Hall of Fame Vote

The 2016 MLB Hall of Fame class is another group that could lead to an overflowing crowd of supporters in Cooperstown, New York next summer. After watching Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio give lengthy speeches last summer, it could (and should) be a much larger group of inductees, as the museum and its voting privileged try to come to grips with the reality in the backlog, logjam, and cluster&%$# of names, due to their own stupidity, has led to.

Luckily, many of the writers are becoming more credible by making their ballots public, which leads to the early favorite for the worst ballot: Earl Bloom, who is the only person to have publicly voted for Garret Anderson.

Of course, I was ridiculed publicly, and privately, for my own vote last season, after having said that David Ortiz is the greatest DH of all-time, and I will be redeeming myself with my vote this season and detailing why Edgar Martinez is that man. I have this wonderful opportunity due to the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA). Here is some free advertising:

The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) was created July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

The IBWAA seeks neither to replace nor disparage the BBWAA, but does offer distinctions. While the BBWAA requires ten years and hundreds of dollars of paid membership for writers to earn a Hall of Fame vote, the IBWAA has no waiting period, with a $20 annual membership fee ($35 lifetime).

In the vast majority of cases, the BBWAA requires the tying of a writer’s online work to a print publication for admission; the IBWAA does not. The IBWAA believes that the hoops an applying writer has to jump through to join the older organization are too many and too narrow, and welcomes all Internet baseball writers. Those with his or her own baseball website of any kind or scope are invited to join, as are those who contribute the written word anywhere within the baseball blogosphere.

Enough of that. Below, you’ll see my 15 votes for the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame.

NOTE: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Mike Piazza were elected by the IBWAA and do not appear on the list for that reason.

Barry Bonds:

The all-time home run king (asterisk if you’d like) was the most feared hitter of his era, and possibly of all-time when you consider his career intentional walks, also a MLB record. He juiced…so did most of the top players. Say what you want about integrity of the game, but Bonds still had to hit the ball, and he did it better than anyone else.

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	IBB
22 Yrs				2986	12606	9847	2227	2935	601	77	762	1996	514	2558	1539	.298	.444	.607	1.051	5976	688
162 Game Avg.				162	684	534	121	159	33	4	41	108	28	139	83	.298	.444	.607	1.051	324	37

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Roger Clemens:

Another “juicer” who prolonged his career with the help of medicine, Clemens was a workaholic well before the steroids became his enhancer. The career that Clemens had is Hall worthy, and he was a master of his craft and dominant during an era that was dominated by the juicing hitters.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
24 Yrs	354	184	3.12	709	118	46	4916.2	4185	1885	1707	363	1580	4672	143	3.09	1.173	7.7	2.9	8.6	2.96
162 Game Avg.	17	9	3.12	34	6	2	236	201	91	82	17	76	224	143	3.09	1.173	7.7	2.9	8.6	2.96

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Ken Griffey, Jr.:

The smile, the swing, the glove…”The Kid”. Griffey has a clean image in a tarnished era. No one truly knows who was using and who wasn’t, but the assumption is that Griffey was the one who was doing it the right way. Injuries derailed his chance of holding Hank Aaron’s record that Bonds now has, but Junior certainly has a long-lasting legacy of greatness that will, quite possibly, earn him the highest Hall vote in history.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
22 Yrs	2671	11304	9801	1662	2781	524	38	630	1836	184	1312	1779	.284	.370	.538	.907	136	5271	246
162 Game Avg.	162	686	594	101	169	32	2	38	111	11	80	108	.284	.370	.538	.907	136	320	15

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Trevor Hoffman:

Hoffman and his changeup held the record for all-time saves until Mariano Rivera and his cutter took it away shortly after his retirement. His long-term success and dominance help his case, even if he closed out his career in less-than-Rivera-fashion.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
18 Yrs	61	75	2.87	1035	856	601	1089.1	846	378	347	100	307	1133	141	3.08	1.058	7.0	2.5	9.4	3.69
162 Game Avg.	4	5	2.87	68	56	39	72	56	25	23	7	20	74	141	3.08	1.058	7.0	2.5	9.4	3.69

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Jeff Kent:

Kent was similar in his success at the keystone position as Cubs’ great Ryne Sandberg. He may have been helped by having Bond hit in front of him for several seasons, but he still had to complete his job, and he did so tremendously. He was a force, a five-time All-Star, and an MVP. He didn’t have the defensive chops of Ryno, but the bat was much more impressive for a longer period of time.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
17 Yrs	2298	9537	8498	1320	2461	560	47	377	1518	94	801	1522	.290	.356	.500	.855	123	4246	61
162 Game Avg.	162	672	599	93	173	39	3	27	107	7	56	107	.290	.356	.500	.855	123	299	4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Edgar Martinez:

The greatest DH of all-time. Edgar at his peak was a monster, earning a 39.8 WAR from 1995-2001 while playing all of 33.1 innings over seven games in the field. Add in his impressive WAR from 1990-1992 (17.2) while manning third base, and you can see that he was a pretty special player before moving to DH. Sure, he may not have the home run totals of David Ortiz, but he was a far superior player, especially his peak seasons.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
18 Yrs	2055	8674	7213	1219	2247	514	15	309	1261	49	1283	1202	.312	.418	.515	.933	147	3718	113
162 Game Avg.	162	684	569	96	177	41	1	24	99	4	101	95	.312	.418	.515	.933	147	293	9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Fred McGriff:

“The Crime Dog” was a monster for several clubs, and his constant changing of teams makes him an intriguing case for the Hall, as he didn’t spend more than five years with any team over his 19 seasons. Additionally, he fell just short of the once-impressive 500 home run club. When you consider his career stats are most similar to Hall of Famers like Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, and Frank Thomas, you can see why McGriff belongs alongside his peers in Cooperstown, especially since he hasn’t been connected to any steroid stories.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
19 Yrs	2460	10174	8757	1349	2490	441	24	493	1550	72	1305	1882	.284	.377	.509	.886	134	4458	171
162 Game Avg.	162	670	577	89	164	29	2	32	102	5	86	124	.284	.377	.509	.886	134	294	11

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Mark McGwire:

McGwire helped save the game after the 1994 strike with his incredible home runs. He couldn’t stay healthy, and it could be due to all of the steroids in his system, but his numbers and production are just as valuable as the PED-based shoulders that carried the game back into some semblance of respectability – until the league decided to frown on the same things that lifted it up.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
16 Yrs	1874	7660	6187	1167	1626	252	6	583	1414	12	1317	1596	.263	.394	.588	.982	163	3639	150
162 Game Avg.	162	662	535	101	141	22	1	50	122	1	114	138	.263	.394	.588	.982	163	315	13

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Mike Mussina:

“Moose” was a workhorse and a winner for a team that never won in Baltimore. While he only won 20 games once (his final season), he was a model of consistency and won 117 more games than he lost due to his efforts.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
18 Yrs	270	153	3.68	537	536	57	23	3562.2	3460	1559	1458	376	785	2813	123	3.57	1.192	8.7	2.0	7.1	3.58
162 Game Avg.	17	10	3.68	34	34	4	1	226	219	99	92	24	50	178	123	3.57	1.192	8.7	2.0	7.1	3.58

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Gary Sheffield:

The bat speed, the production, the attitude…Sheffield had it all. He, like McGriff, never found a long-term home. It doesn’t change the fact that his prime and peak seasons were seasons for the ages. He dominated the opposition and was feared for a long period of time. Who knows if he was a juicer – even if he was, he was one of the best players of the era.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
22 Yrs	2576	10947	9217	1636	2689	467	27	509	1676	253	1475	1171	.292	.393	.514	.907	140	4737	130
162 Game Avg.	162	688	580	103	169	29	2	32	105	16	93	74	.292	.393	.514	.907	140	298	8

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Lee Smith:

