Lookout Landing’s Hall of Fame Vote Revealed

Last week, the folks over at Let’s Go Tribe published the results of their community ballot, and only one player made it in: Edgar, who just squeaked in with 76.6%. Tough crowd. Also, kudos to any of you who went over there and stuffed the ballot box for him. So how did our community vote? Not quite so small-hall, but we certainly didn’t induct the world.

Here’s your LL HOF class for 2017:

Edgar Martinez - 97.9%

A-doy. Edgar appeared on 237 of the 245 ballots cast, as he should. I’m really just curious about the eight people who didn’t vote for him. And by curious, I mean [sound of knives sharpening].

Jeff Bagwell - 79.9%

In a parallel to what Ryan Thibodaux is projecting over at the BBHOF Tracker, Bagwell sails in easily. Bagwell was the second-highest vote getter over at Let’s Go Tribe and almost made it in, falling just short at 72.9%. With Piazza, who also had the whiff of PEDs about him, making it into the Hall last year, the final roadblock to his election should have been cleared. Expect Bagwell to be in Cooperstown this July.

Ivan Rodriguez - 77.7%

188 of you think Pudge is Hall-worthy, which is just a shade under what’s being shown on the Tracker. Of all the first-ballot players, he’s the one with the best shot of being elected, although it’s by no means a sure thing, especially as the voters who don’t disclose tend to be more traditional, and the one question mark about Pudge’s candidacy is PEDs and his infamous line, “only God knows.”

Barry Bonds - 76.4%

Bonds just scrapes in on our vote, which is still 10% more of the vote here than at Let’s Go Tribe. I understand the argument against PEDs, but the man was so good, for so long. You could cut his production by a third and he’d still have easy HOF numbers. (Stickier for me than the PEDs is the character issue, specifically some really ugly DV accusations.) Bonds’s numbers are trending upwards, however, with Bonds poised to take an Edgar-sized leap this year if current trends hold.

So that’s it: Edgar, Bagwell, Pudge, and Bonds. It’s a decently-sized class and, I think, a mostly fair one. Now let’s look at who came close but fell just short.

Close, but no bronze cigar:

Roger Clemens, 71.9%

I must admit I am somewhat baffled by the election of Bonds but not Clemens, who drew exactly the same as Bonds (66.1%) in the Let’s Go Tribe mock. Clemens is, without question, one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, with a career 133.7 fWAR. That’s nuts. Clemens is also polling just a tick under Bonds in the Tracker. If anyone has an explanation for Bonds-over-Clemens, I’d be interested to hear it.

Tim Raines, 71.9%

You care not for Jonah Keri and his wishes. Luckily, Raines doesn’t need you, and is currently at over 90% in the Tracker. Let’s hope next year Keri decides to take up Edgar’s case.

Mike Mussina, 62.8%

If I wasn’t so busy banging the drum for Edgar, I might turn my efforts to Mike Mussina, who is basically the pitcher version of Edgar: never won the Cy Young, toiled for years during the Steroid Era pitching in the tiny bandboxes of the AL East, was quietly very good for a very long time. He’s another one who has seen a big jump in votes and may get there eventually.

Vladimir Guerrero, 61.6%

You guys are not impressed with Vlad, who is running over 10% less here than he is on the Tracker. Even the tough customers at Let’s Go Tribe gave him more votes.

Curt Schilling, 51.7%

This is almost exactly what Schilling is polling on the Tracker.

Trevor Hoffman, 49.2%

A little reverse-specialist bias? This is significantly lower than what Hoffman currently has on the Tracker (73.4%).

Manny Ramirez, 45%

This is a good 20% over what Ramirez has on the Tracker, although well short of the 64% he received at Let’s Go Tribe. Ramirez is already eliminated from being voted into this year’s class.

Larry Walker, 41.7%

Larry Walker is, for me, always my 10th/11th/12th candidate. He’s one who, like Edgar, would benefit from the ballot clearing some of the current logjam. You guys like him significantly more than the other two systems, which both have him in the 20s.

Participation Ribbon:

• Fred McGriff, Sammy Sosa, and Garry Sheffield - all 16.1%
• Jeff Kent, 12.4%
• Billy Wagner, 10.7%
• Jorge Posada, 8.7%
• Lee Smith, 8.3%
• Mike Cameron, 7.4%
• Tim Wakefield, 5.4%

Everyone else on our hypothetical ballot would fall off, including former Mariners closer Arthur Rhodes. Way to represent with the Mike Cameron vote, though, who will always be a Hall of Famer in our hearts.

What do you think? Did we get it (mostly) right? Was anyone criminally overlooked? Which one of you voted for Casey Blake, and why?