Here is a list of the official ballot results for the 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame. You can see my articles on Craig Biggio Got Robbed, and the Writers Playing GOD coming shortly as we kick off the 2013 writing campaign, but as of right now I want to post what my list would have been had I had the opportunity to vote.

Please remember the rules state that we can vote for 10 players.

  1. Craig Biggio – 3000 hits and 5th all time in doubles 250 games at 3 positions CA (silver slugger award), CF, and 2B where he won a silver slugger and Gold Gloves.
  2. Barry Bonds – I don’t care about his steroids… he was the greatest player I’ve ever seen play. Great offense. Great defense. Great base stealing threat. He was arguably the greatest all-around player in the history of the game, along with his Godfather Willie Mays.
  3. Roger Clemens – twice struck out 20 batters in a game a decade apart, 300+ wins, WS titles, and one of the top 3-4 strikeout pitchers in the history of the game who was intimidated by no one.
  4. Fred McGriff – the single most underrated power hitter in the history of the game who retired before getting to 500 homers (493) when 500 homers was still 500 homers!!!
  5. Mike Piazza – no proof he ever took anything, and he was the single best offensive catcher in the history of the game with power and average.
  6. Jeff Bagwell – second-best strike zone command I’ve seen to Bonds, and almost as deadly a hitter. No proof he ever took anything, and his back injury is the only thing that kept him from 3000 hits and 500 homers. Clutch like a hero!
  7. Larry Walker – best Canadian ball player ever. He was a poor man’s Bonds in the fact that he could beat you with his average, his power, his glove, and his legs. But he also had one of the greatest arms in the history of the outfield. He just never got to play for a big media market.
  8. Alan Trammell – He has grown on me as I’ve gotten older. I’ve seen great shortstops play and Trammell was consistently the best in the American League throughout his career. He was victim of playing opposite to Ozzie Smith and Barry Larkin in the National League.
  9. Don Mattingly – The ultimate WHAT IF guy. Had he never been hurt we’d not be having this discussion as he would have had 3000-plus hits, 500-plus homers, and 2000-plus RBI. Unfortunately he was hurt, and while he will never make the Hall, he is one of my all-time favorite players and I would vote for him.
  10. Tim Raines – Suffers from Reggie Miller or Clyde Drexler disease. He is the second best leadoff hitter of all time, and of his era. He just happened to be behind the greatest ever in Rickey Henderson, just as Reggie and Clyde were overshadowed by some guy named Michael Jordan.

I wouldn’t vote for Dale Murphy because his numbers just died off for the last three or four years of his career and it seemed like he was just collecting a paycheck instead of walking away with dignity. Sorry.

I am also not buying the greatest pitcher of the 80s discussion for Jack Morris simply because his career was neatly framed. Ron Guidry was a better more dominate pitcher for a 10-year streak and, arguably, so was Dwight Gooden from 1984 to 1993. So was Orel Hershiser. I wouldn’t put any of them in the Hall, but I’d put all of them in before I’d put enshrine Morris … even though Morris had, in my opinion, the single greatest game pitched in postseason history.

Mark McGwire and Sammy “steroid” Sosa were nothing without the juice just like Rafael Palmeiro. Curt Schilling, I’m sorry you lost all of your money on a bad investment. But bloody sock and all you were just not good enough for Cooperstown. Sorry.