If I Had a Hall-of-Fame Vote...

Well, it's Baseball Hall-of-Fame voting season. It's time to select the class of 2016 for Cooperstown, an action taken by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. While many people have their issues with the balloting, my only issue is the number of people voting who hold "the Hall" in an almost holy esteem. It's a museum. It's a museum to a game I love and spend a lot of my time following, but it's a museum. You're not memorializing the people, you're memorializing the players, the era, the history. So, for me, I'd put people like Barry Bonds or Pete Rose in. They are significant to the game, and should have a plaque to tell their story.

So, since ballots are appearing online now from voters, I figured I'd put out who I'd vote for. Caveat here, I'm not a "new age" fan type, so I still do have a distinction in my mind between being a first ballot Hall-of-Famer (for me, reserved for the truly greatest), a Hall-of-Famer (for all the other greats), and a borderline case (someone who goes in later). It's a distinction we all make, every time, and it's a distinction we should make. None of this "if they're good enough, they should be the first time." No.

So here's my ballot, if I had one:

• The Locks- Ken Griffey Jr. This is too easy.
• The Controversial Locks- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire. Yes, I get it, many people think steroid use, accusations of steroid use, or even possible steroid use should disqualify you. I don't even think a positive test should. You can't re-write baseball history without these guys, so it's time to put them in and write on their plaque that accusations, rumors, and even positive tests taint their careers. I'd vote every one of these guys in.
• The Lean Toward Yes's- Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell, Gary Sheffield, Lee Smith. I'd like to see all of these guys get in. Some aren't controversial. A couple are. I think all are worthy.
• Totally split- Fred McGriff, Edgar Martinez, Larry Walker, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling. Some of these guys I really liked (Mussina, Martinez, even Walker), some I despise (Schilling), but all leave me totally divided on the merits. 

Obviously I wouldn't actually vote for this many players, nor could you. So, I'd certainly have to cut this down a bit. Griffey will get in easy, and should, so I'd vote for him. Piazza and Bagwell have been close recently, and I'd vote for them. On the merits of their numbers, and as I said above, recognizing their flaws, I'd cast a vote for Bonds and Clemens. That's five players right there, and so I'm not trying to add many more. I'd skip Sosa and McGwire for the moment, realizing they have little to no shot anyway. I'd vote for Raines to fill out this year's ballot.

That's my ballot. What's your's?