Baseball HOF class announcement 2p.. Mike Piazza?
 

http://deadspin.com/mike-piazza-is-t...oda-1677727583

Deadspin forecast based on public ballots says Pedro Martinez (98.40%), Randy Johnson (98.93%), John Smoltz (87.70%) locks. Craig Biggio (83.42%) likely. Piazza (75.94%) on edge; Tim Raines (65.24%) and Jeff Bagwell (62.03%) next and unlikely this year.

And more from 538: http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/h...f-fame-voting/

Martinez, Johnson, Smoltz and Biggio in

Piazza still not in
Best slugging percentage (.545) of any catcher in history. Best OPS (.922). Best adjusted OPS-plus (143). Most home runs (427). Still 74 votes shy.

screw job.

Proof or not, his meteoric rise during the steroid era will haunt his chances.


Pitchers and Teammates know who was juicing and who wasn't. This isn't a surprise to anyone, is it?

Tom Glavine "not surprised" by Piazza's omission:

http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/1/7...-new-york-mets

Biggio is not deserving in my eyes. Long above average career, but never a among the best few players in the game. Only had 200 hit season once.

Completely disagree. I can't find the piece to provide all the specifics, but Bill James wrote in the Abstract one year when Biggio's career was well established that he was almost certainly the most underrated player in Major League History.

Biggio deserved the nod....top 25 alltime in hits, at-bats, runs scored, doubles, hit by pitch, and yes...SOs. plus...

7-time All-Star (1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
4-time Gold Glove Winner (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
5-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (1989, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998)
th in MVP Voting (1997)
Led the NL in Doubles 3 Times (44 in 1994, 51 in 1998, 56 in 1999)
Led the NL in Runs Scored 2 Times (123 in 1995, 146 in 1997)
Led the NL in Stolen Bases 1 Time (39 in 1994)

I could be a bit bias since I am a lowly Astros fan :D

I think he belongs in the HOF. If he played in New York they would have already erected a statue of him.

ftfy