Smith redefined the closer role and if the Hall has room for Bruce Sutter, it certainly has room for Smith for the same reason. It’s actually baffling that Smith, who has 178 more saves and a much longer, successful career, isn’t in and Sutter is…but that’s just my opinion.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
18 Yrs	71	92	3.03	1022	802	478	1289.1	1133	475	434	89	486	1251	132	2.93	1.256	7.9	3.4	8.7	2.57
162 Game Avg.	5	6	3.03	68	53	32	85	75	31	29	6	32	83	132	2.93	1.256	7.9	3.4	8.7	2.57

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Sammy Sosa:

As mentioned above with McGwire, Sosa was loved by all during the home run barrage of the late 90s and early 2000s, but baseball turned their back on him and the other juicers once the Mitchell Report was released. Sure, he’s tainted, but he was an incredible talent whose love of the game and long tenure with the lovable losers in Chicago made him an easy person to root for. He has blemishes but so did MLB during his time. He deserves to be in Cooperstown.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
18 Yrs	2354	9896	8813	1475	2408	379	45	609	1667	234	929	2306	.273	.344	.534	.878	128	4704	154
162 Game Avg.	162	681	607	102	166	26	3	42	115	16	64	159	.273	.344	.534	.878	128	324	11

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Alan Trammell:

Trammell was ARod, Ripken, Larkin, Garciaparra, and Tejada before those guys happened. His ability to hit and field at shortstop helped lay the path for talented sluggers like Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Correa today. Although Lou Whitaker will not ever get in the Hall, Trammell can still afford the dynamic duo from Detroit one seat in Cooperstown.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
20 Yrs	2293	9376	8288	1231	2365	412	55	185	1003	236	850	874	.285	.352	.415	.767	110	3442	48
162 Game Avg.	162	662	586	87	167	29	4	13	71	17	60	62	.285	.352	.415	.767	110	243	3

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Billy Wagner:

Wagner was one of the most dominant relievers in MLB history. He never posted a full season with an ERA higher than 2.85 and a K:9 less than 10.1 (that injury-shortened 2000 season can be scrapped). He doesn’t have Hoffman or Rivera’s save totals, but everything else lines up similar or better to the two greatest relievers in history – which begs the question…is Wagner better than Rivera or Hoffman?

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
16 Yrs	47	40	2.31	853	703	422	903.0	601	262	232	82	300	1196	187	2.73	0.998	6.0	3.0	11.9	3.99
162 Game Avg.	4	3	2.31	68	56	34	72	48	21	18	7	24	95	187	2.73	0.998	6.0	3.0	11.9	3.99

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

Larry Walker:

The power, the speed, the arm…Walker had it all. The only thing he didn’t have was pain tolerance or health. If he had stayed on the field, this would be a no brainer. As is, he’s a borderline candidate who did more than enough to warrant consideration.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	IBB
17 Yrs	1988	8030	6907	1355	2160	471	62	383	1311	230	913	1231	.313	.400	.565	.965	141	3904	117
162 Game Avg.	162	654	563	110	176	38	5	31	107	19	74	100	.313	.400	.565	.965	141	318	10

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/30/2015.

 

Follow @EvanVogelTweets

Just Shut Up: Another Reaction to Alex Rodriguez

Whether it’s the handwritten apology that is being broken apart by forensic units and handwriting specialists, or the lengthy feature released by ESPN: The Magazine, the reintroduction of Alex Rodriguez to the world hasn’t changed the world’s perspective on the aging slugger. After spending the 2014 season suspended from the only job that he had had since the age of 18, the year that he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners and had 59 over-matched plate appearances, we have come to find out that Rodriguez spent the year toiling in the various activities that someone with $500 million from playing a game can afford to do to “find oneself”.

Courtesy: New York Daily News

Are we expected to hate Alex Rodriguez due to his lies and cheating? Are we expected to feel sorry for him because his father ran out on him and he never went to college? Are we expected to forgive his indiscretions and transgressions due to his willingness to come back to a game that is trying to push him as far away from it as possible? Are we expected to think that he is coming back for the “love of the game” or for the $61 million that he is guaranteed over the next three seasons?

It would be an understatement to say that Alex Rodriguez is a polarizing figure. Despite that fact that Barry Bonds utilized the same methods in the use of illegal materials and the same willingness to dodge the truth, it is Alex Rodriguez who has become the most hated man in baseball. Despite the fact that Bonds is the one who holds the record for career home runs, it is Rodriguez who isn’t supposed to break the record going forward. As the ESPN: The Magazine article discussed, it is Rodriguez who is the villain, despite Ryan Braun‘s presence in Major League Baseball, even with Braun’s willingness to drag everyone and their brother under the bus after being outed as a cheater, twice. The Hall of Fame cases for Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Mike Piazza are tainted, whether wrongfully or not, by the cloud of steroids that has followed them and an entire era of players; however, it is Jason Giambi, an admitted user, who gets to retire with honor this week and slide right into an organizational position with the Cleveland Indians, who is praised for his career, which he has admitted to altering.

Does Rodriguez deserve better?

So, what is it that causes this polarization on these players? If being super-competitive led declining players to seek elongation of a career, yet we mock Willie Mays for his time as a New York Met, what is it that our society really wants out of our professional sports icons?

Our culture has changed significantly during my 34 years as a member of this planet, but one thing that has been going on for quite some time is the fact that people are willing to take some wild steps to get to where they want to be in life. Today, we like to think that baseball is in need of a change due to the length of the games and the “entertain me now” philosophy that goes along with the Social Media age. Why not add a clock to ensure that a pitcher throws the ball while two-thirds of the stadium is busy tagging their friend in a picture and posting #nofilter on the beautiful sunset peeking through the right field corner of the stadium? It seems ridiculous to change the ideas of what is acceptable and appropriate in our lives and our entertainment, demanding more right now than we ever did in the past. More news, more excitement, more reasons why you should enjoy what you have in front of you than actually taking the time to enjoy it. The sensationalism of “things” and “experiences” has led to something as minute as an individual’s actions being more important than the game.

That ideology is why Alex Rodriguez and others have become the poster children for the fall of the game. Rodriguez wasn’t alone, but we always want to blame someone. Before ARod it was Bonds, before Bonds it was Canseco, and before Canseco it was Pete Rose. We don’t need to change baseball and we don’t need to change Alex Rodriguez. We need to remember that he was playing a game, that he made a mistake (albeit for several years) to try to maintain his lifestyle. In the same way that others make mistakes and create debt by using credit cards for things that they can’t afford, they are forced to dig themselves out.

In the same way, Alex Rodriguez needs to dig himself out. He doesn’t need to accept blame, he didn’t need to apologize, he just needed to change and be happy while playing the game cleanly. No one needs answers in this catastrophe of a public relations nightmare. There are far worse things going on behind the scenes of athletes’ lives than a man using his body as a pin cushion for steroids – just look at the NFL arrests since the Super Bowl. For all of the ridiculous spins that stories featuring Alex Rodriguez have taken over the last several days, here is one that you won’t see all over the internet: Alex Rodriguez was great, he was troubled, and he will overcome those troubles to be respected by the end of his career.

People have been cheating in all aspects of business. Sure, kids look up to him, but, as Charles Barkley once said:

Alex Rodriguez doesn’t need to answer questions for anyone except his two daughters, his family, and his closest friends. He isn’t threatening to end the world, attacking innocent lives, or testing ballistic missiles. He’s just a baseball player who screwed up. He deserves another chance to come out and do it right, and until he does it wrong again, we should all just sit back and watch, keeping our mouths shut the way that Alex Rodriguez should have the whole time.

Follow @EvanVogelTweets

Hall of Fame Vote

I don’t have a Hall of Fame vote with the BBWAA, but I DO have one with the IBWAA. The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America gives a voice to the common writer, who tends to be the common fan – one who doesn’t utilize a national platform to showcase their personal agenda, while using a large publication to demonstrate their lack of knowledge. For those who are willing to be open-minded regarding their education of the greatest game ever played, the ever-changing numbers-crunching and constant flow of information has changed how many around the game think; however, there are still a few, like the link above, which detail how wrong so many actually voting for the Hall of Fame actually are.

