The Hall's 2013 BBWAA ballot

The Hall of Fame main ballot, entrusted to members of the BBWAA as electors, will have its results announced Wednesday, January 9, 2013.

This year's ballot has a whopping 37 candidates, of which 13 are returning candidates and 24 are rookies. I've lost interest this year for doing the long reviews, despite the wealth of intriguing new names, so this one is going to be rather short.

Of the returning candidates, I supported nine last year, and so they get an automatic placement on my 2013 slate of players I would vote for if I had a vote (I do not). This includes Bagwell, Martinez, McGriff, McGwire, Murphy, Raines, Smith, Walker, and Bernie Williams. Returnees I do not support: Mattingly, Morris, Palmeiro, and Trammell.

Turning to the new candidates, we find Sandy Alomar, Jr., Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Jeff Cirillo, Royce Clayton, Roger Clemens, Jeff Conine, Steve Finley, Julio Franco, Shawn Green, Roberto Hernandez, Ryan Klesko, Kenny Lofton, Jose Mesa, Mike Piazza, Reggie Sanders, Curt Schilling, Aaron Sele, Sammy Sosa, Mike Stanton, Todd Walker, David Wells, Rondell White, and Woody Williams. I'm not going to check career stats for these men; not even WAR. I'm just gonna pick the ones I think are Hall worthy, combine that set with the returning candidates I previously supported, and winnow that group down to ten, which is the ballot limit the Hall imposes upon actual electors. Perhaps some other time I will do a more thorough review, but not today.

My selections from the rookie class: Biggio, Bonds, Clemens, Piazza. That makes for 13 candidates, so three have to go. I will stand by my four new selections, so the returnees must be culled.

I easily toss Bernie Williams overboard. I was never a staunch supporter, and he's one of the few Yankees I really didn't like.

Dale Murphy, despite my supporting him since his first ballot, never mustered much support, and is clearly a goner. He deserved better, but his window is closed.

Finally, Larry Walker, while a very good player, is fighting the Coors Field Effect, and I doubt the writers will ever get behind him.

That leaves me with ten: Bagwell, Biggio, Bonds, Clemens, Martinez, McGriff, McGwire, Piazza, Raines, and Smith.

And that's a ballot I can live with. I don't expect to see more than three of them elected, probably only two, with Biggio being the easiest choice.