2019 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

Inspired to make this thread from @Baby Dashie's here.

Every offseason, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) votes for former players into the Hall of Fame. Starting in mid-November, the writers fill out a ballot presented to them by the Hall and can fill up to ten. Anyone who doesn't eclipse the 5% threshold falls off, but anyone who crosses 75% will get The Call and be elected into Cooperstown, where the celebration occurs every July. The writers have until December 31 to submit, and the announcement of inductees will be on January 22.

Earlier this month, the Veterans Committee elected two former players: Harold Baines and Lee Smith. Now out of a possible 35 players on this year's ballot, only a select few will be elected.

Here's the sample blank ballot, from this link:

To make the ballot, the player must play at least ten seasons, not play five consecutive seasons following their last game, and be chosen by a committee to be approved. Like in Baby Dashie's thread, who do you think will make it? Also, if you had a ballot, who would you select (remember, only up to ten)?

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Two first-ballot shoo-ins: Halladay and Rivera. The former for being a major workhorse for about a decade (the last to pitch 260 regular-season innings) and one of th best pitchers in the game at the time. The ladder for being the all-time best reliever, period. At 70.4%, Edgar Martinez missed it by 20 votes, but with this being his tenth and final year on the ballot, he has an outside shot. Mussina was second-closest at 49. Follow Ryan Thibodaux's HoF Tracker for up-to-date public ballots.

My hypothetical ballot ain't complete yet, but if I had one, it'd be as follows:

1. Barry Bonds
2. Roger Clemens
3. Roy Halladay
4. Andruw Jones (+1)
5. Edgar Martinez
6. Mike Mussina
7. Mariano Rivera
8. Scott Rolen
9. Billy Wagner

The tenth spot will be either Walker or McGriff, but because this year's McGriff's last, I'll likely pick him. Walker has one more year after this.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[Frostgage 7,975]

I'd go with Mo, Bonds, Halladay, Manny, and Edgar Martinez

Edited December 19, 2018 by Frostgage

[Luigi 7,869]

 

I think this year we'll get Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, and Roy Halladay. Maybe Todd Helton.

 

Bonds on the other hand....... I think he's got a snowball's chance of surviving in hell. Same with Clemens.

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

On 12/19/2018 at 9:35 PM, Baby Dashie said:

I think this year we'll get Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, and Roy Halladay. Maybe Todd Helton.

Helton won't make it this year. Currently tracking at 22.1%, way below the 75% threshold.

[Luigi 7,869]

On 12/21/2018 at 7:24 PM, Dark Qiviut said:

Helton won't make it this year. Currently tracking at 22.1%, way below the 75% threshold.

That's the thing about the Rockies. Coors Field gets too much criticism as a home run friendly park because of the atmosphere.

But he should be in. He might have the same story as Jeff Bagwell in the end. And Helton is far more likely than Bonds.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Baby Dashie

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

With the deadline near, my final hypothetical ballot:

1. Barry Bonds
2. Roger Clemens
3. Roy Halladay
4. Andruw Jones (+1)
5. Edgar Martinez
6. Fred McGriff (+1)
7. Mike Mussina
8. Mariano Rivera
9. Scott Rolen
10. Billy Wagner

Larry Walker just misses out.