Barry Bonds is Doing Alright

As a surprise to, well, virtually no one, home run king Barry Bonds failed to make it into baseball's Hall of Fame Wednesday.

With just 36.2% of the vote, the beleaguered former big leaguer has yet to come out and comment on his lack on inclusion (why would he?)...but there's a good reason for it.

Dude is on vacation.  In Hawaii.

A day after pictures of the seven-time National League MVP and a lady friend popped up over at the Thirty Mile Zone, this handsome devil below made its way to Twitter.  And something tells me that might be the only comment we'll ever get from Barry Lamar Bonds.

***Thanks Big League Stew!***

And Your Cooperstown Class of 2013 is...

Not sure about the rest of you, but I've been waiting for this year's Hall of Fame announcement for, well, the past five years.

 

With all the news surrounding PED use and the "did he" or "didn't he" or "when did he start" or whatever...I think it's pretty fair to concede that this year's election is, probably, the biggest one we've seen in our lifetime.

 

With that said, there was still an announcement Wednesday afternoon and, suffice it to say, it was memorable.

 

So, on July 28, for only the eighth time in history, no one will be enshrined as part of the Class of 2013 along with umpire Hank O’Day, former Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and 19^thCentury star Deacon White...all of whom were elected by the Pre-Integration Era Committee in December.

Craig Biggio and his 3000-plus hits fell just 39 votes short...collecting 68%.

Here's the break down among the top vote getters.

Craig Biggio (68.2%, first time on ballot)
Jack Morris (67.7%, 66.7% in 2012)
Jeff Bagwell (59.6%, 56.0%)
Mike Piazza (57.8%, first time on ballot)
Tim Raines (52.2%, 48.7%)
Lee Smith (47.8%, 50.6%)
Curt Schilling (38.8%, first time on ballot)
Roger Clemens (37.6%, first time on ballot)
Barry Bonds (36.2%, first time on ballot)
Edgar Martinez (35.9%, 36.5%)
Alan Trammell (33.6%, 36.8%)

Before this year's crop of first timers hit the ballot, the highest profile Hall-worthy players branded with the scarlett "S" for steroids were  Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro.  Suffice it to say...they didn't gain much ground in 2013.  McGwire (19.5% in 2012) garnered 16.9% this year, while  Palmeiro (12.6% last year) earned 8.8%.

In his 15th and final year on the ballot, Dale Murphy saw some awesome support via social media and online, but fell short with just 18.6% of the vote.

A complete breakdown of the 2013 Hall of Fame selection is on the way...believe it! And for a look at the 2013 ballot (by the numbers)...click HERE!

To see how actual numbers stacked up against the much hyped 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot Collecting Gizmo...click HERE.

Cooperstown 2013: Barry Bonds

BARRY BONDS
First Year on Ballot

PLAYING CAREER:
Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992) and San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)

ACHIEVEMENTS:
Career batting average of .298 with 2935 hits, 762 home runs, 2227 runs, 1996 RBI and 514 stolen bases. Ranks within the top ten all-time in home runs, runs created, walks, runs, RBI, total bases, on base percentage, slugging percentage and games played. Lone member of the 500 home run-500 stolen base club. One of only four players to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. Tied with his father, Bobby, for most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases (5) and are the only father-son members of the 30–30 club. In 2001, set Major League record by hitting 73 home runs in one season. Seven-time National League MVP (1990, 1992–1993 and 2001–2004). Eight-time Gold Glove winner (1990–1994 and 1996–1998). 12-Time Silver Slugger winner (1990–1994, 1996–1997 and 2000–2004). 14-time All-Star (1990, 1992–1998, 2000–2004 and 2007).
　
CASE FOR/AGAINST:
I can give you 762 reasons as to why the Home Run King should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but I'm not going to start with the All-Time Home Run Record. Let's go back to the beginning. Barry Bonds made his Major League debut on May 30, 1986 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and that's the day that baseball fans were introduced to one of the greatest players of All-Time. Bonds didn't win Rookie of the Year, but did manage to lead all National League rookies with 16 homers.

