2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot
 

Oh, nothing like stirring the pot this early in the season...

Some interesting names will be hitting the ballot in, well, approximately 10 months:
- Adrian Beltre
- Joe Mauer
- Chase Utley

Of course they'll be joined with our leading vote-getters this past time (Andruw Jones / Billy Wagner / Gary Sheffield / Todd Helton).

The Veteran's Committee will consider managers & non-players, which is a welcome change (in my opinion). I just don't like that they're not considering players as well.

(It's also unfortunate that some of the bigger names that could be on the ballot won't be - Bruce Bochy, Dusty Baker - as they are active MLB managers... as for the people who actually might be on the ballot? I can't imagine many people getting excited for umpire Joe West's candidacy.)

I (obviously) don't have a ballot, but at this point I'd probably vote for:
- Todd Helton
- Billy Wagner
- Andruw Jones (with the latter three, it's inevitable. Jump on the bandwagon!)
- Gary Sheffield
- Carlos Beltran
- Adrian Beltre
- Joe Mauer
- David Wright (not because I think he eclipsed the HOF threshold, but because he's in the Hall of Very Good and also a first ballot HOFer for 'great person')

That leaves two other spots. I'd guess I'd mull over the remaining candidates a little longer, or maybe I'd just send my ballot in.

No, I won't be voting for Chase Utley, because I'm a Mets fan and **** that guy.

Utley is borderline and doesn't even have 2k hits. If he gets in then lots of other guys will have arguments for getting in. Its ok to be a very good player and not be in the hall of fame.

Beltre easily
Mauer is iffy but I lean yes
Utley iffy but I lean no

Andruw yes
Beltran yes
Helton probably (home/away splits still bother me)

I love David Wright as much as the next guy but idk. He's in the Mattingly camp but without an MVP, and Donnie is my all time fav player. But I wouldn't be opposed.

I don't understand the Jimmy Rollins love this year. Good, very good player but that's about all :confused:

You get 10 spots, so my votes would have to be strategic, subject to change, they'd be:

Get them in league:
Beltre
Helton
Wagner

The last year surge for the vets committee, and maybe too close to the line to say no:
Sheffield

The it won't happen this year, but he needs the surge to make it next year:
Jones

The they need my support to keep the conversation going:
Abreu
Buehlre
Hunter

The "he was so much better than people remember, and it's a shame he's almost certainly going to be eliminated without a real investigation, so if I can get him 5%, I'm in"
Wright

The complete homer 5% desperation pick:
Holliday

Arod, Manny, Beltran, and several others (like I suspect Mauer, Utley, etc) fall into the category of not having a chance next year, and also definitely getting 5% and staying on, and in the case of new guys having plenty of time to do it.

Unfortunately the rules preclude people from just voting for who they think are deserving, both at the top end from the 10 player limit - and from the bottom end where the 5% rule isn't fair with the player limit. Too many player's you'd want to consider fall victim to crowded ballots historically, so I would lend my support to them in hopes of not Loftoning anyone.

Just Scott Rolen as an example - He debuted with 10.2%. The year before Pudge Rodriguez made it through election by 4 votes. Had he fallen just short, he'd have been on the 2018 ballot also. Does Rolen survive that 2018 ballot with everyone taking up a slot to vote for Pudge also? I'm betting he doesn't. And yet 6 years later, 75% of writers were including his name.

So when it comes to the guys at the bottom, I'd feel incumbent to remember how insane the writers really are, and I'd have to shape my vote around their fickle whims just to make sure some deserving guys get their chance. I fully believe Bobby Abreu is getting voted in the Hall by the writers before it's all said and done - and he started with 5.5%

I also don't think anyone really believes Beuhrle was a better pitcher than Tim Hudson. But Mark had more of a base of Chicago writers getting him to 5%, whereas Tim Hudson was voted off last year.

Tim Hudson sitting at home while a few others are still on the ballot is going to look very foolish in 20 years.

[QUOTE=Jsquared123;18667457]Beltre easily
Mauer is iffy but I lean yes
Utley iffy but I lean no

Andruw yes
Beltran yes
Helton probably (home/away splits still bother me)

I love David Wright as much as the next guy but idk. He's in the Mattingly camp but without an MVP, and Donnie is my all time fav player. But I wouldn't be opposed.

[B]I don't understand the Jimmy Rollins love this year. Good, very good player but that's about all :confused:[/QUOTE]
[/B]

He only got 50 votes, or 12.9% - not sure I'd call that love? The guy is not a Hall of Famer, but nearly 2,500 hits and 500 steals plus an MVP will stick in some voters minds I'd guess.

Sheffield is a POS roider, like beltre. HARD PASS

Beltran has the smell of roids(not busted) plus the astros crap. Not for a while if he does get in.

jones will likely get in, but his falloff was BAD

Mauer hall of ok

Utley hall of meh

Wagner maybe but not exciting

Helton gets hurt by coors , but is classic Ballplayer from central casting, same as wright

Beltre is a lock 1st ballot
Helton looks like he'll get in unless something weird happens. I think I read he missed getting voted in by like 11 votes?

Wagner, I don't know if he makes the leap to get in but he's very close, and should be voted in.

I don't know why baseball HOF voters are so fickle. Vote these people in. I know several voters turned in empty ballots. That's dumb.

Football, you see like 5+ guys voted in every year, and they are all deserving. Baseball, we're lucky to get 1-2 voted in it seems despite several being worthy.

