It was perfect timing. I just received access to MLB Network 23 hours prior to today’s National Baseball Hall Of Fame Elections.

I’ll admit, as big of a baseball fan as i am, I never paid much attention to the Baseball Hall Of Fame elections. This year, however, held a special place in my heart. Mike Piazza.

I grew up a Mets fan and Mike Piazza has always been my favorite player.  Be it Piazza’s 425 ft. bomb of a home-run against Clemens in 2000, or my personal favorite, his home-run against the Braves on September 21, 2001 (which is the game that brought New York back to life) he’s always had a knack for the clutch play.  That’s what happens when you’re arguably the best hitting catcher to ever play the game, and in my opinion quite deserving of a Baseball Hall Of Fame election. Just check out his career stats for yourself.

Needless to say, when the envelope opened at 2pm this afternoon, I was slightly disappointed, and very shocked. A total shutout in the Baseball Hall of Fame nominees for this year! The top three whom received votes were Craig Biggio(68.2 %), Jack Morris(67.7%), and Jeff Bagwell with(59.6%). Piazza, with 329 votes, had 57.8% of the vote falling well short of the 75% necessary vote for election in to the Hall Of Fame.

Here are the Top Ten 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame Vote Nominees:

Craig Biggio 388 (68.2%)
Jack Morris 385 (67.7%)
Jeff Bagwell 339 (59.6%)
Mike Piazza 329 (57.8%)
Tim Raines 297 (52.2%)
Lee Smith 272 (47.8%)
Curt Schilling 221 (38.8%)
Roger Clemens 214 (37.6%)
Barry Bonds 206 (36.2%)
Edgar Martinez 204 (35.9%)

Of course, the two most notable names on the list are Roger Clemens (37.6%) and Barry Bonds (36.2%). The  elephant, or, herd of elephants in the room, are performance enhancing drugs (PED’s).  It’s obvious that these elephants loomed large in the minds of voters. With The Steroid Era becoming a strong part of Baseball History, it’s tough to predict the future of the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Although I do agree with the writers decisions to in a way make a point, I do believe there were some worthy names on the list that should have gotten the vote. In the end, I think Harold Reynolds said it best today; “Next year… is the real vote”.

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