Beyond the credentialed irrationality of many within the BBWAA, we are left with the limitations, which are being challenged now that a dramatic number of worthy candidates are on a ballot that can only allow up to 10 players into Cooperstown each year.  To overcome the shortcomings, we have the IBWAA, which is filled with bloggers, and national writers who don’t yet qualify for the BBWAA vote, and perhaps never will. Within the IBWAA, we can vote for up to 15 players each year, and I used each vote on a loaded ballot, while leaving off some very good players, as well. Below, you’ll find my ballot, but some valuable information from the IBWAA:

The IBWAA ballot compares identically to the BBWAA ballot, with the following exceptions:

1. Craig Biggio’s name does not appear on the IBWAA ballot because he was elected by the group in 2014.

2. Mike Piazza’s name does not appear on the IBWAA ballot because he was elected by the group in 2013.

3. Barry Larkin’s name does appear on the ballot because he has not reached the 75% threshold in an IBWAA election.

Per a group decision in 2013, the IBWAA allows members to vote for 15 players, instead of the previous 10, beginning with this election.

Jeff Bagwell:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
15 Yrs				2150	9431	7797	1517	2314	488	32	449	1529	202	1401	1558	.297	.408	.540	.948	149	4213
162 Game Avg.				162	711	587	114	174	37	2	34	115	15	106	117	.297	.408	.540	.948	149	317

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Bagwell was a monster, who had one of the greatest seasons in the history of baseball in 1994 before the strike ended it. His career was shortened by shoulder woes, but he was one of the most feared athletes in the game, a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, and a four-time All-Star, who had 2.89 career MVP shares.

Barry Bonds:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
22 Yrs				2986	12606	9847	2227	2935	601	77	762	1996	514	2558	1539	.298	.444	.607	1.051	182	5976
162 Game Avg.				162	684	534	121	159	33	4	41	108	28	139	83	.298	.444	.607	1.051	182	324

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Say what you want to about his character flaws – the Hall of Fame honors greatness, and Bonds was nothing short of great. An asterisk and labels can’t change the fact that he had to hit the ball, and he certainly did that – while stealing bases and being an incredible athlete in his earlier, slimmer seasons.

Roger Clemens:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	SO/W
24 Yrs				354	184	3.12	709	707	118	46	4916.2	4185	1885	1707	363	1580	4672	143	3.09	1.173	7.7	2.96
162 Game Avg.				17	9	3.12	34	34	6	2	236	201	91	82	17	76	224	143	3.09	1.173	7.7	2.96

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Clemens was a competitor, a hard-working workhorse, whose offseason workouts led to his long-term success, just as much as some of the “products” that he put into his body. Despite his stupidity off-the-field, he was an amazing pitcher on it – one of the greatest.

Randy Johnson:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	SO/W
22 Yrs				303	166	3.29	618	603	100	37	4135.1	3346	1703	1513	411	1497	4875	135	3.19	1.171	7.3	3.26
162 Game Avg.				17	9	3.29	34	34	6	2	230	186	95	84	23	83	271	135	3.19	1.171	7.3	3.26

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

“The Big Unit” holds the MLB record for career K:9 and his size and stuff were equally intimidating – ask John Kruk. The longevity of his stuff was equally impressive as his results.

Jeff Kent:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
17 Yrs				2298	9537	8498	1320	2461	560	47	377	1518	94	801	1522	.290	.356	.500	.855	123	4246
162 Game Avg.				162	672	599	93	173	39	3	27	107	7	56	107	.290	.356	.500	.855	123	299

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Kent’s numbers may be inflated from batting behind Bonds for so many years, but his overall numbers at second base make Ryne Sandberg’s look pedestrian. Different era, certainly, but Kent’s production is absolutely Hall-worthy.

Barry Larkin:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
19 Yrs				2180	9057	7937	1329	2340	441	76	198	960	379	939	817	.295	.371	.444	.815	116	3527
162 Game Avg.				162	673	590	99	174	33	6	15	71	28	70	61	.295	.371	.444	.815	116	262

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

He’s already in Cooperstown, but he still gets my vote here. Call me a homer, but Larkin helped to redefine the position when he became the very first shortstop in baseball history to post a 30 home run/30 stolen base season in 1996, the season AFTER his MVP award.

Pedro Martinez:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	SO/W
18 Yrs				219	100	2.93	476	409	46	17	2827.1	2221	1006	919	239	760	3154	154	2.91	1.054	7.1	4.15
162 Game Avg.				17	8	2.93	37	31	4	1	217	171	77	71	18	58	242	154	2.91	1.054	7.1	4.15

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Pedro was as dominant as any pitcher ever during his prime. He won three Cy Young Awards (two were unanimous) over a four year period, while having a 4.26 career Cy Young shares. From 1997 through 2003, he averaged 17 wins per season, with a 2.20 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and had a 5.59 K:BB. Perhaps it wasn’t long enough for some, but Martinez was as good as any right-handed pitcher ever when he was in his prime.

Fred McGriff:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
19 Yrs				2460	10174	8757	1349	2490	441	24	493	1550	72	1305	1882	.284	.377	.509	.886	134	4458
162 Game Avg.				162	670	577	89	164	29	2	32	102	5	86	124	.284	.377	.509	.886	134	294

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

“The Crime Dog” hasn’t had nearly enough love from BBWAA voters since he became eligible in 2010, falling to 11.7 percent of the vote last season. He didn’t reach the 500 home run plateau, but he also wasn’t one of “those guys” when it comes to the PED police. Sure, he never won an MVP, but he did earn five All-Star appearances and was the epitome of consistency by averaging a .289/.382/.515 line with 31 home runs and 97 RBI per season from 1988 through 2001 – 14 seasons!

Mark McGwire:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
16 Yrs				1874	7660	6187	1167	1626	252	6	583	1414	12	1317	1596	.263	.394	.588	.982	163	3639
162 Game Avg.				162	662	535	101	141	22	1	50	122	1	114	138	.263	.394	.588	.982	163	315

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

McGwire sort of ruined things for everyone when he was bashing with Jose Canseco in Oakland and blowing up quicker than a marshmallow in a microwave in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The “Andro” in the locker started the media’s movement to ridicule cheaters in baseball, but it wasn’t until after Bud Selig and the owners were loving the revenue and the return of baseball’s popularity. Not only did McGwire put up incredible numbers, he and Sosa’s rush towards Maris’s record helped save the game. Numbers alone (which is what players are measured on)…McGwire is in.

Tim Raines:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
23 Yrs				2502	10359	8872	1571	2605	430	113	170	980	808	1330	966	.294	.385	.425	.810	123	3771
162 Game Avg.				162	671	574	102	169	28	7	11	63	52	86	63	.294	.385	.425	.810	123	244

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Rickey Henderson was flashy and outrageous, but Raines was just as special and dynamic. Raines may be remembered for slight production for a number of years. He was at his best from 1981 through 1987, earning All-Star nods each of those seasons; however, Raines would hang around for an additional 14 seasons, producing above replacement level numbers through 1993 before his career was mostly him just lingering. Despite the shortcomings, he should be measured for his extended greatness in the 1980’s, and his ranking 5th all-time in stolen bases also helps.

Gary Sheffield:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
22 Yrs				2576	10947	9217	1636	2689	467	27	509	1676	253	1475	1171	.292	.393	.514	.907	140	4737
162 Game Avg.				162	688	580	103	169	29	2	32	105	16	93	74	.292	.393	.514	.907	140	298

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Another man with character flaws, Sheffield’s personality rubbed a lo t of people the wrong way; however, his production on-the-field was elite. He remains one of the top right-handed power hitters in the history of the game, and the bat-speed has made him legendary, leading to many comparisons to upcoming prospects, like the Cubs’ Javier Baez. Sheffield’s arrogance can only be matched by the impressive numbers that should lead to his admittance to Cooperstown.