IMO, these are all HOFers(not counting guys subject to PEDS/steroids):

Beltre
Helton
Wagner
Jones
Mauer
Utley

[QUOTE=ewokpelts;18667504]Sheffield is a POS roider, like beltre. HARD PASS

Beltran has the smell of roids(not busted) plus the astros crap. Not for a while if he does get in.

jones will likely get in, but his falloff was BAD

Mauer hall of ok

Utley hall of meh

Wagner maybe but not exciting

Helton get hurt by copra, but is classic Ballplayer from central casting, same as wright[/QUOTE]

:::don't feed the troll don't feed the troll don't feed the troll:::

[QUOTE=Zauron;18667509]
Football, you see like 5+ guys voted in every year, and they are all deserving. Baseball, we're lucky to get 1-2 voted in it seems despite several being worthy.
[/QUOTE]

egads, i have been on that bandwagon for years. Football players take PEDs, do drugs, bet on games, cheat, pull all sorts of racist crap, commit obstruction of justice in murder cases... and they get inducted into Canton and everyone cheers

[IMG]https://i.gifer.com/AGvT.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE=erock28;18667501][/B]

He only got 50 votes, or 12.9% - not sure I'd call that love? The guy is not a Hall of Famer, but nearly 2,500 hits and 500 steals plus an MVP will stick in some voters minds I'd guess.[/QUOTE]

Eh it's more than I expected. He was tracking a bit higher on the early ballots.

Still, the 2007 MVP was iffy. He wasn't even the best player on his own team that year let alone the league IMO but I get the 30/40 and 139 runs scored jumped out as big numbers on a winning team.

Regardless, there's been better players with considerably less support over the years. Lance Berkman jumps out recently as one.

This would be my ballot

Beltre - easy HOFer, one of the best 3B of all time
Mauer - could see it taking 2-3 years for him to get in, but he's a clear HOFer in my eyes

Jones - should already have been in
Helton - see above
Wagner- see above

Sheffield and Beltran I go back and forth on, but I lean yes for both

Utley and Wright are both Hall of Very Good to me. Close but no cigar on them

I'm sorry but if Jeff Kent doesn't get in, then no way Utley should.

At this point, pretty much ALL borderline candidates are getting in.....

[QUOTE=Zauron;18667509]Beltre is a lock 1st ballot
Helton looks like he'll get in unless something weird happens. I think I read he missed getting voted in by like 11 votes?

Wagner, I don't know if he makes the leap to get in but he's very close, and should be voted in.

I don't know why baseball HOF voters are so fickle. Vote these people in. I know several voters turned in empty ballots. That's dumb.

Football, you see like 5+ guys voted in every year, and they are all deserving. Baseball, we're lucky to get 1-2 voted in it seems despite several being worthy.

IMO, these are all HOFers(not counting guys subject to PEDS/steroids):

Beltre
Helton
Wagner
Jones
Mauer
Utley[/QUOTE] the no vote guys grind my gears. Especially when they end up voting for a certain player later.

You either are or are not an HOF.

[QUOTE=stormshadow815;18667632]I'm sorry but if Jeff Kent doesn't get in, then no way Utley should.[/QUOTE]

Even when you take away the Barry bonds of it all, Kent was HOF worthy.

Beltre
Helton
Wagner

Thats it

Beltre - 3K hits, you are in
Mauer - I don't think he should be 1st ballot, but should get in
Jones - Way past time. If he retires in early 30's he'd have been in already
Kent - Something always bugged me about him, never a fan, but numbers are there.
Hunter - combination of defense (GG) and offense, although I admit floor of Hall type guy. Also a little biased as I watched him locally play in a National Amateur All-Star baseball tournament. Only guy using a wooden bat in the tournament, after he was drafted by Twins.

[QUOTE=TBTC Baseball;18667680]Beltre - 3K hits, you are in
Mauer - I don't think he should be 1st ballot, but should get in
Jones - Way past time. If he retires in early 30's he'd have been in already
Kent - Something always bugged me about him, never a fan, but numbers are there.
Hunter - combination of defense (GG) and offense, although I admit floor of Hall type guy. Also a little biased as I watched him locally play in a National Amateur All-Star baseball tournament. Only guy using a wooden bat in the tournament, after he was drafted by Twins.[/QUOTE]

Rafeal palmiero has entered the chat

[QUOTE=TBTC Baseball;18667680]Beltre - 3K hits, you are in
Mauer - [B]I don't think he should be 1st ballot,[/B] but should get in
Jones - Way past time. If he retires in early 30's he'd have been in already
Kent - Something always bugged me about him, never a fan, but numbers are there.
Hunter - combination of defense (GG) and offense, although I admit floor of Hall type guy. Also a little biased as I watched him locally play in a National Amateur All-Star baseball tournament. Only guy using a wooden bat in the tournament, after he was drafted by Twins.[/QUOTE]

This mentality needs to stop. You are either a HOFer or your not.

If every writer voted like that then players would fall off the ballot because of silly gatekeeping.

[QUOTE=ewokpelts;18667704]Rafeal palmiero has entered the chat[/QUOTE]

Can you think of some circumstance that makes Palmeiro the exception to the 3,000 hit induction threshold? Anything?

[QUOTE=Handsome Wes;18667769]Can you think of some circumstance that makes Palmeiro the exception to the 3,000 hit induction threshold? Anything?[/QUOTE]

His Viagra commercials.

Beltre
Jones

Maybe I could talk myself into Mauer after a few drinks…

Beltre (lock)
Helton
Wagner


and eventually
Jones (It's just a matter of time)

[QUOTE=Bcr;18667729][B]This mentality needs to stop. You are either a HOFer or your not.[/B]

If every writer voted like that then players would fall off the ballot because of silly gatekeeping.[/QUOTE]

While I appreciate the black/white viewpoint and certainly understand it, I agree that Mauer is a 2nd/3rd ballot Hall of Famer. In a sense, to me anyways, first ballot HOFers are the true 'inner circle' guys, or at least that's how it should be.