2013 HOF Class

[Remember The Alomar]

Just saw this being discussed on ESPN. Take a look at the players eligible for the HOF in 2013: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Category:Eligible_for_the_Hall_of_Fame_in_2013

Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa are all eligible. Biggio and Schilling are as well.

It will be interesting to see how the direction the voters go. I know that Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa probably have no chance to get in, but it will be interesting to see if they even remain on the ballet.

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/07/future-of-hall-of-fame.html

As to what you said, I'll just say that if those guys drop off completely, it will be the beginning of the end for the Hall of Fame, at least in its present form.

[Remember The Alomar]

http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/07/future-of-hall-of-fame.html

As to what you said, I'll just say that if those guys drop off completely, it will be the beginning of the end for the Hall of Fame, at least in its present form.

Thanks for the article; I hadn't seen it.

Yeah, if that's the case they should just rename it the Hall of Great Players Who Were Also Great Sports and Gentlemen (Except For Ty Cobb, Gaylord Perry, Cap Anson, and, well, a Bunch of Other Guys Too).

To act like they were the only steroid users when they played is silly. Just vote them in and mention somewhere on their plaque that they played in the steroid era. Have faith in baseball fans being smart enough to make their own judgement. If Bonds ever got in the HOF, its not like someone fifty years from now would forget that he was most likely a steroid user. You can't pretend that the 90's and early 2000's never happened.

[JamesI]

I would be amazed if Clemens/Sosa/Bonds fall off the ballot. I mean Palmeiro and McGwire are still on the ballot and Bonds/Clemens were clearly superior players to Palmeiro/McGwire.

I still would not be surprised if Bonds gets in, but it will likely take some time.

I expect ARod will be the first confirmed steroid user to get elected, opening the doors to the rest of them getting in quickly after that.

[Sports Guy]

Timmy K had an interesting take on things...With so mnany players likely to be left out due to steroids, are you going to start seeing undeserving guys get in?...like say a Jack Morris?

He said that the HOF will always want to have someone inducted so that they can have their weekend.

BTW, all of these guys should get in...first ballot and with ease.

Piazza, Biggio and Schilling will make up the 2013 class...Not having Bonds and Clemens in the HOF would be a joke.

[Can_of_corn]

Timmy K had an interesting take on things...With so mnany players likely to be left out due to steroids, are you going to start seeing undeserving guys get in?...like say a Jack Morris?

He said that the HOF will always want to have someone inducted so that they can have their weekend.

BTW, all of these guys should get in...first ballot and with ease.

Piazza, Biggio and Schilling will make up the 2013 class...Not having Bonds and Clemens in the HOF would be a joke.

Putting Piazza in before Bonds and Clemens would be a joke. At least there is a chance Biggio and Schilling were clean.

[Pedro Cerrano]

How can anyone take a Hall of Fame seriously if it doesn't have Barry Bonds in it? I mean, the guy could not have taken a drop of roids his entire career and I'd be 99% certain he'd still be a first ballot HOF.

[Austin]

Putting Piazza in before Bonds and Clemens would be a joke. At least there is a chance Biggio and Schilling were clean.

Why would that be a joke? Bonds and Clemens are obviously legends, arguably the best hitter and pitcher of all time... but it's not like Piazza was a slouch. Never definitively linked to steroids, best hitting catcher of all time.. seems pretty deserving of a first-ballot induction to me.

EDIT: For clarity's sake, I think Bonds and Clemens deserve a first-ballot induction as well but I doubt that will happen.

[Can_of_corn]

Why would that be a joke? Bonds and Clemens are obviously legends, arguably the best hitter and pitcher of all time... but it's not like Piazza was a slouch. Never definitively linked to steroids, best hitting catcher of all time.. seems pretty deserving of a first-ballot induction to me.

EDIT: For clarity's sake, I think Bonds and Clemens deserve a first-ballot induction as well but I doubt that will happen.

He wasn't a slouch by any means...he also wasn't Bonds or Clemens. Piazza's defense would keep him from being inner circle HOF even without steroids. He is also as implicated as a person could be without a positive test on the record. For the record I would first ballot Bonds, Clemens and Piazza in that order.

[Frobby]

How can anyone take a Hall of Fame seriously if it doesn't have Barry Bonds in it? I mean, the guy could not have taken a drop of roids his entire career and I'd be 99% certain he'd still be a first ballot HOF.

Pete Rose's performance wasn't enhanced by the fact that he bet on baseball after he was retired, but he's still out.

The steroids thing is a big headache, because there are at least 4 categories of users:

1. Those who have admitted using steroids/HGH.

2. Those who haven't admitted it, but there is strong evidence that they used steroids/HGH.

3. Those who haven't admitted it, but everyone suspects they used steroids/HGH.

4. Those who haven't admitted it, and aren't widely suspected, but who in fact used steroids/HGH.

It's very difficult to draw logically consistent lines under the circumstances.

By the way, I know someone who played Pac-10 baseball against Barry Bonds, who says he was suspected of taking steroids even in college. So, while I can't vouch for the validity of that, you can't assume that Bonds was clean up until his big HR surge. Unfortunately, there's just no way to know who did what when.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Pete Rose's performance wasn't enhanced by the fact that he bet on baseball after he was retired, but he's still out.

The steroids thing is a big headache, because there are at least 4 categories of users:

1. Those who have admitted using steroids/HGH.

2. Those who haven't admitted it, but there is strong evidence that they used steroids/HGH.

3. Those who haven't admitted it, but everyone suspects they used steroids/HGH.

4. Those who haven't admitted it, and aren't widely suspected, but who in fact used steroids/HGH.

It's very difficult to draw logically consistent lines under the circumstances.

By the way, I know someone who played Pac-10 baseball against Barry Bonds, who says he was suspected of taking steroids even in college. So, while I can't vouch for the validity of that, you can't assume that Bonds was clean up until his big HR surge. Unfortunately, there's just no way to know who did what when.

Pete Rose should be in, too.

[Can_of_corn]

Pete Rose's performance wasn't enhanced by the fact that he bet on baseball after he was retired, but he's still out.

The steroids thing is a big headache, because there are at least 4 categories of users:

1. Those who have admitted using steroids/HGH.

2. Those who haven't admitted it, but there is strong evidence that they used steroids/HGH.

3. Those who haven't admitted it, but everyone suspects they used steroids/HGH.

4. Those who haven't admitted it, and aren't widely suspected, but who in fact used steroids/HGH.

It's very difficult to draw logically consistent lines under the circumstances.

By the way, I know someone who played Pac-10 baseball against Barry Bonds, who says he was suspected of taking steroids even in college. So, while I can't vouch for the validity of that, you can't assume that Bonds was clean up until his big HR surge. Unfortunately, there's just no way to know who did what when.

As an added layer of confusion steroids are bad but amphetamines and flat out cheating are not frowned upon at all.

[crissfan172]

For 2013, I'd vote for Biggio, Schilling, and Piazza. I'd probably wait a couple of years to vote in Bonds and Clemens. It's pointless and petty, but I just couldn't make them first ballot.

For 2012, I'd vote for Larkin, Martinez, Bagwell, Walker, and McGriff. It's a disgrace that Edgar Martinez is punished for being a DH. If you make it a position, you should reward a player for excelling in it.

[sangar]

Where does Rose stand with respect to the Hall? Is he banned from it also?

[Austin]

Where does Rose stand with respect to the Hall? Is he banned from it also?

Well of course he's banned, nothing has changed with that. He obviously deserves to be in, though.