Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 66 - HOF, Puig, Tanaka, Stripling interview

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and I talk Hall of Fame (unfortunately), Alex Rodriguez (thanks, Jared) and, oh yeah, the Dodgers.

Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas were inducted to the Hall of Fame: good. Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza weren't: fail.

Next, Jared forces us to listen to more A-Rod talk. You can probably fast forward for a couple minutes if you want to avoid it.

We neglected to talk about Yasiel Puig's arrest not because we were condoning his actions or trying to give him a pass, but simply because we forgot.

Masahiro Tanaka and Clayton Kershaw were hot topics, and both could be long- and longer-term Dodgers in the not-too-distant-near-future.

Jared went to the Winter Development Program at Dodger Stadium and caught up with real friend of the show Ross Stripling. This is kid great.

Episode dedications
Jared: Yasiel Puig
Dustin: Norihiro Nakamura

Finally, we close with Q&A. The questions were good and plentiful. We love it, even if we couldn't understand a few of them.

We'll probably continue to record every other week, or as news warrants (Tanaka signs), during the winter.

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 65 - Hall of Fame, Mattingly, prospects

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) and I ring in the new year with fresh Dodger content.

First, we touch on today's Hall of Fame results by revealing out hypothetical ballots. Jared was unusually excited about his.

The Dodgers and Don Mattingly finally agreed to a contract extension. It's reportedly a 2-year extension, with the first year of the deal beginning in 2014. Basically, the contract option that vested after last season was torn up and replaced with a new deal. I like the deal, Jared is "so-so" on it.

The Dodgers announced stadium upgrades, which Jared details.

They also announced the signing of five more international prospects, four of whom have somewhat difficult names to pronounce.

Jared is attending the Dodgers' Winter Development Program today, and he hopes to get some good audio of some of the Dodger prospects in preparation for spring training.

Episode dedications
Jared: Jose Parra
Dustin: 1965 world-champion Dodgers

Finally, we close with Q&A. The questions were light this week, but we'll chock it up to a holiday hangover.

We'll probably continue to record every other week, or as news warrants, during the winter.

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

My 2014 Hall of Fame ballot -- Bonds, Clemens, Kent, Maddux, Thomas

This is my second year voting for the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and the Hall of Fame vote is starting to get murky.

There are legitimately 17-19 players worthy of induction. While the IBWAA elected Mike Piazza last year (the Baseball Writers' Association of America didn't), the BBWAA didn't. The BBWAA elected Barry Larkin last year, while it didn't elect Piazza, hence the inclusion of Larkin on my ballot this year.

I left off guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens last year as "punishment" for their performance-enhancing drug use. While PEDs don't impact everyone the same way or make them superhuman, there is a reason why they're banned by MLB and, in some cases, illegal. There is an obvious advantage from using them, otherwise it wouldn't be an issue.

My ballot

Jeff Bagwell
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Jeff Kent
Barry Larkin
Greg Maddux
Mark McGwire
Tim Raines
Frank Thomas

It's only going to get more clutter in the coming years if the BBWAA/IBWAA doesn't increase the voting limit (from 10 to say, 15?) or if there are an unexpected number of inductions this year.

The guys who fell off my ballot this year are Edgar Martinez and Alan Trammell. This isn't because they're unworthy of the hall, but because there are others who are more worthy at this time.

Last year's BBWAA vote (by percentage) in parenthesis.

Jeff Bagwell (59.6)

- Here's what I wrote about Bagwell on my ballot two years ago:

"Bagwell was one of the most fearsome hitters of the 1990s, posting an average season of .304/.416/.545, 29 HR, 107 RBI, 35 2B, 102 R, 98 BB. That includes his first two seasons, including a Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and two strike-shortened seasons. His career took off in 1994 when he slugged 39 home runs, drove in 116 runners and posted an obscene 1.201 OPS. Those numbers were good enough to earn him the NL MVP that season. From 1994 to 2003, he averaged the following: .301/.420/.574, 37 HR, 116 RBI, 36 2B, 116 R and 107 BB. So it seems his 1994 season (minus the .368 batting average and .750 slugging percentage) would set the tone for the rest of his career. The only reason he wasn't a surefire first-ballot guy was phantom steroid/performance-enhancing drug allegations. I left him off last year because I didn't envision him as a first-ballot guy in general (side note: he was one of my favorite non-Dodgers in the '90s). Upon further review, it appears I was mistaken. The guy put up some amazing numbers and should be rewarded as such.

Nothing Bagwell did in the last 24 months has changed my mind.

