2015 Hall of Fame Ballot: If I Had A Vote

Each and every year there arises a major debate around the baseball world as to which players are deserving of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. While certain players from any given year are no doubt picks, sparking little argument as to whether their career numbers are worthy of election, others players have rather borderline statistics, making things very controversial. This year was no different.

The 2015 Hall of Fame ballot has 34 players on it, with 17 of them being in their first time on the ballot. After reviewing the ballot numerous times, I gave each and every player careful consideration, but in the end I wound up placing only six on my ballot. Here are the six players I feel should make it into the Hall of Fame in 2015 (not necessarily the players I think will get elected):

The first player on my ballot is Craig Biggio.

Missing the Hall of Fame by a mere two votes last year, Craig Biggio should get in without a problem this time around. One of only four of the twenty-eight total players in MLB history with 3,000 or more hits that isn’t in the Hall of Fame — the other three being Rafael Palmeiro (steroids), Pete Rose (banned) and Derek Jeter (he’ll be elected in 2020) — Biggio will likely have that change in 2015. His career stats of 291 home runs and 1,175 RBI’s are relatively low for a Hall of Fame player, but his career number of hits puts him over the top in my book.

The second player I have on my ballot is Mike Piazza.

I felt strongly last year that Mike Piazza should’ve gotten into the Hall, and I feel the same way this year as well. While Piazza received just over 62 percent of the vote in 2014, and therefore may or may not make a 13 percent jump to receive induction this time around, Piazza will eventually make it in, as he should. Piazza’s stats of 2,127 hits, 1,335 RBI’s and 427 home runs aren’t the best of anyone in history, but they’re right up near the top for best hitting catcher in baseball history. There is no doubt that Piazza is a Hall of Famer.

Tim Raines also finds his way onto my list of picks.

The only new player on my ballot that isn’t in his first time up for election, I gave Tim Raines a strong look last year but decided to leave him off my ballot. This year, however, I included Raines. Raines’ overall statistics aren’t over the top, having blasted just 170 home runs in his career, but it’s his 808 stolen bases combined with his 2,605 total hits that make him Hall of Fame worthy. Raines sits fifth all-time on the stolen base list, with the four players ahead of him each holding a spot in Cooperstown. In my opinion, Raines should join them.

Following Raines I have Randy Johnson.

The easiest choice of all the first time ballot players, Randy Johnson will no doubt get into the Hall of Fame in 2015. Racking up over 300 wins for his career — something that nowadays will likely never happen again — and recording 4,875 strikeouts to go along with a 3.29 ERA, Johnson sits in the top few all-time in a number of categories. Having received the honor of obtaining five Cy Young awards over his career, Johnson has put himself into great position to get the greatest honor of all: induction into the Hall of Fame.

The fifth player on my ballot is Pedro Martinez.

Pedro Martinez is by no means a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s very, very close. With a career ERA at 2.93, and the sixth best winning percentage of all-time, at .687, Martinez is definitely worthy of the Hall, just maybe not the first time around. Even so, he’s on my ballot. With all of the great seasons Martinez had, most notably with the Red Sox, where he won 117 of his 219 career games and helped lead Boston to its first World Series title since 1918, he will receive a great number of votes. But Martinez will perhaps come up just shy of induction this time around.

The final player on my ballot is John Smoltz.

As with Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz getting into the Hall in 2015 isn’t a sure bet, but he’s going to get a good amount of support regardless, and will undoubtedly get in eventually. The only player in MLB history to win over 200 games and record over 150 saves, all totalling up to a 3.33 career ERA, it’s Smoltz’s combination of great years as a starter and fantastic three year stretch of relief pitching from 2002-2004 while dealing with arm injuries that makes him deserve it all the more. Racking up all his career saves (154) over that time, Smoltz was an all around great pitcher.

Unfortunately, even with all of the great players on the ballot this year, I had to leave off the remaining 28 players, including a large number of the really good players from the ballot, being Fred McGriff, Lee Smith, Curt Schilling, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Gary Sheffield and Jeff Bagwell — all of which have good arguments for induction into the Hall.

In addition, I’ve excluded Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Rogers Clemens, among others traced to PED’s, not based solely on their PED use, but merely because I don’t feel they should get in this time around. Not yet. Maybe not even at all. I haven’t fully decided how I feel. The Hall of Fame is an exclusive club, and I’m not sure I’ll ever feel that PED players are deserving of induction.

