MLB: How will Hall of Fame Voters Treat the Class of 2013

Before former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin’s Hall of Fame plaque could be ordered on Monday talk had already turned to the 2013 class of eligible players but for all the wrong reasons.

Between 1984 and 2007 the names Biggio, Piazza, Bonds, Schilling, Sosa, and Clemens were synonymous with greatness. There was also a period of time when a few of these names were linked to performance enhancing drugs thus tarnishing America’s Past Time in the wake of their indelible mark on baseball.  

On statistics and accomplishments alone the first-time eligible players for the 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York could be considered the greatest class inducted since Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson entered in 1936. But because of the “Steroid Era” question marks hover over some of the games’ greatest players.

Barry Bonds

In 2003 Barry Bonds was caught in the BALCO scandal. For those that may have forgotten what the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal was about, it was about Greg Anderson allegedly providing steroids or performance enhancing drugs to athletes and Major League Baseball players. One of his most successful clients was Bonds.

Stemming from Bonds’ now infamous testimony, he was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in 2007 cutting a legendary 22 year career short; there was some gas left in Bonds’ tank.

There was also a desire by the Home Run King to keep playing but the controversy surrounding Bonds’ proved to be too much negative attention for any team to bear and understandably so.  

Bonds finished his career as the all-time home run leader with 762, the leader in walks with 2,558, and intentional walks recording 688. He has the single season home run record (73), most consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs (13), on-base percentage in a single season (.609), and he is tied with his father for the most 30-30 seasons in a career (5).

If those accomplishments are not enough, he won seven National League MVP awards including four in a row (1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004).

If one is looking for holes to poke in Bonds career- good luck. He was 65 hits shy of 3,000 and a career .298 hitter. His career average is tied with Mickey Mantle and Jim Rice and places him ahead of newly elected Hall of Famer Barry Larkin (.2948) and soon to be first ballot Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (.284).

He retired No. 4 on the all-time runs batted in list with 1,996.

Did he admit to using the “cream and the clear” ointment from Greg Anderson or did he not? Speculation still surrounds this possible forthcoming information from Bonds.

Will his conviction of obstruction of justice charge on April 13, 2011 be enough to keep voters away from one of the most feared hitters to ever play the game?

Sammy Sosa

Sammy Sosa is another player implicated during his playing career but never formally found guilty of failing a drug test. How will the election committee view his career?

At the time of his retirement Sosa was one of five players with 600 home runs; 500 home runs at one time were considered the magical benchmark needed to make into the Hall of Fame. He won the 1998 National League MVP and was a seven-time All-Star in his 18 year career.

Sosa twice led the league in home runs but oddly never during any of his 60 plus home run seasons- 1998, 1999, and 2001. He led the league in 2000 with 50 and in 2002 with 49.

His career batting average of .273 is average for power hitters and his 1,667 RBIs currently rank him No. 27 on the all-time list. When he retired he was in the Top 100 on the career hit list with 2,408 placing him ahead of Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Larkin, Kirby Puckett, and Joe DiMaggio.

He led the NL in runs three times (1998, 2001, and 2002), home runs twice, RBIs twice (1998 and 2001), and total bases three times (1998, 1999, and 2001).

In 2009 the New York Times reported that Sosa failed a drug test in 2003. Also in 2003 Sosa was found corking his bat- an illegal action in MLB.

Slammin’ Sammy was also part of the Grand Jury that testified before Congress in 2005 regarding steroids in baseball. Sosa did not directly testify claiming he did not speak English well enough to do so.

Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza is typically regarded as one of the best hitting catchers of all-time. His 396 career home runs as a catcher is tops in MLB history. A .308 hitter during16 years in the majors ranks him No. 120 for career average.

Piazza was the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year as the Dodgers catcher. He was with the Dodgers until 1998 then traded to the Marlins before being traded again to the New York Mets. Piazza had better overall career numbers as a Met but earned his reputation as a hitter in Dodger Stadium, a pitcher’s park.

Post season numbers do not support his place among the best players ever. In eight series played over five seasons, a total of 32 games, he hit .242.

As a defensive catcher he allowed over 100 stolen bases eight times topping out with 155 in 1996. 23 percent of bases runners were caught stealing by the lumbering catcher and 10 times he allowed the most bases stolen in the NL.

In 1995 and 1996 he led the league in passed balls- 12 and 12. Four times he led all catchers in errors (1993, 1994, 1997, and 2002). Five other times he was in the top 2-4 in total errors for a season among catchers.

