into Baseball's Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
2006-09-03 12:56:00 · 25 answers · asked by marnefirstinfantry 5 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Clemens is an instant first ballot. Griffy as well. Nobody else is guarenteed at this point. Some guys do have an excellent chance on first ballot.
Mike Piazza if he retired today would have an excellent chance. He holds the HR record for catchers, is about to or already has passed the RBI and runs scored records. Depends on how many Bench got as a 1b during his career. Piazza challenge .400 one year AS a catcher. That is incredible. He is often knocked for his defense but he was average or slightly above average defensively. So it was not like he was a liability. He just wasn't a Pudge.
Pudge Rodriguez if he retired today would have a reasonable shot at first ballot. He really needs a few more good years to cinch a first ballot. One of the all time greats defensively and a great hitter too. On top of that Pudge has a thirst for winning and is a great clutch hitter. He more than anything else inspired the Tigers and is the reason they are in contention today. When he was with the Rangers they always made the playoffs. Since he left I don't think they've made the playoffs once. Everywhere Pudge went the team improved.
Barry Bonds could have retired before he used steroids and would have been a first ballot easy. It is certain he used them. The only question was when he started. There is a strong chance that he will inentionally be left off the ballot and possibly banned from baseball because of steroid use. An early test will be if McGwire makes the hall. The results of the McGwire balloting will say a great deal. The Sosa balloting will hurt Bond's chances more as Sosa has less credentials and on top of steroids Sosa was caught corking bats and other acts of cheating. So the rancor from the Sosa ballots will still be fresh potentially when Bonds comes up for the hall. It is also possible that busted steroid users will be banned from the hall by the time Bonds comes up.
Derek Jeter is only a few good/decent seasons away from being a certain first ballot. Great defense, great hitting as a shortstop.
Craig Biggio has done it all. If he gets his 3,000th hit, which he's only a bout half a season away from then he's an instant first ballot. First as a catcher Biggio was an all star both for defense and hitting. He also stole 20+ bases a year as a catcher. Then as a 2nd baseman he really came into his own becoming one of the best defensive 2nd basemen in the game most of his career. Combined with great hitting in pitcher friendly Astrodome. He deserves first ballot already but I think the voters will need the 3,000 hits to give him the credit he's due.
Greg Maddux stands an excellent chance at first ballot. 300+ wins, multiple Cy Young awards. The best career ERA relitive to league averages in history. The only thing that might keep him off first ballot is retiring at same time as other first balloters and the mediocre pitching he's done over the last few years. HOF certain unless he's banned for some bizarre reason. First ballot probably but not certain.
Griffy with spectaculer defense in his early career plus 550+ HRs and great all round hitting is a first ballot cinch. Griffy will be mentioned with the likes of Mantle, Mays and the Clipper.
Mariano Rivea deserves first ballot in my opinion. He is one of 4 great closers (Eck, Hoffman, Rivera and Gossage) that totally dominated the league when they played and did it for years. Breaking Lee Smith's record won't hurt but Smith's record really doesn't mean much due to the way he collected his saves. Rivera's post season performances if nothing else will get him elected. First ballot is hard to do. So far Eck is the only first ballot reliever and very few closers have made the hall. Even Gossage is still waiting despite DEFINING what a closer should be.
Randy Johnson might get first ballot. He was hurt by pitching for so many bad teams in his career. Still he is close to 300 wins and one of the top 5 career in KOs. Johnson also has a Cy Young collection to go with that so he stands a good chance at first ballot but far from certain.
Mike Mussina needs about 3 or 4 good years (15+ wins) to make a first ballot. While not feared like the Clemens or Johnsons Mussina is like Maddux. A great consistant pitcher who did it year after year after year. If he comes up with 280+ wins on a year when there are no other certain first balloters Mussina might make it first ballot.
Manny Rameriez is just a couple good seasons away from being a first ballot inductee.
Jim Thome is probaly two good seasons away from first ballot. Purely on hitting ability. While 500 HRs is not enough any more to guarentee even membership in the HOF, 550 is and at his current pace a couple years he'll have 550 or better easily.
