San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants: Barry Bonds and My IBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The San Francisco Giants greatest player since Willie Mays is not in the Hall of Fame. Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter most baseball fans have ever seen on television or in person and he is not in the Hall of Fame. Despite all of the performance enhancing drug allegations and trials, a player who never tested positive for anything during his playing career is not in the Hall of Fame.

The Giants, however, have not retired Barry’s number either. The Giants only retire a number if the player has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Since Bonds has not yet, even his hometown San Francisco Giants have held off on celebrating the man who helped build and design AT&T Park.

There is a reason the Giants stayed in San Francisco in the first place in 1992. It was because the new ownership had a plan and their first baseball decision was signing free agent Barry Bonds. Fifteen seasons in orange and black brought a trip to the World Series, numerous sellouts in a beautiful waterfront stadium, billions in revenue and much controversy.

That controversy has led to many voters in both the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America to leave any player surrounded by PED’s off their ballots. This is why some of the best players to ever play the game remain absent from the Halls of Fame.

Want your voice heard? Join the team!

As a member of the IBWAA, I have been a part of their Hall of Fame vote now for two years. I submitted by ballot earlier this week and would like to share with you my reasons for voting for each player. Instead of a maximum of 10, the IBWAA allows for as many as 15 selections. This year, as well as last year, I chose to vote for the 15 players.

Much of this is because I believe that everyone is to blame for the PED controversy. Baseball knew some players were taking substances to enhance their performance and did nothing. Fans knew some players were taking substances to enhance their performances and also did nothing. And players who were clean also kept quiet.

As the sport came out of a terrible lockout that led to the cancellation of the World Series, home runs as much as any other aspect of the game, helped bring baseball back. What Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did in 1998 along with Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games streak, brought the game back and yet McGwire and Sosa will not be voted into the Hall of Fame by either the BBWAA or the IBWAA. In fact, with 15 choices on the ballot, my 16th choice was Sosa and therefore he isn’t even on my ballot. I do feel like Sosa didn’t do enough before 1998 to warrant the Hall of Fame as much as others on the ballot, but for him not to have a place in the Hall of Fame is simply because his name is linked to PED’s.

Get the FanSided App

As we take a look at the 15 players I did select, it is important to know that Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Edgar Martinez have already been voted into the IBWAA Hall of Fame. Bagwell and Raines were elected in 2015 and Martinez was voted in last year.

Oct 31, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants former player Barry Bonds waves to the crowd during the World Series victory parade on Market Street. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Barry Bonds
162.4 Career WAR, .298/.444/.607/1.051, 2935 hits, 762 HR’s, 1996 RBI’s, 2558 BB’s, 514 SB’s

Say what you want about Barry Bonds, but the man was the best baseball player in the world during his career. I wrote at length about why Bonds is long overdue to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame. Ultimately, Bonds is being kept out for the PED’s that have been attached to his name and to the end of his playing career. The seven time Most Valuable Player won three of his MVP’s before anyone questioned his numbers. As baseball statistician Ryan Spaeder tweeted, even if you remove his seven MVP seasons from his career, Bonds is still one of the best players in baseball history. Ultimately, only Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth have a higher WAR than Bonds.

Roger Clemens
139.4 Career WAR, 354 wins, 4672 strikeouts, 3.12 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 143 ERA+

For every vote Bonds gets it seems Clemens gets a vote as well. Both players were absolutely dominant in their careers. Both received seven trophies as the best player at their position. Bonds won seven MVP’s and Clemens won seven Cy Young awards. Both are also the faces of the PED scandals of the 1990’s and 2000’s that have led so many voters to turn their back on both players. Very few voters have voted for only one of them. Voters are either voting for both or neither. Much like Bonds, Clemens was so dominant for so long that his numbers rival multiple Hall of Famers combined. Ultimately, only Walter Johnson and Cy Young have a higher WAR than Clemens in baseball history among pitchers.