It wasn't until 1990 when Bonds really started to show us he was on another level than other Major League players. He hit .301 with 33 homers, 52 stolen bases, 104 runs scored and 114 RBI. It was the year for a lot of firsts for Bonds. He was selected to his first of 14 All-Star Games, won his first of eight Gold Glove Awards, was awarded his first of a dozen Silver Slugger Awards and, of course, took home his first of a record seven National League MVP awards.

Bonds continued to dominate year in and year out for the Pirates. He went on to sign as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants on December 8, 1992 (six-year, $43.75 million). Which made him the highest paid player at that time.

It's been speculated that Bonds started using steroids in the early 2000's. Which is why, I just want to point out his numbers in the 90's.

Bonds batted .302 and hit 361 homers in the 90's. He averaged 34 stolen bases, 108 RBI, 109 runs and 36 homers a season. In 1996, Bonds joined Jose Canseco in the 40-40 club (40 homers, 40 stolen bases). But let's also not forget his eight All-Star appearances, eight Gold Glove awards, seven Silver Slugger awards and three MVP awards. In 2001, Bill James had ranked players through the 1999 season, and ranked Bonds as the 16th greatest player of All-Time. He also said Bonds was the best player in the 90's by a huge margin, and the most unappreciated superstar of James lifetime.

If you look up all the numbers yourself, you will see that Bonds was a lock to be in the Hall of Fame prior to the steroid era. After 22 seasons of giving his life to baseball, Bonds’ enshrinement into the Hall of Fame now rests in the hands of the writers. When it was all said and done, Bonds career numbers included a .298 batting average, with 762 homers, 1996 RBI, 2227 runs scored, 514 stolen bases and 2558 walks.

Barry Bonds contributed more to his team/baseball than any other player did in their career during the same era. That alone, should have him locked in to be a first ballot Hall of Famer!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steven Robles covers all the latest San Francisco Giants news and rumors over at SF Giants Rumors. You can also follow all of his work on both Facebook and Twitter.

Breaking Down the 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot

On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the upcoming 2013 Hall of Fame ballot. Included are 37 candidates (ten more than last year's 27)...24 newcomers and 13 holdovers.

But unlike last year, when Barry Larkin got what was a pretty obvious call (he ended up with 86.4% of the vote)…there are some rather unique candidates on the ballot for the first time.

So far, the writers have taken a pretty harsh stance against those that have used or been suspected of using steroids. And with all due respect to Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, it will be this coming January when we'll see where the line in the sand is drawn.

You see, in 2013, it is possible that three of the game's greats (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa) might be left out in that Cooperstown cold. But here’s the rub…as of now, none of them have been found guilty of using any banned substances.

Alright, with that said…let’s break down the ballot. Holdovers first.

Leading the pack of those returning to the ballot is Jack Morris. A year ago, the former pitcher finished second with 66.7% of the vote on what was his 13th try. Morris pundits point to his Game Seven performance in the 1991 World Series heroics as reason for inclusion. Will it be enough to push him to 75% of the vote? We’ll soon see.

Only two other returners received, like Morris, more than half of the BBWAA’s vote. Longtime Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell (56.0%) and journeyman closer Lee Smith (50.6%).

The other holdovers include Tim Raines (48.7%), Alan Trammell (36.8%), Edgar Martinez (36.5%), Fred McGriff (23.9%), Larry Walker (22.9%), Don Mattingly (17.8%), Dale Murphy (14.5%) and Bernie Williams (9.6%).

Two others, McGwire (19.5%) and Palmeiro (12.6%) are obviously adorned with the steroid scarlet letter and have about as much of a shot of making it in as you or me.

Of the newcomers, you’re looking at Bonds, Clemens and Sosa and, while we could debate their credentials pre or post alleged steroid use…let’s just put them aside and look at the other guys hitting the ballot for the first time.

To the casual fan, the words “Craig Biggio” are synonymous with “consistency”. And it’s true, the dude was…to the tune of 3060 hits, 668 doubles (good for fifth all-time) and a career .281 batting average. His seven All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves pale in comparison to one of his greatest/oddest achievements…the 285 times (two shy of the record) he was hit by a pitch.

