Top 30 stories of 2014

Like most years, 2014 was quite the year for sports. Lets take a look back and count down the top thirty major stories.



30. New Commissioners ( Jan 14, 2014 and Feb 1, 2014)
The commissioner will make the league, will usually be one of the faces of the league and is in charge of all that goes on in the league. So it is big news whenever one resigns the job and a new one takes over. Well this year we had one new commissioner and another who said he is retiring. On Jan. 14 Bud Selig said he will retire in 2015 as commissioner of the MLB and on Feb. 1 Adam Silver took over the NBA from David Stern. Both could have big implications for their leagues, but Silver in the NBA looks status quo, in the MLB though anything could happen under a new commissioner. This has also led to some speculation of when Gary Bettman will step down from the NHL. However, to the chagrin of many it looks like he's sticking around for awhile.

29. Vin Scully Returning (July 31, 2014)
On the night of July 31 at a home game in Dodger Stadium the Dodgers announced via the videoboard on a video from multiple players of the Dodgers that Vin Scully will be returning for his 66th season broadcasting the Dodgers. What an incredible amount of time to be doing baseball.

28. Philadelphia 76ers (2014)
The 76ers had an autrocious start to the season going 0-17 and are now just sitting at 2-22. And have just 12 wins in 74 games in 2014. Normally a struggling team wouldn't be a story of the year, but the 76ers are historically bad.

27, Instant Replay in the MLB (Jan. 16, 2014)
For the first time in MLB history instant replay was expanded to include almost anything. However, the results were mixed. The umpires are bad enough at times that replay was needed, however, at times it appears that they still got it wrong. Instant replay is a good idea in baseball, but it still has flaws and needs to be fixed.

26. Aaron Hernandez (2014)
The ongoing Aaron Hernandez situation is not good. Facing multiple murder charges, among other things there was on going news of his situation all year. The latest news came on Oct. 30 that jury selection will be Jan. 9, 2015.

25. We The North (2014)
Trading Rudy Gay was probably one of the best decisions the Raptors ever made. Since then they have been one of the best teams in the league. They made the playoffs last year, and have started the 14/15 season at 19-6 and look poised for what could be a deep post season run come spring.

24. Jameis Winston (2014)
Winston has been an on again off again story throughout all of 2014. Everything from rape allegations to yelling obscenities to shoplifting. The star QB has had quite the year in one of the worst ways possible and has seen is draft stock at the up coming NFL draft falling because of it.

23. NHL to Vegas? (Dec 2014)
There had been rumours and whisperings of the NHL potentially going to Vegas since the summer. However, in early December it was announced they were going to try a season ticket drive to see how much interest the fans in the area would have. NHL expansion and relocation has been a hot topic for the last couple of years and I would guess that this would happen a long with a couple of other moves. Namely Quebec City and Seattle.

22. Giancarlo Stanton (Sept. 11, Nov. 19, Dec. 14, 2014)
On September 11, Stanton was hit in the face with a fastball and missed the rest of the season. Then on Nov. 19 Stanton signed a record 13 yr $325M deal. However, on Dec. 14, news broke that the Marlins expect Stanton to opt out of the contract after six years and beyond six years is where most of the money from this deal is. It's a very strange situation and I hope it doesn't work for the Marlins management for being so greasy. I would love to see Stanton not opt out and take the money.

21. College Football Playoffs (2014)
For the first time in NCAA football they did a playoff for the national title game. Four teams entered the playoffs and it seems to have gone well. It doesn't quite remove all the controversy of picking teams for the title game, but it was a lot better than before.

20. Tony Gwynn (June 16, 2014)
In the middle of June the baseball world lost one of its greats. Hall of Famer, "Mr. Padre" was inducted in 2011. The 15 time all star passed away from cancer at the age of 54.

19. Oscar Taveras (Oct. 26, 2014)
Everyone knows that the greats and old timers from their respective sports will eventually pass away, it's sad but it's part of life. However, the baseball world was shocked when Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras died in a car crash in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Tavares was one of baseball's top prospects and had all the makings of a potential star.