Most impressive season: 1994, Houston: .368/.451/.750, 39 HR, 116 RBI, 32 2B, 104 runs scored, 213 OPS+, 8.9 rWAR, 7.8 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (155 games played): .368/.451/.750, 55 HR, 163 RBI, 45 2B, 146 runs scored
Craig Biggio (68.2)
- Biggio is one of the most underrated players of the last 25 years. He began as a catcher before Houston moved him to second base to preserve his knees. He played second base from 1992-2002, before Houston moved him to the outfield to make room for Jeff Kent (whom you'll ready about later). No matter where he played, he was a solid offensive contributor, but his best years came at second base. Relative to the position, he was well above-average offensively and won some hardware on the defensive side of the ball. Biggio is one of the best second baseman to ever play and deserves induction into the hall.
Most impressive season: 1997, Houston: .309/.415/.501, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 37 2B, 146 runs scored, 143 OPS+, 9.4 rWAR, 9.3 fWAR
Barry Bonds (36.2)
- This one hurts, only because Bonds was a gigantic thorn in the Dodgers' side from 1993 through 2007. But there's no denying his greatness. Even before 1998, when he reportedly began taking performance-enhancing drugs, Bonds was on the fast track for the Hall of Fame. In fact, his numbers through 1997 would have been enough to garner him strong consideration (.288/.408/.551, 374 HR, 417 SB, 1.3 BB/K ratio). His career after 1997 looks video game-esque, as he hit .314/.496/.697 with 388 HR, 209 OPS+ and a ridiculous 2.3 BB/K ratio.
Bonds was a seven-time MVP -- the most ever. He had 762 home runs -- the most ever. He walked 2,558 times -- the most ever. He had eight Gold Glove awards and is quite possibly the best player in the game's history. Whether the PEDs had a legitimate impact on his numbers, we'll never know. But like I said earlier, he was Hall-worthy before he used.
Most impressive season: 2004, San Francisco: .362/.609/.812, 45 HR, 101 RBI, 232 BB, 129 runs scored, 263 OPS+, 10.6 rWAR, 11.7 fWAR
Roger Clemens (37.6)
- Another case of a guy who was a lock for the Hall of Fame, even before using performance-enhancers. Clemens was a seven-time Cy Young award winner, an MVP award-winner and an 11-time All-Star. He topped 250 innings pitched six times in his career and 200 IP 15 times in 24 seasons. Clemens may very well be one of the best pitchers to ever throw, but his legacy will always be tainted by PEDs.
He won three of his Cy Youngs in Boston before former Red Sox's GM Dan Duquette thought Clemens' best days were behind him. Clemens went to Toronto in 1997 and put up an historic season that netted him his fourth Cy Young. He'd win three more after that (one in Toronto, one in New York, one in Houston). No matter what you think about him or his on- and off-the-field antics, he's one of the greatest pitchers of this or any generation.
Most impressive season: 1997, Toronto: .21-7, 2.05 ERA, 264 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 7.0 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 10.0 K/9, 222 ERA+, 11.9 rWAR, 10.8 fWAR
Jeff Kent (first year eligible)
- Kent was the last inclusion on my list (he bumped Trammell from my list). While he wasn't the friendliest guy, he was a really good second baseman. He was well above-average offensively and maybe not as horrible as once expected defensively. Kent's 351 home runs are the most by a second baseman ever. He owns a .292/.357/.509 triple slash at the position in his career and remained a productive player until his age-39 season. He made his name with the Giants in the late-1990s and early-2000s, before signing with the Astros. He finished his career with four seasons in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. Kent won an MVP award in 2000 and was a five-time All-Star.
Most impressive season: 2000, San Francisco: .334/.424/.596, 33 HR, 125 RBI, 41 2B, 114 runs scored, 162 OPS+, 7.2 rWAR, 7.4 fWAR
 

Barry Larkin (elected by BBWAA in 2012)

- Here's what I wrote about Larkin two years ago. I'm honestly not sure why he wasn't elected by the IBWAA last year.

"Much like Roberto Alomar, when you thought of shortstops in the '90s, Larkin was one of the first guys you thought of. Not only was he a solid defender, he was pretty good with the bat -- so much so that he took home the 1995 NL MVP. He was a consistent hitter, putting up a career line of .295/.371/.444 and was the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise for the better part of 13 years."

Most impressive season: 1996, Cincinnati: .298/.410/.567, 33 HR, 89 RBI, 36-for-46 in SB, 117 runs scored, 154 OPS+, 7.4 rWAR, 6.8 fWAR

Greg Maddux (first year eligible)

- If there was ever a case for a unanimous hall-of-famer, it's Maddux. Unfortunately, the BBWAA won't ever elect someone unanimously because there are some writers who refuse to vote for a guy on the first ballot. Whatever. Maddux had some of the best success of any pitcher -- especially in the so-called "Steroid Era" -- despite not having elite fastball velocity.

