31
2012
Hall Of Fame Ballot Deadline Is Tonight
An article by 
Tonight, December 31, is the deadline for all eligible BBWAA voters to submit their Hall of Fame ballots.
My own ballot has already been cast and I voted for Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Edgar Martinez, Jeff Bagwell, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly and Tim Raines.
I know many Met fans will anxiously await the outcome of the vote with the earnest hope that Mike Piazza gets in as first ballot Hall of Famer.
Remember, a candidate must appear on 75 percent of the ballots in order to get elected.
I’m pulling for Piazza too.
We’ll all know the results in less than two weeks when the Class of 2013 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced on January 9.
Good luck, Mike.
Original Post 12/21
I am at my desk holding the official BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. It is my reward turned responsibility for covering Major League Baseball for over 20 years.
That’s close to 2,500 games, many spent watching Mike Piazza dominate his position like no other catcher with 396 homers (427 overall). That dwarfs Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey and Mickey Cochrane, all who played before steroids became part baseball’s lexicon.
I vowed not to vote for a player officially linked to steroids, whether by admission, a failed drug test, accused on the record by another player or baseball official, or mentioned in the Mitchell Report.
That meant Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro or Roger Clemens – all on this year’s ballot – won’t get in by me.
Then there is Mike Piazza.
Piazza hasn’t been linked to performance enhancing drugs in any capacity with the exception of innuendo from writers who deemed that an acne-spotted back was as reliable as a blood test. If acne were the sole criteria, then most every teenager in this country would be suspected of being on the juice.
Like the gay rumors, it is unfair, unjust and irresponsible reporting. Yes, Piazza starred in baseball’s checkered steroid era, but I see him as a victim of circumstance, of guilt by association, of being painted with a broad brush.
Supposedly, Piazza confessed to an unnamed reporter. Unnamed reporters, like unnamed sources, raise suspicion and should be questioned with skepticism. It is why I put my name on everything I write.
If a reporter had that story, it would be a goldmine. If so, where is it written? Piazza has denied on the record any usage, and based by his name being absent on any official list, I believe him.
Despite his no-show before Congress, McGwire came clean; Palmeiro failed a test and was suspended; BALCO star Bonds admitted to using the clear and the cream but claimed he didn’t know what it was; Sosa has been blamed on the record and used corked bats twice; and Clemens’ former trainer produced physical evidence with his DNA.
I’m not buying the court decision on Clemens, as the government couldn’t get a conviction with a signed admission. Andy Pettitte’s most significant change-up of his career is what probably allowed Clemens to get off.
Then, there is Piazza who might be denied based on one newspaper account citing back acne. That reasoning is as pockmarked as Piazza’s back at the time.
Voting against Piazza is a writer’s right, but it can’t be based on his .308 career average, .377 on-base percentage, .545 slugging percentage, .922 OPS, 427 homers and 1,113 RBI, numbers that are off the charts in comparison to other catchers.
In case that’s not impressive enough, there are 12 All-Star appearances, 10 Silver Slugger Awards emblematic as the dominant offensive player at his position (and most ever by a catcher), and seven times finished in the top ten on the MVP ballot.
Piazza will get my vote, as will Craig Biggio, Edgar Martinez, Jeff Bagwell, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly and Tim Raines.
Piazza’s numbers are what the writers should be counting, not back pimples or whispers from those too gutless to put their names on the record.
Voting against Piazza is a writer’s right, but not the responsible choice. A journalist’s obligation is to be objective, fair and honest. Voting against Piazza on the strength of a rumor is none of those things.
It’s irresponsible and disgraceful.
John Delcos is a lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and has covered Major League Baseball for over 20 years. He has voted for the Hall of Fame for over a decade. You can read more of his insights at NewYorkMetsReport.com or reach him at JDelcos@yahoo.com.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 22 | .476 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 23 | .410 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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well, good to know
I applaud the integrity of your vote and I hope all other voters will not hold players like Jeff Bagwell and of course Mike Piazza out of the HOF without a shred of evidence against them. These are two very deserving individuals and it pains me to see some of those who want to muddy them unjustly.
Delcos – I was probably the toughest on you earlier this month about your stance on Piazza. I am very pleased to see you’ve changed your tune and I am going to take full credit for that haha (I’m kidding).
As a old Brooklyn Dodger fan how can you omit as elite catcher namely Roy Campanella a three time MVP who did not play in ML until he was 26 due to the color barrier.
http://bb_catchers.tripod.com/catchers/campanella.htm
it’s absolutely an unfair penalty that Campanella faced in terms of his elitecandidacy but it’s also tough to say “what might have been.”
