The ballots for the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame class were released on Tuesday, and there are several first-timers with a strong chance to be inducted.
Among the list of players on the ballot for the first time are Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas and Mike Mussina. These four players and 15 other first-timers join notable stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Edgar Martinez, Curt Schilling, Jack Morris, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio and others who have been on the ballot for at least one season.
The electorate is comprised of BBWAA members, and “players must be named on 75 percent of the ballots cast to earn election.”
Players on the bubble who don’t get enough votes for induction on this ballot might also have a tough time getting into Cooperstown in 2015. The next class will include sure-fire Hall of Famers such as Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz.
The 2014 class will be revealed on Jan. 8.
