My 2018 Hall of Fame Ballot
It's that time of year again, where the baseball gurus obsess over the confusing, intricate Baseball Hall of Fame voting. It's peculiar in its ways, as many of you understand how the flawed process has caused hectic debates and discussions among the wittiest of fans.
I'm not here to dive into the voting issues, though. I'm here to discuss, in full detail, what my ballot would look like. First, I will begin by saying that I do not have a vote in all of this, nor do I deserve one. Possessing a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame is a stupendous honor. It takes hours and hours of research to understand who belongs, who is already enshrined, and what moves you need to make in order to submit the best ballot you can. Voting for the Hall of Fame is something I have longed dreamed about. There is a certain atmosphere to the game that drags you in and doesn't let you go. That atmosphere is rich with illustrious history.
For my ballot, I will be voting for ten players. As many of you know, ten is the maximum that you can vote for, but there is no minimum. I will utilize the ten, because, well, I believe every voter should. Again, that discussion is for another day. I will list my ten choices below, in no specific order, and provide a paragraph for why I chose them. At the end, I will discuss who I left off and why.
No time to waste. Let's get to it.
Larry Walker
I have spent the majority of the past two months advocating for why Larry Walker is a Hall of Famer. The numbers are there, if you just dig a little. Walker is one of just two players in MLB history with 300 home runs, 200 stolen bases, and a .950 OPS in a career. The other guy? Barry Bonds. You might have heard of him. I have heard the "Coors" argument over and over from people, and quite frankly, I think it's bananas. OPS+ is a stat that simply adjusts for parks. Walker posted a 141 career OPS+, while another guy on this years ballot, Vladimir Guerrero, posted a 140 career OPS+. Larry Walker was a premiere batsman, runner, and defender, where he had 94 career defensive runs saved. Walker was the better baseball player between him and Guerrero, which just goes to show you the type of raw deal Walker gets from the BBWAA.
Edgar Martinez
Another player I have pleaded the case for this off-season is Edgar Martinez. Without a doubt the greatest designated hitter to play the game. Do we have Big Papi fans out there? I'm one. Edgar actually out does Papi in some of the most important offensive categories. Edgar has a leg up in OPS+, wOBA, and fWAR. Edgar has fallen victim to the "played no defense" mantra that resides around the league. Martinez began his career as a third baseman, and played it pretty well through his first three full seasons. Injuries kept him off the field and he ultimately found himself in the DH spot. His bat was so good that the Mariners weren't willing to risk an injury in the field. My final point is, the DH, just like Coors Field, is a product of Major League Baseball just like anything else. Edgar dominated the DH, so he easily gets my vote.
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero is no doubt a Hall of Famer. He brought a different style of play to the game that not many people had seen before; a crazy ability to hit a baseball, no matter where it was pitched. The hard hitting, hard throwing righty was one of the best hitters of the 2000's and was a threat to pitchers for more than a decade. Vlad is one of fifteen retired players in MLB history with 400 home runs, 140 OPS+ and 2,500 hits. Nine of those are Hall of Famers and the others consist of Bonds, Manny, A-Rod, Sheffield, and Chipper. Vlad gets my vote with simplicity.
Chipper Jones
The easiest choice on the whole ballot goes to Chipper Jones. One of the greatest switch-hitters in MLB history, usually ranking right behind Mickey Mantle, Chipper did it all. He could run the bases, hit for power, hit for average, get on base at a high clip, and played a decent third base while doing it. Chipper is one of seven players in history to slash .300/.400.500 in a career with 10,000 PA or more. The other six are Frank Thomas, Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, and Tris Speaker. That's consistent success over a long career. Chipper gets my vote.
Mike Mussina
Mussina is one of the more underrated pitchers, not just in our generation, but in history alone. A true marksman of his time, not many people remember Mussina as a pitcher with such finesse. Since 1871, there are only three pitchers with at least 2,500 strikeouts and a K/BB ratio of 3.5 or better. Those three are Mike Mussina, Pedro Martinez, and Curt Schilling. He sustained success over his whole career, leaving him with 270 wins and even went 20-9 in his final season, while posting a 5.2 WAR. Only four pitchers have ended their career with a 5+ WAR season, and Koufax is one of them. Mussina gets my vote.
Curt Schilling
This one might be hard for some people, but let me explain. Schilling has had his fair share of issues off the field since his retirement, leaving many people questioning his views on things. Schilling is one of the greatest pitchers of our generation, and you can see him on a list of greatness just above in Mussina's paragraph. While I don't agree with the ignorant person he has become post-retirement, I understand that the majority of it has come post-retirement. I am going to vote for players that displayed greatness in their play while maintaining a good attitude during their career. What they do after they're done playing doesn't matter to me much (unless they cause major harm or kill someone, then that's a different story). Curt gets my vote.
