http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14090 ... -newcomers

Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman are among 15 newcomers on this year's Hall of Fame ballot and will face a newly trimmed electorate along with steroid-tainted holdovers Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

David Eckstein, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Mike Lowell and Billy Wagner also are among the players eligible for the first time on the 32-man ballot announced Monday. A vote of at least 75 percent from the Baseball Writers' Association of America is needed for election. Results will be announced Jan. 6.

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“Baseball is drama with an endless run and an ever-changing cast.”
― Joe Garagiola

I say Griffey and Piazza get in, Hoffman will get in, but I don't think it will be first ballot. I think Bagwell is a HOF, personally. I still think that, even though Bonds and Clemens only were in the mid 30's range last election, they will eventually get in.

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Per Mare, Per Terras
KC

I think Bonds and Clemens never get in. There is just too large a block of voters that will never forget their Steroid transgressions.

My Ballot looks like this:

bagwell
bonds
clemens
griffey
martinez
mussina
piazza
raines
schilling
Trammel

Postion Players on Ballot WAA

Pitchers on Ballot WAA

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

Here are all of the HOF ballots that have been revealed so far:
https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?res ... HAmcVGWgwE

Looks like Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines will be the class of 2016.

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“Baseball is drama with an endless run and an ever-changing cast.”
― Joe Garagiola

If that holds, that's two more than I expected (Griffey & Piazza)...
Bagwell and Raines are deserving

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Scouting for baseball fans in Nepal

That "percent needed on remaining ballots" is going to trip up the guys that are sitting over 70% I think.

Right now I think you are looking at Griffey and maybe Piazza, but not a lock.

And I see many voters still have their heads up their ass on Curt Schilling.

One more time

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

Griffey sets Hall vote mark; Piazza gets call

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Per Mare, Per Terras
KC

Hoffman getting that close while Schilling lags is a joke.

BBWAA loses credibility year by year.

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

So many deserving players--Raines, Mussina, the afore mentioned Schilling, Bagwell, Trammell, Hoffman and yes, even Bonds and Clemens. To elect only two players is a joke.

It is. I wonder how many people didn't vote for Schilling because of political differences.

I don't think it's that. I think it's really as simple as there are still a lot of voters just not capable of looking past Win Totals and ERA.

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

Didn't Schilling himself say he didn't think he was HOF? I could be imagining....

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Per Mare, Per Terras
KC

Even if he did...he was wrong

He is at least a top 25 starter all time......thats not even arguable if ANY attempt at understanding context is made. (Context meaning era pitched in, ballparks pitched in, run support and quality of defense behind him,)

When you take into account factors like his ability to prevent un earned runs, his all time best SO to BB ratio, and THEN finally, after all that, consider his post season record, which is far superior to John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Jack Morris...etc etc etc

It's just mind numbingly stupid to put him outside the top 25....and really, I can easily make the case of putting him in the top 20

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

Interesting that pitchers are the only players that ever seem to get a boost from being judged on post-season accomplishments. Short of Reggie Jackson's three home runs in 1977 (thus the reputation as "Mr October") and Brooks Robinson's defense (1970 World Series) position players are pretty much left out of this argument.

It's going back aways...but Lou Brock got a lot of credit for his World Series heroics, and it was often mentioned when people discussed his HOF case.

When people discuss David Ortiz and his HOF credentials, they ALWAYS emphasize his post season exploits. His would be a case where he really needs that extra credit to get over the minimum threshold.

I seem to remember this SS in NY who seemed to get a lot of credit for his post season performances too.

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Good depth often has to come from within, in the form of younger talent. Depth is hard to build overnight, but it’s easy to deplete. Jeff Sullivan

Imagining a world in which Barry Bonds retired before 1999/

Clemens isn't touched on in the article, but since he used Bonds' first 13 seasons I decided to look at what Clemens was. He avereaged a 6.3 WAR and 38 RAA (which I admit, I am not sure what RAA IS...) Bonds averaged 7.7 WAR.

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Per Mare, Per Terras
KC