With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza
One of the most prolific hitting catchers of all time, Piazza hits the ballot after a 16 year career.  During that career, he would appear in 12 All Star games and win 10 Silver Slugger Awards and the Rookie Of The Year Award in 1993.

Why He Should Get In
The numbers our outstanding, especially for a catcher.  His position may, in fact, be his saving grace.  While his defense was sub-par for his entire career, his offensive numbers show him to be one of the best hitters to play his position of all time.  While his totals for home runs, runs batted in, and hits are not overly impressive on their own, the fact that he compiled the majority of them while being a backstop keeps him in the discussion.

Why He Should Not Get In
His numbers, as stated above, are not outstanding if he were anywhere else on the field.  That being said, most people feel that he had no business being a catcher for as log as he was, given his lack of ability at that position.  Being a great offensive star at a position generally only works if you were a defensive star at that position as well.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens
One of the most discussed names on this year’s ballot will be that of the Texas fireballer, Roger Clemens.

His 24-year career would yield 11 All Star nominations, seven Cy Young Awards, a Most Valuable Player Award and countless moments that many fans will never forget.

Why He Should Get In
The list here is long and showcases a pure Hall Of Famer.  354 wins, 7 Cy Young Awards, 4,672 strikeouts, four seasons with more than 20 wins, two seasons with an ERA below 2.00, and a career ERA of 3.12.  His average wins in a 162 game season would be 17 and he would average 224 strikeouts.  The numbers show a unamious, first ballot hall of fame candidate.

Why He Should Not Get In
Short and sweet, steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.  There is a large amount of suspicion around Clemens and it will keep many voters from putting him into Cooperstown.  His career and his numbers speak for themselves.  His recent actions and suspicions taint all that he has accomplished, however.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Sammy Sosa

Why He Should Get In
His home run (609) and runs batted in (1,667) totals speak loudly enough about a Hall Of Fame career.  Add in 2,408 hits, 234 stolen bases and 929 walks and it is easy to see that Sammy was a well-rounded player that brought more than just a big bat to the teams he played for.

Why He Should Not Get In
More than just about any other player, Sammy will feel the strain of the steroid era.  A player that was perceived to be average for most of his career, Sosa’s numbers ballooned quickly without explanation around 1998 and stayed at that level until 2002.  The voters will most likely use Sosa as an example in their voting for some time to come.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Barry Bonds

Why He Should Get In
The list here is simply astonishing.  He had 2,935 hits.  He led the league in home runs twice, including the single season record of 73 in 2001.  He won two batting titles.  He finished his career with 762 home runs, 2,558 walks, and 688 intentional walks, all of those are all time records.  He led the league 10 times in on base percentage, seven times in slugging percentage, and nine times in OPS (on base plus slugging percentage).  His career is unparalleled and unrivaled by the best to ever play the game.

Why He Should Not Get In
There are two things keeping Barry out of the Hall: his connection to steroids and he is generally disliked.  He was one of the most brash and disrespectful players in the game when it came with interactions with the media, the fans, or his teammates.  His connection to steroids will keep him out for a good long time, but I would wager to say that he will eventually find his rightful place in Cooperstown.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Curt Schilling

Why He Should Get In
Schilling’s case is one that is defined by his performance in big games and the postseason.  While most of his regular season stats put him as a borderline hall of famer, his postseason numbers are seldom rivaled.  With a 11-2 record, a 2.23 earned run average, an average of over 7 innings per start, a WHIP below one and a strikeout per nine innings over eight, his postseason prowess will have many clamoring for his induction based on the postseason alone.

Why He Should Not Get In
Yes, he was a huge pitcher in the postseason and had monumental success on the biggest stage.  That being said, he does not have the hardware to back up his claim to Cooperstown.  Finishing second multiple times for the Cy Young Award simply makes him the second best pitcher during those seasons.  According to Baseball-Reference, he ranks as a slighly above the average hall of fame pitcher (according to the Jaffe WAR Score System).  However, advanced statistics have yet to play a large influence on hall of fame voters.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Craig Biggio

Why He Should Get In
A versatile player, Biggio was an All Star as a catcher and a second baseman. His offensive numbers are on par with what Hall Of Fame voters tend to recognize.  With over 3,000 hits and over 400 stolen bases as well as over 1100 runs batted in, he has solidified himself as worthy of a bronze plaque in the halls of Cooperstown.

Why He Should Not Get In
He may have held on a bit too long in an effort to get the numbers that he needed to in order to reach the hall.  While he may have held on too long, he was far from an embarassment to his career.  Biggio is as close to a first ballot hall of famer as you will find.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Kenny Lofton

Why He Should Get In
Lofton is one of the great basestealers in recent memory.  With over 600 stolen bases, it places him in elite company.  Add to that a career batting average of .299, a career on base percentage of .372, 2,428 hits, and 383 doubles in addition to the above mentioned hardware and Lofton has a serious case for enshrinement.

