Baseball Hall of Fame 2018: Who we voted for, and why

Pete Caldera, Steve Popper and John Rowe
Staff Writers

With the Baseball Hall of Fame set to announce its newest inductees on Wednesday, here is how The Record/NorthJersey.com's three official voters -- Pete Caldera, Steve Popper and John Rowe -- filled out their ballots:

Pete Caldera

This is my 11th ballot, and times have certainly changed since that first one.
In 2008, I had three players checked. This year, I’ve got nine players – in keeping with recent trends, with a backlog of deserving candidates to sort through. Let’s get to it: 

HOME RUNS

BARRY BONDS: I’m not crazy about the ‘He-was-a-Hall-of-Famer-before-the-steroid-suspicions’’ argument. He was simply the best player of his era, and the Steroid Era is part of baseball history.

ROGER CLEMENS: Similar argument, with seven Cy Young awards to Bonds’ seven MVP awards. They won’t make Cooperstown this year, but trending suggests it’s possible on the writers’ ballot eventually.

VLADIMIR GUERRERO: A .318 career hitter with power and owner of one of the game’s most powerful right field arms, it was a joy to watch him. Somehow missed election by 15 votes last time; won’t happen again. 

CHIPPER JONES: Always had a “Hall of Fame’’ feel through 19 seasons, winning an MVP in his prime and a batting title at age 37. Remember those derisive “Laaarry’’ chants during Braves-Mets wars at Shea?

Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens reacts to the last out in the seventh inning against the Florida Marlins during Game 4 of the 2003 World Series at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.

SOLID PICKS

CURT SCHILLING: An historic strikeout-to-walk ratio and a brilliant postseason record (11-2, 2.23 ERA) makes him Cooperstown worthy. And his candidacy seems to be regaining some momentum. 

JIM THOME: A pure slugger, with 612 career home runs (8th all-time). His clean reputation sets him apart from various other tainted sluggers of the era. Will waltz in with Jones on their first ballot. 

OMAR VIZQUEL: I wish I’d seen more of his games in person. From what I saw, he was the finest defensive shortstop for the longest time (11 Gold Gloves) plus he nearly had 3,000 hits. 

Boston Red Sox' Manny Ramirez, left, is greeted at home plate by Johnny Damon after scoring on a hit by Edgar Renteria during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees Wednesday, April 6, 2005 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Red Sox won 7-3.

BORDERLINE 'YES'

MANNY RAMIREZ: One of the most feared power hitters of his generation. And yes, a multiple-count offender of performance-enhancing drugs late in his sensational batting career. Note it on his plaque. 

GARY SHEFFIELD: Controversial at every turn but he attacked injustices – perceived or real – as he did pitches, with legendary ferocity and never struck out more than 83 times in a season; .393 OBP, 509 HR.

LEFT OFF

Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Larry Walker, Trevor Hoffman, Andruw Jones and Fred McGriff all had excellent careers but fall short (Martinez, Mussina and Hoffman are likely to gain entry by the writers). I no longer support Jeff Kent’s candidacy, having been lukewarm to it to begin with. Let’s keep talking about Scott Rolen.

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Steve Popper

Before I had a vote on the Baseball Hall of Fame it was easy to engage in the arguments about steroids and statistics, but when you hold that ballot in your hands, as I have for the last four years, it becomes a much tougher debate with yourself.

The most pressing issue is steroids, the one that Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame never settled and has left in the hands of voters.

And my line has been this: If a player was proven to be a user, suspended or banned, they are out. In speaking to baseball officials over the years there is a belief that a huge percentage of players were using, so maybe someday I will lower that bar - allowing players such as two-time suspended Manny Ramirez onto my ballot. And the other parameter with steroids is if I believe many were using, how did the player compare to his peers, before or during that time?

By that rule I have never filled out a ballot that didn’t include Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, who most everyone believes their claims of innocence are false, but also were dominant players before and during the steroid era.

But it’s not the only issue as you combine advanced statistical analysis, comparisons with players of the  current and past eras and even the eye test about how dominant the player was in his time. One tough debate is over certain positions - relief pitchers and designated hitters. With relievers, do you give credit to saves, the traditional measurement, or the more reliable analytics - two ideas that separate Billy Wagner and Trevor Hoffman. Does Edgar Martinez get in as a dominant hitter only?