John Smoltz:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	SO/W
21 Yrs				213	155	3.33	723	481	53	16	154	3473.0	3074	1391	1284	288	1010	3084	125	3.24	1.176	8.0	3.05
162 Game Avg.				12	9	3.33	41	27	3	1	9	196	174	79	73	16	57	174	125	3.24	1.176	8.0	3.05

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Smoltz had an interesting career – one that will lead many wondering if he did enough to get into the Hall of Fame. Sure, he didn’t win 300 games, but he spent four seasons in the bullpen and one season out of baseball due to Tommy John surgery. His dominance as a starter AND a reliever is what makes his case so special.

Sammy Sosa:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
18 Yrs				2354	9896	8813	1475	2408	379	45	609	1667	234	929	2306	.273	.344	.534	.878	128	4704
162 Game Avg.				162	681	607	102	166	26	3	42	115	16	64	159	.273	.344	.534	.878	128	324

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

A freak, whether natural or enhanced, Sosa was a monster. Like McGwire, his lore is disturbed by question marks and labels; however, for me, the numbers tell the story. He was one of the best players in baseball for an extended period of time, which allows him to rank among the game’s greatests.

Alan Trammell:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
20 Yrs				2293	9376	8288	1231	2365	412	55	185	1003	236	850	874	.285	.352	.415	.767	110	3442
162 Game Avg.				162	662	586	87	167	29	4	13	71	17	60	62	.285	.352	.415	.767	110	243

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

I wrote an entire article on this several years ago and I feel that it is still relevant. Find it HERE.

Larry Walker:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB
17 Yrs				1988	8030	6907	1355	2160	471	62	383	1311	230	913	1231	.313	.400	.565	.965	141	3904
162 Game Avg.				162	654	563	110	176	38	5	31	107	19	74	100	.313	.400	.565	.965	141	318

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

Walker’s overall number look very similar to Jeff Bagwell, and he is just as worthy of enshrinement. Injuries quickly halted Walker’s production, but his ability to produce across the board, while featuring an incredible arm in right field, made him one of the best all-around players of his era.

Follow @EvanVogelTweets

Is 755 Still Meaningful?

On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves celebrated the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron‘s 715th home run, which catapulted him past Babe Ruth for Major League Baseball’s all-time record for career home runs. Aaron’s career was finished following the 1976 season, and, while Barry Bonds and his asterisk-filled resume was able to pass him on the home run list, Aaron still holds the major league record for RBI (2,297) and total bases (6,856).

There are many numbers that people remember about baseball:
4,256. Pete Rose – career hits.
714. Babe Ruth – career home runs.
2,632. Cal Ripken, Jr. – consecutive games played.
511. Cy Young – career pitching wins.
61. Roger Maris – home runs in 1961.

755 is also one of those numbers that is burned into the minds of baseball fans; however, it was replaced by a new record for career home runs, established on August 7, 2007, when Bonds’ 756th bomb left AT&T Park in San Francisco. Bonds would be blackballed from baseball after the 2007 season, leaving the game with 762 career home runs and a legacy tarnished by perjury charges and his link to performance-enhancing drug use.

This morning in my drive home from dropping off my daughter at school, Mike and Mike, the morning ESPN Radio show, were discussing the importance of Aaron’s numbers and what they mean to baseball today. Mike Golic made an excellent point – why can’t baseball throw away the performance-enhancing drug numbers the way that track and field does? When an athlete sets a record, wins a medal, or any other significant merits that are later tarnished by allegations and proof of cheating, those awards and records are stripped, as if they never happened. If baseball wants to keep their records clean, they, led by commissioner Bud Selig, had and have the opportunities to do such a thing. Considering the MLB Player’s Association’s unwillingness to support Barry Bonds when he was unable to find a job after the 2007 season, it would appear that the removal of records would be something that could be easily accomplished by MLB leadership.

The integrity of the game and its records have been tarnished by the use of performance-enhancing drugs. I have long felt that Major League Baseball has had plenty of celebrated miscreants within the game, including racists, womanizers, and cheaters (Ty Cobb, Ruth, and Gaylord Perry fit those descriptions perfectly), while drugs, including “greenies” and cocaine, ran rampant throughout the game for many years undetected and overlooked. After the 1994 player’s strike, the league seemed to be perfectly happy with the home run numbers increasing and the turnstiles producing record numbers, huge revenue, and new stadiums for the good ol’ boy network of owners. Suddenly, those same home runs weren’t as attractive, and the league went after Sammy Sosa, Bonds, and Mark McGwire, instead of acknowledging that they helped to save the game. So, now that the league has moved on from the men who helped to bring it back from the dead and they’re bringing in billions of dollars in revenue through Major League Baseball Advanced Media and lucrative television contracts, they can continue to turn their back on their one-time heroes like Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire, while allowing the Hall of Fame to become a mockery of a museum thanks in large part to the attention-starved writers who now make up the voting oligarchy of Cooperstown.

So, while Hank Aaron was and continues to be a living legend and icon in the sport, is it really fair for his number, 755, to continue to be the measuring stick of power in baseball when that number has been surpassed? No…but it doesn’t mean that it has to go away and that 762 is the only number that needs to be remembered. The 714 home runs that Babe Ruth hit are still an important number in baseball, as are the 660 that Willie Mays hit.

There isn’t an asterisk needed for Barry Bonds because there wasn’t one needed for Ruth’s number to be important. Regardless of the drugs that helped Bonds produce into his 40’s, baseball remains a numbers game. We don’t put asterisks on the numbers that players put up prior to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. Wouldn’t baseball have been more competitive, as it is today, with the world’s best players on one stage, and not just the top white players?

Hank Aaron’s 755 will live on and his legacy of powerful longevity within Major League Baseball will last well beyond his lifetime. His number will remain meaningful as long as his story does, just as others have heard about and learned to love players from well before their lifetimes. There aren’t many who look back at the production that Ruth put up in his career without being awestruck, and the same will remain true for future baseball fans who won’t even see a game until the year 2214. Why? Because baseball remains meaningful, the players remain meaningful, and the numbers remain meaningful to those who love and are passionate about the game.

 

Follow @EvanVogelTweets

Alex Rodriguez: Proving Steroids Don’t Work

By now you’re aware of the suspension, the 60 Minutes interviews, and the appeals and cries that Alex Rodriguez has developed to help protect an image that seems as lost and desperate as a shepherd-less sheep. The one-time superstar and three-time MVP appears to have sunken to a new low in suing Major League Baseball and the Player’s Union for their attacks on his character and their lack of guidance in the processes, and while Rodriguez continues to blame everyone but himself, he likely feels betrayed by the drugs that were supposed to help him maintain his Hall of Fame career, but, instead, crippled his abilities and his legacy.

For all of the growing skulls, biceps, and home run numbers, there hasn’t been a true study to show how steroids impact player performance. It is quite unlikely that Major League Baseball will allow players to openly cheat, just to gain a better understanding of how a player could or does perform while doping, and while there are the typical expectations of energy and recovery time, steroids don’t provide the skills necessary to swing a bat and slug a 95 mile per hour fastball into oblivion.

Alex Rodriguez is the perfect example of the failures of baseball’s menace.

Certainly, there were times that steroids may have helped Alex Rodriguez. After being outed by Sports Illustrated in February of 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using in 2001, 2002, and 2003 while with the Texas Rangers, a trifecta of seasons that brought Rodriguez a .305/.395/.615 triple-slash, 156 home runs, 395 RBI, and his first MVP (2003). If Rodriguez wasn’t using outside of those seasons, he would go on to win MVPs in 2005 and 2007, well before his time with Biogenesis and Tony Bosch began; although, Rodriguez was linked to Anthony Galea, a Canadian who was busted for shuttling PED goodies to the United States, in 2010.

But if Alex Rodriguez was indeed using throughout his career, then what would cause his numbers to decline?

