"I’ve voted for Bonds and Clemens every year since 2013. My support for them has been unwavering.
Yes, I realize using steroids gave hitters (and a good number of pitchers) an unfair advantage. I don’t condone cheating. Anyone who tests positive or confesses to juicing is automatically stricken from my ballot.
But…
If there’s no substantive proof of PED use, I’m willing to give a candidate a closer look. Neither Bonds nor Clemens was ever disciplined by Major League Baseball during their respective careers.
If the commissioner’s office (and in Clemens’ case, the federal government) couldn’t deliver evidence against the two, that’s good enough for me. I’m not a prosecutor. I’m not a pharmacist. I work with data, not suspicion."
That's fine, I suppose, but a lot of these people are going to make a chump out of you. If you want to keep PED users out of the Hall of Fame, you know it's already too late, and you're smart enough to realize this. As for "substantive proof," it just depends on your definition of "substantive."
"I voted for Schilling because his political beliefs (decidedly right-wing) don’t constitute a violation of the Hall’s morals clause. I don’t care what politicians he supports or what causes he advocates for. Schilling hasn’t broken any laws.
Granted, his views are extreme and offensive to many. He’s also a grouch, especially towards the media. I don’t take that personally. I’ve met worse individuals in a major league clubhouse. A Hall of Fame ballot shouldn’t be used to exact revenge on the politically incorrect."
Sure.
But this is what drive me nuts about the way Schilling has shifted the argument into the "cancel culture" argument.
Schilling has 216 wins; not 316.
His "most similar" pitchers at baseball-reference.com are Zack Greinke (likely future HOFer), Kevin Brown, and Bob Welch.
Sure, Schilling's postseason probably pushes him over the top ... but then Orel Hershiser is wondering why he fell off the ballot after two years.
"Schilling’s work on the mound (career 4.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the best in 100 years, and the only hurler to win a World Series game in his 20s, 30s and 40s) count more than what he posts on social media."
Strikeout-to-walk ratio?
Where's Jon Lieber's plaque if that stat is now a thing?
Schilling also allowed 347 home runs, if we're cherry-picking stats.
No worries. I think Schilling will get in and he deserves it. But he's a borderline candidate posing as a victim ... and Klapisch seems to have fallen for the con.
"In Pettitte’s case, the 10-vote limit killed his chances as I had to make room for Helton and Jones. Still, my respect for Pettitte’s work in October is undiminished: the most wins (19), innings pitched (276.2) and games started (44) in post-season history
As for Vizquel, his stats are deserving of one final mention, including his 11 Gold Gloves. He was the game’s best defensive shortstop after Ozzie Smith.
But I have a hard time lining up with a player who was accused by his wife of multiple instances of domestic violence. Vizquel was also accused of sexual harassment by an autistic man.
Sorry, I’m out."
Yeah, I'm sure most are in agreement that Vizquel crossed the line. I don't think he deserved it either way, but that debate is now moot.
Pettitte, on the other hand, has absolute and undeniable "substantive proof" of PED use. So what's the deal, Klapisch?