Rarely did Maddux's fastball break 90 MPH, yet he was able to get incredible movement on the pitch and was able to place any pitch he wanted, anywhere he wanted, in any count. He was a master of control and was perhaps the smartest pitcher who ever pitched. Maddux was won four consecutive Cy Youngs (1992-95) and finished in the Top 5 five other times. He was an eight-time All-Star and an 18-time (!) Gold Glove winner. Oh, and he had some amazing numbers. He threw more than 5,000 innings in his career, which is amazing in and of itself. After 1992, his age-26 season, Maddux walked two hitters per nine innings just once -- 2002. He made the hitters hit his pitches, and they didn't do that very well. We might not see a pitcher like Maddux for quite some time.

Most impressive season: 1995, Atlanta (strike-shortened): 19-2, 1.63 ERA, 209 2/3 IP, 0.81 WHIP, 6.3 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 1.0 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, 260 ERA+, 9.7 rWAR, 7.9 fWAR

Mark McGwire (16.9)

This is what I wrote about McGwire last year, his seventh year eligible on the ballot:

"I've never written about McGwire before. It's hard to come up with a set of rules to go by when it comes to those who used PEDs (reference the beginning of this piece). McGwire had a fantastic career. He wasn't a guy who was going to shorten his swing to go the other way or hit behind a runner to move him up, he was the quintessential power-hitter. He didn't hit for a high average, but he hit a ton of balls over the fence. That's what he was paid to do. He hit 42 or more home runs six times in his career. While he'll always be remembered for his 70 homers in 1998, his 49 home runs in his rookie season of 1987 was pretty impressive.

McGwire put up some ridiculous numbers, including a .394 on-base percentage. His career slugging percentage (.588) is good for eighth-best in Major League history. Despite the PED use, he had a Hall of Fame career. He'll be held out for a long time by the BBWAA and I'd actually be a little surprised if he were voted in by the writers during his time on the ballot."

The Dodgers' hitting coach, despite the PED stuff, is one of the greatest sluggers of all-time and should be enshrined. However, he won't be.

Most impressive season: 1998, St. Louis: .299/.470/.752, 70 HR, 147 RBI, 162 BB, 130 runs scored, 216 OPS+, 7.2 bWAR, 8.8 fWAR

Tim Raines (52.2)

- Here's what I've written about Raines the last three years.

"Aside from Rickey Henderson, Raines is the best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years. Batting first, he had a slash line of .294/.385/.427. Surprisingly, he spent a lot of time batting second and third in his career (2841 plate appearances), but he will always been known as a leadoff guy. He had a four-year stretch from 1981-84 in which he led the National League in stolen bases -- 71, 78, 90, 75 respectively. In 1981, a strike-shortened season, he stole those 71 bases in 88 games."

There's a big push from the Internet community to get Raines in the Hall. Here's hoping it happens. He deserves it.

Most impressive season: 1987, Montreal: .330/.429/.526, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 50-for-55 in SB, 123 runs scored, 149 OPS+, 6.8 bWAR, 6.9 fWAR

Frank Thomas (first year eligible)

- The Big Hurt. My formative years were spent watching Thomas pummel opposing pitchers. He is easily one of the best hitters I ever watched. He may have been the most feared hitter after Bonds. For a 10-year stretch, Thomas was one of the game's best hitters. From 1991 through 2000, he hit .320/.439/.581 and averaged 34 home runs per season. His strike-shortened 1994 season was on pace to be one of the best ever. He won two MVP awards in that time (1993 and 1994) and finished in the Top 8 five other times. He also enjoyed success from 2002-07, as he hit .265/.381/.523 and averaged 28 home runs in his age-34 to 39 seasons. Not hall-level production, but really, really good production, especially considering his age.

Some take issue with the fact Thomas was a designated hitter more than he was a first baseman. While he spent more time as a DH (1,310 games at DH, 969 at first base), he enjoyed far more success as a first baseman (.337/.453/.625 compared to .275/.394/.505). No matter how you look at it, Thomas produced offensively like a hall-of-famer.

Most impressive season: 1994, Chicago: .353/.487/.729, 38 HR, 101 RBI, 34 2B, 106 runs scored, 212 OPS+, 6.3 rWAR, 7.0 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (162 games played): .353/.487/.729, 54 HR, 145 RBI, 49 2B, 152 runs scored

-----

If the voting limit were increased, the aforementioned Martinez and Trammell would have gotten my vote (they got it in the past). Others I will vote for in the future include Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling and Larry Walker. Guys on the extreme outside looking in are Fred McGriff, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa.

I was actually surprised to see Bonds and Clemens got as much support as they did in their first year eligible. They have 14 more years (including this one) to get 75 percent of the vote, but I'm skeptical that will happen.

Maddux is a near-lock to be voted in by the BBWAA. I'd assume Glavine is another near-lock to make it this year. Beyond them, I don't know who else will get enough votes to make it.