Frank Thomas is at risk of not making the hall at all. Today hitting 500 HRs is expected of a successfull power hitter with a long career. Thomas doesn't make 500 HRs he probably won't make the hall at all. Unlikely he'll go in first ballot. Especially if he has strong compitition. There was a time he looked like a certain future HOF player. Injuries, inconsistant performance and a prima donna attack to the game hurt him badly.
Suzuki actually only needs a few more years of what he'd currently doing. That is excellent play. I think his Japanese stats will be enough combined with several awesome years to get him in on first ballot.
Billy Wagner needs about 4 or 5 more excellent years.
Tom Glavine might just make it as a first ballot. Was a time I didn't think he had enough gas in his career to make the hall at all. He needs to get his 300th with and finish strong. Anything respectable next year and Glavine gets 300.
Pedro Martinez is at risk of not making the hall at all. Injuries seem to be cutting his career short just a few years too soon. If he's had 3 more awesome years he'd be a cinch. If he can have 4 or 5 good years he will have a good chance. First ballot, not likely unless the pre-injury Pedro emerges.
Carlos Delgado is another within striking range. He needs a few more good years. The question is if this is an off year for him or he's running out of gas. Merely hitting 500 HRs isn't going to be a ticket to the Hall any more. Delgado needs another 2 or 3 good years to be a HOFer and 3 or 4 to be first ballot.
Chipper Jones seemed like a certain HOFer after his first five years. Wasn't until a few years ago there was any doubt. Injuries side tracked him for a couple years but the 06 Jones was back on track. Stellar defense, incredible clutch hitting, MVPs, and wicked stats. Chipper only needs a few more years to be an instant first ballot. Maybe less than that.
John Smoltz, this is a hard one. Cy Young as a starter, an awesome closer. Yet his moving back and forth might be a bit much. If he'd stayed as a closer and had even 2 or 3 years getting 250+ saves to go with with his nearly 200 career wins that'd been a sure first ballot ticket. His time as a closer probably locked him out of career stats that make pitchers first balloters, it also might have greatly extended his career. Vote could go either way. Every good year Smoltz has from now on will improve his odds of making the hall and making it first ballot. He might have enough to make it already, might not.
Jim Edmonds is on the edge. A few good years and he's first ballot easy. If he struggles through a few years he might make the hall. If he quit today he probably wouldn't make it. He is in striking distance of career stats which will put him in the hall. Spectaculer defense and great hitting. Though overshadowed by Griffy much of his career. If not for Griffy Edmunds would be much better known. They played about the same defensively but Griffy is a better hitter and stole bases so Griffy was a more complete player than Edmunds. Still a few good years and Edmunds might actually surpass Griffy in many offensive stats career wise. Edmunds still plays awesome defense. Injuries have pretty much ended Griffy's highlight reel days. So it's llikely a matter of how well Edmunds does over the next 2 to 3 seasons.
Jeff Bagwell only needs a couple good years to cinch first ballot. He probably has enough to make the hall if he never plays another day. One decent year would probably cinch the hall. Bagwell needs a good year to have a shot at first ballot I think. He seems set on coming back and it might just happen.
Jeff Kent is real close to being a first ballot HOFer. 1300+ RBI and 1100+ runs 340+ HRs already. Another good year or two and he's into Hall territory for Outfielders stat wise. Few 2nd basemen have hit like Kent. While Kent will never be compared to the likes of Roberto Alomar defensively Kent was a solid defensive 2nd baseman. Very much like Joe Morgan. Sure handed, about the same range as Morgan had but a better hitter than Morgan was.
Nomar Garciaparra will probably not get 500 HRs or 3,000 hits. Injuries will likely end his career before he can reach these magical numbers. However when Garciaparra is not hurt it's hard to keep up with him. He will probably have the best career BA of anybody since Tony Gwyn and Garciaparra has a real shot at hitting .400 all it will take is a couple Garciaparra type seasons or maybe just a little better with at least 4 more good years and he's a first ballot. Especially if he hits .400
Moises Alou kind of sneaks up on you. You look at the top 5 of most offensive stats and he's there most of the time in his career. This year has been an off and injury filled year. At his age most players have long since retired. However if he can stay at it, stay healthy he's in striking distance of the HOF, if he has good years, at least 2 or 3 he's in striking distance of first ballot. Next couple years will get him in or keep him out of the Hall.