18. A-Rod (2014)
The on-going situation with Yankees player Alex Rodriguez is not pretty. He was initially suspended for over 200 games for violating the leagues policy regarding Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). It was eventually brought down to just the entirety of the 2014 season. However throughout all this we learned how low lawyers on both sides of an issue are willing to go. And the lawyers on both sides of this issues went extremely low.

17. Bryan Murray (July, November 13, 2014)
In July it was announced that Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray was diagnosed with colon cancer. Then in Mid-November we learned that it had spread to his lungs and liver. Thoughts continue to go out to the Senators organization and Murray and his family in this difficult time.

16. Jean Beliveau (December 2, 2014)
On December 2nd the NHL lost one of its all time greats. Former Canadien Jean Beliveau passed away. He wasn't the best player the NHL has had, but he was definitely in the top 10. He also knew how to carry himself. He was a true class act off the ice and it isn't everyday that a person is offered the governor-general position and turns it down. His death also brought forth many emotions from different people. Guy Lafleur was seen kneeling at the casket of Beliveau, and at the Canadiens first home game after his death his wife- Elise Couture- broke down in public for the first time after many minutes of cheering from the fans. What a ceremony that was. Hockey lost one of it's best all time.

15. NFL Draft (May 8-10, 2014)
Other than Michael Sam being drafted (mentioned earlier) there were other massive stories on draft day. None may have been bigger than that of Johnny Manziel. A superstar in college with some negative history surrounding him. Some experts had him as high as first overall and some hand him completely out of the first round. He went at 22nd overall. In his first year Johnny "Football" hasn't done much to impress. Derek Carr on the other hand- drafted by the Raiders- has been one of the few bright spots in Oakland. The first round of the draft overall seems to have been a fairly successful one as quite a few teams found what appears to be legitimate talent.

14. Derek Jeter (2014)
Following in the footsteps of former teammate Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter said goodbye to baseball the only way a player of his stature can. A massive farewell tour, in which every city he visited for the last time gave him a gift. The all-star game which was essentially devoted in saying goodbye to him, his last home game where he got a massive farewell from the crowd, and then finally his last career game. His last game was played in Fenway park, home of the rival Red Sox. However, even the arch rivals had class and celebrations in store for him, showing that even though he was a Yankee. During his 19 years in the MLB Jeter captured the attention and many hearts of the baseball world. Where even fans of other teams respected him. "The Captain" will be missed in the game. #Re2pect.

13. Sochi Olympics (February, 2014)
The Olympics went off as the olympics normally do. Anytime there's an Olympic year it's going to be a big story from that year. I wouldn't say it was an exceptional Olympics one way or another, but it was good. Russia topped the medal count and Canada finished 3rd. Canada also won men's and women's hockey at the 2014 Olympics among speculation if NHL players will be back for the 2018 Olympics.

12. Michael Sam (Feb 10, 2014, May 10, 2014)
On February 10 Michael Sam came out as a gay college football player. Then at the NFL draft he became the first gay player to be drafted into the NFL. However, he has yet to play in the NFL as the Rams who he was drafted by cut him, and the Cowboys waived him after picking him up for the practice squad. While Sam was a huge story at the time it has fizzled out since he is not in the NFL.

11. NCAA Paying Athletes (April, 2014)
In late April students of Northwestern University took a vote on whether or not to unionize. This was just one of many efforts to get college athletes. On August 8th a judge also ruled that college athletes could earn money from the use of their names or likenesses on something. It looks like the paying of these athletes is coming, it's just a matter of when.

10.King James Goes Home (July 12, 2014)
It mid-July the announcement finally came as to where Lebron James was going. And as a lot of people expected he was going home. Back to Cleveland. And he brought superstar Kevin Love with him making Cleveland look formidable entering the 2014 season. They currently sit 5th in the conference at 15-10.

9. Kings Cup (June 13, 2014)
Usually all of the Chamionship winners are the top stories of the year. However, while the NHL playoffs are always great the Kings Stanley Cup win was a little bit anti climactic. The best part of their victory was completing the reverse sweep of the Sharks. However, the New York Rangers weren't much of a match in the finals as they Kings won it in five games.

8. Donald Sterling (2014)
Donald Sterling was an ongoing story since the spring of 2014 for all the wrong reasons. TMZ released tapes of him telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to his games. For obvious reasons people were extremely upset with him and Sterling was eventually forced to sell the team.