A number of years ago, rumors started swirling that the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year was a user of PEDs. Fortunately for the 12 time All-Star, the idiom “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” has (seemingly) not been fully investigated, but it's probably safe to say Piazza is going to suffer the same "but he might've done steroids" fate as Jeff Bagwell. As it is, the catcher finished his career with a bloated .308 career batting average, nine straight seasons with an average of .300 of higher, 427 home runs, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more and 1335 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was taken as a favor in the 62nd round of the draft.

When he finally hung up his bloody sock and called it quits, plenty of people were already willing to hang up Curt Schilling’s plaque and his recent business failure aside...they still are. Sure, his post-season performances are legendary (as were those of Morris), but his overall body of work was just very, very good. Sure, he won close to 60 percent of his decisions and won 216 games. Sure, he topped 3000 strikeouts with 3116, but did you know that he finished his career second all-time with a 4.38 strikeout to walk ratio? Yeah…me neither.

Ask anyone if Kenny Lofton is a Hall of Famer and they would say (without hesitation) “no”. And they’d probably be right. However, if you compare his stats to “should be Hall of Famer” Raines, they stack up. Raines has 2605 hits, carries a .294 career average and scored 1571 runs. Lofton finished his career with 2428 hits, a .299 average and 1528 runs. Throw in six straight All-Star appearances and four straight Gold Gloves and the case for Lofton looks halfway decent.

Some other candidates making their debut on the BBWAA ballot include Sandy Alomar Jr., Jeff Cirillo, Royce Clayton, Jeff Conine, Steve Finley, Julio Franco, Shawn Green, Roberto Hernandez, Ryan Klesko, Jose Mesa, Reggie Sanders, Aaron Sele, Mike Stanton, Todd Walker, David Wells, Rondell White and Woody Williams.

Voting results will be announced Wednesday, January 9.

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2013

Back in January, I was less than shocked that Barry Larkin made the leap from 62.1% to Hall of Famer, but as we all know...this weekend's induction is just the calm before the storm.

So far, the BBWAA has taken a pretty harsh stance against those that have used or been suspected of using steroids.  And with all due respect to Mark McGwire (who can't get more than 23.7% of the vote) and Rafael Palmeiro (12.6% this past voting cycle), this coming January is when we'll see where the line in the sand is drawn.

You see, in 2013, it is possible that three of the game's greats might be left out in that Cooperstown cold. But here’s the rub…as of now, none of them have been found guilty of using any banned substances.

Here are the players that will be appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2013.

NOPE (regardless of what they did “before they started using steroids”).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.

IN.

Craig Biggio.
To the casual fan…the words “Craig Biggio” are synonymous with “consistency”. And it’s true, the dude was…to the tune of 3060 hits, 668 doubles (good for fifth all-time) and a career .281 batting average. His seven All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves pale in comparison to one of his greatest/oddest achievements…the 285 times (two shy of the record) he was hit by a pitch.

Mike Piazza.
A number of years ago, rumors started swirling that the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year was a user of PEDs. Fortunately for the 12 time All-Star, the idiom “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” has (seemingly) not been fully investigated, but it's probably safe to say Piazza is going to suffer the same "but he might've done steroids" fate as Jeff Bagwell. As it is, the catcher finished his career with a bloated .308 career batting average, nine straight seasons with an average of .300 of higher, 427 home runs, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more and 1335 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was taken as a favor in the 62nd round of the draft.

OUT (in random order).

David Wells.
“Boomer” finished his career with a 239-157 record and 13 seasons with ten or more wins. Add to that his perfect game, two World Series rings and three All-Star appearances and you have a very, very good pitcher…but not a Hall of Famer.
Roberto Hernandez and Jose Mesa.
Easily confused as the same dude, Hernandez had 326 saves (12th all-time) and Mesa notched 321 (13th all-time). Hernandez is 12th all-time in games played with 1010, while Mesa is tied with Lee Smith with 1022…ninth all-time.

Mike Stanton.
After Jesse Orosco, Stanton is second on the all-time games pitched list with 1178.

Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller and Todd Walker.

 ON THE BUBBLE.