Year	Age	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	Awards
1994	18	SEA	17	59	54	4	11	0	0	0	2	3	3	20	.204	.241	.204	.445	11
1995	19	SEA	48	149	142	15	33	6	2	5	19	4	6	42	.232	.264	.408	.672	58
1996	20	SEA	146	677	601	141	215	54	1	36	123	15	59	104	.358	.414	.631	1.045	379	AS,MVP-2,SS
1997	21	SEA	141	638	587	100	176	40	3	23	84	29	41	99	.300	.350	.496	.846	291	AS
1998	22	SEA	161	748	686	123	213	35	5	42	124	46	45	121	.310	.360	.560	.919	384	AS,MVP-9,SS
1999	23	SEA	129	572	502	110	143	25	0	42	111	21	56	109	.285	.357	.586	.943	294	MVP-15,SS
2000	24	SEA	148	672	554	134	175	34	2	41	132	15	100	121	.316	.420	.606	1.026	336	AS,MVP-3,SS
2001	25	TEX	162	732	632	133	201	34	1	52	135	18	75	131	.318	.399	.622	1.021	393	AS,MVP-6,SS
2002	26	TEX	162	725	624	125	187	27	2	57	142	9	87	122	.300	.392	.623	1.015	389	AS,MVP-2,GG,SS
2003	27	TEX	161	715	607	124	181	30	6	47	118	17	87	126	.298	.396	.600	.995	364	AS,MVP-1,GG,SS
2004	28	NYY	155	698	601	112	172	24	2	36	106	28	80	131	.286	.375	.512	.888	308	AS,MVP-14
2005	29	NYY	162	715	605	124	194	29	1	48	130	21	91	139	.321	.421	.610	1.031	369	AS,MVP-1,SS
2006	30	NYY	154	674	572	113	166	26	1	35	121	15	90	139	.290	.392	.523	.914	299	AS,MVP-13
2007	31	NYY	158	708	583	143	183	31	0	54	156	24	95	120	.314	.422	.645	1.067	376	AS,MVP-1,SS
2008	32	NYY	138	594	510	104	154	33	0	35	103	18	65	117	.302	.392	.573	.965	292	AS,MVP-8,SS
2009	33	NYY	124	535	444	78	127	17	1	30	100	14	80	97	.286	.402	.532	.933	236	MVP-10
2010	34	NYY	137	595	522	74	141	29	2	30	125	4	59	98	.270	.341	.506	.847	264	AS,MVP-15
2011	35	NYY	99	428	373	67	103	21	0	16	62	4	47	80	.276	.362	.461	.823	172	AS
2012	36	NYY	122	529	463	74	126	17	1	18	57	13	51	116	.272	.353	.430	.783	199
2013	37	NYY	44	181	156	21	38	7	0	7	19	4	23	43	.244	.348	.423	.771	66

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/13/2014.

The decline may not have always been drastic, and there were still successful seasons into his early 30’s, but the sharp decline up to last season is quite significant, as Rodriguez has seen his OPS go from 1.067 in 2007 (his final MVP season) to .771 in his 44 games in 2013. Additionally, since the end of the 2007 season, Rodriguez has missed 308 games, an average of 51 per season. The hip issues could certainly be attributed to excessive steroid use, as joints can be unable to handle the additional muscle mass or strength, but if the purpose of using steroids is increase stamina and recovery time, Rodriguez hasn’t been gaining an advantage sitting at home injured, nor has he proven to be all that effective when healthy, as his skills continue to diminish, along with his numbers.

As Barry Bonds aged and maintained production, specifically walking and hitting for power (although not at the levels that he was from 2000 through 2004), Rodriguez has done the exact opposite. For all of the glory that Rodriguez was hoping for by reaching 3,000 hits and, potentially, the 800 home run plateau, the storybook ending didn’t have the flow necessary to reach the climax, and the heart of the story has died with the needles to the veins of Rodriguez, whose selfishness and stupidity far outweighed the gifts that foreign substances were supposed to bring his way.

While so many focus on the ways that steroids have impacted the game of baseball, they certainly haven’t helped Alex Rodriguez, at least not in the last five seasons, and that is a large enough sample size for me to wonder if steroids can even alter performance, especially in those who are aging and need the stamina, energy, and strength that they are supposed to bring to users.

Jack Morris: Why He Isn’t a Hall of Famer

Entering his final year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, Jack Morris appears to be gaining more support for an induction into Cooperstown. Since he first became eligible, these are his ballot percentages:

2000: BBWAA (22.2%)
2001: BBWAA (19.6%)
2002: BBWAA (20.6%)
2003: BBWAA (22.8%)
2004: BBWAA (26.3%)
2005: BBWAA (33.3%)
2006: BBWAA (41.2%)
2007: BBWAA (37.1%)
2008: BBWAA (42.9%)
2009: BBWAA (44.0%)
2010: BBWAA (52.3%)
2011: BBWAA (53.5%)
2012: BBWAA (66.7%)
2013: BBWAA (67.7%)

It is quite interesting to see how a specific player can be considered a non-Hall of Famer for 14 years and then earn the vote due to their time of eligibility running out. When you consider that in his worst season for earning votes, two players were elected (2001, Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield), it is hard to understand why he isn’t in yet, as there hasn’t always been a backlog of talent waiting to get in. What makes him a Hall of Famer in 2014? Nothing, just like his previous seasons, and it seems even more asinine to give him a vote with the talent existing on the ballot, new and old, who are more worthy of consideration.

Jack Morris ranks 50th in innings pitched (3,824), 32nd in strikeouts (2,478), 19th in walks allowed (1,390), and 43rd in wins (254) in the history of baseball, but does ranking within the top 50 in a single statistic make someone worthy of legitimate Hall of Fame consideration? Adam Dunn currently ranks 39th in career home runs (440) and 51st in career walks (1,246), and he will likely continue to climb the ranks due to being just 34 years old in 2014. Longevity creates numbers, so how do can you separate longevity from greatness?

When comparing Jack Morris to other pitchers from his generation, it is fairly evident that he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame:

Jack Morris

W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
254	186	.577	3.90	549	527	175	28	3824.0	3567	1815	1657	389	1390	2478	105	1.296	8.4	3.3	5.8	1.78

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/2/2014.

Bert Blyleven (Hall of Fame 2011)

W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
287	250	.534	3.31	692	685	242	60	4970.0	4632	2029	1830	430	1322	3701	118	1.198	8.4	2.4	6.7	2.80

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/2/2014.

Dennis Martinez (lasted one year on the ballot)

W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
245	193	.559	3.70	692	562	122	30	3999.2	3897	1835	1643	372	1165	2149	106	1.266	8.8	2.6	4.8	1.84

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/2/2014.

Dave Stieb (Lasted one season on the ballot, production and longevity is questionable)

W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
176	137	.562	3.44	443	412	103	30	2895.1	2572	1225	1106	225	1034	1669	122	1.245	8.0	3.2	5.2	1.61

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/2/2014.

Tommy John (Lasted 15 years on the ballot earning a high of 31.7 percent in his final year of eligibility)

W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
288	231	.555	3.34	760	700	162	46	4710.1	4783	2017	1749	302	1259	2245	111	1.283	9.1	2.4	4.3	1.78

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/2/2014.

So what is it that separates Jack Morris from other pitchers from his era?
He certainly doesn’t have the resume that Bert Blyleven brings to a Hall of Fame argument, and if anyone argues the 300-win plateau…the win is dead and the teams that Blyleven pitched for were atrocious (his teams made the postseason in just three of his 22 seasons, and he was 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 47.1 postseason innings). Speaking of postseason success…

Isn’t that one of the primary arguments in favor of Jack Morris?

Morris: 7-4, 3.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 92.1 innings (13 games), 64:32 K:BB

Blyleven: 5-1, 2.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 47.1 innings (8 games), 36:8 K:BB

Martinez: 2-2, 3.32 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 43.1 innings (12 games), 18:12 K:BB

Stieb: 1-3, 4.26 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 31.2 innings (5 games), 28:16 K:BB

John: 6-3, 2.65 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 88.1 innings (14 games), 48:24 K:BB

Considering how closely related Morris’ overall numbers are to Dennis Martinez, what separates him from being a non-Hall of Fame talent is the seven postseason wins, but why wasn’t Tommy John’s postseason success enough to warrant his Hall of Fame worthiness when his overall numbers trump Morris?

