2021 HOF Class

[blurry]

Nobody! Not a single player hit the 75% threshold. Some things to note:

• Curt Schilling finished at 71% and probably could've gotten in if he kept his mouth shut. And now he's said he wants to be removed from the final ballot next year, claiming the media has conspired against him ()
• Bonds and Clemens stayed just under 62% each. I figured both would get in eventually but maybe not.
• Vizquel dropped, probably due to the domestic violence claims against him.

On happier notes:

• Mark Buehrle got 11%
• Scott Rolen, Todd Helton, Billy Wagner made big jumps and I think those 3 eventually get in. Personally I think all 3 deserve it (I'm not a small hall guy).

[DeployEloy]

I really hope Rolen gets in. What a terrific ball player that seems to be quite under appreciated.

[vegandork]

Other than Bonds and Clemens, nobody really has the numbers. And we know they're not getting voted in. Schilling was close because of his friends in media, but he doesn't deserve it. I'd feel the same way about Rolen, Helton, Wagner, or Buehrle getting in as I did when Santo made it. It's becoming less a Hall of Fame and more a Hall of come see pictures of your favorite players.

[TDog]

I was happy to see Bonds and Clemens continue to struggle in building their support. I was happy to see Schilling fall just short. Commenting on his response could border on political, but it was humorous to read Schilling questioning the legitimacy of the writers in favor of the Veterans Committee when it's fashionable, especially among the writers, to question the legitimacy of the Veterans Committee. Any point he may have is overshadowed by his legacy of being a jerk, if I can oversimplify it. I've thought so many times over the years, and even this year, that I am so glad Schilling didn't pitch for the right Sox.

That being said, Dick Allen would be in the Hall of Fame if it were up to the players and may have been voted in before his death if the recent vote hadn't been canceled. With Schilling, I'm not so sure he stands a better chance with the Veterans Committee. There are many writers who only consider numbers and don't consider a player's legacy, will vote for players who disgraced the game, arguing that their statistics earned them the honor. Obviously, I disagree. Vizquel wasn't going to get in on his numbers, not his offensive numbers anyway. His candidacy was about his legacy. If I had turned in my ballot early, I might have had him on it. But if I had been covering the White Sox, I may have been informed well enough not to.

I was happy to see Buehrle get 11 percent. In some respects, he had a more impressive showing than Sosa with 17 percent and just one year left on the ballot. By last night, I only cared about Buehrle's numbers, other than hoping Schilling, Bonds, Clemens and Sosa fell short. Sosa, despite his home run numbers, got just 12.5 percent in his first year on the ballot. I don't expect Buehrle to be elected by the writers. I expect that Buehrle, probably after I'm gone, will be elected by the Veterans Committee. I don't expect that to be the case for Sosa.

[vegandork]

I was happy to see Bonds and Clemens continue to struggle in building their support. I was happy to see Schilling fall just short. Commenting on his response could border on political, but it was humorous to read Schilling questioning the legitimacy of the writers in favor of the Veterans Committee when it's fashionable, especially among the writers, to question the legitimacy of the Veterans Committee. Any point he may have is overshadowed by his legacy of being a jerk, if I can oversimplify it. I've thought so many times over the years, and even this year, that I am so glad Schilling didn't pitch for the right Sox.

That being said, Dick Allen would be in the Hall of Fame if it were up to the players and may have been voted in before his death if the recent vote hadn't been canceled. With Schilling, I'm not so sure he stands a better chance with the Veterans Committee. There are many writers who only consider numbers and don't consider a player's legacy, will vote for players who disgraced the game, arguing that their statistics earned them the honor. Obviously, I disagree. Vizquel wasn't going to get in on his numbers, not his offensive numbers anyway. His candidacy was about his legacy. If I had turned in my ballot early, I might have had him on it. But if I had been covering the White Sox, I may have been informed well enough not to.

I was happy to see Buehrle get 11 percent. In some respects, he had a more impressive showing than Sosa with 17 percent and just one year left on the ballot. By last night, I only cared about Buehrle's numbers, other than hoping Schilling, Bonds, Clemens and Sosa fell short. Sosa, despite his home run numbers, got just 12.5 percent in his first year on the ballot. I don't expect Buehrle to be elected by the writers. I expect that Buehrle, probably after I'm gone, will be elected by the Veterans Committee. I don't expect that to be the case for Sosa.

I think it's significantly more likely that HOF talents like Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa get in via the veterans committee long after their scandals are remembered with the same disdain felt for them now. When Arod is eligible, with his media connections, he is going to get voted in. Which is going to soften all of this for the veterans committee.

Buehrle is in the Hall of very good. I don't see him getting in either way. No offense to him or what he accomplished.

[TDog]

I think it's significantly more likely that HOF talents like Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa get in via the veterans committee long after their scandals are remembered with the same disdain felt for them now. When Arod is eligible, with his media connections, he is going to get voted in. Which is going to soften all of this for the veterans committee.

Buehrle is in the Hall of very good. I don't see him getting in either way. No offense to him or what he accomplished.

Obviously we disagree. I think the people who feel this way are the people who represent the Bonds/Clemens base in the annual vote. I don't believe the people who disagree with them will eventually come around to their way of thinking. I believe it will be the scandals that endure for Bonds, Clemens and especially McGwire and Sosa. Sosa is regarded more a clown than a baseball great.

I also believe that Buehrle's legacy will appreciate. I don't think he'll ever get the 75 percent from the writers. I don't even know how many writers this year voted for him out of respect because they wanted to make sure he got the 5 percent or because they felt as negatively about this year's candidates as I did and didn't want to turn in an empty ballot. When it comes to baseball people, I would expect Buehrle to get more respect than the PED crowd. There may be fans who don't care if baseball is an honest game, but ultimately, when given the chance for contemplation and soul-searching, baseball falls on the side of wanting baseball to be an honest game.

People's opinions have changed. I've come around on Dick Allen. A lot of people have. But Allen's baggage was entirely different.

[PaleHoser]

Is Curt Schilling Hall of Fame worthy? He wasn't even the best starting pitcher on his own team the last eight years of his career. Would you pick him over Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez?

My bar for a Hall of Famer is much higher than most though.

[TDog]

Is Curt Schilling Hall of Fame worthy? He wasn't even the best starting pitcher on his own team the last eight years of his career. Would you pick him over Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez?

My bar for a Hall of Famer is much higher than most though.

It looked like Schilling was going to be elected, although I wouldn't have voted for him.. Maybe the bloody sock myth meant that much. Schilling seems to have believed he was going to make it. In falling short, he seems to be saying everyone knows he belongs, but they're conspiring against him to punish him for his public comments. This is a peculiar temper tantrum that does more to justify his being kept out of the Hall of Fame than anything else.