The most surprising statistics of Piazza’s may be that he had eight triples in his career and 17 stolen bases.

Whispers of PED surrounded Piazza but he was never openly found to violate the league’s substance abuse policy.

Chances are Piazza makes it into the Hall in one of his first two attempts unless documentation surfaces about him taking performance enhancing drugs before the election committee submits their votes.

A question begs to be asked, if Piazza was not a catcher would his career numbers be good enough for the Hall of Fame?

The follow up question to voters, because a guy is an above average hitter for his position but a below average player in the field, does that merit a Hall of Fame career?

Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio came up through the Houston Astros organization as a catcher but will be remembered by most as a second baseman. Biggio’s rare athletic ability allowed him to play parts of five seasons behind the plate, parts of five seasons in center field, six in left field, and 15 at second base.

In 20 total seasons he was named a NL All-Star seven times, once as a catcher, and a Gold Glove Award winner at second base five times (1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997). He was nine home runs shy of joining Willie Mays as the only other player with 3,000 hits, 300 stolen bases, and 300 home runs.

Biggio’s true power shows in his career doubles. He retired with 668 doubles, fifth all-time, and tops for a right handed batter. A testament to his speed on the base paths as well.

A dubious honor but one that counts towards his on base percentage is his hit by a pitch stat line. He was hit 285 times leaving him two short of Hughie Jennings (1891-1918). Five times he led the league in HBP being hit 34 times in 1997.

At second, Biggio had great range which contributed to his high error totals. Seven times he was among the top five in errors but never led the league. His effort in the field paid off as he was first in putouts five times and in the top five six other times.

He totaled 3,060 career hits (No. 21 on the career list) with 1,844 runs scored (No. 13 all-time).

Biggio was a gamer and deserves a spot among the best ever. Voters will overlook his career .281 batting average and his career post season average of .234.

Curt Schilling

If the election committee took into account a player’s birth place then Curt Schilling may get inducted as the best Major League pitcher ever born in the state of Alaska. As it is Schilling is on a dangerous Hall of Fame line after compiling 216 career wins, well short of the mythical 300 needed by most starting pitchers.

Schilling may fall into the Jack Morris area among voters. Morris was a three-time World Series winner and a World Series MVP like Schilling. However Morris won 38 more games over his 18 year big league career than the 20 years Schilling played.

Known as a strike out pitcher utilizing his four-seam fastball with a great changeup and a devastating split-finger fastball, Schilling was also a workhorse on the mound twice leading the NL in innings pitched- 1998 Phillies and 2001 Diamondbacks. Twice he led the NL in total strikeouts (1997 and 1998) placing him No. 15 on the career list.

The post season is where one wants to shine and that is exactly where Schilling shined. He and his bloody sock won 11 games while only losing two over 19 starts. He was not bailed out by his offense either. He posted a 2.23 ERA over 133.1 post season innings pitched.

Schilling may have to wait around a few years if he is ever inducted into the Hall.

He led the NL once in wins with 22 in 2001 with Diamondbacks and once in the AL with the Red Sox posting 21 wins. He went over 20 wins a total of three times in his career.

He was known as a good to great pitcher but never known as the most dominate of his era or even during any one season most notably because he never won a Cy Young Award.

Speculation with steroids was never a problem for Schilling, his conflicts with management, players, and the media made him a notorious player during his career.

Should a starting pitcher during the steroid era get extra consideration for the Hall of Fame because of the gaudy offensive numbers compiled during that time?

Roger Clemens

Love him or hate him Roger Clemens is among the best pitchers to ever play in Major League Baseball.

The Rocket spent 13 of his 24 years in a Red Sox uniform winning 192 games with a winning percentage of .634 over that time. After four subpar seasons in Boston which saw him accumulate a record of 40 wins and 39 losses including the only two losing seasons of his career, he reinvented himself in Toronto in 1997.

Over the following 11 years Clemens won 162 games losing 73 times for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros. He added four more Cy Young Awards to his mantle during this time collecting a total of seven through his time in “the show”.

Here are a few of the Rocket’s career accomplishments: four times he led his league in wins, seven times led the league in ERA, 16 years of 30 or more starts, 6 times led the league in shutouts, five time leader in strikeouts, and twice led the league in innings pitched.

It’s hard enough to win seven Cy Young Awards (1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2004) much less to be named the league MVP as a pitcher, something Clemens accomplished in 1986.

