Here we go… my 11^th straight Hall of Fame ballot. I must say though, what started as a childhood love for the Hall, and continued with semi-regular pilgrimages there starting with Robbie Alomar’s induction in 2011, has now lost some of its luster for me.

I am encouraged by the new baseball writers who are gaining voting rights, and even enjoy talking to some in the business, all of whom share similar feelings to me, yet I find the whole process discouraging.

It started the last time we attended induction weekend, when we had to sit through what amounted to a lecture from Jane Forbes Clark, Chair of the Board, proclaiming the sanctity of the Hall. She blathered on about “honour” and “integrity.” She didn’t say it in so many words, but her message was clear – alleged steroid use was a blemish and they wanted to erase it. [Note from Mrs. T.: Honestly, it was so obnoxious and I wanted to throw my folding lawn chair at her.] Then, they changed the rules to limit eligibility on the ballot from 15 to 10 years – a move that will no doubt make many alleged steroid users fall out of contention more quickly. Then this year, Joe Morgan, who now represents the Hall, sent out a letter outright encouraging writers to not vote for alleged steroid users.

They’re blackballing the true superstars of my adolescence and early adulthood. But at the same time, they have no problem welcoming into the Hall Tony La Russa – who managed championship teams littered with alleged steroid users – and worse, Bud Selig. [Note from Mrs. T.: Booooooooooo!] Selig was the commissioner of baseball during the height of the steroid era. He certainly turned a blind eye towards it back in the day, when players – some clean, some surely not – were responsible for saving the game. The hypocrisy is startling. [Note from Mrs. T.: Will probably never visit the Hall again because of this I’m so mad about it.]

I didn’t abandon baseball after the strike of 1994, though it was a stoppage that almost crippled the game. It was a black mark that wasn’t erased fully until 1998. It was thrilling to watch McGwire and Sosa bring baseball back. Then Bonds and Clemens carried that mantle alongside them the next few years. Yes, some players of that era may have not played “clean,” but we don’t and may never know who was clean and who wasn’t. You can argue that every era has a certain stigma attached to it. [Note from Mrs. T.: That Hall has some pretty nasty dudes in it.] It seems like they are trying to win a morality argument but not really succeeding.

Once again, if I had a ballot, I would vote for 10 members. I will start with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. These two are possibly the best pitcher and hitter I’ve seen live. I was fortunate enough to see Barry smash a grand slam into McCovey Cove. For them to not be in the Hall is a complete disgrace. Whether they did or didn’t do steroids is irrelevant to me. [Note from Mrs. T.: It should be irrelevant to everybody! What’s the big deal anyway? PEDs for all, I say!!!] They were the best in an era of steroid use and should be recognized as such. Neither has been proven to be users and neither broke any rules that may have existed at the time. [Note from Mrs. T.: Aside from lying to Congress? I mean, nobody hates Clemens more than me, but for god’s sake put him in already!] Until these two get into the Hall, the whole process is flawed for me. Thankfully, they are gaining momentum. They should be on their way to 60% of the votes. (Being named on 75% of the ballots is the threshold for enshrinement.) So far this year, they have received over 90% of the votes from first-time voters, so their totals will continue to rise in coming years. They still have a few more years to go of eligibility on the ballot, and I believe they are trending towards election.

Returning on my ballot are pitchers Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling. Mike Mussina was a fantastic pitcher and voters are finally seeing my point. He has been trending upwards in recent years and will hopefully be elected soon. He is a guy who was simply solid his entire career. In my Hall, I reward longevity and stats accumulation along with dominance. To me, he checks all the boxes. As for Curt Schilling it almost kills me to vote for him. He is a genuinely bad dude. Just follow his twitter account and read any 10 tweets and you will see my point. He’s been kicked off TV for his views and fits perfectly with some of the deplorables that have been given a voice in recent times. But, I go by the stats, and he’s a stats accumulator. He was a dominant pitcher. He has the wins, the rings, the strikeouts, the seminal World Series moment (the bloody sock) and he wouldn’t be the first or last jerk to be elected. Let’s elect him already so I can stop putting him on my ballot. [Note from Mrs. T.: I cannot support this. It’s a bridge too far for me. I guess I can stand users but not ignorant-AF, racist asses.]

Also returning on my ballot are Larry Walker and Vladimir Guerrero. Two former Expos and two guys who have borderline cases for the Hall. When I first put Walker on my ballot many years ago, a few eyebrows were raised. Now he has become one of the fastest risers and is almost entering electability territory. His stats are incredible. He’s been hurt for playing his home games in Colorado – a hitters’ ballpark. No matter where you play, to put up his stats is worthy of consideration. Even those fancy park-adjusted stats that the kids use today would make him elite. Vladdy will surely get elected this year. Curiously, his stats are borderline. He simply brings an intangible that everyone loves to watch. Both Larry and Vladdy are five-tool players and ones that deserve spots on my ballot.

Chipper Jones and Jim Thome are Hall of Famers. Period. For both of them, this will be their first and only year on the ballot as they both cruise to induction. Chipper was a switch hitting superstar. He played for 20 years and the question is not whether he deserves to be in, it’s where he ranks among the top third baseman of all time. Thome was one that was just fun to watch. He would mash balls out of the park at an incredible rate. His 600+ home runs ranks eighth all time. But given that being number one of all-time doesn’t guarantee getting in, I didn’t know if he’d be a lock. While I always believed he was deserving to be in the Hall, I made a bet four years ago with a work colleague that he would be shunned. (I bet my hoverboard against my colleague’s jetpack. Clearly, we didn’t know where technology would take us and clearly, I didn’t realize how the votes would trend.) [Note from Mrs. T.: I am married to an eight-year-old.]

Manny Ramirez returns to my ballot. He definitely has the stats to be a Hall of Famer. While I’ve avoided listing too many stats this year, his are too crazy to ignore. He boasts a career .312 average, 555 home runs, 1800+ RBI and is eighth all-time in OPS. He also boasts two actual failed drug tests at a time when drugs were banned. Those failed tests will certainly keep him out of the Hall. But apparently not mine.

For my last vote, I am succumbing to peer pressure and proving that I am able to change my mind. I’m giving the nod to Edgar Martinez. Every year, I see his name and pass it over. I am blinded by his accumulated stats and always felt they were insufficient. This year, his second last on the ballot, I’ve come around to the hype surrounding his dominance as a hitter, albeit for a short period of time.