7. March Madness (March 16- April 7, 2014)
Always one of the brightest spots of the year in the sports world this years March Madness tournament was an exceptional one. It featured an unbeaten team, many upsets, and a 7 seed playing an 8 seed in the finals as UConn took down Kentucky to win it all. This tournament never fails to amaze, surprise, or shock. And it never fails to make those of us who fill out brackets to crawl into the fetal position and weep.

6. Domestic Abuse in the NFL (2014)
Another ongoing story and again TMZ played a large role in it. Early in the year Ray Rice was found to have abused his then fiance. Then TMZ released a video of the incident leading to a massive uproar. The NFL was then forced to expand the suspension and write a new policy for domestic abuse. This was also a gong show as the NFL appeared to be making it up as they went a long. Ray Rice wasn't the only one this year either. In 2014 Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald, Quincy Enunwa, and Johnathon Dwyer were all arrested as well for domestic abuse, as was Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson for child abuse. The NFL needs to figure something out and quick.

5. Oscar Pistorious (2014)
From hero to zero. The South African blade runner had been charged with murder in the death of his girl friend Reeva Steenkamp. He plead not guilty on the basis of self defense claiming that he thought she was an intruder. He was found guilty of culpible homicide (South African equivalent of manslaughter) and was sentenced to five years in prison.

4. Spurs Championship (June 15, 2014)
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat in five games to claim the NBA Title, ending the Heat's run of back to back championships. The Spurs had a big three and some very deep bench help which the Heat were just unable to match This was also Lebron James last game in a Heat uniform.

3. Seahawks Superbowl (Feb 2, 2014)
The Seattle Seahawks won the Superbowl in a very dominant fashion and proved that once again defense wins Championships. They completely stopped one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Peyton Manning and were completely dominant. And to make it worse watching in Canada doesn't even allow you to see any commercials.

2. Giants World Series (Oct. 29, 2014)
There were so many storylines from the Giants World Series win. From the underdog Royals coming out of nowhere and taking the Giants to seven games to the Giants having what appears to be a dynasty and winning three Titles in five years. However no story was bigger than Madison Bumgarner. He set the record for most innings pitched in a playoff and now has three World Series rings for his incredible playoff performances. The Giants look set for quite awhile having him around.

1. World Cup (June 12- July 13, 2014)
It would be very difficult for anything to overshadow the World Cup in a year where there is one, and this year nothing did. From host Brazil's epic collapse against Germany to Germany's victory there was no shortage of storylines from this year's tournament. Other headlines include the protests over the World Cup being in Brazil and controversy over the small nation of Qatar hosting the World Cup in 2022. A tournament like this is definitely the biggest thing in 2014.


-Darren


What do you think of my top thirty? Did I get it right? Completely wrong? Did I miss a story? Let me know by either commenting below this post or find me on twitter @thewildman111



photo taken from habseyeontheprize.com. While the story wasn't story of the year, I believe there is a very strong case for that image to be photo of the year.

Fire Craig Mactavish...Why??

So why do people want to be rid of Craig Mactavish? That I don't understand. Do I agree with firing Eakins? Not completely, but I can see why people want to. Do I agree with firing Lowe? Not really, but again I can see why people want it. But why MacTavish? He gave them decent defensemen, good wingers and made some good trades. Sure not all the signings have worked, but considering what the Oilers needed in the offseason they were good moves. The defensemen, the wingers, and yes, even the goalies. He is also slammed for the lack of some positions and I will also show you why that is wrong.

Starting with the defense, signing three guys who had been solid in the past was a good move. It was no secret that the Oilers struggled on defense last season. Fayne had averaged more than twenty minutes a night with the Devils, Nikitin has an upside, and Aulie was the extra piece to add grit and depth. Were they top of the line? No. But I would love to hear your pitch to bring top of the line players to Edmonton right now. Yeah, that's right you can't really formulate one can you? Aside from the defense Mactavish also made key additions on the wing.

