The Farm Club’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Vote

As we all now know no players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.

In response The MLB staff of The Farm Club took it upon themselves to hold a vote as to who would enter Cooperstown if it was up to them.

With only 8 voters, the percentage needed to enter the Hall of Fame was increased from 75% to 87.5%; meaning a player would have to have been listed 7/8 times.

Only players who received votes were placed on the final list.

 

 

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

 

VOTING

Name	Votes (Pct.)
Curt Schilling	7 (87.5%)
Craig Biggio	7 (87.5%)
Jeff Bagwell	6 (75%)
Mike Piazza	5 (62.5%)
Jack Morris	4 (50%)
Barry Bonds	3 (37.5%)
Dale Murphy	3 (37.5%)
Fred McGriff	3 (37.5%)
Roger Clemens	3 (37.5%)
Sammy Sosa	3 (37.5%)
Alan Trammel	2 (25%)
Edgar Martinez	2 (25%)
Mark McGwire	2 (25%)
Tim Raines	2 (25%)
David Wells	1 (12.5%)
Kenny Lofton	1 (12.5%)
Lee Smith	1 (12.5%)

 

 

VOTER COMMENTS

Stephen Chott

Votes: Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Craig Biggio

The ignorance of MLB writers towards the steroids era is ridiculous. So what if a majority of these players were accused of using performance enhancing drugs? These players brought in millions of dollars for Major League Baseball and were the best players during the time they played.

Steroids do help you get stronger but they don’t automatically make you a HOF caliber baseball player. There’s been plenty of names we won’t remember who have been accused of and have admitted to using steroids.

I’m tired of baseball writers trying to cover themselves by punishing these guys that they fantasized during the steroid era.

By keeping these guys out and trying to ignore that this happened is taking out a huge chunk of the league’s history and trying to keep out players who have already made a significant impact on the record book. The other problem is where do we stop?

We pick apart Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds but the moment that Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter are eligible there won’t be a problem getting them in.

They all played during the same time but because we take Jones and Jeter as nice guys who wouldn’t destroy the “honor and integrity” of America’s Pastime, we don’t think twice about them even though we’ll convict everybody around them. The steroid era happened and there’s no point in the continuing punishment of these players.

Punish Bud Selig for not putting in testing soon enough. Let the best players into the HOF, even if they have been banished to the dark side as accused steroid users.

Joe Barroso

Votes: Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Dale Murphy

Yes, you won’t find Bonds or Clemens on my ballot. I have to stand with Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal on the steroids issue: PEDs increase performance, it’s that simple.

I wrestled with voting for Mike Piazza despite the whispers of steroid usage but I’ll have to give it another year.

As Verducci so eloquently said “I’m voting for a player’s entire career. Not one year or his best year, his whole career. So for me to vote for anyone associated with PEDs would be to endorse the usage of them.”

 

Marshall Hill

Votes: Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Alan Trammel

I tried to be as open and forgiving with my votes. My position on this has grown over the last few years.

While many of these players have been linked to steroid use, only one (McGwire) has actually admitted it or tested positive.

With that in mind, I voted for who I thought deserved it. This is a pretty crowded this year, but in the end I voted for:

One of the best players to ever play, one of the two best pitchers of his generation, the best offensive catcher ever, bloody sock, a great shortstop, two of the most prolific HR hitters ever, two uber-consistent first basemen, and an All-Star catcher and second baseman.

 

Ethan Hardy 

Votes: Curt Schilling, Dale Murphy

Schilling was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball even being in the steroid era.

Dale Murphy was one of the most dominant players in the major leagues, at several positions, for over a decade. Definitely got hosed.

 

Chris Schubert

Votes: Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Edgar Martinez, Dale Murphy

For the first time, the steroid era is being shown on the highest stage of them all, the Hall of Fame.

Guys like Morris, Raines, Martinez and Murphy are guys I think should have gotten in before this year.

The case for Piazza, Biggio, Bagwell and Schilling is easy, their names have never been in a book or a report about steroids and their careers shouldn’t be punished for speculation without proof.

 

Jarrah Vella-Wright

Votes: Craig Biggio, Jack Morris, Fred McGriff, Tim Raines, Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Curt Schilling

Craig Biggio has arguably been the Astros best player in the last ten or so years.

He was a seven time all star, showing how consistent he was.

Also a member of the 3000 hit club, and possibly one thing that people don’t recognise is that he was a winner of the Roberto Clemente Award for his sportsmanship and great character.

Jack Morris was a really dominant pitcher in his day.

He may not have been the best starter in his time, but he always made sure that the bullpen didn’t have to work too hard. Will go down as the most notable forkballer in my mind.

 

Caleb Hall

Votes: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Curt Schilling

Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Curt Schilling- As far as I am concerned, players who have been connected to PEDs use do not deserve to be in the HOF.

The line has been smudged as to who was or wasn’t involved but player’s who have been linked to steriods didn’t receive my vote. Not yet at least, and maybe not ever.

Biggio and Bagwell were two underrated hitters and are apparently clean and Schillings stats are not extraordinary but his postseason performances make him HOF worthy.

 

Brian Fogg

Votes: Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Jack Morris, Curt Schilling, Kenny Lofton, Craig Biggio, David Wells

Little has been substantially proven over the vaunted steroid era and although I do believe most of those men used PED’s we must maintain innocence until proven guilty.

For Adding David Wells, any one who pitches a no hitter while drunk gets a gold star in my book. Way to go Boomer!

 

Tags Baseball Craig Biggio Curt Schilling hall of fame the farm club