I never liked Omar Vizquel. He was a bragger even from day one. More so he is very motivated by money. When he wasn't given a raise one year and told it was because he did not hit like the guys who he thought he should be paid like Omar suddenly learned how to hit. To me that says he could have hit all along and does just enough to get the big contracts. His career seems to reflect that love of money. Still he's not slowing down. Long known as one of the better defensive shortstops of his time, Vizquel is amassing the kind of offensive stats that can get him into the HOF. Longevity alone will make him a first balloter if he can have 3-5 good years more. It'll also give him close to 500 SBs and something along the lines of 1500 runs and 1,000 RBI. For a really good defensive shortstop thats more than enough.
Trevor Hoffman will likely break Lee Smith's record. He doesn't need very many more. The way Hoffman is pitching he'll not just break it but shatter Smith's record. Unlike Smith Hoffman is feared when he comes in a game. Hoffman is one of the all time great closers. He'll probably have a few more saves than Rivera when it's all said and done but the two are the equal of Eck and Gossage and way above any others that have come before. Hoffman even as a reliever will have a strong chance at first ballot. Whoever retires first Hoffman or Rivera will likely make it easier for the other to get into the Hall.
Luis Gonzales needs a couple solid years to get into the HOF most likely. He's borderline right now. He also seems to be out of steam. One great year though and he could change all of that. A few good years would make him an instant first ballot. He probably doesn't have it and if he makes the hall it'll prob be by vets comittee.
Way too early to call it on Pujus, A-rod, Damon, Berkman, Konerko, Guerrero, Beltran and Beltan . They have alot of career left to play. Still this group is on pace for HOF.
Manger wise
Joe Torre has a good shot. Larussa as well. Hard to say with most of the other managers. None really have the stats to back up entry in the HOF.
2006-09-03 22:02:41 · answer #1 · answered by draciron 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Players
Mariano Rivera
Derek Jeter
Roger Clemens
Manny Ramires
Alex Rodriquez
Joe Torre Manager
2006-09-03 13:28:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Frank Thomas, Ichiro Suzuki
Joe Torre
2006-09-03 13:53:47 · answer #3 · answered by Ronnoc 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are many more candidates right now but the best are probably Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Greg Maddux. Managers: Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa will both make it on the first ballot
2006-09-03 13:14:52 · answer #4 · answered by Tyler M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heck, that's easy:
Players: Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Albert Pujols, Craig Biggio, and Ken Griffey, Jr. (I'm leaving out Bonds because there's a decent chance he'll get himself banned from baseball for steroid use by then.)
Manager: Tony LaRussa. It's hard to argue with a 20 winning seasons in a 28-year managing career.
2006-09-03 13:55:04 · answer #5 · answered by JerH1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Easy, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Greg Maddux, Albert Pujols, Randy Johnson and Joe Torre
2006-09-03 13:02:15 · answer #6 · answered by elster39 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Joe Torre
Mariano Rivera
Albert Pujols
Alex Rodriguez
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
2006-09-03 13:45:39 · answer #7 · answered by mooseny35 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Joe Torre
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodiguez, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Manny Ramirez
2006-09-03 19:03:10 · answer #8 · answered by baseballjohn48 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jim Thome
Manny Ramirez
Omar Vizquel
Greg Maddox
Pedro Martinez
Joe Torre
2006-09-03 16:42:00 · answer #9 · answered by ClevelandSportsFan 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Manager=Joe Torre
Players= D.Jeter
R.Clemens
M.Ramirez
G.Maddux
A. Rodriguez
2006-09-03 13:08:46 · answer #10 · answered by LightningSlow 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ivan Rodriguez
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Pedro Martinez
Albert Pujols
Jim Leyland(Manager)
2006-09-03 18:07:45 · answer #11 · answered by Special nobody 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