Photo credits
Thomas: clare_and_ben, Wikimedia Commons

Bagwell: shgmom56, Flickr

Larkin: Rick Dikeman, Wikimedia Commons

McGwire: Keith Allison, Flickr

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 18 - Renovations, signings, Hall of Fame

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (L.A. Dugout) and I talk about the Dodger Stadium renovations.

We also look at a few siignings the Dodgers made sign our last episode, including J.P. Howell, Alfredo Amezaga and -- the one we're most excited about -- Ariel Sandoval..

And in perhaps the greatest moment of the episode, we spending a good chunk of time ripping the Baseball Writers Association of America for not electing anyone to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. We're particularly pissed about Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell being excluded.

We close with listener questions, which is quickly becoming a staple of the podcast (keep 'em coming!). Is there an Andre Ethier trade out there that makes sense? Could the Dodgers land Mike Morse in a deal?

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@LADugout or @FeelinKindaBlue). We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

My 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot -- Bagwell, McGwire, Piazza, Raines and more

I've done Hall of Fame ballot posts in the past, but this one is more than just another ballot for me. As a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, my vote is counted with all IBWAAers to see how the votes differ from that of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Something every voter -- IBBWA or BBWA -- must decide is how to vote for those who were caught or admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. Not only must a voter decided how he or she will handle it, but it must be consistent.

I know guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were first-ballot guys before they even (allegedly) touched a syringe or any kind of oils. I get that. However, my own personal feeling is they need to be punished in some way for that use. Yes, their reputations are tarnished and will always be, but I cannot bring myself to vote for a known PED user or someone who had all kinds of evidence pointing in that direction on the first ballot. The second or third ballot? Sure. But they're not first-ballot-worthy in my book.

My ballot

Jeff Bagwell
Barry Larkin (not elected by IBWAA, thus still eligible)
Edgar Martinez
Mark McGwire
Mike Piazza
Tim Raines
Alan Trammell
Gil Hodges (IBWAA special-consideration candidate)
Marvin Miller (IBWAA special-consideration candidate)

A star-studded cast for sure. I'll break them down candidate-by-candidate (sans the special-consideration candidates). Last year's BBWAA vote in parenthesis.

Jeff Bagwell (56.0)

- Here's what I wrote about Bagwell on last year's ballot (well, my blog post, at least):

"Bagwell was one of the most fearsome hitters of the 1990s, posting an average season of .304/.416/.545, 29 HR, 107 RBI, 35 2B, 102 R, 98 BB. That includes his first two seasons, including a Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and two strike-shortened seasons. His career took off in 1994 when he slugged 39 home runs, drove in 116 runners and posted an obscene 1.201 OPS. Those numbers were good enough to earn him the NL MVP that season. From 1994 to 2003, he averaged the following: .301/.420/.574, 37 HR, 116 RBI, 36 2B, 116 R and 107 BB. So it seems his 1994 season (minus the .368 batting average and .750 slugging percentage) would set the tone for the rest of his career. The only reason he wasn't a surefire first-ballot guy was phantom steroid/performance-enhancing drug allegations. I left him off last year because I didn't envision him as a first-ballot guy in general (side note: he was one of my favorite non-Dodgers in the '90s). Upon further review, it appears I was mistaken. The guy put up some amazing numbers and should be rewarded as such.

Nothing Bagwell did in the last 12 months has changed my mind (humor intended).
Most impressive season: 1994, Houston: .368/.451/.750, 39 HR, 116 RBI, 32 2B, 104 runs scored, 213 OPS+, 8.9 bWAR, 7.8 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (155 games played): .368/.451/.750, 55 HR, 163 RBI, 45 2B, 146 runs scored 

Barry Larkin (86.4, elected)

- Here's what I wrote about Larkin last year. I'm honestly not sure why he wasn't elected by the IBWAA last year.

"Much like Roberto Alomar, when you thought of shortstops in the '90s, Larkin was one of the first guys you thought of. Not only was he a solid defender, he was pretty good with the bat -- so much so that he took home the 1995 NL MVP. He was a consistent hitter, putting up a career line of .295/.371/.444 and was the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise for the better part of 13 years."

Most impressive season: 1996, Cincinnati: .298/.410/.567, 33 HR, 89 RBI, 36-for-46 in SB, 117 runs scored, 154 OPS+, 7.4 bWAR, 6.8 fWAR

Edgar Martinez (36.5)

- A lot of repeat guys, so you're going to see this line a lot: what I wrote about him last year.

