My Hall of Fame Ballot

I will not be voting for the 2013 Hall of Fame class, but I can still make selections. With the announcement coming just five days from now, it seems like the best time to tell the world who I would be picking on my ballot. Without further ado, here is my 2013 Hall of Fame ballot. 

Tom Glavine (1987-2008)
Notable Accolades: 10 All Star appearances, 2 Cy Young awards, 305 Wins, 4 Silver Sluggers

My friend pointed out to me that he thought Tom Glavine was not one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers of his era (he said that, for example, Randy Johnson was one of the dominant lefties). He believes that only the most dominant right-handed and left-handed pitchers of an era should go into the Hall of Fame. I respectively disagree. While Johnson was no doubt dominant, Glavine was right there with him, and should be right with him in the Hall of Fame as well. Glavine pitched to a 305-203 record with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.314 WHIP over a 22-year career, where only twice had he pitched to less than 25 starts. He also posted an excellent 118 ERA+. 

Greg Maddux (1986-2008)
Notable Accolades: 8 All Star appearances, 4 Cy Young awards, 355 Wins, 18 Gold Gloves

If Greg Maddux does not get voted in by the BBWAA, the Hall of Fame voting must be changed. Maddux is probably one of the greatest right-handed pitchers of all time, posting a 355-227 record with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP, while posting a K/9 rate of 6.1, a BB/9 rate of 1.8, and a 3.37 SO/BB rate. At the time of his peak, Maddux led the National League in SO/BB three consecutive seasons, proving how dominant and accurate Maddux could be. His career ERA+ is 132, which is somewhat equivalent of Roy Halladay's 131 ERA+. The most amazing part of Maddux's dominance? He was able to do it for 23 years. 

Frank Thomas (1990-2008)
Notable Accolades: 5 All Star appearances, 2 MVP awards, 4 Silver Sluggers, 521 home runs, 2,468 hits

Thomas was one of the best hitters during the Steroid Era, but was never linked to steroids. Over his career, the first baseman/designated hitter crushed 521 home runs (18th all time) while driving in 1,704 runs (22nd all time). He hit .301/.419/.555 with a 156 OPS+ as well over his career. His best season came in 1996, when Thomas hit .349/.459/.626 with 40 home runs and 134 RBI. Thomas is almost a sure-fire Hall of Famer, and being able to produce (cleanly) in a steroid-ridden era is something that shows sportsmanship. Thomas is as deserving as anyone. 

Craig Biggio (1988-2007)
Notable Accolades: 7 All Star appearances, 5 Silver Sluggers, 4 Gold Gloves, 3,060 hits

Biggio was one of the biggest snubs from last year's voting, getting 68.2% of the votes (a player needs 75%). Biggio was known for being able to play at a high level for a very long time. Biggio ranks 16th in games played, 12th in at bats, and 10th in plate appearances, while playing 150 or more games in 11 of his 20 MLB seasons. He wasn't your average player, either. Biggio has 3,060 hits, making him one of the 28 players to reach the 3,000 hit plateau (Biggio ranks 21st all time). His 668 doubles rank 5th all time. His best season came in 1997, when 31-year-old Biggio hit .309/.415/.501 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI. 

Mike Piazza (1992-2007)
Notable Accolades: 12 All Star appearances, 1993 NL Rookie of the Year, 10 Silver Sluggers, 2,127 hits

Mike Piazza is one of the best success stories in Major League Baseball. He was drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft as a favor by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he may be voted into the Hall of Fame. Arguably the greatest offensive catcher of all time, Piazza hit .308/.377/.545 while driving 427 home runs and 1,335 RBI over his 16-year career. His best season came in 1997, when 28-year-old Piazza hit .362/.431/.638 with 40 home runs and 124 RBI. I'd be surprised if the BBWAA votes Piazza into the Hall of Fame; Piazza only received 57.8% of the votes in 2013. Nonetheless, he deserves to be in the Hall, and gets my "vote."  

Curt Schilling (1988-2007)
Notable Accolades: 6 All Star appearances, 3,116 strikeouts

Schilling may get the least percentage of the votes from the BBWAA of any of my selections, but he was a dominant pitcher on some below-average teams. 66% of Schilling's starts were quality starts (6 innings or more pitched, 3 ER or less), which is much better than the MLB-average 49%. 67% of Randy Johnson's (one of the best pitchers in that era) starts were quality starts. Schilling was effective, and some could argue that he was not consistent. Schilling's ERA stood around the same mark, while his wins fluctuated based on what type of team he was on. Over his career, Schilling is 216-146 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.137 WHIP. He posted an 8.6 SO/9 rate and a 2.0 BB/9 rate as well.

Jeff Bagwell (1991-2005)
Notable Accolades: 4 All Star appearances, 1 MVP award, 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, 1 Gold Glove, 3 Silver Sluggers

Bagwell's career didn't last as long as some of the other players' on the ballot (only 15 years), but he is deserving of a Hall of Fame bid. In his 1994 MVP season, Bagwell hit .368/.451/.750 with 39 home runs and 116 RBI. Over his career, Bagwell posted a .297/.408/.540 line 449 home runs and 1,529 RBI. His 149 OPS+ ranks 36th all time, above the likes of Mike Schmidt, Willie McCovey, and Willie Stargell (all Hall of Famers). You could argue that Bagwell is the greatest Astros player of all time. There is no doubt in my mind why he shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.