Curt Schilling.
When he finally hung up his bloody sock and called it quits, plenty of people were already willing to hang up Schilling’s plaque and his recent business failure aside...they still are. Sure, his post-season performances are legendary, but his overall body of work was just very, very good. Sure, he won close to 60 percent of his decisions and won 216 games. Sure, he topped 3000 strikeouts with 3116, but did you know that he finished his career second all-time with a 4.38 strikeout to walk ratio? Yeah…me neither.

Kenny Lofton.
Ask anyone if Lofton is a Hall of Famer and they would say (without hesitation) “no”. And they’d probably be right. However, if you compare his stats to “could be HOFer” Tim Raines, they stack up. Raines has 2605 hits, carries a .294 career average and scored 1571 runs. Lofton finished his career with 2428 hits, a .299 average and 1528 runs. Throw in six straight All-Star appearances and four straight Gold Gloves and the case for Lofton looks halfway decent.

Julio Franco.
I always take a lot of flack for saying Franco is "on the bubble" but this is how I would vote...not the BBWAA and not the SABR community. I put him here for the simple reason that he was his generation’s Satchel Paige. If you believe what he told you…he played until he was 48. Some folks suggest that Franco was older. Dude holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, pinch-hit home run, two home runs in one game and to steal two bases in a game. And goofy stuff like that means something to me.  Also, throughout his career, he has more than 4200 hits joining Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as the only three to surpass 4000. The breakdown: Major League Baseball-2586, Minor Leagues-618, Mexican League-316, Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball-286, Dominican Winter League-267 and South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization-156. Not too shabby!

Friday, we'll take a fresh look at the first time guys on the 2017 ballot. Until then...you can enjoy a week of re-hashes.

HOVG Heroes: Barry Bonds

NORMAN QUEBEDEAU on BARRY BONDS

Sixteen months ago, Barry Lamar Bonds was on trial for perjury and obstruction of justice.  Less than a month later...it was over.

One guy who was there for the whole thing was California-based artist Norman Quebedeau who, surprisingly, couldn't care less about the seven-time National League MVP.

"I honestly don't have any thoughts about Barry Bonds since the trial. Trials concerning celebrity steroid use don't induce PTSD the way that a lengthy media-saturated murder trial can (not for this sensitive artist, at any rate)," Quebedeau said.  "From what little I know, Barry Bonds seems to have gone on with his life. He likes bikes. Good for him. I wonder if he knows Lance Armstrong."

Here are two of my favortites from Quebedeau's collection.  To check out the entire album (and I suggest you do), head on over to his website.

This is the defendant after he noticed me sketching him through binoculars from a few feet away.

Sorry about this lousy likeness of the defendant. The others are fairly "true-to-life". Trust me.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

You can follow Norman Quebedeau's work over at his website or through his Facebook page.

Ron Paul...Hall of Famer

At first glance, you might assume that presidential candidate Ron Paul and retired Major Leaguer Barry Bonds have nothing in common.

Fact is, they do.

Much like Bonds, the Texas Republican is a home run champ.  But, unfortunately, unlike Bonds, the Congressman is a Hall of Famer, while the big league home run king might not get anywhere near enshrinement.

Allow me to explain.

This past week, Paul was announced as the lone inductee into the CQ Roll Call Congressional Baseball Hall of Fame.  And the cool thing...it's based on one singular legendary performance.

According to the website, during the 1979 contest, Paul crushed a pitch from then-Representative Ron Mottl that cleared the leftfield wall just to the right of the 310-foot mark in Alexandria’s Four Mile Run Park.  He is believed to be the first (and only) person to hit one out of the park during a Congressional Baseball Game.

During his seven-game Congressional career, the scrappy Paul (can 5'10" be considered "scrappy"?) had a .294 batting average, scored six runs, knocked in six and, of course, had that mythic home run.

Believe it or not!

Buy Barry Bonds' Old Bike

While home run king Barry Bonds might be "sad" if he isn't inducted into the Hall of Fame in thirteen months, there's no telling what his emotional state would be if...you don't buy his old bike!

See, now isn't that far more exciting than "Buy Barry Bonds' Old Bike"?

Anyway...someone is trying to sell Barry Bonds' old bike on eBay.

