Evan Grant's HOF ballot

unlike many people, i think andre dawson SHOULD get in.

same with tommy john.

i don't support conception though.

i DO think mcgwire SHOULD get in...eventually. dude was a 12 time all star, won a world series ring (appeared in 3 series)

was injured during 3 "peak" years of his career and still hit nearly 600 homers.  

he struck out a lot, but knew how to take a walk.

career ops+ is 162. good for 12th. that's ahead of stan musial, hank greenberg, tris speaker, willie mays, hank aaron.

people say he's a glorified dave kingman.  totally untrue.  kingman never walked.  kingman struck out more often.  and his average was nearly 30 points lower.  

is mcgwire a 1st ballot hall of famer (this is moot of course)?  no.  

did i think he was a first ballot HOFer before the scandal?  no.  

but i DO think he should get in in a few seasons.

i think my ballot would be (in order of how much it's deserved):

bert blylevin
goose gossage
tommy john
tim raines
alan trammell

fred mcgriff was tight.

on why wally joyner should be in the hall of fame...

highlights of the blog:

For that matter, let's briefly go over the notable aspects of Joyner's statistical record:

    * 7 years of at least 30 2B's (Functionally, 9, at least when you count in his two years of 29 2B's)
    * 2 years having driven in at least 100 runs
    * 4 years of having hit at least .300 (Functionally, 5)
    * 8 years with more walks than strikeouts
    * Had more career walks than strikeouts
    * Compiled at least 2,000 hits during his career, a good number for Cooperstown consideration
    * Compiled over 1,000 RBI's, another one of those "good numbers"
    * 409 career 2B's
    * 8 seasons with a fielding percentage of at least .995
    * Career fielding percentage of .994

...Anyone who saw Joyner play knows his defense is Hall-worthy. I'm not sure who the current leader is, but the career leader in fielding percentage for a first baseman used to be Steve Garvey, at .9959 (For all first basemen who played at least 1600 games). Joyner, at .994, isn't that far behind, and probably ranks pretty high on that career fielding percentage list for first basemen.
....Wally Joyner was something of the epitome of a good baseball character. He was described all around, by teammates and writers alike, as truly a great guy and a guy who gave baseball 100%. I think he also gave money to charities.
...It would be an understatement to say, "Wally Joyner was a fan favorite."

He wasn't just a 'fan favorite.'

He was "WallyWorld!"

...but this is where it gets good:

In his rookie season, (1986) Joyner arrival led to a sudden increase in winning percentage from the previous year, from .556...to .568 and a division title. This is particularly significant as the team had lost Rod Carew and Tommy John, its two biggest stars from 1985. Joyner was rightfully voted the starting 1st Baseman for the All-Star team, yet lost the Rookie of the Year to Jose "Juiced" Canseco and finished 8th in AL MVP voting to Roger Clemens.

Jose Canseco?

Roger Clemens?

In retrospect, giving the Rookie of the Year to a steroid user was not a smart move, especially given that Jose Canseco never figured into the AL MVP voting.

But we didn't know he was a steroid user at the time.

Roger Clemens is another story. He wasn't even the clear MVP on his team (Wade Boggs hit .356 and won the batting title), much less the league. Besides, it's really hard to justify giving an MVP award to a guy who just goes every 5th day.

And no, I don't think he took steroids.

Joyner should have been MVP that season. He single-handedly took the burden left by legitimate Hall-of-Famers (Yes, I think Tommy John is deserving of the Hall of Fame) and led the Angels all the way to the top in a tougher division than it is today. I realize it's usually safer to vote for a veteran rather than a rookie, but this case defied standards.

In 1987, Joyner had his best season, but having a team filled with aging veterans is not necessarily going to win ballgames, and the Angels drop from first to worst.

Joyner was the clear MVP of his team, but probably not the league.

The same probably goes for the rest of Joyner's first career with the Angels.

Joyner left for the Royals in 1992, and the Angels promptly dropped from .500 to .444 (So, ironically, did the Royals, as Joyner had an off year).
Joyner improved their record the next year as he had one of his finest offensive years.

It was, however, with the Padres, that Joyner really worked the Joe Morgan Effect. Upon his arrival, the Padres took the division after improving from .486 to .562, even though Joyner had modest numbers.

His teammate, Ken Caminiti, took all the credit and the MVP award, after having a monster, steroids-induced season.

Given Caminiti's troubled life, I don't think he just happened to take steroids that year. I'm not trying to say Joyner made him take steroids, but rather that Caminiti was inspired by Joyner's presence to boost his numbers. They were close friends.

Whatever the reasons, the facts remain that Joyner arrived, Caminiti promptly had a monster year, and the Padres surged to the top after having been nobodies the previous few years.

Joyner, of course, should have had that MVP.

The next year, inexplicitly, the Padres drop to the cellar, though Joyner has one of his finest offensive years.

In 1998, Joyner has his last good year, and the Padres go all the way to the World Series before being steamrollered by the unstoppable Yankees.

Of course, a couple of guys named Sosa and McGwire set the record book on fire that year, so Joyner doesn't get the MVP.

In 1999, as injuries reduced Joyner's playing time, the Padres' record dropped again, this time not to be revived until years later. Joyner would retire in 2001, as an Angel.

Despite the fact that Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman have been (Or were) Padres their entire baseball careers, and despite the fact that the Padres later acquired players like Phil Nevin and Ryan Klesko, the Padres have never returned to the World Series since the time they had a healthy Wally Joyner.

That's fairly significant.

By my count, Joyner was deserving of 3 MVP awards during his career, a total that would put him among all-time greats. Only 8 players have ever been awarded 3 MVP awards: Mike Schmidt, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Barry Bonds. Statistically, these guys are truly some the best the game has ever seen. To put him in that group, deservedly, speaks volumes on Joyner's value to his teams.

But he never got the awards, you might say. Well, of the four specific instances, three involved steroid users.

Feel free to reach your own conclusions. I've already shown you the evidence.

...    * Passable primary statistics that would fit in with the Hall of Fame
    * An excellent batting eye, as evidenced by having more walks than strikeouts
    * One of the best defensive 1st Basemen ever
    * A man of good character and integrity who's case actually looks better when you bring in what he said to ESPN The Magazine
    * Might have saved Angels baseball
    * Should have won 3 MVP's

/

i'm convinced :)

Then again, Id prefer a small Hall.

When the best picks are guys like Rock Raines and Bert Blyleven, guys who no one ever thought of as the  best player in the game in any given year, then I could easily no vote with a clear conscience.

No one ever feared Blyleven or Raines, no one ever game planned for them, no one ever bought tickets just to see them.