I'm not sure how much Schilling's politics are influencing his HOF vote, as his trajectory is pretty similar to many other borderline cases over the years. He got 29% of the vote in 2014 and has steadily climbed up to 70% in the most recent vote despite getting crazier and crazier off the field. His vote total has increased significantly since he was talking about lynching journalists, the people specifically deciding his fate, in 2016.

I guess he's close enough that it doesn't take very many BBWAA members voting against him on character grounds to keep him out, but it's not like he's an obvious choice getting screwed.

What's so entirely typical Schilling is the "fact" (according to Him!) that he wrote a "private letter" to the Hall of Fame people...........and then released it to the public!! So in character it's hilarial!

Highest first timer P Mark Buehrle at 11%. Does this mean 10 years from now he’ll be in the Hall?

...Mark Buehrle, who got votes for the Cy Young once in his career, got 11% of the vote?!

I don't think 11% for Buehrle is ridiculous, although I hope it doesn't rise much above that. I remember his last season here in Toronto, finishing with 198.1 innings, just short of the milestone that would have given him 200 innings for 15 straight seasons. Not a HOF'er by any stretch, but he won 214 games, only 2 fewer than Schilling, and 11 more than Roy Halladay who was elected in his first year of eligibility.

yeah I liked Buehrle a lot, he was really fun to watch, fastest worker I can ever remember seeing, but he's the classic innings eater type who was never a feared or dominant pitcher and I wouldn't have expected someone like that to get any support beyond a few token votes from local beat reporters.

one of the things I hate the most about hall of fame discourse is the way guys like him end up mostly being crapped on for not being Hall caliber rather than being celebrated for having the ability to even get on the ballot in the first place, so I'll stop the hating. that number just surprised me a lot.

BBWAA has one more chance.

If the 2022 vote ends without Bonds getting into the Hall, it’ll make a mockery of the entire thing.

If it’s not already.

he was in he was born in then he juiced

he gets what he gets

i do not have a dog in this fight

great ballplayer, sh*tty human

drugs get half the credit

Since the steroids issue does actually exist calling it a mockery is a simplistic absurdity.

I'll continue to be a fan of the game, but a trip with dad to Cooperstown for a tour and induction ceremony were long ago crossed off the bucket list. "Character clause" meh. How about the part where a commissioner who outlawed the playing of the game at it's highest level for an entire race of people is himself in the HOF ?! I know plenty of others who say they'll wait in line to punch Schilling in the face who'll also say he deserves entry based on merits.