He was also an 11 time All-Star and won two World Series with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

He ranks No. 3 on the career strikeout list with 4,672, No. 9 with 354 total wins, No. 16 in career innings pitched (4,916.2), and No. 26 in career shutouts (46) with 118 complete games.

Clemens was named to the Mitchell Report citing that he had used steroids or was connected to performance enhancing drugs. The Rocket denied his use of steroids. He was later charged with six felony counts including perjury, false statements, and obstruction of Congress.

July 14, 2011, on the second day of testimony his trial was declared a mistrial because of prosecutorial misconduct. A retrial date has not been set.

The jury literally is still out on Clemens and his usage of PED. The most important question is how will the Hall of Fame voters treat one of the best pitchers to ever take the mound?

Is speculation of steroid use enough to keep Clemens from the Hall of Fame?

Are his accomplishments before the steroid era enough to vote him into the Hall?

The Outcome

Six players worthy of Hall of Fame consideration await their fate. Will they receive the ultimate honor bestowed to the greatest players of the game by being elected or will the steroid era taint the accomplishments of all six players that will be eligible for the first time in 2013?

If you had a vote, which players would you elect to the Hall of Fame in 2013?

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Sports Quick Hits

Two Grand Jury Trials and nothing to show for it, thanks U.S. Legal System! Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds proves lying to the Grand Jury isn’t as big of a deal as it used to be. Will our inept legal prosecutors waste more of our tax payer money and attempt to try Clemens and Bonds again? I think they’ve proved their point… money wins in the legal system and regardless of what we are paying our prosecutors, we are overpaying.

To further the point, does anyone care anymore if Bonds and Clemens used PED or steroids? Even if our “legal system” found them not guilty, no one believes that either player was clean or didn’t know what they were doing.

4 Years of Probation for What???

Georgia Tech received a 4 year probation notice and a $100,000 fine from the NCAA for separate violations between the football and basketball programs. The football team failed to cooperate with the NCAA when an unidentifiable player received $312 worth of clothing (sounds like someone bought him a suit) from a friend that works for a sports agency. The football team must vacate their final three games of the 2009 season. The three games include a loss to University of Georgia, an ACC title game victory over Clemson, and an Orange Bowl loss to University of Iowa… all over $312 worth of clothing.

The basketball team was penalized when two basketball tournaments were held on campus between 2009 and 2010. An assistant coach was on hand for some of the games, helping coordinate the games etc…, and reported what he saw to the other coaches.

This seems overly harsh considering the pay to play controversy, the Vest cover-up, and Reggie Bush’s pro college career.

14 Razorbacks Named to Preseason SEC Teams

The Razorbacks had three players selected on the preseason first team list voted upon by SEC coaches. Senior wide receiver Greg Childs and senior wide receiver Joe Adams as a return specialist (2^nd team as a wide receiver) were All-SEC 1^st Team Offense. Senior defensive end Jake Bequette (graduated from my alma mater, thank you) was 1^st Team All-SEC Defense.

Junior running back Knile Davis, Joe Adams, and sophomore guard Alvin Bailey were listed on the All-SEC 2^nd Offense. Senior linebacker Jerry Franklin and senior safety Tramain Thomas were listed 2^nd team Defense. Junior defensive end Tenarius Wright was All-SEC 3^rd team. Senior offensive guard Grant Cook, sophomore center Travis Swanson, and senior wide receiver were listed 3^rd team Offense. Sophomore kicker Zach Hocker and punter Dylan Breeding were listed as 3^rd team specialists.

The 14 overall selections were the most from any university within the SEC.

Preseason Honors Continue

Razorback fans will be happy to know that three more players have been listed on preseason watch lists. Sophomore offensive guard Alvin Bailey, senior linebacker Jerry Franklin, and senior defensive end Jake Bequette were all listed on the Lombardi Award list. The Lombardi Award is given to the best down lineman, end on defense or offense, H-back, or linebacker that lines up within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.

Travis Swanson, a sophomore center for the Razorbacks, was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list. The Rimington Award is given to the best center in college football. Four other sophomores were listed from across the country along with 6 other starting SEC centers.

Former Razorback center Jonathan Lugis won the award for the 2007 season.

Quote of the Summer!!!

Not so Fast there Chizik

During the SEC Meetings held last month Gene Chizik, head coach for the Auburn Tigers’ football team, kept asking Julie Roe Lach, the NCAA vice president for enforcement why the investigation over Auburn isn’t over. Chizik claimed that the ongoing investigation hurt Auburn’s recruiting.