Mike Mussina
82.7 Career WAR, 270 wins, 2813 strikeouts, 3.68 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 123 ERA+

Mike Mussina is one of the most consistent pitchers in history. In his 17 full seasons, he averaged 30.8 starts a season. Hall of Fame pitchers have earned automatic bids to Cooperstown for 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Mussina finished only 30 wins and 187 strikeouts shy of both marks. In an era of five starters and middle relief pitchers, Mussina pitched in a time of blown saves and saving a pitcher for the next start. Mussina’s WAR is also higher overall than Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Tom Glavine and Old Hoss Radbourn among others.

Curt Schilling
80.7 Career WAR, 216 wins, 3116 strikeouts, 3.46 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 127 ERA+

Curt Schilling may be controversial off the field, but there is no doubt that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and it’s not even close. Besides the regular season numbers, he was also a historically great post-season pitcher. His numbers are among the best in the game, with more than 3100 strikeouts and a WAR better than Don Sutton, Jim Palmer and John Smoltz, among others. In October, Schilling shined brightest. In 133.1 post-season innings, he posted an 11-2 record in 19 starts with a 2.23 ERA, 120 strikeouts and 0.968 WHIP.

Larry Walker
72.6 Career WAR, .313/.400/.565/.965, 2160 hits, 383 HR’s, 1311 RBI’s, 1667 BB’s, 230 SB’s

Larry Walker was a five tool baseball player. He excelled at the plate and could hit for power. He has speed on the bases, could play great defense in right field and had a cannon for an arm. Walker did everything above average and was one of the best outfielders to ever play the game. Only ten Hall oF Famers have a higher OPS than his .965. The two factors that seem to hurt Walker the most is that he didn’t produce the power numbers you expect from outfielders and many of his prominent years were played in Coors Field. Voters have a need to create biases about a player’s career that is out of their control. The three that seem to have the most traction is designated hitters, closers and Coors Field. If a player is associated with any one of those three factors, their eligibility for the Hall of Fame includes a red flag. I’ve always maintained that it is completely unfair to judge a player for something they had no control over. Walker played in a stadium approved by Major League baseball. He did his job better than most baseball players of his era and his stats show he was an elite player over the span of his career. His incredible career WAR of 72.6 is also higher than Barry Larkin, Tony Gwynn and Ernie Banks, among others.

Manny Ramirez
69.2 Career WAR, .312/.411/.585/.996, 2574 hits, 555 HR’s, 1831 RBI’s, 1329 BB’s

PED’s are the central theme of many of the best players not in the Hall of Famer yet and Manny Ramirez is no different. After the Mitchell Report came out and rule changes made steroids and other performance enhancing drugs illegal in baseball, Ramirez failed two separate drug tests at the end of his career. Before then, he was simply the best right handed hitter in baseball. Members of the 500 home run club were always automatics to get into the Hall of Fame, but after Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for PED’s at the end of his career, that stopped. Ramirez is likely to have the same fate as Palmiero, possibly falling off the ballot altogether as well. However, the history of the game can’t be written without the best hitter on the team that finally broke the curse in Boston. His career WAR of 69.2 is also higher than Tony Gwynn, Eddie Murray and Ryne Sandberg.

Ivan Rodriguez
68.4 Career WAR, .296/.334/.464/.798, 2844 hits, 311 HR’s, 1332 RBI’s

Ivan Rodriguez was the best defensive catcher in the game throughout his career. In 21 seasons, the 14 time All-Star won 13 Gold Gloves as well as seven Silver Slugger awards. He also won the Most Valuable Player award in 1999. His impact on the field led to wins as well. He was instrumental in turning around the 2003 Florida Marlins and leading them to the World Series. He was also accused of steroid use during his time with the Texas Rangers by former teammate Jose Canseco. Despite never being suspended, he joins the list of those who may be looked at as untouchable by some voters. If you base the vote on his on field production and impact, there is no doubt he is one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game.