In his 10 year career, he probably had 6 HOF caliber years, which is very good but it’s tough to justify putting him as “elite” because the measurements used for such a thing are usually based on longevity.
From 49-55 Campanella was an elite catcher, no doubt about it. But that’s 7 years when the other guys have twice as long usually.
Jessep, thanks for the reply but I disagree.
I saw him with my own eyes and he was more awesome than Johnny Bench. I know I will get arguments but that is ok. But Berra was like a .270 hitter on who hit .320 in the clutch. The HOF did in fact think Campy was elite and he was voted in 1969. John D I would like to hear from you. Was it an oversight or a deliberate omission?
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9450901
John you non reply to me is very disappointing. All I ask is to defend your position or state that it was an omission not intended by you for not mentioning Campy as an elite catcher.
http://baseballhall.org/hof/campanella-roy
Hi Hotstreak,
You are 100 percent correct about Campy.
Sure, he had only had seven elite seasons. How many seasons when he was younger did he lose due to racial discrimination? Did that happen to Berra? Did that happen to Bench? Of course not.
So regarding only having seven elite seasons, all we can say is “what might have been” about the more productive years taken away from him simply due to the color of his skin. To deny him worthy of being in the top echelon of all-time backstops because of that is a shame. And had the America of his times been anywhere close to the myth that people wanted to believe of it, then Josh Gibson could very well have been the all-time greatest.
Glad to hear it, John. Your right to give the man the benefit of the doubt based on the laughable evidence against him. I also notice his build is has not changed much since his playing days or since testing became serious unlike his contemporary, pudge rodriguez so that tells you something right there. I hear the hall has decided already to put a dodger cap on his hall statue when he says he wants to go in as a met. they already did that with Carter. Anyway Mike belongs in the hall no matter what hat he is wearing in there.
Well done, John.
Piazza is without a doubt, HOF worthy.
An eminently respectable ballot if there ever was one! As a Piazza fan, I thank you, John, for putting aside any suspicions and using only viable facts to inform your decision. But I have to ask — what made you switch your vote? I believe it was just weeks ago that you stated you wouldn’t vote for Piazza because you feared his upcoming book would reveal something. I am glad you changed your mind.
I think Delcos’ ballot puts Davidoff’s to shame. I still can’t believe Davidoff’s ballot. Unbelievable.
I still cant get over Davidoff’s ballot. It was a disgrace.
I still can’t believe Davidoff has press credentials………..
wait about an hour, when it gets posted I’m sending it right to him
All you need to know about Davidoff’s ballot is he wanted the controversy. He put Lofton in and not Piazza. The whole thing was silly.
i’m gonna shred him in an hour I promise.
I was all over him on Twitter yesterday. Gotta give him credit he kept replying but wouldn’t elaborate anymore.
I see you have Don Mattingly listed – what about Dale Murphy, isn’t this his last year of eligibility?
I tip my cap to you Mr. Delcos. Well done!
Yes!!!! So happy to see you guys do the right thing! We Love Mikey J!!!!
Yep, he’d get my vote.
If I was voting for the HoF based on numbers we reflect on after ignoring how they were perceived while they played: Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Alan Trammell, Rock Raines, Craig Biggio Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling are Hall of Famers
If I was ignoring the fact that players like Bonds were a HoF’er before steroid use then: Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Alan Trammell, Rock Raines, Craig Biggio . Curt Schilling are Hall of Famers
And finally if I actually had a vote in real life and I would vote based on the premise that only all-time greats get in, then I’d vote for: Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza, Edgar Martinez, and Roger Clemens.
I’d struggle with Martinez, however it’s not his fault he was the best ever at his position whether I like his position or not.
Not sure I’d have Mattingly in there, but I’ll sign off on everyone else on your ballot. More importantly is your inclusion of Bagwell and Piazza and for that I commend you.
The steroid-HOF question is a tough one and I have no idea how writers are going to resolve it. We do live in America and an accusation isnt proof of wrongdoing. And where do you draw the line? PED encompasses a lot of things. There were many, if not most, in the 1990s who took HGH…why wouldnt they? It was not banned by baseball and was not illegal in the US. This is remarkably different from anabolic steroids which have been illegal in the US for decades. To me, taking something that isnt illegal, banned by baseball, nor known to be detrimental to healthy (not that it matters, everyone knows smoking is unhealthy yet millions still do it) which also improves performance only makes sense.
