The Hall of Fame ballot containing candidates for 2007 was released Nov. 27.
Surefire first ballot players Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. headline the first-time candidates on the 2007 baseball writers’ Hall of Fame ballot released today.
The 2007 ballot marks the first time players who have admitted using steroids and/or Human Growth Hormone or are widely accused and implicated in the steroid scandal are included.
Jose Canseco, Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire are the players causing the controversy. Canseco and Caminti both admitted their use of steroids and neither have the statistics to warrant induction into the Hall, but McGwire has never admitted using anything other than Andrstenedione. While currently considered a steroid by Major League Baseball, at the time Andro was an over-the-counter supplement not banned by MLB. Sitting seventh on the all-time home run list, McGwire clearly has the statistics to warrant induction on the first ballot.
The complete list is as follows:
Albert Belle
Dante Bichette
Bert Blyleven
Bobby Bonilla
Scott Brosius
Jay Buhner
Ken Caminiti
Jose Canseco
Dave Concepcion
Eric Davis
Tony Fernandez
Steve Garvey
Rich Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Orel Hershiser
Tommy John
Wally Joyner
Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Paul O’Neill
Dave Parker
Jim Rice
Cal Ripken Jr.
Bret Saberhagen
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Devon White
Bobby Witt
