This was the first year since '96 that the Baseball Writers Association of America failed to elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. It was also the first year of eligibility for steroid era players; most notably Bonds, McGwire and Clemens; all of who only received ~30% (75% is needed). As such, it appears unlikely that they get in anytime soon, if at all. Craig Biggio had the highest % with 68%. I was surprised by this because I don't really consider him a HoF-er. It's got to be based on his 3k hits because other than that, he really had (to me) an uneventful career. I mean, if guys like Dale Murphy (who's no longer eligible) and Jack Morris can't get in, does Biggio deserve to be?
The baseball writers are the biggest hypocrites. First of the ignore the years of speed and other drugs used by player of the 50's, 60's and 70's who they blithely voted in. The speed was a performance enhancer of more immediate impact to that era that PEDs had in the steriod era. The reason is that ballplayers didn't lift weights and believed musclle bulk was bad. They needed the speed to survive the long season with much poorer medical support and less healthy lifestyles (heay smoking, poor eating, drinking etc). Secondly they know of the steriod use and ignored it while building up Bonds, Clemmons et al. To pretend to be shocked if hyprocricy at it's finest. Bonds, Clemmons and MacGuire and so many others should be judged on their performanceagainst others in the day not the writer's biased judgement.
Biggio should get in, my opinion of course. I've always liked him, and I disagree with the op saying he had an uneventful career. Played 3 positions C, 2B, and OF, 3k hits, think he may hold some record for doubles from a leadoff or something like that. I'm sure he probably holds the record for HBP, hell he wore a brace that looked like it belonged on an elephant on that left elbow, hard to miss it. Not sure why Dale Murphy never made it in. Growing up an astro fan I watched him kill Houston so many times. Always hated him but he was a great ballplayer. Shitty politics I guess. As for the others, I hope they never get in. They probably all will at some point but I think bonds and clemens will have the toughest hill to climb, not because they are cheaters, because they are just jerks.
mike piazza is the best hitting catched in history and should have been a first ballot guy. career batting average well over 300, with massive power, from a prime defensive position. and he was thought of as a bad catcher, and he was a terrible thrower and cant caatch base theives, but he was a very good catcher otherwise. no question a hall of famer, and never really implicated in steroid era. lunacy to not vote piazza in. again, best hitting catcher that ever lived, by far.
surprised by this, its the same thing with Lance, the French cheated forever, but Lance was better at it.
He deserves it over some that have already been elected and 3k hits is hard to ignore. I just don't ever remember him as a superstar, which I think the hall should be reserved for. Couldn't agree more. Watching him play is how I became a Braves fan. The teams sucked, but Murph was good for 30+ HR and 100+ every year. I think him retiring 2 HR short of 400 hurt him in HoF voting. But he did it the right way. He knew it was time to retire and he wasn't going to hang on to a team and take up a roster spot just to fill a stat line. Really wish the vets would have put him in. You're right. And not just in baseball, but in all sports. The Hall (in all sports) should be reserved for the best of the best ever, not just a player who was a star for a few years. I don't think Barry Larkin is a HoF. He doesn't have the offense stats to justify entry. He was a great SS, but not to the level of Ozzie. Bert Blyleven is another one. He didn't win 300 games. He only had one 20 win season and 7 of his 22, he lost more game then he won. Are those really HoF worth numbers? Others I don't think belong are Ryne Sandberg, Gary Carter, and a few others I can name, but let's see if this goes anywhere. Agree or disagree?
Bonds, McGwire, and Clemens should be in. Piazza should be in. Sosa should not. I like McGwire because he hit just under 600 HRs and all of them were 500ft bombs.
