Possum Holler

Ballots for the 2008 inductees into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame are due back from the Baseball Writers Association of America members on Tuesday. Though obviously not a member, I would like to offer my own ballot as a concerned fan. Voters are instructed to vote for up to 10 players. It takes 75% of the voters to elect a player into the HOF, and any candidate receiving fewer than 5% of the vote will no longer be considered. Players appearing on the ballot for the first time are denoted with an asterisk. Players appearing on the ballot for the 15th and final time are denoted by a plus.

*Brady Andersen NO

Harold Baines NO

*Rod Beck NO

Bert Blyleven NO
I've read all the cases made on his behalf, but it comes down to the fact that as an obsessed kid I would have never noticed him if it weren't for his odd name and sweet beard.

+Dave Concepcion NO

Andre Dawson YES
The great hitters of the 80s and early 90s have suffered the most, in terms of HOF voting, as a result of the steroids era. When he was playing did anyone doubt he was a Hall of Famer? The Hawk has a legitimate shot with no new stars on the ballot this year.

*Shawon Dunston YES
BBWAA members will often toss a vote the way of a player that is not deserving of induction but that they enjoyed covering or who would give them good interviews through the years. So that is sort of what I'm doing here. Dunston is not a HOFer, but as a kid who was a huge Cubs fan, I thought few things were cooler than the Shawon-O-Meter that fans used in the stands of Wrigley Field to monitor his batting average. Though not my favorite Cub, or even my second or third favorite, Shawon Dunston was one of the most memorable players from my youth.

*Chuck Finley NO

*Travis Fryman NO

Rich "Goose" Gossage YES
Just because all of my favorite baseball writers insist he should be.

Tommy John NO

*David Justice NO

*Chuck Knoblauch NO

Don Mattingly NO

Mark McGwire YES
I subscribe to the Buster Olney theory that if you are going to vote for ANY player from the Steroid Era (like Greg Maddux or Derek Jeter, who likely did not use PEDs), you must vote for ALL of the deserving players from the Steroid Era (like McGwire or Barry Bonds, who likely did use PEDs).

Jack Morris NO
I have advocated for Morris before, but Rob Neyer made a great point today that changed my mind. He suggested that in considering a fringe candidate that you take his two best qualities and ask whether they would still be a candidate if you diminished those two qualities a little bit. I think this concept easily eliminates Morris.

Dale Murphy YES
See Andre Dawson. Except the part of having a good chance of getting in this year.

*Robb Nen NO

Dave Parker NO

*Tim Raines YES
His numbers are nearly identical to Ricky Henderson, and Henderson may be one of the most underrated players ever...as well as an inductee the first time he appears on the ballot.

Jim Rice NO
Take him out of Fenway and his fringe numbers would be even less convincing.

Jose Rijo NO

Lee Smith NO

*Todd Stottlemyre NO

Alan Trammell NO

So that is 6 yes votes. That might be a little high in a year where there are no "sure-fire" HOFers on the ballot. But then again, in 1992 I think McGwire, Dawson and Murphy all held that title.

It should probably be noted that most of my evaluations are based on my view of each of these players when I was 10 years old. But, maybe that's the way all voters should make their decisions.