If there is one group I wish would have me as a member it would be the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). This, of course, is the group which casts ballots for both the AL and NL MVP, Cy Young Awards, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. But best of all they get to vote for players to be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In about 12 hours from now, the BBWAA announces the Class of 2018 who will be inducted in July. BBWAA members can vote for up to 10 players. In order for a player to be enshrined, he must earn at least 75% of the vote. A player can be on the ballot for up to 10 seasons. If he fails to get in after 10 years then his case can be heard by the Veterans Committee. If I had the right to vote this would be my ballot:
1. Trevor Hoffman
Hoffman narrowly missed enshrinement a year ago earning 74% of the vote in his second year on the ballot. As one of only two relievers to save 600 plus games and one of only two relievers to save 200 or more games in two different decades, Hoffman is sure to become the third San Diego Padre to be enshrined into Cooperstown after Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn.
2. Vladimir Guerrero
In his first year on the ballot in 2017, Guerrero garnered 71.7% of the vote. Like Hoffman, he will likely be part of the Class of 2018. Guerrero had a lifetime batting average of .318 with 449 career home runs and nearly 1500 RBI with 9 All-Star Team selections and the AL MVP in 2004.
3. Chipper Jones
This is the Atlanta Braves legend first year on the Hall of Fame ballot. One of the greatest switch hitters in MLB history, Jones was a lifetime .303 hitter with 468 home runs with 1623 RBI. He earned 8 NL All-Star Team selections, the NL MVP in 1999 and a World Series ring in his rookie season in 1995. There is a paucity of third basemen in Cooperstown and there is a good chance Chipper will get in his first time on the ballot.
4. Jim Thome
Like Jones, this is also Thome's first year on the BBWAA ballot. With 612 career home runs and nearly 1700 RBI, there is a good chance that he too will get in on the first try. While Thome played in the Steroids Era, he was not included in the Mitchell Report. He had good old fashioned country power.
5. Omar Vizquel
Thome's former Cleveland Indians teammate is another first ballot candidate. He is simply the Luis Aparicio of this era and quite arguably better. Vizquel earned 11 Gold Gloves at shortstop compared to 9 for his fellow Venezuelan countryman. While Vizquel came up in an era which included shortstops with strong offensive credentials such as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra, Vizquel did finish with 2,877 hits. Unfortunately, defense isn't valued as much as offense. As such, Vizquel will be lucky if he gets 25% of the vote. But in time I think he will eventually get his plaque as Aparicio eventually would too.
6. Scott Rolen
While Chipper Jones was the best offensive third baseman of much of the 1990's and 2000's, Rolen was the best defensive third baseman over this same period earning 8 Gold Gloves. His offense was none too shabby with 316 career home runs and 1287 RBI plus 7 NL All-Star Team selections. But again defense is considered less valuable than offense so like Vizquel, Rolen will be on the outside looking in for now. But given the scarcity of third basemen in Cooperstown, Rolen might get in sooner rather than later.
7. Curt Schilling
The former Phillies, D'Backs and Red Sox hurler was the only player who saw a significant drop in his vote total on the 2017 ballot. As I argued in my very first article for NRO, I believe this drop was motivated by his vocal support for Donald Trump. While I loathe Trump, I don't believe Schilling's support for him should have any bearing on his candidacy. Certainly not a candidate with 3,000 plus strikeouts and three World Series rings to his credit.
8. Fred McGriff
Seven home runs is all that is keeping this power hitting first baseman out of Cooperstown. If not for the 1994 strike, McGriff would have had his 500 home runs and a Hall of Fame plaque. But time is running out for McGriff who is now in his 9th year on the BBWAA ballot and will probably not get beyond his usual 20% of the vote.
9. Jeff Kent
He is simply the greatest offensive second baseman in the history of MLB having the most home runs of any player at that position as well as 8 100 RBI seasons not to mention a NL MVP with the San Francisco Giants in 2000 at the height of teammate Barry Bonds' peak. Unfortunately, Kent was never popular with the media during his playing career and the BBWAA seem to hold that against him like they do with Schilling's politics.
10. Larry Walker
A career .313 hitter with a NL MVP in 1997, three NL batting titles not to mention 7 Gold Gloves for his work in right field. Unfortunately, wearing a Colorado Rockies uniform is evidently is disqualification from being in Cooperstown. It shouldn't be.
Players Who Narrowly Missed My Ballot
This year was more difficult than most. Given that we can expect at least four or five players to go in this year there is a good chance I will put these players on next year's ballot.
1. Edgar Martinez
There is a possibility that Martinez could go in this year, his 9th on the ballot. What has worked against him is being a DH. Like being in a Colorado Rockies uniform, this should not disqualify him from Cooperstown. However, I did not pick him because I wanted to support defensive stalwarts like Walker, Rolen and Vizquel.
2. Andruw Jones
I came very close to putting the other Jones on the Braves on my ballot. Ten Gold Gloves in center field is hard to ignore. But so is Walker's three NL batting titles. I do hope Jones gets beyond the 5% threshold and remains on the 2019 ballot.
3. Mike Mussina
Moose might have been the best pitcher in the AL during the 1990's and 2000's to not win a Cy Young Award. He would win 270 games, strikeout 2,800 plus batters and earn 7 Gold Gloves during the Steroids Era. But third basemen are scarcer than pitchers in Cooperstown. So I picked Rolen. Perhaps I will pick both next year.
The Elephants in The Room - Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez
Both Clemens and Bonds got above the 50% mark in the BBWAA vote last year. In fact, they proved to be less controversial than Schilling's politics. It will be interesting to see if their vote goes upward this year.
I am not precluding Clemens and Bonds from a future ballot. After all, they did not fail any drug tests and the federal government's case against both of them was weak tea. But I am giving priority to unsung players like Kent and McGriff.
The same cannot be said of Manny Ramirez who failed two drug tests and also physically assaulted a member of the Red Sox front office. Despite the many thrills Manny gave in a Red Sox uniform, these transgressions make it very unlikely he will ever appear on my ballot.
And with that, I look forward to the results later today.
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