"I'm a National League guy. I'm staunchly opposed to the designated hitter, but Martinez was such an incredibly talented hitter that it's a little easier to look beyond the fact he played the vast majority of his games as a designated hitter. Nevertheless, he put up some awfully impressive numbers: .312/.418/.515 career slash line. He was Ken Griffey's primary protection for the great Seattle teams of the '90s. He led the Majors in batting in 1992 (.343), but that wasn't nearly his most impressive showing. His 1995 season was one of his best, leading the AL in batting and runs scored. He led the Majors in on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+ and doubles that season. Martinez is one of the most underrated hitters of all-time. He would have been a shoo-in first-ballot guy if he played in the field. There has to be precedent for a designated hitter making the Hall, so why not the best one of all time?"

Yeah, this guy needs to be in the Hall. The DH can go to hell, but Martinez shouldn't be penalized for being one of the greatest hitters of the 1990s.

Most impressive season: 1995, Seattle: .356/.479/.628, 29 HR, 113 RBI, 52 2B, 121 runs scored, 185 OPS+, 7.7 bWAR, 7.5 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (162 games played): .356/.479/.628, 32 HR, 126 RBI, 58 2B, 135 runs scored

Mark McGwire (19.5)

- I've never written about McGwire before. It's hard to come up with a set of rules to go by when it comes to those who used PEDs (reference the beginning of this piece). McGwire had a fantastic career. He wasn't a guy who was going to shorten his swing to go the other way or hit behind a runner to move him up, he was the quintessential power-hitter. He didn't hit for a high average, but he hit a ton of balls over the fence. That's what he was paid to do. He hit 42 or more home runs six times in his career. While he'll always be remembered for his 70 homers in 1998, his 49 home runs in his rookie season of 1987 was pretty impressive.

McGwire put up some ridiculous numbers, including a .394 on-base percentage. His career slugging percentage (.588) is good for eighth-best in Major League history. Despite the PED use, he had a Hall of Fame career. He'll be held out for a long time by the BBWAA and I'd actually be a little surprised if he were voted in by the writers during his time on the ballot.

Most impressive season: 1998, St. Louis: .299/.470/.752, 70 HR, 147 RBI, 162 BB, 130 runs scored, 216 OPS+, 7.2 bWAR, 8.8 fWAR

Mike Piazza (first year eligible)

- Piazza is my favorite player of all-time and he's the best offensive catcher of all-time. A 62nd-round draft pick, Piazza was never a defensive dynamo and was drafted as a favor to his father by Tommy Lasorda, Piazza's godfather. Man, did the Dodgers knock that one out. Piazza. He had a cup of coffee in 1992 before exploding onto the scene in 1993. Piazza took home Rookie of the Year honors after a .318/.370/.561 with 35 home runs, 112 RBI in 149 games. That was the first of a 10-year stretch in which he was a superior offensive force behind the plate. From 1993 to 2002, his average season was .322/.389/.579 with 35 home runs, 107 RBI, 25 doubles, 85 runs scored and 56 walks. And his 1997 season will go down as one of the best (if not the best) by a catcher ever. Sadly for me as a fan of his and the Dodgers, he was unceremoniously traded to the Marlins during the 1998 season -- a trade that should have never happened.

After a great run with the Mets, Piazza had a couple one-season stints in San Diego and Oakland before hanging up his cleats. He'll always be my favorite player and should be a first-ballot guy. Some will use suspected PED use (ala Bagwell) to keep him off their ballots. It's completely unfair, but expected.

While he'll likely go into the Hall as a Met, he'll always be a Dodger to me.

Most impressive season: 1997, Los Angeles: .362/.431/.638, 40 HR, 124 RBI, 201 H, 104 runs scored, 185 OPS+, 8.5 bWAR, 9.4 fWAR

Tim Raines (48.7)

- Here's what I've written about Raines the last two years.

"Aside from Rickey Henderson, Raines is the best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years. Batting first, he had a slash line of .294/.385/.427. Surprisingly, he spent a lot of time batting second and third in his career (2841 plate appearances), but he will always been known as a leadoff guy. He had a four-year stretch from 1981-84 in which he led the National League in stolen bases -- 71, 78, 90, 75 respectively. In 1981, a strike-shortened season, he stole those 71 bases in 88 games."

There's a big push from the Internet community to get Raines in the Hall. Here's hoping it happens. He deserves it.

Most impressive season: 1987, Montreal: .330/.429/.526, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 50-for-55 in SB, 123 runs scored, 149 OPS+, 6.8 bWAR, 6.9 fWAR

Alan Trammell (36.8)

- Like Raines, here's what I've written for the last two years.

"Trammell is a lot like Larkin. When you think of the Tigers in the 1980s, Trammell is the first guy you think of. He, along with Cal Ripken, were the first two guys to redefine the shortstop position, as they were offensive (the good offensive) players. However, they didn't sacrifice defense for offense. From 1983-90, Trammel had an .813 OPS as a shortstop. In a time when shortstops were 'glove-only' guys, it was almost unheard of. He also has the 72nd-best WAR of all-time (66.9), 0.2 points in front of Dodgers' Hall-of-Famer Pee Wee Reese. He's also 0.2 points ahead of former Dodger Eddie Murray."