Though you may disagree with some of the players I feel are Hall of Fame worthy and with some of the players I left off my ballot, it’s just the way I feel and how I see things. Now, I want to hear from you. Of the players on the 2015 ballot, who do you want to see get inducted in July? Cast your vote below for the number of players from the 2015 ballot that you would vote into the Hall of Fame, and feel free to leave your thoughts below.

2014 Hall of Fame Ballot: If I Had A Vote

The 2014 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is loaded with stars. (There are 36 players in all, with 19 of them being first ballot players.) Whether the player has been on the ballot for numerous years or is a newcomer, there are far too many players for me to give my take on them all. Therefore, I’m only going to be discussing the players I’d vote for if I had a vote, and provide my reasoning for each.

The first player on my ballot would have to be Greg Maddux. Maddux, who will go down in history as one of the best pitchers the game of baseball has ever seen, racked up a total of 355 wins over the course of his 23-year career. As if that wasn’t enough to make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Maddux also put together a stat line of 3,371 strikeouts, to go along with an ERA of 3.16, and 4 straight Cy Young winning seasons. In addition, Maddux holds the record for most Gold Glove awards with 18, and should be one of the highest vote getters in Hall of Fame voting history.

The second vote on my ballot goes to Frank Thomas. Thomas put together an incredible career, and would be an automatic pick for the Hall of Fame if it wasn’t for the steroid era in which he played. But despite that, I feel Thomas will get in as a first ballot player, and rightfully so, seeing that he was never directly connected to PED’s. Blasting 521 home runs in his 19-year career, totaling 1,704 RBI’s, “The Big Hurt” has some of the best stats seen on the ballot in years (with the exception of Barry Bonds). With a .301 batting average to go along with his amazing numbers, and two career MVP’s, Thomas should receive the second most votes from the 2014 ballot, after Greg Maddux.

The next player I have is Tom Glavine. Glavine, as with Greg Maddux, is one of only 24 pitchers to have put together 300 or more career wins (305), done in his 22 seasons in the major leagues. Anytime a pitcher accomplishes this great feat, it’s almost a no brainer that they’re a Hall of Fame player, as a 300 game winner is nearly unheard of nowadays. Glavine also has two Cy Young awards and 2,607 strikeouts to go along with his other impressive numbers, and that, in my mind, should earn him a spot in Cooperstown.

The fourth player on my ballot is Mike Piazza. Piazza doesn’t have the most impressive numbers of the players on this year’s ballot, however, the stats that he put together over his career, although not good enough for a first ballot vote, are good enough for the Hall of Fame, in this his second year on the ballot. In my mind, despite barely surpassing the 2,000 hit mark and sitting 90th all time in terms of RBI’s, Piazza put together one of the best ever careers for a catcher. He is fourth on the list of catchers in baseball history for most RBI’s and leads all catchers in home runs. When you combine it all together, it makes Piazza a Hall of Fame player.

The final player I would vote for from this year’s ballot is Craig Biggio. Biggio was the top vote getter of the players on the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 68.2 percent of the vote, which saw no players getting the necessary 75 percent to be elected. Biggio should get in this time around — many believe he should’ve been a first ballot Hall of Famer — as his 3,060 career hits put him on a list with just 27 other players who have compiled 3,000 or more hits. Biggio’s 291 career homers and 1,175 RBI’s are low for a Hall of Fame player, however, there is a very good case for making an exception for Biggio making it into the Hall.

Unfortunately, with all of the great players this year, I decided to leave off a few of the really good players from my ballot, including Jack Morris (who is in his last year of eligibility), Tim Raines, Don Mattingly, etc., even though I could’ve easily included them. I just didn’t think they were good enough to make the cut this year. In addition, I’ve excluded Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Rogers Clemens, among others traced to PED’s, not based solely on their PED use, but merely because I don’t feel they should get in this time around. Not yet. Maybe not even at all. I haven’t fully decided how I feel.

Though you may disagree with some of the players I feel are Hall of Fame worthy and with some of the players I left off my ballot, it’s just the way I feel and how I see things. Now, I want to hear from you. Of the players on the 2014 ballot, who do you want to see get elected along side of Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa in July? Cast your vote below for the number of players from the 2014 ballot that you would vote into the Hall of Fame, and feel free to leave your thoughts below.