Last year at this time, I opened my annual hall of fame ballot blog noting that I felt partially defeated by the process. This year will mark the 12th time, I’ve posted a ballot….and I almost didn’t write it. If not for a bitmoji dressed in Yasiel Puig garb and the threat of hearing, “coach, you’re better than that”, I decided to keep on the tradition.

This will likely be the fifth straight year, I won’t attend induction ceremony in Cooperstown. We were there last in 2014. Back then, Mrs. T and I made a rule that because we loved induction weekend so much that we would go anytime there was an induction with even the slightest connection to a Blue Jay. You can just imagine the looks we got when we proudly explained to White Sox fans that we came to see former Blue Jay, Frank Thomas get inducted that year. As we drove home, I distinctly remember checking the calendar trying to figure out when Doc Halladay could get the call. Would he be a first balloter? Probably not, not enough wins. Then in his second year of eligibility, would be Jeter’s first year on the ballot. Crap. That would be an insane weekend to go. Hope it’s not then.

Notwithstanding a couple magical Blue Jays seasons, my passion for the Hall of Fame has dwindled over the years. Maybe it was the hypocrisy of Bud Selig and Tony La Russa being elected in, despite Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens still being blackballed. Maybe it was watching in horror the reports that Roy Halladay’s Icon A5 slammed into the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe it was a month ago when the “Today’s Game Era Committee” voted in Harold Baines and Lee Smith. Lee Smith was on the ballot for 15 years ending in 2017. I don’t believe he ever got more than 35% of the votes (75% is needed to enter). It makes no sense to me that in two years, a committee can just put you in. What was the point of having the writers vote for the 15 years prior? But that’s not as egregious an example as was the election of Harold Baines. Baines spent 5 years on the ballot before falling off for not hitting the requisite 5% of the vote. I obviously have nothing against Mr. Baines or Mr. Smith and I am genuinely happy for them as their earning potential took a tremendous upswing with the election. But it makes me wonder what the point is of this or any other annual debate. How can we possibly debate now not putting in an Edgar Martinez, who gets penalized for being primarily a DH, when an inferior hitter who was also primarily a DH gets in? But finally, I’m also getting tired of the steroids debate. We are now in year 7 where arguably the best pure hitter and best pure pitcher in baseball history are not being elected due to the suspicion of steroid use. And, if we think this debate will end in 3 years, Alex Rodriguez joins the ballot in 2 years, so we can enjoy at least 12 more years of this.

With that I present, in no particular order, my arguably flawed 2019 ballot. For the first time in many years, I debated not using my requisite maximum of 10 votes. But, I found at least 12 candidates who I considered deserving.

For my first vote, I will start with Mariano Rivera. I have historically been hard on closers as they have such a small defined role. The life of a closer these days doesn’t seem to last more than a couple years. This makes what Rivera has done in his career all that crazier. There was no one better closing games. Period. He’s in a class of closers all his own. The craziest thing about Mariano is that he basically had one pitch; his signature cutter. For 19 years, hitters knew what was coming and still couldn’t hit it!

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds return to my ballot. As noted above, Barry is the best hitter I have ever seen live and Roger is the best pitcher. I’m honestly tired of this debate. Put them in or make them ineligible and take them off the ballot. I am somewhat encouraged that their vote total continues to creep towards the magic 75% plateau. Maybe this is a matter of making them suffer and wait the 10 years.

Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling also return to my ballot. Like Roger and Barry, Mike continues to climb amongst voters. He won’t get in this year, but he’s crossed the 60% plateau and likely a point where he will undoubtedly make it. Curt is climbing a little slower. He has become somewhat of a controversial figure after expressing some extremely right wing views. He was dropped from TV after tweeting memes comparing Muslims to Nazis and others that are anti-transgender and pro-lynching. Maybe he’s not in because of the Hall’s “integrity” clause. I just googled an article entitled, “Curt Schilling is a jerk, but he should still be a hall of famer”. Written in January of 2017, the author argues, “we’re not evaluating him for a humanitarian award or potential political candidacy”. Oh how silly those arguments sound today. Yesterday, President Trump tweeted his support for Curt, urging the Hall to do what’s right. Too bad the votes are already in, so we will never know if he got the Trump bump. The more I write, the more I’ve talked myself out of Schilling. Schilling is officially off my ballot! I feel so liberated. What am I going to do with my final spot?

My next two spots go to Edgar Martinez and Larry Walker. Two great hitters, two deserving candidates. I’ve admittedly not always been on the Edgar bandwagon. Last year was the first year I included him. I still question his career stat accumulation, but I don’t question anymore his hall of fame credibility. Harold Baines took care of any last arguments anyone could have for a primarily DH candidate. Conversely, I’ve always been on the Larry Walker bandwagon. I will speak again not understanding the Coors field bias against him. With numbers that ridiculous, how is this even a debate? With only two years remaining on the ballot, I think he’s got too big a gap to bridge. I’m looking at you “Today’s Game Era Committee” to do what’s right and put him on in three years, or whenever the committee meets again.

Manny Ramirez and Fred McGriff return to my ballot. You can’t get two opposite style players. The first put up gaudy statistics, was likely chemically enhanced, and was one of the most colourful players in the game. Conversely, Fred McGriff just merely stayed the same his entire career. When a home run leader hit 36 home runs, he was the one to do it. When players were routinely hitting chemically enhanced 50 homers, he was still hitting his same 25-30 totals. He was a model of consistency. He wins the longevity and stats accumulation argument. With 8 straight years of 30+ homers from 1988-1994 to amassing just 7 shy of the magical 500 homer plateau, he is categorically a hall of famer in my book.

Scott Rolen? I put a question mark because I never felt when watching him play I was witnessing a hall of fame career. Statistically speaking I’m told he is one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. Yet, he has only won 8 gold gloves. Don’t get me wrong, 8 is solid number for a 17 year career, but if we are talking one of the best of all-time, is it enough? Anyway, when I sat down to start to write today I didn’t expect him to be on my ballot. So, I don’t have fully formed arguments. But a lot of advanced baseball stat geeks tell me how deserving he is and who am I to argue with statistics I don’t really understand?

Finally, the last spot on my ballot goes to Roy “Doc” Halladay. Born on the exact same day as my sister-in-law, Doc was one of my favourite Blue Jays of all-time. I loved to watch him compete. He was the last of a dying breed of pitchers that when he started a game, there was a great chance he would finish it as well. Nobody does that anymore. With his career cut short due to injury, I was worried about his Hall chances. But given they don’t make pitchers like this anymore and may never again, he has become a virtual shoe-in to be a first time inductee. Five years ago, I was so excited for this moment to come and practically booked my room. With his tragic death a couple years ago, I just don’t know if I can bring myself to go.