If Larkin is a hall of famer, so is Trammell. They have the same career bWAR (although Trammell accumulated it in 113 more games).

Most impressive season: 1987, Detroit: .343/.402/.551, 28 HR, 105 RBI, 21-for-23 in SB, 155 OPS+, 8.4 bWAR, 7.9 fWAR

I left some noteworthy guys off my ballot (aside from Bonds and Clemens), most notably Craig Biggio, Kenny Lofton, Curt Schilling and Larry Walker. Those guys should all get into the Hall of Fame someday. Ballots are limited to 10 selections and I had nine, so there's no way I could have fit everyone on there. All except Walker are first-timers. Biggio is a member of the 3,000-hit club and will get in. Hell, I'll probably vote for him next year. Lofton is a lot like Raines. He deserves to get in, but it might take awhile. Schilling didn't strike me as a hall-of-famer, but the more I look and read, it seems he is indeed worthy. Walker is a candidate whose stock has improved over time, thanks to advanced statistics.

It'll be interesting to see how many votes Bonds and Clemens get. They won't get it, but seeing how many actually voted for them will be interesting.

Of all the first-timers who aren't PED guys, Piazza has the best chance of going in on the first ballot. Hopefully guys like Bagwell and Raines (at minimum) join him. More likely, guys like Jack Morris and Dale Murphy make it.

Photo credits

Bagwell: shgmom56, Flickr

Larkin: Rick Dikeman, Wikimedia Commons

McGwire: Keith Allison, Flickr

My 2012 MLB Hall of Fame ballot

Much like last year, I'm going to create my own Hall of Fame ballot, even though I obviously don't get an official vote.

My 2011 ballot:
Roberto Alomar*
Bert Blyleven*
Barry Larkin
Tim Raines
Alan Trammell
*- 2011 inductee

Here's my 2012 Hall of Fame Ballot (percent of 2011 vote in parenthesis, 75 percent required for election):

Jeff Bagwell (41.7)
- Bagwell was one of the most fearsome hitters of the 1990s, posting an average season of .304/.416/.545, 29 HR, 107 RBI, 35 2B, 102 R, 98 BB. That includes his first two seasons, including a Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and two strike-shortened seasons. His career took off in 1994 when he slugged 39 home runs, drove in 116 runners and posted an obscene 1.201 OPS. Those numbers were good enough to earn him the NL MVP that season. From 1994 to 2003, he averaged the following: .301/.420/.574, 37 HR, 116 RBI, 36 2B, 116 R and 107 BB. So it seems his 1994 season (minus the .368 batting average and .750 slugging percentage) would set the tone for the rest of his career. The only reason he wasn't a surefire first-ballot guy was phantom steroid/performance-enhancing drug allegations. I left him off last year because I didn't envision him as a first-ballot guy in general (side note: he was one of my favorite non-Dodgers in the '90s). Upon further review, it appears I was mistaken. The guy put up some amazing numbers and should be rewarded as such.

Most impressive season: 1994, Houston: .368/.451/.750, 39 home runs, 116 RBI, 32 2B, 104 runs scored, 213 OPS+, 8.9 bWAR, 7.8 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (155 games played): .368/.451/.750, 55 HR, 163 RBI, 45 2B, 146 runs scored

Barry Larkin (62.1)
What I wrote last year:- Much like Roberto Alomar, when you thought of shortstops in the '90s, Larkin was one of the first guys you thought of. Not only was he a solid defender, he was pretty good with the bat -- so much so that he took home the 1995 NL MVP. He was a consistent hitter, putting up a career line of .295/.371/.444 and was the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise for the better part of 13 years.

Most impressive season: 1996, Cincinnati: .298/.410/.567/.977, 33 home runs, 89 RBI, 36-for-46 in SB, 117 runs scored, 154 OPS+, 7.4 bWAR, 6.8 fWAR

Edgar Martinez (32.9)
- I'm a National League guy. I'm staunchly opposed to the designated hitter, but Martinez was such an incredibly talented hitter that it's a little easier to look beyond the fact he played the vast majority of his games as a designated hitter. Nevertheless, he put up some awfully impressive numbers: .312/.418/.515 career slash line. He was Ken Griffey's primary protection for the great Seattle teams of the '90s. He led the Majors in batting in 1992 (.343), but that wasn't nearly his most impressive showing. His 1995 season was one of his best, leading the AL in batting and runs scored. He led the Majors in on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+ and doubles that season. Martinez is one of the most underrated hitters of all-time. He would have been a shoo-in first-ballot guy if he played in the field. There has to be precedent for a designated hitter making the Hall, so why not the best one of all time?