Add in the fact that Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina, and Curt Schilling are on the current ballot, and it doesn’t seem reasonable for anyone with a right mind to consider using one of their ten votes for Jack Morris, and that’s before you count Barry Bonds, Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, and so many other strong offensive performers who have a Hall of Fame argument.

Jack Morris was a very good pitcher, but pitching to the score, winning a lot of games, and winning seven postseason games doesn’t warrant Hall of Fame consideration. Dave Stewart won 10 postseason games and had a four year stretch of dominance that could rival that of any Hall of Fame pitcher (84-45, 3.20 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), and he was on the Hall of Fame ballot for all of two seasons. Being very good isn’t good enough for the Hall of Fame, and with greatness all around him on the current ballot, Morris doesn’t deserve the vote.

With so much subjectivity within the vote, the voting system for the Hall of Fame is broken. Personal vendettas have taken the place of valid arguments, and as players continue to gain votes from year to year without playing and improving their resumes, the voting process becomes more and more laughable. Jack Morris wasn’t a Hall of Famer 15 years ago and he isn’t today. Better players have been overlooked over the same time periods that Morris has been considered for enshrinement, and better players deserve the vote this year.

My 2014 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot & A Fan Ballot

As a baseball fan at Christmas time, a perfect gift would be for players who created dynamic statistics in their era, cheating or not, being rewarded and honored for their achievements in a baseball museum, not critiqued for their personal shortcomings or judged for their character – baseball, after all, is a game of numbers. Players have cheated, been racists, drunks, and womanizers for nearly 140 years of the game’s professional existence, so why should character clauses and the personal vendettas of the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America be the end-all-be-all vote in a museum created for baseball fans.

For these reasons, I felt that it was time to look at the 2014 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class and make my votes public. Statistics speak for themselves and this is who is eligible this season:

						Batting Stats													Pitching Stats
	YoB	%vote	HOFm	WAR	WAR7	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	W	L	ERA	ERA+	WHIP	G	GS	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO
Craig Biggio	2nd	68.2%	169	64.9	41.6	2850	10876	1844	3060	291	1175	414	1160	.281	.363	.433	.796	112
Jack Morris	15th	67.7%	122	44.1	32.8	568	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	-100	254	186	3.90	105	1.296	549	527	0	3824.0	3567	389	1390	2478
Jeff Bagwell	4th	59.6%	150	79.5	48.2	2150	7797	1517	2314	449	1529	202	1401	.297	.408	.540	.948	149
Mike Piazza	2nd	57.8%	207	59.2	43.1	1912	6911	1048	2127	427	1335	17	759	.308	.377	.545	.922	143
Tim Raines	7th	52.2%	90	69.1	42.2	2502	8872	1571	2605	170	980	808	1330	.294	.385	.425	.810	123
Lee Smith	12th	47.8%	135	29.6	21.1	1023	64	2	3	1	2	0	3	.047	.090	.094	.183	-50	71	92	3.03	132	1.256	1022	6	478	1289.1	1133	89	486	1251
Curt Schilling	2nd	38.8%	171	79.9	49.0	571	773	39	117	0	29	1	25	.151	.178	.171	.348	-9	216	146	3.46	127	1.137	569	436	22	3261.0	2998	347	711	3116
Roger Clemens	2nd	37.6%	332	140.3	66.3	709	179	5	31	0	12	0	13	.173	.236	.207	.443	17	354	184	3.12	143	1.173	709	707	0	4916.2	4185	363	1580	4672
Barry Bonds	2nd	36.2%	340	162.5	72.8	2986	9847	2227	2935	762	1996	514	2558	.298	.444	.607	1.051	182
Edgar Martinez	5th	35.9%	132	68.3	43.5	2055	7213	1219	2247	309	1261	49	1283	.312	.418	.515	.933	147
Alan Trammell	13th	33.6%	118	70.3	44.6	2293	8288	1231	2365	185	1003	236	850	.285	.352	.415	.767	110
Larry Walker	4th	21.6%	148	72.6	44.6	1988	6907	1355	2160	383	1311	230	913	.313	.400	.565	.965	141
Fred McGriff	5th	20.7%	100	52.6	36.0	2460	8757	1349	2490	493	1550	72	1305	.284	.377	.509	.886	134
Mark McGwire	8th	16.9%	170	62.0	41.9	1874	6187	1167	1626	583	1414	12	1317	.263	.394	.588	.982	163
Don Mattingly	14th	13.2%	134	42.2	35.7	1785	7003	1007	2153	222	1099	14	588	.307	.358	.471	.830	127
Sammy Sosa	2nd	12.5%	202	58.4	43.7	2354	8813	1475	2408	609	1667	234	929	.273	.344	.534	.878	128
Rafael Palmeiro	4th	8.8%	178	71.8	38.8	2831	10472	1663	3020	569	1835	97	1353	.288	.371	.515	.885	132
Greg Maddux	1st		254	106.8	56.3	759	1591	103	272	5	84	11	34	.171	.191	.205	.395	5	355	227	3.16	132	1.143	744	740	0	5008.1	4726	353	999	3371
Frank Thomas	1st		194	73.6	45.3	2322	8199	1494	2468	521	1704	32	1667	.301	.419	.555	.974	156
Mike Mussina	1st		121	83.0	44.5	537	52	3	9	0	5	0	1	.173	.189	.192	.381	1	270	153	3.68	123	1.192	537	536	0	3562.2	3460	376	785	2813
Tom Glavine	1st		176	81.4	44.3	709	1323	93	246	1	90	1	101	.186	.244	.210	.454	22	305	203	3.54	118	1.314	682	682	0	4413.1	4298	356	1500	2607
Jeff Kent	1st		122	55.2	35.6	2298	8498	1320	2461	377	1518	94	801	.290	.356	.500	.855	123
Kenny Rogers	1st		66	51.4	35.6	763	66	5	9	0	4	1	4	.136	.186	.182	.368	-4	219	156	4.27	107	1.403	762	474	28	3302.2	3457	339	1175	1968
Luis Gonzalez	1st		103	51.5	33.8	2591	9157	1412	2591	354	1439	128	1155	.283	.367	.479	.845	119
Moises Alou	1st		80	39.7	27.5	1942	7037	1109	2134	332	1287	106	737	.303	.369	.516	.885	128
Ray Durham	1st		64	33.7	25.7	1975	7408	1249	2054	192	875	273	820	.277	.352	.436	.788	104
Hideo Nomo	1st		24	21.1	22.8	324	485	22	65	4	26	0	13	.134	.156	.192	.348	-7	123	109	4.24	97	1.354	323	318	0	1976.1	1768	251	908	1918
Richie Sexson	1st		46	17.9	18.8	1367	4928	748	1286	306	943	14	588	.261	.344	.507	.851	120
Paul Lo Duca	1st		21	17.9	18.7	1082	3892	483	1112	80	481	20	266	.286	.337	.409	.746	97
Armando Benitez	1st		73	17.7	16.6	762	8	0	0	0	2	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	-100	40	47	3.13	140	1.217	762	0	289	779.0	545	95	403	946
Mike Timlin	1st		49	19.6	14.0	1059	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	-100	75	73	3.63	125	1.283	1058	4	141	1204.1	1168	118	377	872
Sean Casey	1st		38	16.3	16.3	1405	5066	690	1531	130	735	18	477	.302	.367	.447	.814	109
Jacque Jones	1st		8	11.5	13.2	1302	4594	632	1272	165	630	82	314	.277	.326	.448	.775	98
Eric Gagne	1st		46	11.9	12.0	402	86	5	12	1	3	0	1	.140	.149	.221	.370	-4	33	26	3.47	119	1.156	402	48	187	643.2	518	76	226	718
J.T. Snow	1st		16	11.0	12.8	1716	5641	798	1509	189	877	20	760	.268	.357	.427	.784	105
Todd Jones	1st		78	10.9	11.3	982	19	1	4	0	0	0	1	.211	.250	.263	.513	36	58	63	3.97	111	1.413	982	1	319	1072.0	1072	93	443	868

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/24/2013.