Please read everything before buying. SHIPPING IS FREE IF YOU BUY THE BIKE AT THE BIN PRICE OF 8800 IF NOT SHIPPING IS 135 dollars. This is a Pinarello Dogma size 59.5 with 175 dura ace compact cranks. Bike has fulcrum racing zero wheels.Everything is top dollar on this bike! Dura ace di2. Ridden very little by Barry Bonds. He decided to upgrade to the Campy EPS model. It almost looks new!

Pffft...almost. 

So, if you like bikes and baseball, this might be the deal for you. But, if you just like baseball and dudes sitting on things with wheels attached...you can get this picture of Roy Campanella in a wheelchair for a fraction of the cost!

True story. 

I don't know a lick about bikes, so I have no clue as to whether or nine grand for a set of wheels is good or not.  I bought my bike for $2.50 at a police auction in 2003 and that's after no one jumped at the opening bid of $5.00. 

Fact is, the lock costs almost three times what I paid for it.

Looking Ahead to the Class of 2013

I've made the joke for a while now that when the Class of 2013 gets enshrined, The Baseball Hall of Fame might just explode.

A year from now...we'll know for sure.

The BBWAA has taken a pretty harsh stance against those that have used or been suspected of using steroids.  And with all due respect to Mark McGwire (who can't seem to get more than 23.7% of the vote) and Rafael Palmeiro (12.6% this past voting cycle), 2013 is when we'll see where the line in the sand is drawn.

You see, in 2013, it is possible that three of the best players to ever suit up in the modern era and take the field might be left out in that Cooperstown cold. But here’s the rub…as of now, none of them have been found guilty of using any banned substances.

NOPE (regardless of what they did “before they started using steroids”).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.

IN.

Craig Biggio.
To the casual fan…the words “Craig Biggio” are synonymous with “consistency”. And it’s true, the dude was…to the tune of 3060 hits, 668 doubles (good for fifth all-time) and a career .281 batting average. His seven All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves pale in comparison to one of his greatest/oddest achievements…the 285 times (two shy of the record) he was hit by a pitch.

Mike Piazza.
A little while back, rumors started swirling that the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year was a user of PEDs. Fortunately for the 12 time All-Star, the idiom “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” has (seemingly) not been fully investigated. As it is, Piazza finished his career with a bloated .308 career batting average, nine straight seasons with an average of .300 of higher, 427 home runs, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more and 1335 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was taken as a favor in the 62nd round of the draft.

OUT (in random order).

David Wells.
“Boomer” finished his career with a 239-157 record and 13 seasons with ten or more wins. Add to that his perfect game, two World Series rings and three All-Star appearances and you have a very, very good pitcher…but not a Hall of Famer.


Roberto Hernandez and Jose Mesa.
Easily confused as the same dude, Hernandez had 326 saves (12th all-time) and Mesa notched 321 (13th all-time). Hernandez is 12th all-time in games played with 1010, while Mesa is tied with Lee Smith with 1022…ninth all-time.

Mike Stanton.
After Jesse Orosco, Stanton is second on the all-time games pitched list with 1178.  Gotta mean something to someone though, right?  Maybe?!?

Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller and Todd Walker.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Curt Schilling.
When he finally hung up his bloody sock and called it quits, plenty of people were already willing to hang up Schilling’s plaque. Sure, his post-season performances are legendary, but his overall body of work was just very, very good. Sure, he won close to 60 percent of his decisions and won 216 games. Sure, he topped 3000 strikeouts with 3116, but did you know that he finished his career second all-time with a 4.38 strikeout to walk ratio? Yeah…me neither.

Kenny Lofton.
Ask anyone if Lofton is a Hall of Famer and they would say (without hesitation) “no”. And they’d probably be right. However, if you compare his stats to “could be HOFer” Tim Raines, they stack up. Raines has 2605 hits, carries a .294 career average and scored 1571 runs. Lofton finished his career with 2428 hits, a .299 average and 1528 runs. Throw in six straight All-Star appearances and four straight Gold Gloves and the case for Lofton looks halfway decent.

