Pittsburgh writers' Hall of Fame ballots

These are Pittsburgh writers' Hall of Fame ballots. If others have been published, let me know and I'll add them. It's probably better if I don't comment on them, but since people are already discussing them, we might as well have them all in one place.

Gene Collier: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas

Ron Cook: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza

Rob Biertempfel: Craig Biggio, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Lee Smith, Jack Morris

I voted for Morris because he pretty much was The Pitcher of the ’80s. Awesome in big games, too. This is his final year on the ballot. If he’s not voted in this year, it will be up to the veterans committee fellas down the line to do it.

Jeff Bagwell, Mike Mussina, Tim Raines and Curt Schilling also were difficult decisions. I spent more time on these guys than any of the others, probably. And there’s a good chance each of them will turn up on my ballot somewhere down the line.

There is too much gray matter in this discussion, and it’s a subject I have pondered greatly when formulating my ballot.

Last year, I had a former major league player familiar with my voting history message me to say that I unwittingly have voted for a performance-enhancing drug user. He wouldn’t divulge the name or names.

It got me wondering. How would I know or not know if a player used or didn’t use steroids. Answer: I wouldn’t, unless there was a conviction or admittance of guilt.

Tom Singer: Craig Biggio, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Rafael Palmeiro, Lee Smith, Frank Thomas

Not all 300-game winners have been first-ballot Hall of Famers (Gaylord Perry and Phil Niekro weren't), but Maddux and Glavine will be reunited in Cooperstown. Mussina was a 270-game winner with a far better winning percentage than either of the aforementioned two. Martinez should have already overcome the DH bias; Thomas will do the honors instead. Biggio and Smith both should by now be off the ballot and on the wall of plaques. Palmeiro was a consistent marvel long before he was caught doping.

John Perrotto: Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas, Larry Walker

If Bonds used steroids, he was in the majority during the bulk of his career. That is not to say using PEDs is right, but it was part of the culture of the game and it’s impossible to know for sure who used and who didn’t unless he failed a drug test or admitted to juicing.

What is comes down to is that Bonds is the best player I have seen in my lifetime, which, a week from tomorrow, will have stretched a half-century.

Bob Smizik: Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Frank Thomas

I will not leave off a player tainted by the drug scandals and vote for a player who is not tainted when for all I know that player was a bigger cheat. I choose not to serve as the judge and jury on alleged cheaters of the steroids era.

Alan Robinson: Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, Fred McGriff