Sodo Mojo’s/Mariners Fans Hall of Fame Vote: Who’s In, Who’s Out?

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling,

Roy Halladay, Larry Walker 6/8

Here it is, the rest of our hall of fame class. A whopping 7 names made the magical 75% plateau, including this group of 5 players. The steroid guys (Bonds, Clemens) were the most interesting players in this discussion. It seems there are 2 definitive groups: steroids are not, both are HOF caliber players or no “cheaters”.

Personally, I know there are “cheaters”, including ones who used PED’s, already in the HOF. So morality aside, trying to keep out some of the greatest players ever is ridiculous. But that’s just me. It does appear this group is becoming the majority.

In our fan poll, which decided the fate of all the players in this group. Bonds and Clemens got right around 70%, which is about where they will finish in the actual voting process.

Schilling, Halladay, and Walker were all close calls as well. Schilling is being dragged down because, well, he is an a**hole. His playoff record is impressive, and he was one of the best pitchers of the steroid era.

Walker gets knocked for playing in Coors Field for a large part of his career. Yeah, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Walker was a better player than even Edgar Martinez, and his candidacy is as strong as ever. He will likely fall short in the real vote but is well on his way to induction.

Of course, Halladay tragically passed away in a small plane crash and is a lock to get inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. He barely squeaked in for our experiment, but will likely get in with more than 85% of the vote. In his 10-year prime, Halladay averaged a 2.97 ERA, 219 IP, and a 148 ERA+.

He wasn’t a big-time strikeout guy, which may make his career numbers more impressive. A 7-man class is unheard of from the BBWAA, but with 20 legitimate candidates on the ballot, it is what needs to happen.

Our experiment was fun, but now we just have to wait for the “real” voters to do their thing and hope they have seen the light. The HOF class of 2019 will have at least 2 members, Halladay and Rivera, and could have 2 more, Mike Mussina and Edgar Martinez.