You Vote For The HOF... Who's In?

[Spy Fox]

This year's Hall of Fame voting results will be released in a few days.

10 primary candidates are listed above. If you're a HOF voter, who gets in to the Hall this year?

[isestrex]

Blyleven

Alomar

Bagwell

Palmeiro

Martinez

McGwire

My stance has been and will always be to let anyone accused of steroids into the hall of fame. The people above deserve it based on their numbers and their plaques can add any "justice" the HOF feels is needed.

[Spy Fox]

Here's a summary of notable stats for the players on this shortened ballot:

Blyleven: 287 W, 3.31 ERA, 3,701 K, 2 AS

Brown: 211 W, 3.28 ERA, 6 AS

Bagwell: 449 HR, .948 OPS, 4 AS, 1 MVP

Larkin: .295 BA, 379 SB, 12 AS, 1 MVP, 3 GG

Walker: 383 HR, .965 OPS, 5 AS, 1 MVP, 7 GG

Martinez: 309 HR, .312 BA, .933 OPS, 7 AS

Palmeiro: 569 HR, 3020 H, 4 AS, 3 GG

Raines: .293 BA, 808 SB, 7 AS

Alomar: .300 BA, 474 SB, 12 AS, 10 GG

McGwire: 583 HR, .982 OPS, 12 AS

[isestrex]

Here's a summary of notable stats for the players on this shortened ballot:

Blyleven: 287 W, 3.31 ERA, 3,701 K, 2 AS

Brown: 211 W, 3.28 ERA, 6 AS

Bagwell: 449 HR, .948 OPS, 4 AS, 1 MVP

Larkin: .295 BA, 379 SB, 12 AS, 1 MVP, 3 GG

Walker: 383 HR, .965 OPS, 5 AS, 1 MVP, 7 GG

Martinez: 309 HR, .312 BA, .933 OPS, 7 AS

Palmeiro: 569 HR, 3020 H, 4 AS, 3 GG

Raines: .293 BA, 808 SB, 7 AS

Alomar: .300 BA, 474 SB, 12 AS, 10 GG

McGwire: 583 HR, .982 OPS, 12 AS

As always, ignore GG awards as we've most certainly learned over the years that they are meaningless.

[Moose Milligan]

I think Walker would have a great chance if he wasn't hurt all the time.

[Spy Fox]

As always, ignore GG awards as we've most certainly learned over the years that they are meaningless.

Gold Gloves aren't a great measure of a player's real defensive value, as we all know. But I bet they're still an important factor in HOF voting, whether or not they should be. Awards always look good.

[isestrex]

Gold Gloves aren't a great measure of a player's real defensive value, as we all know. But I bet they're still an important factor in HOF voting, whether or not they should be. Awards always look good.

My point is, they shouldn't. And they wouldn't, had I a vote.

[DrungoHazewood]

All of them. Every single player on that list is significantly better than a number of BBWAA HOFers at their position, and miles better than any number of Vet's Committee selections. I'd guess Raines, Alomar, Larkin, Blyleven, Palmeiro, and Bagwell are all above the average HOFer for their position. Bagwell has an argument for being among the top three or four first basemen of all time.

[sangar]

All of them. Every single player on that list is significantly better than a number of BBWAA HOFers at their position, and miles better than any number of Vet's Committee selections. I'd guess Raines, Alomar, Larkin, Blyleven, Palmeiro, and Bagwell are all above the average HOFer for their position. Bagwell has an argument for being among the top three or four first basemen of all time.

Word for word.

I looked for an 'all of the above' option but couldn't find it. These were all great players and deserve to be in the HOF.

[Avsfan]

If Bagwell doesn't get in, it's a crock...

[waroriole]

If Bagwell doesn't get in, it's a crock...

Yeah, I'd love to hear people's explanation for why Bagwell shouldn't be in.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yeah, I'd love to hear people's explanation for why Bagwell shouldn't be in.

Apparently it boils down to "'He didn't get 3000 hits or 500 homers (nevermind that 85% of the other HOFers didn't either), and anybody who ever slugged .700 has to have been taking stuff they'd only prescribe to alien horses (and nevermind there's not a shred of evidence he ever took anything)."

[mweb]

All of them. Every single player on that list is significantly better than a number of BBWAA HOFers at their position, and miles better than any number of Vet's Committee selections. I'd guess Raines, Alomar, Larkin, Blyleven, Palmeiro, and Bagwell are all above the average HOFer for their position. Bagwell has an argument for being among the top three or four first basemen of all time.

Yep. I think most of these guys are easy choices unless one is hung up on steroids. Walker is an interesting case imo because of Coors Field and his lack of durability, but even his OPS+ numbers are quite good and HOF worthy.

[DrungoHazewood]

Interesting how perceptions work. I think most baseball fans think of Don Drysdale as a pretty clear cut Hall of Famer. Well Kevin Brown compares very well to Don Drysdale, in fact I think he might have been the better pitcher. As I'm writing this Brown has about 7% of the vote in this poll.

Wins: Brown 211, Drysdale 209, despite Brown playing in an era where wins were much harder to come by for starters.

Brown led the league in wins once, Drysdale once.

ERA was Drysdale 2.95 to 3.28, but in ERA+ Brown wins 127 to 121.

Drysdale pitches a few more innings, 3432 to 3456.

They had nearly identical strikeout totals, Drysdale ahead by a handful 2486 to 2397.

Drysdale got one Cy Young to Brown's none, but Drysdale never placed in any other year besides the one he won, while Brown finished 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 6th in other years.

Drysdale led the league in starts four times, Brown three.

Brown led the league in ERA twice, ERA+ once. Drysdale never led in either.

They each led the league occasionally in some things like WHIP or HR/9 or K/9.

I think Drysdale got in as a longtime member of the Dodgers, as Koufax' sidekick, as the TV guy with ABC in the 70s and 80s. Brown was the surly guy who played on six different teams and got paid $15M for putting up a 6.50 ERA as a 40-year-old for the Yanks. Actually, neither of them are clear-cut HOFers, and there a plenty of other similar pitchers like Milt Pappas who aren't in. But you know how the Hall works - the only standards are the de facto standards set by whoever is already inducted.

[mweb]

I'm also surprised by the lack of support for Brown.

But I'm really surprised that less than half of people have voted for Larkin. He's pretty clearly a HOF'er imo. This is a SS who was a better offensive player than Ripken, and arguably by a decent margin. However, he obviously wasn't nearly as durable and although he was a good defensive player, he didn't measure up to Cal in that regard.

His career WAR is the same as Jeter's despite almost 1,500 less PA's.

He's also a 12 time all-star and an MVP.

I'd like to hear why he isn't a HOF'er according to some.