If the decision is made to not let in the roid users, again where is the line? Only those who were known…what classifies known. And how do you know? Maybe Piazza and Bagwell were better at hiding it and used a lesser known source than the others. There is no telling.
Anyway, the only ones from that era who I put in are: Mariano, Jeter, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, R. Johnson, Hoffman, Piazza, Bagwell, and Biggio.
Either way, it isnt an easy task for the baseball writers.
actually I’d argue the tougher question will be, what happens if somebody gets elected and then it’s later found out they took something
you have a point, its poised to backfire on the hall, i say let them all in, make your tests during their career , thats all you can do . the hall as i see it stands for the memory players gave us, and when a fan has that memorys, no steroid thing, proven or not, will change that 10+ years later , let them in, do more test if you will, but dont try to take the legacy away , it will not happen
if the hall sticks to that “strategy” , they could end up missing a bunch of the best ever , and after a certain amount of players /years that would make the hall useless for the upcoming random fan.
Good going Delcos, sound rationale. And common sense unlike Davidoff who should have his Mets press credentials and Hall of Fame voting rights revoked for his utter disgraceful, self serving, unprofessional behavior in the past week.
Thumbs up to you, Delcos.
Catchers are my favorite players. Incredibly tough position, handle the ball on every play even if it is only to throw the ball back to the pitcher. Have to know every hitter on opposing team and have a deep knowledge of every pitcher on their staff, plus expected to hit and drive in runs. Incredibly difficult to crouch for a nine inning game and especially for extra inning games. The most important part is being able to maintain composure when they have a total dufus umpire behind the plate and there are a lot of them. Ever n otice how ex catchers make really good managers like Mike Scosia, Bruce Bochte, Joe Girardi and even Yogi Berra. Between innings they can’t rest because even sitting on the bench next to their catcher they are talking strategy and remain focused. Piazza should be a no brainer for the Hall of Fame but look how long it took for Bert Blyleven so who knows?
I guess not all BBWAA voters are as ignorant as Chass and Davidoff. Not only am I glad to see you choose Piazza, but Bagwell and Edgar as well. Good job!
Rubin wrote that Bob Klapisch is voting for Piazza. Is Rubin not a member of the BBWAA? He’s been covering the team long enough.
Baseball columnist Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record does include Mike Piazza on his Hall of Fame ballot. Klapisch writes:
Here’s another example of the witch-hunt mentality that wants to bring down the greatest-hitting catcher of all time. Huge offensive numbers in an age when almost everyone was juicing? Piazza might’ve fit the profile, but he never failed a drug test, nor was he even named in the Mitchell Report. We’ll take his career numbers at face value: a .308 average and more home runs (396) than any other catcher. Worthy of first-ballot induction if there ever was one.
Klapisch’s ballot also includes: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jeff Bagwell, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammel and Tim Raines.
Klapisch’s ballot is the most fair to me of the ones I’ve seen public
Pizza was, flat-out, a great player. Durable and proficient as a catcher, and non-pareil as a batter, Pizza should be Hall of Famer!
I hope in your heart and other BBWAs voters that Mike Piazza will succeed in getting into the BB HOF next month.
Don Mattingly is not a HOFer.
Agreed. Good player on a lot of bad teams but not HOF
and jack morris the almighty compiler continues to get votes…
Yeah….that’s pretty absurd.
Hi John,
Good going on sticking to your principles and not putting Mike Piazza in the like of Bonds, McGwire, Clemmens and others of their ilk. I am sure had there been even just circumstantial evidence, the New York press would have uncovered something – even from those famous un-named sources.
Know what I think is proof that Mike did not take anything? One is that by the age 36 his career was all but shot. For steroid users that age means more years ahead performing feats impossible for most players at any age. Also, he had nothing left on his throwing arm. On the other hand, steroids allowed Pudge Rodriguez to throw out base stealers while on his knees!
Good to hear, Piazza is a 1st ballot HOFer if ever there was one.
I believe Piazza is a slam dunk HOF. I know people like to tear apart Morris’ candidicy, But you can’t compare Morris’ numbers to that of pitchers who were on ‘roids or those who were pre-DH. Morris was a money pitcher in an era of juiced baseballs, the DH, and and players fooling with ‘roids. He should be a HOFer.
There’s no way Mike Piazza doesn’t get in on the first ballot. The only question is if he gets in as a Met or a Dodger and Piazza choice is the Mets. Fingers crossed everyone!