Mactavish added some much needed scoring depth by sending a roll of tape and a half bag of pucks to St. Louis for Perron. He signed Pouliot who has both an upside and experience and he added Purcell who also has an upside. Have they worked out as expected? Not completely, but how is that Mactavish's fault? He just adds the players he can't make them play as expected. He can just look at past stats, play, and in which direction the player is trending and make an informed decision on if to sign him or not. And in the summer we all thought he had done a good job of that. Does what we see now change our minds of Mactavish? It might for some people, but it  shouldn't. Mactavish couldn't see that the team wouldn't gel and he wouldn't be able to see the lack of contribution at times from some of these players. The same goes for the goaltending.

You criticize the goalies he acquired, well guess what? Goalies have to take the next step as a starter at some point, and both those guys looked ready to make that step. Mactavish would have had to pay out the wazoo for any legitimate starting goalie, so it looked like these two guys were trending upwards and ready to be a "1A" and "1B." Oh yeah and like most of the other signings we were all praising this trade and happy to be rid of Dubnyk. You can't just turn on a GM for making what looks like a good move and then turn on him for it not turning out. He can't see the future anymore than you can. Want to criticize him for not acquiring a veteran goalie? Fine that's somewhat fair, but how do we know he didn't try that? And who do you think was available? Brodeur? I don't know about you but I wouldn't want him. For the most part any decent veteran goalie would likely be too expensive. So while certain criticisms may have a point, there is likely a reason your proposal- even if it was reasonable-didn't happen. Mactavish isn't stupid. He likely explores multiple alleys before making a move. This advice is also applicable to what is likely the largest criticism of Craig Mactavish. The lack of centre depth.

People criticize the lack of centre depth, do you honestly think Mactavish is that stupid that he would get every position but centres? Here's the reality. Centres, goalies, and top two pairing defensemen are going to cost you the most in the NHL. Especially a top two centre. The other teams know the players the Oilers have, is it really worth it to give up one or two pieces of a young core, plus a young defenseman, plus possibly a draft pick for one player? Probably not, especially in this upcoming draft where even beyond the top two there is a lot of talent. That is just too much to give up to get help in one position. You would be creating a hole elsewhere to patch up an immediate problem.

In the end a lot of the criticisms of Oilers GM Craig Mactavish are irrelevant. He can't see the future and therefore can't see that certain additions wouldn't work. The moves he made were needed moves, and there was merit to what he was doing. In the end a big reason people want him fired is because he's part of the "Old Boys Club." Well guess what? Maybe you don't like that club because of some night mares it's given you in the past. However, you can't fire someone just because they're associated with that group. You have to assess the job that they are doing, and under "forensic examination" Craig Mactavish has made sensible, logical moves, and if he continues to do so it will eventually pay off. Look on the bright side. At least he didn't trade away two legitimate starting goalies for almost nothing.


What do you think of Craig Mactavish as GM? Let me know either by commenting below this post or on twitter @thewildman111


photo taken from 25stanley.com

The Last Time The Oilers Made the Playoffs...

It has been a long time since the Oilers made the playoffs and I think we should all get a sense of how long. So let's remember what life was like the last time the Oilers made the playoffs.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs MySpace was alive and well, facebook was two years old but not available to the public, and twitter wasn't even around yet.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Blockbuster was thriving.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter was the year's number one song

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs was the same year as the movies "Pirates of the Carribean: Deadman's Chest", "Cars," "Happy Feet" "Casino Royale" "X-Men: The Last Stand," and "The Davinci Code"

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs "The Big Bang Theory" wasn't on TV yet.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs "Hannah Montanna" was new on TV.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs the USA had not yet executed Saddam Hussein

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Taylor Swift was relatively unknown.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Pluto was still a planet (for the first time).

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Youtube was only a year old.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs "Google Street View" did not yet exist.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs "American Idol" was dominating prime time TV.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Steve Yzerman was still playing hockey.

The last time the Oilers made the playoffs Tiger Woods was still a relevant golfer.



Wow it certainly has been a long time. Did I miss any? What happened the last time the Oilers made the playoffs? Let me know by either commenting below this post or find me on twitter @thewildman111


photo taken from sportslogos.net

NHL Suspension Protocol

The last couple seasons have proven that the NHL doesn't have a clue of what it's doing when it comes to suspending players for dirty hits. Some dirty hits go unpunished, some clean hits go punished and some suspensions are too big, and some are too small. This has caused controversy and problems among fans players, and the NHL as they don't seem to know what to do. Because of this I am going to attempt to come up with a black and white system in which the NHL would have rigid guidelines on how to suspend their players consistently and fairly.

