Alomar, Larkin, Martinez and McGriff among 2010 Hall of Fame Hopefuls

Andrew Swanson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:30:23 +0000

There are 15 new candidates for the Hall of Fame in 2010. Among the new names on the ballot are Roberto Alomar, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff. It will be interesting who receives what percentage of the votes this year as the stigma of steroids is starting to play an ever increasing role in the vote. There are 26 candidates in total, three more than last year, when Rickey Henderson was elected in his first appearance and Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final try. Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote.

Roberto Alomar is a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove second baseman, had a .300 batting average, 210 homers and 474 steals in 17 major league seasons.

Edgar Martinez spent all 18 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, winning two AL batting titles and finishing with a .312 average and 309 homers. A seven-time All-Star, he was a designated hitter in 1,412 of 2,055 career regular-season games.

Barry Larkin was a 12-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove shortstop in 19 seasons, all with the Cincinnati Reds. He had a .295 career average with 198 homers and won the 1995 NL MVP award.

Fred McGriff is tied with Lou Gehrig for 26th on the career home run with 493 and had a .284 average in 19 seasons. He led the AL in homers for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989 and the NL for the San Diego Padres in 1992.

Mark McGwire, who was hired last month as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, is on the ballot for the fourth time. Although he hit 583 homers, eighth on the career list, he has been stigmatized since his 2005 congressional committee testimony, when he dodged questions about potential steroids use. He received 118 votes (22 %) in last year’s vote, down from 128 in each of his first two tries.

Who do you feel should make it on January 6th?

Full Ballot: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile

Rules for Qualification and Election to the Baseball Hall of Fame

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Alomar, Larkin, Martinez and McGriff among 2010 Hall of Fame Hopefuls