Most impressive season: 1995, Seattle: .356/.479/.628, 29 HR, 113 RBI, 52 2B, 121 runs scored, 185 OPS+, 7.7 bWAR, 7.5 fWAR
Extrapolated for 162-game schedule (162 games played): .356/.479/.628, 32 HR, 126 RBI, 58 2B, 135 runs scored

Tim Raines (37.5)
What I wrote last year:
- Aside from Rickey Henderson, Raines is the best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years. Batting first, he had a slash line of .294/.385/.427. Surprisingly, he spent a lot of time batting second and third in his career (2841 plate appearances), but he will always been known as a leadoff guy. He had a four-year stretch from 1981-84 in which he led the National League in stolen bases -- 71, 78, 90, 75 respectively. In 1981, a strike-shortened season, he stole those 71 bases in 88 games.

Most impressive season: 1987, Montreal: .330/.429/.526/.955, 18 home runs, 68 RBI, 50-for-55 in SB, 123 runs scored, 149 OPS+, 6.8 bWAR, 6.9 fWAR

Alan Trammell (24.3)
What I wrote last year:
- Trammell is a lot like Larkin. When you think of the Tigers in the 1980s, Trammell is the first guy you think of. He, along with Cal Ripken, were the first two guys to redefine the shortstop position, as they were offensive (the good offensive) players. However, they didn't sacrifice defense for offense. From 1983-90, Trammel had an .813 OPS as a shortstop. In a time when shortstops were "glove-only" guys, it was almost unheard of. He also has the 72nd-best WAR of all-time (66.9), 0.2 points in front of Dodgers' Hall-of-Famer Pee Wee Reese. He's also 0.2 points ahead of former Dodger Eddie Murray.

Most impressive season: 1987, Detroit: .343/.402/.551/.953, 28 home runs, 105 RBI, 21-for-23 in SB, 155 OPS+, 8.4 bWAR, 7.9 fWAR

Knowing the history of Hall of Fame voters, I'm betting Barry Larkin is the only guy elected (to go in along side Ron Santo, may he rest in peace). Jack Morris fell 21.5 percent short last season and could sneak his way in, but I don't believe he's worthy of the Hall.

Larry Walker (20.3 percent) will likely see an increase in his voting share and could get in eventually. His 1.172 career OPS in Coors Field could hurt him, though (fair or unfair).

Then we have the known PED users: Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro. Both would be unquestioned Hall-of-Famers if not for the PED use. I'm doubting either get elected anytime soon.

Former Dodgers on the ballot: Jeromy Burnitz, Brian Jordan, Don Mattingly, Terry Mulholland and Eric Young -- none of these guys are Hall-bound.

My Hall of Fame ballot

Again, since there's so little going on in Dodger land, I thought I'd do my own Hall of Fame ballot, as many baseball writers are doing around this time.

Last year's close calls

Bert Blyleven, who has been on the ballot for 14 years, just missed the required 75 percent vote, coming in at 74.2 percent.

Roberto Alomar garnered 73.7 percent after his first year on the ballot.

The next closest player was Jack Morris, who had 52.3 percent, followed by Barry Larkin at 51.6 percent.

Without further adieu, here is my ballot... if I had one.

RHP Bert Blyleven
- The guy should have been in many years ago. He has the 43rd-best Wins Above Replacement total of all-time at 87.6, which ranks him No. 13 amongst pitchers. To put it in perspective, every player in the top 50 is a Hall-of-Famer or future Hall-of-Famer (Alex Rodriguez 101.9; Randy Johnson, 89.6; Albert Pujols, 83.8). He also ranks No. 14 all-time in innings pitched (4970).
Most impressive season: 1973, Minnesota: 20-17, 2.52 ERA, 325 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 3.85 K/BB (led AL), 25 CG, 9 SHO, 158 ERA+ (led league)

2B Roberto Alomar
- I grew up with baseball in the 1990s, so Alomar was a prominent player. He might be the best second baseman I ever saw. He would have been a first-ballot guy for me. Despite playing a defense-first position, Alomar ranks No. 64 all-time in offensive WAR and No. 87 overall. He made 12 consecutive All-Star appearances and won 10 Gold Gloves in that time. He also had a career .814 OPS.
Most impressive season: 2001, Cleveland: .336/.415/.541/.956, 20 home runs, 100 RBI, 150 OPS+

OF Tim Raines
- Aside from Rickey Henderson, Raines is the best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years. Batting first, he had a slash line of .294/.385/.427. Surprisingly, he spent a lot of time batting second and third in his career (2841 plate appearances), but he will always been known as a leadoff guy. He had a four-year stretch from 1981-84 in which he led the National League in stolen bases -- 71, 78, 90, 75 respectively. In '81, a strike-shortened season, he stole those 71 bases in 88 games.
Most impressive season: 1987, Montreal: .330/.429/.526/.955, 18 home runs, 68 RBI, 50-for-55 in SB, 123 runs scored, 149 OPS+