After Chizik kept needling Lach about declaring the NCAA investigation is over to the public, she said, “You’ll know when we’re finished and we’re not finished. 

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The Lighter Side of Sports

They Said What???

Former NFL All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal was arrested for a DUI on Tuesday in Fresno, California when his truck went off the road and crashed into a pole.

The arresting officer said, “Neal just ran off the road, struck a pole. Nothing real major about it. Luckily, he didn’t hit anyone else.”

If there’s nothing “real major about it”, why arrest him for a DUI?

Neal issued a statement in conjunction with the company he works for stating, “Lorenzo feels drinking and driving is a major problem and affects people from all walks of life and all segments of society.” Really? That’s a noble position to take after the fact.

Just to Clarify, Neal is lucky that the company he works for helped issue that statement for him and is seemingly supporting him. By the way, Neal works as the chief information officer of Safe Rides Solutions. Part of Safe Rides Solutions main focus is a DUI prevention program and professional driving services. Safe Rides Solutions is operated by law enforcement officers.

I wonder where Neal will be serving his community service hours… not that the classes and information being taught there have affected him in any way so far?

Former MLB pitcher Larry Andersen was asked, “Who was the one hitter you never wanted to face?”

His answer, “The hitter I feared the most was anyone that took a bat to the batter’s box, as my stuff for the majority of my career wasn’t good enough to let me feel comfortable on the mound without a screen in front of me.”

Larry Andersen played for 7 different teams during his pro career which lasted from 1975 to 1994. He appeared in 699 games, primarily as a reliever, and compiled a win-loss record of 40-39. He is most remembered in Boston and in Houston as one of the players that Houston traded to get would be 1991 Rookie of the Year and 1994 NL MVP, Jeff Bagwell. Andersen is the current color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Speaking of the “Killer B’s”

Craig Biggio, a 7-time All-Star, future Hall of Famer, and former MLB player for the Houston Astros was asked, “Who are the top three home hitters of all time?”

Biggio answered, “Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire.”

Just to Clarify, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and Biggio shared his. Bonds was not a great home run hitter, consistent but not great. Not even when he started taking PEDs and/or steroids. In fact Bonds only had one season where he hit more than 50 home runs; in 2001 he hit 73. McGwire, when healthy, was a prolific home run hitter; seems his rookie season may have been his only clean season in MLB. Who knows how much of McGwire’s career was tainted with steroid use? It’s troubling that former MLB players give credit to the players that cheated the game and other players, past, present and future.

Biggio is the head baseball coach for a Houston area high school. What kind of message does that send to the kids on his teams?

Stuff that dreams are made of

Cal Ripken was asked, “What was your most memorable home run?”

Cal responded with, “The first one of my career in Kansas City. I got to shake my brother’s hand at home plate and my dad’s hand in the dugout. You can’t get better than that.”

Cal’s brother Billy Ripken played in the Bigs from 1987-1998 for 4 different teams, primarily as a second baseman. Billy must have been a ball boy for the Orioles at the time as Cal hit his first home run in 1982. Cal Ripken Sr. was the third base coach for the Orioles at the time of Cal Ripken’s first home run.

Huh, Really?

Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard was recently asked, “What’s the best ballpark to hit in”?

Howard said, “Our park, Cincinnati, Yankee Stadium, Boston. Those are the hitter’s parks. But you know, a lot of times you can get sucked into that. You walk in and people say you have to be licking your chops at that right field line. That can make a guy change his approach. Sometimes it’s better playing in a bigger park. You say, All right, I have to stay with my approach. You do that and usually good things happen.

Just to Clarify, That’s too funny! Has Ryan Howard ever changed his “approach” to hitting? It’s a home run or a strike out when Howard is at bat. In each of his 6 full major league seasons, he’s struck out more times than the total number of games he’s played in. Teams use the Shift on him defensively when he’s at bat; teams will place their second baseman in between the right fielder and the typical spot where a second baseman lines up and they move their short stop to play over second base.

Howard led the league in strike outs in 2007 with 199. Had Arizona Diamondback’s Mark Reynolds (2008 – 204 strike outs, 2009 – 223 so, 2010 – 211 so) not been in the league over the past three seasons Howard would have led then as well.

Mike Decourcy of the Sporting News recently had these kind words about Dick Vitale, “Dick Vitale is such a kind, generous man it is easy to embrace the notion of his receiving another honor.”