So here’s what I came up with this year:

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds throws his bat in the air as he watches his two-run homer to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4,  in the 10th inning at 3Com Park in San Francisco, Monday, Aug. 30, 1999.

HOME RUNS

BARRY BONDS: The best hitter before, during and after suspicion of PEDs. Impossible to vote for anyone suspected if you don’t vote for Bonds.

ROGER CLEMENS: Like Bonds, Clemens was dominant at every level. Got better late and that raises red flags, but so good early, too.

CHIPPER JONES: One of the greatest switch-hitters in history, an all-time third baseman, and most of all, one player you don’t have to argue about PED rumors.

SOLID PICKS

VLADIMIR GUERRERO: Ridiculous combination of aggressiveness and efficiency, a .318 career batting average despite swinging at everything he could reach. 

JIM THOME: Like Jones, with 612 homers never linked to PEDs. Both players are well-deserved first-ballot entrants.

EDGAR MARTINEZ: The argument has nothing to do with his worthy numbers, but whether a DH should get in. He belongs as one of the best hitters of his time.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Curt Schilling pitches to a Florida Marlins batter during the first inning Friday, July 28, 2000 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami.

BORDERLINE 'YES'

CURT SCHILLING: No matter what he’s done to embarrass himself after his career, as good as anyone in big spots.

BILLY WAGNER: Doesn’t have the saves, but that’s the worst stat for a reliever. Best BAA, WHIP and Ks/9 innings of any pitcher in history.

TREVOR HOFFMAN: While saves have been badly devalued, Hoffman has so many it’s hard to ignore.

MIKE MUSSINA: Pitched in hitters' parks and the steroid era, he managed 270 wins and finished top 10 in ERA 11 times.

LEFT OFF

Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker, Johan Santana. I have Jones at No. 11 and if he drops off the ballot that's just crazy - the best defensive centerfielder of his era and maybe ever in the first half of his career. Vizquel has a similar case defensively, didn't fall off but doesn't have the offensive numbers. Rolen and Walker are solid two-way players who deserve consideration. Injuries limited Santana to just 139 wins, but with a devastating changeup he draws comparisons at his best to the impact of Sandy Koufax.

Montreal Expos' Vladimir Guerrero bats in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, June 14, 1999. The Guerrero brothers were a combined  6 for 8 with three RBI's and four runs scored. Cardinals catcher is Eli Marrero.

John Rowe

In my 20-plus years of voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, this has been the most challenging ballot.

I have never -- and probably never will -- vote for the maximum 10 candidates. I’ve always been a two- or three-type of voter. One year, I didn’t vote for anybody.

This time, I selected five. And seriously considered many more. Here’s my ballot:

HOME RUNS

CHIPPER JONES: The first-time eligible has numbers that stand up against any third baseman: .303 average, 468 home runs and 1,623 RBI. Mets fans are glad their Atlanta Braves nemeses retired.

VLADIMIR GUERRERO: The nine-time All-Star hit 30 or more homers eight times and drove in 100 runs 10 times. The American League MVP in 2004 hit .318, drove in 1,496 runs, homered 449 times, and had a cannon for an arm.

Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones points to the stands as he is greeted by teammate Brian Jordan after Jones' home run in fourth inning of Game One of the World Series in Atlanta, Saturday, Oct 23, 1999.

SOLID PICKS
TREVOR HOFFMAN: Hoffman’s biggest “crime” was that he wasn’t Mariano Rivera. But who was? The Padres star had a then-record 601 saves and saved 40 or more games in half of his 18 seasons. That’s good enough.

BORDERLINE 'YES'

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yes, he was a DH for much of his career, but he was paid to hit, and that’s what he did (.312, 309 homers and 1,219 RBI). If a placekicker is in the Pro Football Hall, why can’t a DH be honored in Cooperstown?

CURT SCHILLING: Compiled a 216-146 record and 3.46 ERA for five teams. Was even better in the postseason, with an 11-2, 2.23 ERA, and 2001 World Series MVP on his ledger. Shouldn’t be penalized for his off-the-field views.

LEFT OFF

Jim Thome (shouldn’t be a first-timer, but probably will); Mike Mussina (Schilling was better); Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and others presumed to have used performance enhancing drugs (call me an old fool, but I won’t vote for rules breakers).