Julio Franco.
I've taken a lot of flack for saying Franco is "on the bubble" but this is how I would vote...not the BBWAA and not the SABR community. I put him here for the simple reason that he was his generation’s Satchel Paige. If you believe what he told you…he played until he was 48. Some folks suggest that Franco was older. Dude holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, pinch-hit home run, two home runs in one game and to steal two bases in a game. And goofy stuff like that means something to me.  Also, throughout his career, he has more than 4200 hits joining Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as the only three to surpass 4000. The breakdown: Major League Baseball-2586, Minor Leagues-618, Mexican League-316, Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball-286, Dominican Winter League-267 and South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization-156. Not too shabby!

It's going to be a fun 12 months, gang!

Barry Bonds Sentenced (Maybe) to 30 Days of Trampolining and Swimming

You're going to be hearing/seeing/reading plenty about Barry Bonds today...and, honestly, there isn't much more to add.

Here's the skinny.

First, the home run kind was handed a sentence of 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation and 250 hours of community service.  Then, the sentence was delayed the sentence pending an appeal that is likely to take a year or more.

Silent during the procedings was Bonds.  But do you know why the seven-time National League MVP said nothing? 

Because this is the home that he's confined to for the next 30 days.  And, yes, you'll want to click that link.

Good God, man!

Something tells me he can sleep in a different room every night and still not see every square inch of that place.

Whenever this sentencing comes to fruition, I'm hoping dude gives that trampoline a thorough workout.

Friday Five: The "Bartman Ball"

How much would you pay for a foul ball hit by Luis Castillo on October 14, 2003?

What if that ball bounced off the waiting hands of one Steve Bartman and led to what, some call, the greatest collapse in postseason history?

The answer...$113,824.16.

The ball was snatched up by Chicago lawyer Grant DePorter and sold at an auction in December 2003.  On February 26, 2004, it was publicly detonated.

Here are the five most valuable baseballs in baseball history.

$3,005,000
Mark McGwire's 70th Home Run
Date Hit:  September 27, 1998
Significance:  Set the then single-season home run record.
Snagged by:  Phil Ozersky
Sold to:  Todd McFarlane

Comic book artist McFarlane paid $3,005,000 for it at a Guernsey's auction in January 1999. Ozersky got $2.7 million after the auction commission. He bought three houses, went to the Super Bowl, and gave $250,000 to charities.

$805,00

Babe Ruth's 1933 All-Star Game Home Run

Date Hit:  July 6, 1933

Significance:  First homer hit in All-Star Game history.

Snagged by:  Earl Brown

Sold to:  Anonymous

In July 2006, the baseball went on the block at Hunt Auctions All-Star Fanfest auction held in Pittsburgh. The lot included Brown's ticket stub to the game, a newspaper box score and summary of what happened, a notarized letter from Brown's wife and the home run baseball. The final bid for the baseball and accompanying items was $700,000. A 15% buyer's premium sent the final price to $805,000.

$804,129
Barry Bonds's 700th Career Home Run
Date Hit:  September 17, 2004
Significance:  Bonds became the third player to reach the milestone.
Snagged by:  Steve Williams
Sold to:  Anonymous

In October 2004, an unidentified bidder paid $804,129 to Overstock.com for the ball. Williams plans to donate a portion of his auction proceeds to two charities: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, a counseling and treatment center for at-risk children.

$752,467
Barry Bonds's 756th Career Home Run
Date Hit:  August 7, 2007
Significance:  Broke the all-time home run record.
Snagged by:  Matt Murphy
Sold to:  Marc Ecko

After wanting to keep the call, Murphy eventually decided to sell the ball because he couldn't afford to pay the taxes required to keep it. It went to auction with SCP Auctions and sold for $752,467.

The winning bidder was Ecko, who asked the public to vote on what he should do with the ball.  "The public chose to send the ball to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk, as a constant reminder of this unforgettable moment in sports history and popular culture," the fashion designer said.  "You might say it's defacing. Others might say that it's validating the way most people feel about the ball."

$650,000
Hank Aaron's 755th Career Home Run
Date Hit:  July 20, 1976
Significance:  Final home run of the former career home run leader.
Snagged by:  Richard Arndt
Sold to:  Andrew Knuth

Arndt would keep the ball in a safety deposit box for over 20 years before finally selling it at auction in 1999 for $650,000 to, a money manager from Westport, Connecticut. 