You can click on the links above for more specific statistics, but I’m a big fan of WAR7, which measures how dominant a player was in their seven most valuable seasons, which isn’t an entire career, but it is a great measuring tool when comparing players of the same era, that is, if you prefer to use statistics over your eyes and your own ideas of what makes a player great. Jack Morris, for example, is in his final season of Hall of Fame eligibility and I don’t view him as a Hall of Famer, postseason success and grit be damned, but despite a 32.8 WAR7, he earned 67.7 percent of the BBWAA vote in 2013. With legitimate Hall of Fame pitchers on the ballot this season, you would assume that vote percentage would drop significantly, right?

You can’t really assume anything when it comes to the BBWAA, but with all of the numbers provided above, these are the ten players who earned my vote (and, yes, I would fill the ballot and then some this season):

1. Greg Maddux: The best pitcher that I have seen in my 33 years on earth, Maddux could do whatever he wanted with the ball, using pressure points and amazing break to paint the corners and dominate opposing hitters. He didn’t overpower many, he was just smarter, which earned him the nickname “The Professor”, four straight Cy Young awards, and my vote.

2. Barry Bonds: Use the cream and clear to paint him as a monster who ruined the game all you want – I know what I saw out of Bonds and he was the best player of his generation, which included several other players who used steroids and even prior to his bulking up. Bonds would have been a Hall of Famer had he continued his production from his skinnier days in Pittsburgh for five more seasons in San Francisco, and the fact that he changed the game with his on-base skills and power mean more to me than how he treated reporters and how he manipulated his body when the collective bargaining agreement, at that time, didn’t call for the correct form of testing. Players sought advantages in every era and Bonds wouldn’t be the first cheater in Cooperstown.

3. Roger Clemens: Speaking of cheaters, Clemens was absolutely one of those and he was also one of the greatest pitchers of all time, using a dynamic fastball to overpower the opposition on his way to seven Cy Young awards and 354 wins.

4. Tom Glavine: Just like Maddux, Glavine used the corners to dominate over his career, winning 305 games and two Cy Young awards in his 22 year career. At just 6′ tall, he gives all of those “too short to start” labeled prospects a legitimate counter-argument, as the crafty left-hander creatively defeated so many in his strong career.

5. Craig Biggio: After earning 68.2 percent of the vote in his first season of eligibility in 2013, Biggio would appear to be a lock to earn enshrinement this season; however, with so many solid first-timers, that number could fall. It shouldn’t. Biggio still has the same accolades in his 3,000-plus hits, 400-plus stolen bases, all of those runs scored, and seven All-Star games. He was an All-Star catcher and second baseman before moving to center late in his career. And he was a nightmare for opposing pitchers, along with…

6. Jeff Bagwell: Bagwell hasn’t been linked to any reports to the public’s knowledge, but for whatever reason, he enters his fourth year of Hall of Fame eligibility and has received a maximum 59.6 percent vote, which happened last year. His 1994 MVP season is one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, as he posted a 1.201 OPS and 213 OPS+ while hitting 39 home runs and driving in 116 runs in just 110 games. Shoulder woes cost him a chance to extend his career to reach 500 home runs, but Bagwell’s 11 year run from 1993 to 2003 was eye-popping.

7. Frank Thomas: “The Big Hurt” deserves the label of “best DH in MLB history”, which will and should cost Edgar Martinez a lot of votes. While Thomas did start 971 games (out of 2,322) at first base, he did most of his damage as the bat, posting a career .974 OPS to go along with 521 home runs. Thomas could have probably hit 400 home runs batting left-handed due to his strong 6’5″, 240 pound football-esque frame, and his upright stance and power formed a different breed of a power hitter, as evidenced by his low strikeout totals and high walk totals throughout his career.

8. Mike Piazza: Piazza may have been a horrendous defensive catcher, but the man could hit, and he changed the position with his power and many games with his incredible production. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and he holds many offensive records for catchers. His offensive longevity at such a challenging defensive position is Hall worthy, and he, like Bagwell, appears to be lumped in with the steroid era, but is worthy of the vote in his second year of eligibility.

9. Tim Raines: Raines appears to be overlooked for what he accomplished due to being similar in abilities and skill-set to Rickey Henderson without actually being Henderson. This is Raines’ seventh season of eligibility and last season was his most vote-heavy, as he earned 52.2 percent of the vote. His 808 stolen bases rank fifth all-time and he made seven consecutive All-Star appearances from 1981 through 1987. He may get overlooked once again due to the powerful bats and magnificent pitchers, but Raines was a dynamic player who, clearly, did enough for enshrinement.

10. Alan Trammell: I wrote a whole article last winter about why Trammell deserves enshrinement (read here), but the fact that there are so many less worthy shortstops already in the Hall of Fame is a good enough reason for Trammell to earn his Cooperstown plaque in his 13th year of eligibility. It’s a shame that he has been overlooked for this long, and an even bigger shame that his voting trended in the wrong direction last season, falling from a high of 36.8 percent in 2012 to 33.6 percent in 2013. He didn’t win an MVP like Barry Larkin, but he and Cal Ripken, Jr. were the reasons why offensive-minded shortstops like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciaparra were able to stay at short for so long…and now that the position is heading back to defensive skills as the focal point, it just goes to show the value of Trammell at his peak.

If I could vote for more: Fred McGriff, Mike Mussina, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro would all earn a vote, as well, while I’d, of course, write in Pete Rose.

I’d love to see who you think is worthy for the vote. I created a survey for fans to cast their Hall of Fame ballot and after the BBWAA messes everything up again, I will post the fan results here.

Click here to take survey

Starting to Feel Bad for ARod

Alex Rodriguez is a monster! Alex Rodriguez needs to disappear! Alex Rodriguez is what is wrong with baseball! Alex Rodriguez had a painting commissioned of him as a centaur! Alex Rodriguez is a whiny baby! Alex Rodriguez is overpaid!

You know, Alex Rodriguez has really messed up, and he appears to have done so several times in his career. His entire career has been under a microscope as the heir-apparent in Seattle to the great Ken Griffey, Jr., and it has only taken off with his exorbitant contracts that he has been given by the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees during his career.

Sure, what he has done with performance-enhancing drugs is an absolute atrocity to baseball, and his persona and character should be questioned for his apparent tampering with evidence and bribes that he has been linked to within the Biogenesis case, but does he deserve as much scrutiny as he is receiving?

With Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds no longer on the field, Alex Rodriguez is the face of the steroid era and all of the nastiness that it has brought to Major League Baseball. Alex Rodriguez appears to have purchased and injected steroids into all of the aforementioned superstars behinds, while helping to create the disgusting lies that led to Ryan Braun‘s successful appeal of his first failed test and his subsequent Anti-Semite comments that were directed towards the urine collector. Alex Rodriguez cheated baseball so badly over the last 20 years that he is the asterisk that is going to be next to Barry Bonds in the record book and he will become the definition and the first image that appears when you Google cheaters in baseball.

I understand that Alex Rodriguez did something terribly wrong. I understand that Alex Rodriguez wasn’t a gentleman in a game that is painted as poetic by the brilliant mind of so many writers. I understand that Alex Rodriguez is a liar, he’s flawed, he’s horrible, he’s appalling, he’s demonic, and he’s human, and while others have tried to out so many others for their mistakes, especially the 2011 NL MVP, Braun, Rodriguez is attacking his issues in the court room, or at least face-to-face with Major League Baseball, instead of lying to his teammates, slandering those around him (including a urine specimen collector), and  taking to the media to ridicule the processes.

Certainly, he isn’t innocent, but neither were all of those who came before him and along with him in the unreleased positive tests that sit in the hands of Bud Selig in the New York offices of Major League Baseball. To be labeled as the poster-child of an entire failed era of a sport…he is totally unworthy of that.