Question #1

Was the head contacted?
If the head was contacted the hit should be reviewed
If the head was not contacted only review questions 4-5 to see if the hit was suspendable. If the hit was suspendable based one or both of those guidelines proceed to numbers 6-7 to see how many additional games should be added.

The main point of a lot of dirty hits is contact with the head. I think any hit where the head is contacted should automatically get a second look by the league. This leads into question number two.

Question #2
Was the head the principle point of contact?
If it was add two games to the suspension
If it was not move to the next question

I know the head being the principle point of contact is in the rules right now, and it can be somewhat grey, but I do think it is a good point. All this really means is did the head of the player who got hit take most or all of the impact from the hitting player. This really isn't that hard to figure out, if the head is almost exclusively the only thing that was hit it was the principle point of contact.

Question #3
Was the hit done with the shoulder/body? Or the elbow/arm?
If it was the arm or elbow add two games to the suspension

You want players to be leading with the shoulder. That's the safe way to hit.

Question #4
Was the hit from the blind side or behind?
If it was from a blind side add one game to the suspension, if it was from behind add two.

There is a difference between blind side and behind. Just to clarify a blind side hit is if the player might be facing sideways, but is looking the other direction. Behind is if the player delivering the hit can see the numbers, while both are dangerous, a hit from behind is far more dangerous.

Question #5
Was the stick at all involved in the hit (i.e. slash, cross check)?
If it was add two games to the suspension

Players can't be slashing or cross checking. That just adds to the chance of an injury and makes the hit even more dangerous.

Question #6
Has the player who committed the offense been suspended already either this season or the previous season?
If he has add the number of total games he has been suspended for to the suspension.

The NHL needs to send a message to repeat offenders if a guy is a recent offender he needs to be taught a lesson.

Question #7
Has the player who committed the offense been suspended before the previous season to the current one?
If he has, add one extra game for every two suspensions (regardless of the number of games). If he has an odd number of suspensions round down (three previous suspensions would add one game to this suspension).

If a player has cleaned up his act in recent years I don't think he deserves to be punished too severely. However, he is still a repeat offender and he does deserve something extra for that.

Under unusual circumstances The NHL Department of Player Safety may add or takeaway two games to the suspension based on factors not covered on this list. Those factors include but are not limited to if there was an injury on the hit, the player who got hit putting himself in a vulnerable position (i.e. turning towards the boards when he knows he's getting hit), and the severity of the hit (whether it was a really hard hit, or the offender lightened up).

I believe giving them that two game lee way would also cover for any unkowns in the questions that may come up.

Just like that there are now strict guidelines to follow on what may have been a dirty NHL hit.

Now allow me to give you three different scenarios to show how well it would work

1. Player A cross checks player B from behind, the head was not contacted. Player A has no suspension history.

For this hit player A would receive a four game suspension. It may sound a bit harsh based on what the NHL is doing now, but there is no excuse to use a stick in the check and checking from behind is always suspendable.

2. Player A hits player B in the head on a blindside elbow up, head was principle point of contact. Player A had been suspended three games the previous season.

Player A would receive an eight game suspension for this hit. He is a repeat offender and it was only the previous season. There fore add three games to what would be a four game suspension

3. Player A slashes Player B in the head from behind. The head was the principle point of contact and Player A was suspended four games the previous season and has two suspensions from before the last season.

Player A would receive an eleven game suspension for this. It doesn't sound like a lot for the severity, but because of how malicious it was it could likely be upgraded to 13 games. Some people still think that's too few, but remember it's a tenth of a season which would be a pretty good chunk of a season for a player to miss. I think it would be justified. Also remember this. When that player returned and if he did something else dirty, he would automatically have 12 games added to his suspension.