Jim Thome
Another player bound to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, you have to try very hard not to like Jim Thome. If there was one flaw for him during his playing career, it would be that he has too nice. Throughout his 22-year career, that tended to be the joke around the league, because he was known as a great teammate and someone that wouldn't hurt a fly. On the flip side, he was a pretty good baseball player too. Thome's 612 home runs ranks 8th all time and he also posted a .402 career OBP. Thome gets my vote.
Billy Wagner
Some will be surprised to see Wagner on my ballot, but you shouldn't be. If you think Hoffman should be a Hall of Famer just like I believe he does, then Wagner deserves it as much. As a matter of fact, Wagner was actually better than Hoffman.
Billy Wagner:
2.31 ERA, 187 ERA+, 2.73 FIP, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K/BB
Trevor Hoffman:
2.87 ERA, 141 ERA+, 3.08 FIP, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K/BB
Hoffman does have 601 saves compared to Wagner's 422, but Wagner was more dominant during his historic stretch. Just two pitchers in MLB history have 400 saves with a 185 ERA+ or better. They're Billy Wagner and Mariano Rivera. There's some talk that closers are just failed starters, yet baseball created the save rule and ultimately the closer became a position. Just like Coors, we have to recognize it. Wagner gets my vote.
Scott Rolen
These final two selections will come as a surprise to you, but I implore you to look closer at their candidacies. Scott Rolen is one of the best third basemen to ever play this game. Six third basemen have a 70+ WAR and 300 home runs in their career. Three of those are Hall of Famers and the other three are Scott Rolen, Chipper Jones, and Adrian Beltre. Only two third basemen in MLB history have 300 home runs and 150 defensive runs saved, and they are Rolen and Beltre. Only seven third basemen have been inducted into the Hall of Fame via the BBWAA. For as important as the position is in baseball, it has been undervalued greatly. Also, Rolen faces potential elimination in his first year of the ballot (must hit 5% to stay on). It would be an absolute crime if he was voted off. He is a Hall of Famer. Rolen gets my vote.
Johan Santana
My final selection for my ballot, my tenth spot, goes to Johan Santana. Many will disagree, but Santana had a five year stretch of baseball that can't be matched by many. From 2004-2008, Santana went 86-39 with a 2.82 ERA, 261 BB, 1,189 strikeouts, and a 157 ERA+. Santana had a much better career than Bob Lemon and Lefty Gomez, who are already in the Hall of Fame. Since 1871, only fourteen pitchers have posted a 135 ERA+ or better in a career (min. 2,000 IP). Twelve of those pitchers are Hall of Famers, while the other two are Johan Santana and Roger Clemens. If you look at Santana's career lined up next to the legendary Sandy Koufax, you find more similarities than one would think. If you follow me on Twitter, you have seen my discussion about that. Santana receives my final vote.
So, there it is. That's what my 2018 Hall of Fame ballot would look like. Now it's time for discussion. "Why do you include Billy Wagner on your ballot, but not Trevor Hoffman, who you said is a Hall of Famer?" some people will ask. Here is my answer. Hoffman just missed being inducted in his second year. This year looks like he will get in. Since we have the poor rule of only being allowed to vote for ten players, I decided to write in Wagner, who may be voted off the ballot entirely, than use a vote for Hoffman who will most likely get in this year. Some people vote for the ten best on the ballot, and while I wholeheartedly agree with that analogy, I am stuck with being more strategic since the max vote is ten.
Secondly, some will ask why I voted for Rolen and Santana over Bonds and Clemens. This is a tough one for me. I'm being serious when I say this, too. Growing up, I was strongly against the use of steroids and those users being enshrined into the Hall of Fame. It was only recently when I began changing my stance on this topic. It seems that everyday I have a different thought about Bonds and Clemens getting in. One day I think they should, and another I think that they shouldn't. Maybe that seems a little uneducated and cliche, but it's not, I promise. I realize that the Hall of Fame already has members that used some sort of performance enhancer. If that is the case, and it is, then Bonds and Clemens deserve to be in.
The major reason I didn't include Bonds and Clemens on my ballot is because of where they stand as of this year. Within the next few years, both Bonds and/or Clemens will be a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame. With a ballot so heavy like this years, I decided to look away, just this time, from Bonds and Clemens, in order to focus more on the players I believe deserve to be in, but are in threat of falling below 5%. Next years ballot seems much thinner this one, so they most likely receive my vote.
I hope you enjoyed my ballot, and just like everything else, there will be people that disagree with the way I "voted" this year. I welcome all forms of discussion, and am willing to discuss more for anyone that feel the need.