The BBWAA released the 2014 Hall of Fame ballot earlier today.
Earlier today, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) released the ballot for the upcoming 2014 Hall of Fame election. Players are eligible to be included on the ballot five years after they retire. The ballot also includes any players that received at least 5 percent of the vote in the previous election.
Mike Piazza is the most notable Met on the ballot. On his first year on the ballot, Piazza received 57.8 percent of the vote. Many have speculated that some did not vote for Piazza because they suspected that he may have used performance enhancing drugs. It is important to note, however, that only one player—Gil Hodges—has received more than 50% of the vote and not eventually been elected. Piazza is widely seen as an eventual Hall of Famer, even if whispers of steroid use delay his selection.
There might be too many qualified candidates on the ballot, since expansion has increased the number of qualified candidates and the Hall of Fame has been slow to honor candidates who played during the 1990s. There are many strong candidates on this ballot: Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGwire, Mike Mussina, Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Alan Trammell, and Larry Walker.
In addition to Piazza, notable Mets on this ballot include Moises Alou, Armando Benitez, Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, and Paul Lo Duca.