Decourcy is trying to get the Detroit Titans, University of Detroit, to honor Dick Vitale in some way. Vitale coached at University of Detroit from 1973 to 1977. Vitale only made one NCAA tournament appearance, 1977, during his coaching days. After the 1977 season was completed he took over as athletic director for the Titans. And we all know what a power house he turned the Detroit Titans into. Who are the Detroit Titans again? By the way, Vitale started calling games for ESPN in 1979. Just because Vitale is a recognizable person that was once employed at the University of Detroit does not mean the University of Detroit should honor him because he’s a celebrity of sorts.

Just to Clarify, Vitale is a one trick pony… he’s a yeller. His enthusiasm for college basketball helped ESPN during the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s but his shtick has gotten really old. The only games he seems to be interested in are the Duke and North Carolina matchups; his love affair with Duke and Coach K is borderline obsession; talk about a bromance. And somehow everyone on any team, good or bad, is a PTPer, “prime time player”, or a “Diaper Dandy”, seems he goes into a production meeting and asks the head coach “which of your players is the best. Okay, I’ll talk about him for 40 minutes during the game, even though I know nothing else about this kid other than what the stat sheet says and what you just told me.”

HogManInLA knows some inside dirt on Vitale. Several Sarasota, Florida residents, where Vitale resides, have reported to HogManInLA that they have witnessed Vitale routinely throwing temper tantrums when “his” table is occupied by someone else, he’s rude to the servers, and is a horrible tipper (less than 10% horrible).

What’s not to honor about Dick Vitale? One NCAA Tournament appearance, one and done in that appearance, 4 years as a college basketball head coach, and he’s rude when the cameras are not on… Decourcy, do you know who Dick Vitale really is? 

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The pros gave back yesterday… for the right or wrong reasons?

Sports fans were sent a few notable “I love yous” from the professional sports world yesterday. Only problem is only one of the gestures seems to be from the heart.

Yesterday I railed on Tiger Woods attempt to manipulate the media. In case you missed it; on Twitter Tiger promised to donate one million dollars to the Tiger Woods Foundation if no one asked him about his leg injury during his AT&T National press conference. First question of the press conference was about his leg. No donation, right? No. Tiger later tweeted that he would still donate one million dollars to his foundation. That was a shrewd marketing ploy by Tiger. 1) See if I can get away with not having to answer the same questions about my leg injury. 2) Promote my foundation. 3) Donate a million dollars to a charity so I can gain public approval. I’m not buying it.

Barry Bonds made positive headlines yesterday by setting up a college trust fund for the kids of Bryan Stow; Bryan is the San Francisco Giants fan who is still in critical condition after being beaten earlier this year after a Giants vs. Dodgers baseball game. The news of the college trust was made public through Bryan Stow’s attorney.

Another smart publicity stunt for a professional athlete widely considered to be a bad guy and not well liked by both the public and his peers. Remember Bonds is still waiting sentencing on his perjury charges. If someone out of Bonds’ camp made the press release regarding his kind gesture, this would’ve been a direct attempt to gain public favor. By having Bryan Stow’s attorney release the information, this makes Bonds look like a good guy that cares about others. I’m not buying it.

The Golden State Warriors used a marketing tactic that made headlines yesterday as well, and they used a tactic that I liked. They made four promises to their fans:

1) The Club will reach the NBA Playoffs in 2012.

2) The Club will have a player participate in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando.

3) The Club will win 25 or more home games at Oracle Arena.

4) The Club will honor a risk free renewal, with a 5% interest free guarantee option for the 2011-2012 NBA season.

If the team fails to meet these goals, the Warriors will give gifts back to their season ticket holders. The gifts range from autographed Warriors paraphernalia to a promise to not increase their season ticket prices the following year.

What a great idea! Give back to the people that support your team year after year regardless of the players on the team, win or lose. Let your fans know you care.

Does anyone out there have a direct connection to Frank McCourt and the Dodgers or Donald Sterling and the Clippers front office? They might find the Warriors marketing strategy as blasphemous, but hopefully at some point they will see the value in treating your fans properly.

Just to clarify, I’m happy that someone out there will receive the benefit of a good deed by people with a less than honorable character. I’m also happy to see the owners of the Golden State Warriors letting their fans know that they care. Even if one of the rewards is to not raise season ticket prices on their season ticket holders the following year, thus getting them on the hook for two seasons of paid tickets. A discount is a discount and the Warriors fans definitely deserve that. The Warriors have only made the playoffs once (2007) since 1994.

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