***A big thanks to Zack Hample and the gang at ballcatchers.com for the assist.***

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2013

I've made the joke for a while now that when the Class of 2013 gets enshrined, The Baseball Hall of Fame might just explode.

Soon we'll know for sure.

The BBWAA has taken a pretty harsh stance against those that have used or been suspected of using steroids.  And with all due respect to Mark McGwire (who can't get more than 23.7% of the vote) and Rafael Palmeiro (11% this past voting cycle), 2013 is when we'll see where the line in the sand is drawn.

You see, in 2013, it is possible that three of the best players to ever suit up and take the field might be left out in that Cooperstown cold. But here’s the rub…as of now, none of them have been found guilty of using any banned substances.

NOPE (regardless of what they did “before they started using steroids”).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.

IN.

Craig Biggio.
To the casual fan…the words “Craig Biggio” are synonymous with “consistency”. And it’s true, the dude was…to the tune of 3060 hits, 668 doubles (good for fifth all-time) and a career .281 batting average. His seven All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves pale in comparison to one of his greatest/oddest achievements…the 285 times (two shy of the record) he was hit by a pitch.

Mike Piazza.
A little while back, rumors started swirling that the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year was a user of PEDs. Fortunately for the 12 time All-Star, the idiom “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” has (seemingly) not been fully investigated. As it is, Piazza finished his career with a bloated .308 career batting average, nine straight seasons with an average of .300 of higher, 427 home runs, including eight straight seasons with 30 or more and 1335 RBI. Not bad for a guy who was taken as a favor in the 62nd round of the draft.

OUT (in random order).

David Wells.
“Boomer” finished his career with a 239-157 record and 13 seasons with ten or more wins. Add to that his perfect game, two World Series rings and three All-Star appearances and you have a very, very good pitcher…but not a Hall of Famer.


Roberto Hernandez and Jose Mesa.
Easily confused as the same dude, Hernandez had 326 saves (12th all-time) and Mesa notched 321 (13th all-time). Hernandez is 12th all-time in games played with 1010, while Mesa is tied with Lee Smith with 1022…ninth all-time.

Mike Stanton.
After Jesse Orosco, Stanton is second on the all-time games pitched list with 1178.

Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Valentin, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Conine, Royce Clayton, Bob Wickman, Ryan Klesko, Aaron Sele, Woody Williams, Rondell White, Mike Lieberthal, Tony Batista, Sandy Alomar Jr., Damian Miller and Todd Walker.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Curt Schilling.
When he finally hung up his bloody sock and called it quits, plenty of people were already willing to hang up Schilling’s plaque. Sure, his post-season performances are legendary, but his overall body of work was just very, very good. Sure, he won close to 60 percent of his decisions and won 216 games. Sure, he topped 3000 strikeouts with 3116, but did you know that he finished his career second all-time with a 4.38 strikeout to walk ratio? Yeah…me neither.

Kenny Lofton.
Ask anyone if Lofton is a Hall of Famer and they would say (without hesitation) “no”. And they’d probably be right. However, if you compare his stats to “could be HOFer” Tim Raines, they stack up. Raines has 2605 hits, carries a .294 career average and scored 1571 runs. Lofton finished his career with 2428 hits, a .299 average and 1528 runs. Throw in six straight All-Star appearances and four straight Gold Gloves and the case for Lofton looks halfway decent.

Julio Franco.
I've taken a lot of flack for saying Franco is "on the bubble" but this is how I would vote...not the BBWAA and not the SABR community. I put him here for the simple reason that he was his generation’s Satchel Paige. If you believe what he told you…he played until he was 48. Some folks suggest that Franco was older. Dude holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, pinch-hit home run, two home runs in one game and to steal two bases in a game. And goofy stuff like that means something to me.  Also, throughout his career, he has more than 4200 hits joining Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as the only three to surpass 4000. The breakdown: Major League Baseball-2586, Minor Leagues-618, Mexican League-316, Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball-286, Dominican Winter League-267 and South Korea's Korean Baseball Organization-156. Not too shabby!

Friday, we'll take a fresh look at the first time guys on the 2016 ballot. Until then...you can check out the re-hash of the 2012 first ballot nominees HERE.