Why He Should Not Get In
The numbers are impressive, but they do fall just a bit short.  He has 2,428 hits, not 2,500.  He has 383 doubles, not 400.  He falls just short in multiple categories.  Ultimately, it probably won’t keep him out of the Hall permanently, just for the next few years.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

July 13, 2012–The Baseball Bloggers Alliance, the top organization of baseball bloggers, today announced that after a polling of the membership, Bill Ivie would replace Daniel Shoptaw as the president of the group.

Ivie, who writes at I70 Baseball and Full Spectrum Baseball, is no stranger to large groups, having been an assignment editor at Baseball Digest in the past, as well as an active member of the United Cardinal Bloggers.  Ivie also is the organizer of Ivie League Productions, under which label the BBA has its weekly show, BBA Baseball Talk featuring David Mitchell.  Ivie’s voice can be heard weekly on Gateway To Baseball Heaven, as part of the Seamheads Podcasting Network.

“It is an honor and a pleasure to accept this position.  Daniel Shoptaw has done an amazing job cultivating this group and I look forward to working with everyone involved to help the organization grow and move forward consistently.”

Shoptaw was the founder of the BBA, starting the group in the fall of 2009 and watching it grow to hundreds of members.  Born out of a couple of personal projects, the Alliance quickly expanded to cover every MLB team and also included blogs with more of a general baseball approach or those that covered a specific aspect of the game, such as fantasy baseball or minor league baseball.

For his part, Shoptaw still plans to be involved with the organization but will focus more of his time on other projects, such as his blog C70 At The Bat and its related podcast Conversations With C70, his leadership of the United Cardinal Bloggers, and his weekly appearances on Gateway To Baseball Heaven.

Shoptaw stated, “It was time to move on.  I appreciate all the members of the BBA and what they have done to strengthen this organization.  It truly is a world-class collection of talent and I’m proud to know all of them.  I’ve known Bill for a long time and I know that he will provide extreme amounts of energy and leadership in this role.  I look forward to seeing what the next few years hold for the Alliance!”

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance can be found on Facebook, on Twitter, or can be reached via email at baseballbloggeralliance@gmail.com.

Roy Oswalt wants to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals or the Texas Rangers.  Roy Oswalt wants to start and is not open to moving to the bullpen.  Roy Oswalt also wants a one year deal worth ten million dollars.

The Cardinals and Rangers have full pitching staffs that will see a hurler from each team spend time in the bullpen that have seen time on the mound at the beginning of a game.  There simply is no room for Oswalt in the rotation of either team and little room in the budget for either team, yet both are still engaged in “fluid talks” with the veteran right hander.

The Cardinals are the most logical fit.  While they have three pitchers (Jake Westbrook, Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellan) that can fill the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation, Oswalt would be a markable upgrade and McClellan or Westbrook could easily pitch out of the bullpen.  The team is attempting to free up some cash by trading one of the aforementioned pitchers but is finding fewer buyers than what they would like.  A pure salary dump seems near impossible and the team is seemingly standing it’s ground with a lower offer than what Oswalt desires.

The Rangers have met with Oswalt, but seem to have less room for him in the rotation.  Many experts seem to feel, at this point, the Cardinals are the most likely landing spot for him, but it still takes an offer and a signature on the contract.

Roy Oswalt has a lot of demands and is summing them all up by saying there are two teams he wants to pitch for.  He is the first player in recent memory that has said “I want to play for this team, for this much, in this position.”  Talk about having your cake and eating it, too.  He may have an air tight list of demands, but it still requires the specific team to meet the demands.  The teams and the pitcher have entered a virtual staring contest over the situation.

I wonder who is going to blink?

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Happy New Year to all of our fans and readers. 2012 looks promising for both the Cardinals and the Royals, but it also looks promising for i70baseball.com.

The first day of 2012 brings a big change, as you have probably noticed, for i70baseball. The site has ended it’s agreement with Fan Vs Fan and entered into an agreement to join Yardbarker.

I would like to take a minute to thank all the folks at Fan Vs Fan. It is a great network of sites and has a lot of growth potential. I personally hope that we have the opportunity to work together in the future on other projects. They were supportive and helpful and lived up to every part of the deal on their end.

That being said, I-70 has achieved a staff of 20 writers and we are bringing top quality content to our fans quickly, accurately, and multiple times a day. Yardbarker brings a larger audience to what the writers of I-70 work so hard to achieve. Everyone on this site is here for exposure of their work and Yarbarker offers us a greater opportunity to achieve that.

Through Yardbarker and their affiliates, Fox Sports and MSN Sports, I-70 will reach a national audience in a whole new way.

2012 is going to be big for I-70. We are glad you are along for the ride and we welcome each and every one of our new readers.

Play Ball!

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.