Can 2011 Hall of Fame Class Be More Exciting Than 2010’s?

Even with Andre "The Hawk" Dawson heading into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, the 2010 class, featuring Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doub Harvey, is not the most star-studded bunch in recent memory.

If you're wondering if the 2011 class is going to be any more exciting, the answer is probably not.

The two best candidates are Rafael Palmeiro and Jeff Bagwell.

With "Raffy," the numbers speak for themselves. He has over 3,000 hits and 569 home runs. That pretty much should make him a lock. A career .288 hitter over 20 seasons, Palmeiro ranks 10th in career total bases and 15th in career RBIs.

By "Gray Ink" Hall of Fame standards, a measure of times in the top 10 in statistical categories, Palmeiro more than qualifies as the 52nd-best player ever. On the other hand, his "Black Ink" score, a composite of number of times he lead the league in categories, is not even in the top 200 ever. Playing in the Steroid Era, Raffy was overshadowed. He never finished above fifth in an MVP voting or won a triple crown category.

Also, what do we most remember Palmeiro for? Probably his Viagra ads and for lying about steroid use before coming clean. His legacy, surely, has been tainted, and it is hard to argue that he would have been as good if he hadn't juiced.

Jeff Bagwell, a statistically inferior player, does have a case as well. He was the NL MVP in 1994, a year in which he also won the Silver Slugger and Golden Glove awards. He batted .368 that year with an insane 1.201 OPS. The 1991 NL Rookie of the Year admirably played his entire career in Houston, amassing a 449 home runs, 2,314 hits, and a .297 career batting average.

While his statistics work out to be a sabermetrician's dream, his career statistics are far from first-ballot Hall of Fame level. Still, his career .948 OPS is 23rd best ever, an impressive achievement. Most Hall of Fame indexes have him making it.

He also appears to have been steroid free, as far as we know.

So, who has a better shot at making the Hall in 2011? If you think Jeff Bagwell has the better shot, text "SOX1" to 542542. If you think that Rafael Palmeiro will make it first, text "SOX2" to 542542. If you think neither will in 2011, text "SOX3" to 542542.

KGB terms and conditions apply.