At the end of the date this format wouldn't be about throwing the book at players, but rather creating consistency. The average dirty hit that takes place in the NHL is probably a blind side shoulder to the head from a player with little or no history. Guys who did that would consistently receive a three game suspension. I believe this would be better than some guys vastly different suspensions for the same hit. There would be consistency and everyone would know what is coming in terms of a suspension for an NHL player after a dirty hit.


What do you think of my proposal for the NHL on suspending players for dirty hits? Let me know by either commenting below this post or find me on twitter @thewildman111


photo taken from nhl.com

2015 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot

I've done this before and now I'll do it again. The 2015 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is out. I'll go through the ballot, knock off the guys who likely won't be in, narrow down the list a bit more. Put who my votes would be for, and then narrow down to what I think will be the 2015 Hall of Fame Class. That being said here is the full ballot.


Randy Johnson
Gary Sheffield
John Smoltz
Pedro Martinez
Tom Gordon
Troy Percival
Eddie Guardardo
Rich Aurilia
Carlos Delgado
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Cliff Floyd
Darin Erstad
Jermaine Dye
Tony Clark
Aaron Boone
Craig Biggio
Mike Piazza
Jeff Bagwell
Tim Raines
Roger Clemens
Curt Schilling
Barry Bonds
Lee Smith
Edgar Martinez
Alan Trammell
Mike Mussina
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
Mark Mcgwire
Larry Walker
Don Mattingly
Sammy Sosa.

First Cut
The voters have shown no interest in any players who have done steroids. That is also the reason that the list is so long and backed up year after year. The guys from the steroid era are on the ballot.

The following players now get removed from the list for doing Steroids

Sammy Sosa
Mark Mcgwire
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Gary Sheffield

There are also a couple of guys who will likely be left out for now because while nothing was as proven or sure as the other four guys on steroids, the allegations are there and at least some of the voters believe they did steroids. They might still get in this year because nothing was proven, but I think it's unlikely. These guys are

Jeff Bagwell
Mike Piazza.

After the first round of cuts the list now looks like this.


Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Pedro Martinez
Tom Gordon
Troy Percival
Eddie Guardado
Rich Aurilia
Carlos Delgado
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Cliff Floyd
Darin Erstad
Jermaine Dye
Tony Clark
Aaron Boone
Craig Biggio
Tim Raines
Curt Schilling
Lee Smith
Edgar Martinez
Alan Trammell
Mike Mussina
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
Larry Walker
Don Mattingly

Second Cut

There is no denying that all of these players are very talented. However, some of them are fairly obvious cuts as not to be in the hall of fame. They had very lengthy and illustrious careers in the MLB but their career numbers come up short in terms of making the Hall. These players are as follows.

Tom Gordon
Eddi Guardado
Rich Aurilia
Cliff Floyd
Darin Erstad
Tony Clark
Aaron Boone

Third Cut
Those seven were the most obvious one to not be in the Hall this year. Now the list looks like this and there are yet more cuts to be made. What I will do now is I will compose a list of players who I believe SHOULD be in the hall of fame from the list.

Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Pedro Martinez
Troy Percival
Carlos Delgado
Nomar Garciaparra
Brian Giles
Jermaine Dye
Craig Biggio
Tim Raines
Curt Schilling
Lee Smith
Edgar Martinez
Alan Trammell
Mike Mussina
Jeff Kent
Fred McGriff
Larry Walker
Don Mattingly

What follows is who I believe belongs in the Hall if not this year, they belong there eventually.


Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Pedro Martinez
Craig Biggio
Tim Raines
Curt Schilling
Lee Smith
Mike Mussina
Fred McGriff
Larry Walker
Don Mattingly


Since each voter can only vote for 10 players I would have to remove one.
And the player I would remove is

Lee Smith

Final Cut

Now just because this is my vote doesn't mean this will be the writer's choice. So what follows is what I believe will be the Hall of Fame Class of 2015.

Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Pedro Martinez
Curt Schilling

An all pitchers class, and a somewhat big one. I believe all four of these men deserve immediate recognition in baseball's greatest honour. Unfortunately with this being Don Mattingly's last year of eligibility he would no longer be able to make the Hall of Fame.


What do you think of my Hall of Fame Class of 2015? Either let me know by commenting below this post, or find me on twitter. @thewildman111


photos taken from foxsports.com and sportsroses.com