Gary Sheffield
60.3 Career WAR, .292/.393/.514/.907, 2689 hits, 509 HR’s, 1676 RBI’s, 1475 BB’s

Gary Sheffield had the fastest bat I ever saw. People always comment on the beautiful and quick swing of Ken Griffey Jr., but Sheffield’s swing was something to watch. The constant movement of the bat made his home runs majestic. All 509 of them. Baseball writers used to set bars for the Hall of Fame and 500 home runs was one of the those plateaus a player needed to hit to be certain of a bust at Cooperstown one day. But as with many players on this list, Sheffield is linked to steroids. As a power hitter, his impact on the game leaves no doubts. No matter who he played for he was productive. He did his job in the middle of the order year after year. That kind of consistency is rare.

Next: The Best Right Field Arm I Ever Saw

Apr 1, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Former Montreal Expos player Vladimir Guerrero salutes the crowd next to Tim Raines during a ceremony before the game between teh Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Vladimir Guerrero
59.3 Career WAR, .318/.379/.553/.931, 2590 hits, 449 HR’s, 1496 RBI’s, 181 SB’s

I wasn’t alive during Roberto Clemente‘s Hall of Fame career, so the best arm I ever saw in my lifetime belongs to Vladimir Guerrero. He also has an outstanding hitter, with a lifetime batting average of .318. There never seemed to be any pitch that Guerrero couldn’t get the barrel of his bat to. He seemed to like pitches above his eyes and below his ankles. And he tended to make contact when going after both. Usually, not having to throw a guy a strike is an advantage for the pitcher. However, in Guerrero’s case, there didn’t seem to be a strike zone. His career WAR is also higher than Hall of Famers Willie Stargell, Hank Greenberg and Luis Aparicio.

Jeff Kent
55.2 Career WAR, .290/.356/.500/.855, 2461 hits, 377 HR’s, 1518 RBI’s

Sometimes, it’s important to compare a player to others at his position. Much in the same way that Mike Piazza is the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history, Kent is the best power hitting second baseman. It’s hard to have a Hall of Fame when you don’t include the most productive and best players for each position. Kent’s power numbers may seem small compared to some other middle of the order hitters, with only 377 home runs. However, no second baseman ever hit more. He wasn’t a strong defender, but he also wasn’t a bad defender either. Kent and Rich Aurilia were a very successful double play tandem for several years with the San Francisco Giants and he always seemed to make the play. He may never have made the spectacular play, but his talent at the plate and production on the field more than made up for not being Ozzie Smith on the diamond.

Next: The Crime Dog

Mar 5, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves special assistant to baseball operations Fred McGriff (27) jokes with the umpires before the start of the spring training baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Fred McGriff
52.4 Career WAR, .284/.377/.509/.886, 2490 hits, 493 HR’s, 1550 RBI’s, 1305 BB’s

Fred McGriff was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline in 1993 and his impact in the middle of the order led the Braves to their only championship in 1995. Despite 14 straight National League East championships, it wasn’t until the “Crime Dog” came to Atlanta that the offense could help the elite pitching. Whoever McGriff played for had a feared hitter in the middle of their order. His tomahawk swing fit perfectly in any lineup. Much like Ramirez should get credit for being a difference maker in Boston for finally helping win a championship, McGriff should receive credit for being the difference maker in Atlanta. He also finished his career just seven home runs shy of the 500 home run mark that had always been a guarantee for enshrinement. Much in the same way Jim Rice was feared and eventually entered the Hall of Fame, McGriff should finally be considered one of the elite power hitters by voters.