SS Barry Larkin
- Much like Alomar, when you thought of shortstops in the '90s, Larkin was one of the first guys you thought of. Not only was he a solid defender, he was pretty good with the bat -- so much so that he took home the 1995 NL MVP. He was a consistent hitter, putting up a career line of .295/.371/.444 and was the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise for the better part of 13 years.
Most impressive season: 1996, Cincinnati: .298/.410/.567/.977, 33 home runs, 89 RBI, 36-for-46 in SB, 117 runs scored, 154 OPS+

SS Alan Trammell
- Trammell is a lot like Barry Larkin. When you think of the Tigers in the '80s, Trammell is the first guy you think of. He, along with Cal Ripken, were the first two guys to redefine the shortstop position, as they were offensive (the good offensive) players. However, they didn't sacrifice defense for offense. From 1983-90, Trammel had an .813 OPS as a shortstop. In a time when shortstops were "glove-only" guys, it was almost unheard of. He also has the 72nd-best WAR of all-time (66.9), 0.2 points in front of Dodgers' Hall-of-Famer Pee Wee Reese. He's also 0.2 points ahead of former Dodger Eddie Murray.
Most impressive season: 1987, Detroit: .343/.402/.551/.953, 28 home runs, 105 RBI, 21-for-23 in SB, 155 OPS+

Then you have a few cases of standards. How does one sort out the so-called "Steroid Era"? How does one determine the value of a designated hitter and closer?

I'm talking about Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Bagwell, Edgar Martinez and Lee Smith.

McGwire and Palmeiro have been busted for performance-enhancing drug use and some people believe Bagwell used, despite lack of evidence. I like Bagwell, but he wouldn't be a first-ballot guy for me anyway. Bagwell was one of the most dominant players of the '90s and I'm sure he'll get in eventually.

Is it fair to hold PED allegations against Bagwell even though he's never been busted or admitted to using? Of course not. Unfortunately, that is the way it is today. People are going to suspect and convict certain players in their own courts (their minds).

Martinez came up as a third baseman, but injuries relegated him to DH duties. He made it count, as he put up a .314/.428/.532/.959 line as a DH in his career. And he wasn't just a good hitter, he was a great hitter. From 1992-2003, he had a .319/.431/.548 line in the middle of that potent Seattle Mariner lineup. In many ways, he, not Ken Griffey, Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson, was the Seattle Mariners. He wasn't the most charismatic or flashy guy, but he did his job and did it well.

That being said, I'm an NL guy and I think the DH is a joke. Still, it's hard to argue with results. He got 36.2 percent of the vote last year. This is Martinez's second year on the ballot and if my vote counted, I probably wouldn't vote Martinez in on the first- or second ballot, but he'd get a vote from me eventually.

Smith was once the all-time saves leader -- a statistic that has lost value over the years. He had similar and sometimes better numbers than Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers, but I'm not sure he deserves to make it. It's his ninth year on the ballot and his percentage has been increasing. I'm not sure he'll get enough to make the Hall before he is off the ballot.

So, there's my ballot. Feel free to chime in with your own ballot or if you think I'm off my rocker.

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The Dodger blog world

You may have noticed Jack Morris did not make my ballot. Well, Mike Petriello of Mike Scoscia's Tragic Illness can be thanked for that. His post about Morris and Orel Hershiser pretty much sums it up.

DodgerBobble posted a bobblehead of one of my favorite Dodgers of all-time, Shawn Green. His 2001 and 2002 ranks among the best Dodger offensive seasons of all-time.

Chad Moriyama of Memories of Kevin Malone posted a nice recap of the Dodgers in the Arizona Fall League.

Dingers' Blog posted two great reads about subtle racism in baseball from 2010. Read them here and here.

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Former Dodger closer Takashi Saito signed a 1-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ken Rosenthal reported.

Saito had a bounce-back 2010 with the Braves after a somewhat rough 2009 season with the Red Sox. He had a 2.43 ERA for the Red Sox, but he also had the highest WHIP of his career (1.35), H/9 (8.1), HR/9 (1.0) and BB/9 (4.0). He also had the lowest K/9 (8.4) and worst K/BB (2.08) ratio of his career while in Beantown.

In Atlanta, he had a 2.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.8 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9, 11.5 K/9 and 4.06 K/BB ratio.

This is a fantastic signing by the Brewers. He could definitely step in at closer if rookie standout John Axford falters.

If only Colletti would have brought back Saito on a 1-year deal instead of signing Matt Guerrier for three years.