The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot on Monday, which runs 34 players deep. That’s split into 17 hold-overs and 17 first-timers. The full ballot can be seen at the BBWAA’s site. Ballots are due back on December 27th and the results will be announced at 2pm ET on January 6th. The induction ceremony is next summer. A player must appear on 75% of the ballots to be elected into Cooperstown.
Among the 17 first-timers are former Yankees Aaron Boone, Tony Clark, Tom Gordon, Randy Johnson, and Gary Sheffield. Don Mattingly, Mike Mussina, Tim Raines, and Roger Clemens are among the hold-overs. Mattingly is in his 15th and final season of Hall of Fame eligibility. He appeared on only 8.2% of the ballots last year after topping out at 28.2% back in 2001, his first year on the ballot. I love Donnie Baseball, but I don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer. Apparently the voters feel the same way.
Johnson and fellow first-timers Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz seems like locks to get this year. Craig Biggio, who was literally two votes short of induction last year, will almost certainly get in as well. After that you also have Clemens and Barry Bonds, who seem unlikely to get in despite being two of the greatest players we’ll ever see, and Tim Raines and Mike Piazza, two guys you’d think would be in by now. The ballot is stacked (again), which means deserving players like Moose will likely be left on the outside looking in (again). For shame.