Major League Baseball turned a blind eye for so long on this issue that they are and will continue to be the group or persons who need to take the blame. There is no committee in Congress, no bottle in a locker, no investigative report by the mainstream media, and no amount of paperwork that the commissioner’s office can make public that will change the fact that owners and the league didn’t think that steroids were a problem when the gates were flooding with fans after the 1994 strike and the massively muscled power-hitters made baseball interesting again.

Alex Rodriguez is no saint, he is no victim, but he definitely isn’t the only problem, and he should not be getting attacked in the manner that he has been for the failings of those who were in charge of the game before and during his soon-to-be asterisk-ridden career.

 

Steroids, Moonshots, Cheaters, and Moving On

In December of 2011, I wrote about Ryan Braun getting suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. Today, Braun was suspended for the remainder of the season for his association with Biogenesis and the use of another illegal substance to gain an advantage in Major League Baseball. Certainly, Braun won’t be the only player suspended,  and the media circus will really take off when Alex Rodriguez gets his suspension in the coming days or weeks, but many others have been linked to the Miami-based lab, including:

Toronto outfielder Melky Cabrera, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta, Oakland starting fat-so Bartolo Colon, and several others.

Unfortunately, some of these players have been here before, particularly Braun, Rodriguez, and Melky Cabrera, but what is it about performance-enhancing drugs that is causing this type of reaction from fans, media, and baseball?

Cheaters have always been able to get by without extreme testing, suspensions, and legacy-tarnishing damnation. Gaylord Perry is in the Hall of Fame (1991) and he doctored baseballs with spit and vasoline. Joe Niekro had a 22 year career filled with knuckleballs and sandpaper on his fingers. Whitey Ford is a Hall of Famer (1974) and he cut the baseball with his wedding ring. Players in the 1950’s through the 1970’s popped greenies and players in the 1970’s and 1980’s were snorting cocaine.

So…while taking steroids is altering the body, is it hurting the game?

One could argue and point to Barry Bonds‘ massive head and asterisk-laden home run record for some reference, but Bonds still had to hit the ball. He may have been able to recover quicker, but doesn’t baseball want their stars on the field?

What if Ken Griffey, Jr. was on steroids instead of aging so poorly, would he have broken Hank Aaron‘s record and kept playing? He played 140 games or more just three times from 2000 until his retirement in 2010, but would people have remembered a Herculean physique as he got older instead of the backwards cap and smile that people remember so fondly of “The Kid”?

What if pitchers took MORE performance-enhancing drugs so that they didn’t miss starts? No need for platelet-rich plasma injections, just inject some mega-bull semen into your body, or whatever it really is that is making an athlete that much more impressive than his counterparts.

The end result from Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire looking like chiseled body builders swinging toothpicks was excitement. More people were in seats because people wanted to see a special player hit the baseball off of the face of the moon and not seven no-hitters in one season.

There is value in a pitcher’s duel, but Philip Humber? Kevin Millwood? Should these guys be listed under no-hitters for the 2012 season? Give me more players hitting almost 40 home runs before the All-Star Break like Orioles first baseman Chris Davis and give it to me yesterday.

Baseball is a game that hasn’t progressed much over history. There are still nine players on a diamond, throwing a small round ball and hitting it with a long, round, wooden bat. Players are bigger, stronger, and faster in all sports today than they were twenty years ago, just compare Michael Jordan to LeBron James.

Players take care of their bodies differently, using vitamins, shakes, and many other dietary supplements to increase their strength and stamina. They are playing a game for 10 to 15 years and then moving on to autograph shows, families, and hitting or pitching coach jobs and can only earn at the highest level after their arbitration years are over and they reach free agency. This gives players about four to seven years to earn their top dollars, while producing enough to make them an asset for their team still. If that requires help, they should be entitled to it because, after all, it is their body, their future, and their side effects that they have to live with.

The chances of a player dying from steroids, as people seem to blame on former All-Star Ken Caminiti, is that people are just as likely to do something asinine after having several concussions in football, like the late Junior Seau. Why should MLB protect players from themselves when the NFL seems to not care one bit about their players, particularly those who have already retired?

Let the players play, produce, and be exciting to watch. Protect them from pitches to the head, fans running onto the field, and from being taken advantage of by agents and scouts in Latin America, but don’t tell them how to take care of their bodies. Bud Selig needs his stars on the field and the stars need to be doing what they do best, and if they need a little help, they should have it. Every other era in the history of the game has had access to something, so why not these guys?

Follow @EvanVogelTweets

 
//

Related articles

• Milwaukee Brewers: Steroids Latest Victim (swingwithamiss.wordpress.com)
• Why Do MLB Players Still Use Steroids? (theface-off.com)
• Former MVP Ryan Braun Suspended For Rest Of Season (philadelphia.cbslocal.com)
• A-Rod nearly certain to receive ban for Biogenesis (cbssports.com)
• Ryan Braun suspended: Braun admitted to drug violations, suspended for season (examiner.com)

Should MLB Allow PEDs?

 BALCO and Biogenesis have changed how players have tried to manipulate the game through the use of synthetic hormones to gain advantages over their counterparts; however, as more names come out in reports, including those of Alex Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez, and Ryan Braun, should Major League Baseball look into the actual advantages that come from the use of performance-enhancing drugs?

As football overlooked head injuries for nearly 85 years of the NFL, baseball turned a blind eye to the testosterone-infused, giant-headed record breakers in Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa, watching the revenue flow and the turnstiles rotate as attendance rebounded from the 1994 strike.

Once things retuned to normal, then, and only then, was it considered a crime in Major League Baseball to use steroids. After riding on the coat tails of their superstars, they then made them villains, not showing any support for the stars as they reached retirement and, now, eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

Certainly, possessing steroids without medical need or a prescription is a crime in the real world, so it shouldn’t have been overlooked, and the Mitchell Report changed the game and has made the attack of doping dopes in baseball a journalistic norm, as The Miami New Times joined The San Francisco Chronicle in the scooping business.

But…are performance-enhancing drugs bad for the game?

According to Livestrong.com, side effects from Human Growth Hormone (HGH)research states:

Several studies have tried to determine the efficacy of HGH and any potential side effects, with one of the most important being the 2002 JAMA study, conducted jointly by researchers from the National Institute on Aging and Johns Hopkins University over a period of 26 weeks. There were several common milder side effects from HGH supplements that included joint pain, swelling and carpal tunnel syndrome. The more serious side effects included an increase in glucose intolerance and diabetes among male subjects. None of the women developed those conditions, although they were more likely to suffer edema, a type of fluid retention that causes swelling. All side effects, even including diabetes, disappeared two to six weeks after treatment was discontinued.

As far as long-term effects of steroid use, Livestrong.com reports that growth inhibition, weight gain, behavioral changes, diabetes, liver and heart damage, and sexual and reproductive disorders.

Obviously, HGH and steroids have extreme risk, but drugs have been a part of the game for decades to enhance player performance. Brett Bush wrote a great story, referencing Joe Posnanski and Jerry Crasnick, detailing amphetamine use by Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Jim Bunning, while also including Pete Rose in the discussion.

So, why would steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs be such a huge, damning character flaw today? Are they that much more potent than what previous generations used, or can Bud Selig and Major League Baseball not take the public being fully aware of the statistical-embellishments by “cheaters” to their precious record books?

In today’s day and age, Americans have a sense of entitlement, even in their entertainment, demanding the highest quality product. Could the best product be athletes who are genetically and chemically-enhanced?

For baseball, especially with the ever-growing popularity of football, could the increase in performance that could come along with “juicing” be what it takes to get back into the America’s pastime conversation?

If the players are willing to take the risks needed to chemically altar their bodies for the sake of entertainment and production, should the fans and Major League Baseball be the judges in their long-term health?

I say no. Let baseball go crazy. Let players cheat because that is what they have always done. Why should we judge character now when it was never the case before, even for the game’s squeeky-clean.