for good.
Mark McGwire 16.9 7th Year #12 on the list
So…Apologizing doesn’t help PED users does it? Mark McGwire has his LOWEST total since entering the ballot. He actually said recently that he wouldn’t vote for himself…apparently more voters agreed with him.
Don Mattingly 13.2 13th Year #64 on the list
Maybe he can get in as the Dodgers Manager?
Sammy Sosa 12.5 1st Year #10 on our list
Is there an interpreter to let Sammy know he didn’t make it in?
Rafael Palmeiro 8.8 3rd Year #13 on our list
Honestly, a big part of us just wanted Palmeiro to go under 5 percent to spare him from this. Statistically, he is a no brainer to enter, but of course the PED label keeps him out, but shouldn’t be higher up in relation to his PED brethren?
The following we had ranked, but failed to get the five percent needed to stay on the ballot:
Bernie Williams 3.3 2nd Year, #31 on our list
Kenny Lofton 3.2 1st Year, #43 on our list
Julio Franco 1.1 1st Year, #53 on our list
So, what have we learned? We know (officially) that PED users, or anyone associated with it, have a long and maybe impossible road to the Hall of Fame. Sure, we knew this before, but it when both Bonds and Clemens failed to get 40 percent? Ouch.
We have read writers talk about how they wanted to put more than ten names on a ballot, and others write about leaving it blank out of ‘protest’. \we know, we are going to read the same things next year.
We also know that next year gets harder. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas enter the ballot and with Bonds, Clemens and the rest of our top ten still outside of Cooperstown, our 2013 Notinhalloffame Baseball list will be the most loaded yet!
NOBODY enters Baseball HOF.
- Written by Committee Chairman
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Published in Not in Hall of Fame News
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Read 1087 times
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