KABrother88
01-08-2014, 10:45 AM
The 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame elections will be revealed today at 1 PM. Former Astros Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell look to be rightfully enshrined in Cooperstown along with the greats of the game. After last years debacle where no single player was elected this year should be a lot different. Players like Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas headline the list of players on the ballot for the first time...Maddox plaque has probably already been made and rightfully so. With the voting process Glavine and Thomas may have to wait a year but they will eventually be in Cooperstown if they don't make it this season. Biggio lead all players last year with 68% and only needs 7% more (39 votes according to last years voting) to reach the 75% required to be elected. It still amazes me that people undervalue what he did in the game. He reached the 3,000 hit plateau and finished his career with 3,060. What voters who don't think he's HOF worthy point to is his .281 career average (second worst of 3,000 club members). I could throw number our all day like he's the only player to collect 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 250 HRs, and 400 steals. His 668 doubles are 5th all time and the most by a right handed batter. Holds the NL record for leadoff HRs, and the modern day record for HBP with 285 and only trails the leader by 2. Then for funsies he did this playing Catcher, then 2nd base, then CF, then LF, and then back to 2nd...he was an All-Star Catcher and 2nd baseman (7 total) and a 4 time gold glover at 2nd.
Now to Bagwell...he has much more ground to make up to reach 75% (58 last year) but to me he's still a guy that should be there. Everyone who played in his era is linked to PED purely by guilty by association at least. Bagwell has never been more than that. His 449 HRs would be alot more had he not played in the Astrodome and had his career not been cut short due to his shoulder. The man was a machine in his hay day. For 6 straight seasons (1996-2001) he posted at least 30 HRs, 100 RBI, 100 Runs, and 100 Walks...he came up 2 RBI short in 2002 of making that 7 straight. He also had 202 career steals and was the first time 1st baseman to go 30-30. He was a very good base runner and one thing I always remember was a comment by Larry Dierker (I believe) that said Bagwell could circle the bases in the same amount of time Biggio could even though he didn't have the same straight line speed Biggio had.
Hopefully the BBWAA will elect Biggio at least today but Bagwell shouldn't have to wait much longer...but after last year I have almost lost all faith in what they do
Now to Bagwell...he has much more ground to make up to reach 75% (58 last year) but to me he's still a guy that should be there. Everyone who played in his era is linked to PED purely by guilty by association at least. Bagwell has never been more than that. His 449 HRs would be alot more had he not played in the Astrodome and had his career not been cut short due to his shoulder. The man was a machine in his hay day. For 6 straight seasons (1996-2001) he posted at least 30 HRs, 100 RBI, 100 Runs, and 100 Walks...he came up 2 RBI short in 2002 of making that 7 straight. He also had 202 career steals and was the first time 1st baseman to go 30-30. He was a very good base runner and one thing I always remember was a comment by Larry Dierker (I believe) that said Bagwell could circle the bases in the same amount of time Biggio could even though he didn't have the same straight line speed Biggio had.
Hopefully the BBWAA will elect Biggio at least today but Bagwell shouldn't have to wait much longer...but after last year I have almost lost all faith in what they do