Biggio, Smoltz, Martinez, Johnson - HOF

[TonySoprano]

2015 HOF Class

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12128504/pedro-martinez-randy-johnson-craig-biggio-john-smoltz-voted-hall

[25 Nuggets]

For the first time since 1955, four players have been elected by the BBWAA to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown:

Randy Johnson

Pedro Martinez

John Smoltz

Craig Biggio

[TonySoprano]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Welcome to immortality. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HOF2015?src=hash">#HOF2015</a> electees: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio. <a href="http://t.co/yAMmKkiePK">pic.twitter.com/yAMmKkiePK</a></p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="

">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>

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The Big Unit was the top vote getter at 97.3% Piazza at 69.9% in 5th place.

Also

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Mussina received 24.6 percent of the votes, a slight increase from last year <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/orioles?src=hash">#orioles</a></p>— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) <a href="

">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Schilling gets 39.2 percent -- beats Clemens and Bonds</p>— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) <a href="

">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>

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[MurphDogg]

Piazza at 69.9 percent. He will get there in a year or two. Smoltz getting twice the support of Schilling and three times the support of Mussina remains a mystery to me. All three should be in the Hall of Fame, but Smoltz is probably third of the three.

[ShaneDawg85]

I think for who they let in they got it right. I'm both surprised and not surprised that Smoltz got in on the first ballot. He deserved to be there, as did Glavine, although coincidentally both have career WAR's that were less than Mussina and Schilling and neither of those two was anywhere near induction.

[Can_of_corn]

Mussina needs to make a big jump next year considering the lack of a strong starting candidate.

I don't think it bodes well for him that Schilling had a big bump and he didn't.

[DrungoHazewood]

Mussina needs to make a big jump next year considering the lack of a strong starting candidate.

I don't think it bodes well for him that Schilling had a big bump and he didn't.

There are a lot of guys who are going to wait a long time. Maybe even until the keys to the front door are changed, or the latest version of the back door becomes an option for them. Mussina is the Duke Snider of this ballot, and Duke Snider had to wait 17 years to get in.

[TonySoprano]

I scoff at all the talk about how the writers are starting to study the numbers, and wrestling with their decisions. There is still the popularity factor as well. Case in point, Jon Heyman voted for Mattingly. Smoltz is a media guy now, so he's even more likable than he was as a player. Mussina was not as personable with the media, so he still waits while Smoltz goes first ballot.

Obviously we still have the yeahoos who won't put a player in on the first ballot. 15 writers decided that a pitcher with 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts, and 5 Cy Youngs (along with 2 2nd place and 1 3rd place finish) was not Hall worthy.

Randy Johnson's kryptonite

[Can_of_corn]

I scoff at all the talk about how the writers are starting to study the numbers, and wrestling with their decisions. There is still the popularity factor as well. Case in point, Jon Heyman voted for Mattingly. Smoltz is a media guy now, so he's even more likable than he was as a player. Mussina was not as personable with the media, so he still waits while Smoltz goes first ballot.

Obviously we still have the yeahoos who won't put a player in on the first ballot. 15 writers decided that a pitcher with 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts, and 5 Cy Youngs (along with 2 2nd place and 1 3rd place finish) was not Hall worthy.

Some of them excluded him so they could support other players who needed the votes more.

[Ohfan67]

I scoff at all the talk about how the writers are starting to study the numbers, and wrestling with their decisions. There is still the popularity factor as well. Case in point, Jon Heyman voted for Mattingly. Smoltz is a media guy now, so he's even more likable than he was as a player. Mussina was not as personable with the media, so he still waits while Smoltz goes first ballot.

Obviously we still have the yeahoos who won't put a player in on the first ballot. 15 writers decided that a pitcher with 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts, and 5 Cy Youngs (along with 2 2nd place and 1 3rd place finish) was not Hall worthy.

Yeah, that blows my mind. Seems like that one should have been unanimous.

[Frobby]

Mussina needs to make a big jump next year considering the lack of a strong starting candidate.

I don't think it bodes well for him that Schilling had a big bump and he didn't.

It's pretty obvious that Schilling will get in before Mussina does, if either of them ever gets in. Having Johnson, Pedro and Smoltz cleared away helps. There are no new top-level starting pitchers eligible for a few years now. Andy Pettitte becomes eligible four years from now. Until him, nobody, and nobody for a few years after him, either. By the way, if Pettitte gets in and Mussina doesn't, I'll barf.

[Can_of_corn]

It's pretty obvious that Schilling will get in before Mussina does, if either of them ever gets in. Having Johnson, Pedro and Smoltz cleared away helps. There are no new top-level starting pitchers eligible for a few years now. Andy Pettitte becomes eligible four years from now. Until him, nobody, and nobody for a few years after him, either. By the way, if Pettitte gets in and Mussina doesn't, I'll barf.

Halladay has a chance.

[scOtt]

You have to be this tall to ride this ride.

[video=youtube;orI26C05udY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orI26C05udY

[Frobby]

Halladay has a chance.

I forgot he retired. He absolutely has a chance. He's also up in 2019, with Pettitte.

[DrungoHazewood]

Halladay has a chance.

He'll lose some votes because he didn't have another six years of 56-60 with a 100 ERA+.