Next: More Than Just A Great Yankee

Aug 22, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees former catcher Jorge Posada address the crowd during a ceremony for the retirement of his number before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Jorge Posada
42.7 Career WAR, .273/.374/.474/.848, 1664 hits, 275 HR’s, 1065 RBI’s, 936 BB’s

Jorge Posada helped lead the New York Yankees to five World Series championships. Despite not having some of the regular season numbers that most Hall of Famers share, his contributions in the post-season were much greater. He shined brightest in October, like so many Yankees. While he may not have been the best hitting catcher like Piazza or the best defensive catcher like Rodriguez, his versatility made him stand out. The switch hitting catcher was a leader and did enough on both sides of the plate and in the clubhouse to be a part of one of the great dynasties we’ve ever seen in sports. We tend to pick out flaws in players too often when judging their worthiness for the Hall of Fame, but outside of Piazza and Rodriguez, Posada may be the best catcher during his 17 year career. Many other worthy players have missed the Hall of Fame because of that very reason. Tim Raines is still not in the Baseball Hall of Fame for not being as good as Rickey Henderson and Alan Trammell wasn’t Ozzie Smith or Cal Ripken Jr. Posada ultimately is one of the 15-20 best catchers to ever play the game no matter what metric you look at and that alone should be worthy of Cooperstown.

Lee Smith
29.4 Career WAR, 478 saves, 1251 strikeouts, 3.03 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 132 ERA+

Lee Smith is the last of a dying breed of closers that adapted to the new era and continued to excel. Lee Smith came into a sport that expected closers to pitch multiple innings and ended his career asked to get the final three outs. Smith did his job regardless of assignment as well as anyone who ever played the game. Ultimately, Smith is being hurt by being the fourth best closer of a generation, when in reality, he should be looked at as one of the best to ever pitch out of the bullpen.

Next: The Evolution of the Changeup

Jul 12, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres former closer Trevor Hoffman throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the 2016 MLB All Star Game at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor Hoffman
28 Career WAR, 601 saves, 1133 strikeouts, 2.87 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 141 ERA+

Trevor Hoffman is not Mariano Rivera, but he is the greatest closer in the National League and the second best closer of all-time. He also revolutionized the changeup in the same way Rivera revolutionized the cutter and Bruce Sutter did the same for the split finger fastball. To me, you can’t have a Hall of Fame without the best players at each position and you can’t talk about closers without mentioning Hoffman. You also can’t minimize the importance of his changeup. Entire staffs started throwing more changeups after seeing its effectiveness from Hoffman. To see a closer use an off-speed pitch when most pitchers closed games with mostly fastballs and hard breaking pitches changed the game. He also didn’t walk anyone. Hoffman faced 4388 batters and walked 307 and 58 of those were intentional. To me, there isn’t much more that needs to be said about Hoffman’s place in history.

Billy Wagner
27.7 Career WAR, 422 saves, 1196 strikeouts, 2.31 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 187 ERA+

Billy Wagner isn’t Rivera or Hoffman, but he might be the best left hander to ever pitch out of the bullpen. Wagner dominated on the mound. His 187 ERA+ is the best in history.
Pedro Martinez is next at 154. His K/9 rate of 11.92 is also the greatest in history. Getting on base was an accomplishment against Wagner. He was the prototype closer for shortening games to eight innings. If your team was losing in heading into the ninth and Wagner was coming in, you weren’t going to win that game.

Wagner, like Hoffman, didn’t walk anyone either. Wagner faced 3600 batters and walked 300. Once again though, closers are looked down on by voters for not having the same impact on the game as everyday players and starting pitchers. I don’t see why a pitcher should be punished for doing the job they were asked to do. Would closers be looked at differently if they weren’t so specialized? Managers asked pitchers to pitch only a single inning, and never put them in games unless it was a save situation. How is that then the players fault when judging their worthiness into the Hall of Fame. Wagner dominated like no other closer with some of the best numbers in baseball history. That sure sounds worthy of the Hall of Fame to me.

The IBWAA Hall of Fame Announcement will coincide with the BBWAA announcement on January 18, 2017.

More from Around the Foghorn

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from San Francisco Giants Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

San Francisco Giants

Major League Baseball