MLB Hall of Fame Inductions 2012: Barry Larkin and 6 Players Who Have My Vote

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the most sacred fraternities in all of sports. Comparing baseball's Hall of Fame to other sports, it is the only one in which it's entirely possible for no one to be inducted in a given year. Every year around this time, fans are left to debate who got in and who should get in someday.

This year brings an interesting flair to it, as it seems that there are no "slam-dunk" Hall of Fame candidates. In years past, there have been guys who got in without question. This year won't be like that, but there are plenty of deserving candidates.

I was asked to participate in a Bleacher Report survey that was a mock Hall of Fame vote. These are the players that I decided should be voted into the Hall of Fame.

Jeff Bagwell

Jeff Bagwell was the face of the Houston Astros throughout the 1990s. While the Astros never won a World Series while Bagwell was there, there is no doubt that he was one of the faces of the '90s without having the baggage that comes with the accusation of using performance-enhancing drugs.

My opinion is that guys like Bagwell should be rewarded for putting up solid numbers in the "steroid era," while the accused should not get in. That's why Bagwell is here.

Bagwell hit 449 home runs during his 15-year career, and he did it while maintaining a healthy .297 batting average. Bagwell was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his career and he did it the right way.

This will be Bagwell's second year on the ballot, and while he may not get in this year, I believe that voters will eventually let him into the Hall due to the influx of steroid-era players who will be eligible in the next several years.

Lee Smith

Lee Smith was the former all-time leader in saves before Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman blew past him recently. Unless it's a newly created statistic, I feel that you should be inducted into the Hall of Fame if you were first on an all-time list for an extended period of time.

Smith's numbers weren't completely dominant, as he posted an earned run average around three. His WHIP was about 1.25, which is a little higher than an elite closer should be. So, why should he be in the Hall of Fame?

It's because of the era that Smith played in. Smith's career started back in 1987 when more teams were starting to use the closer with frequency. However, the starting pitcher's mentality was so different back then in that they all wanted to go nine innings. The bullpen just wasn't as big of a part in the game in that era.

That's what makes Smith's 478 career saves more impressive, and that's why he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Edgar Martinez

Whether you think Edgar Martinez should be in the Hall of Fame or not probably hinges on what you think about the designated hitter rule.

If you hate the designated hitter, you probably think that Edgar Martinez should be penalized because he didn't have to go through the physical demands of playing in the field.

If you love the designated hitter, you probably believe that Martinez was a solid hitter, and solid hitters belong in the Hall of Fame.

I'm more with the latter argument. Martinez could hit, as he posted a .312 career average to go with 309 home runs. If he didn't play in the field, why should he be penalized for that? As long as the designated hitter is a spot in the batting order, I believe his statistics still count.

Martinez was also among the group of Seattle Mariners who helped revive interest in the team and kept them from moving to Tampa Bay in the mid-'90s. Martinez deserves to get in.

Jack Morris

Jack Morris was one of baseball's biggest workhorses during his 18-year major league career. Although Morris never won a Cy Young, he did win four World Series championships and was a big part in three of them.

Perhaps Morris' biggest moment was in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series in which he pitched a 10-inning shutout. This would be unheard of in today's era of using the bullpen as much as possible. Morris' game gave the Minnesota Twins their second World Series championship in five years.

Morris also won 254 games over his career. He was a sure bet to go over 200 innings every year and even came close to logging 300 innings with the Detroit Tigers in 1983.

As offense increased with the introduction of the "steroid era," Morris' stats went down. However, his track record and win total should put him in the Hall of Fame someday.

Larry Walker

Larry Walker falls into the category of players who produced during the "steroid era" without taking steroids. That alone should get him into the Hall of Fame someday. However, if you still need convincing, Walker could be considered the greatest Canadian to play the sport.

Walker was a good player with the Montreal Expos at the beginning of his career, putting together consistent 20-home-run seasons with 80-to-90 runs batted in. However, Walker's career really took off after the 1994 season when he was traded to Colorado.

As a Rocky, Walker had four seasons of 30-or-more home runs. He could also hit for average and play well in the field. As a result of his success, many Canadian players considered him to be their favorite player, and interest in the sport north of the border grew. (I'm talking about kids starting to play the sport because I do realize the Expos moved to become the Washington Nationals.)

There's a good possibility that baseball would be deprived of solid players such as Justin Morneau and Jason Bay if Larry Walker didn't have the success he did. That's why he deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

Barry Larkin

Finally, Barry Larkin should be another player that is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Larkin was one of the most consistent shortstops of the 1990s.

As a 12-time All-Star, Larkin had just four seasons where he saw his batting average dip below .280. Larkin also hit 195 career home runs as he spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. For those numbers, Larkin earned nine Silver Slugger awards as the best-hitting shortstop in the National League.

Larkin was great in the field as well, earning three Gold Gloves. Larkin had a career fielding percentage of .975.

While Larkin didn't put up the power numbers that we're used to seeing from shortstops today, he was one of the best-hitting shortstops for his era.