On Tuesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2004. Today you can read Rotohelp's opinion of the candidates and view the ballot we would submit if eligible.

Please take a look at our 2002 article for an overview of our standards. In the alphabetical review of candidates below, I have linked to commentary from previous years for players on this year's ballot who remain eligible after receiving at least 5% of the vote in 2003. In most cases, I have nothing further to say with regards to these players, but if something has changed in our opinion then I have noted the alteration.

Bert Blyleven received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Joe Carter secured a certain amount of fame when he hit the walk-off home run that won the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays, but even in an historic context, one swing of the bat does not make a Hall of Famer. The rest of his career was solid but not worthy of the Hall in our opinion.

Dave Concepcion

Danny Darwin does not appear to possess any characteristics or accomplishments that merit induction into the Hall of Fame.

Andre Dawson received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Doug Drabek had a couple of solid seasons with the Pirates in the late 1980's and early 1990's, but overall his career was not worthy of the Hall of Fame.

Dennis Eckersley began his career as a successful starter, and when his starting career began to decline, he transformed himself into one of the most successful relievers in history. He and Manager Tony LaRussa established the role of the modern closer. Eckersley finished in the top 7 in CY voting six times and in the top 6 in MVP voting four times, winning both awards as a reliever in 1992. He also appeared on six All-Star teams. We believe Eckersley has earned a place in the Hall of Fame.

Jim Eisenreich played fifteen seasons of major league baseball while suffering from Tourette's syndrome and helped promote awareness of the disease across North America. However, his production as an outfielder was not particularly notable, so we do not believe he should be in the Hall of Fame.

Cecil Fielder opened the 1990's with a foreshadowing of the power explosion that would hit at the end of the decade. However, his peak burned out quickly, and those few short years of excellence were not sufficient to earn him a place in the Hall of Fame.

Steve Garvey

Rich Gossage received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Keith Hernandez

Tommy John received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Jimmy Key pitched fairly well when healthy, but even if shoulder problems had not interfered with his career, he likely would not have merited a place in the Hall of Fame.

Dennis Martinez pitched effectively throughout the bulk of his 23-year major league career. However, El Presidente's contributions do not quite add up to Hall of Fame worthiness.

Don Mattingly

Kevin Mitchell had a few strong years, but a variety of injury problems prevented him from sustaining his success long enough to merit a place in the Hall of Fame.

Paul Molitor cruised past 3000 hits despite a penchant for injury. He appeared on seven All-Star teams and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, winning the award in 1993. While he eventually settled into the lineup as a DH in order to minimize his risk of injury, Molitor played every position with the exception of catcher during his twenty-one seasons in baseball. We believe his accomplishments merit a place in the Hall of Fame.

Jack Morris received a vote from Rotohelp in 2002 but was bumped from our 2003 ballot due to a surplus of worthy candidates. However, we feel he once again deserves a place on our ballot this year.

Dale Murphy

Randy Myers was a good closer for several teams, but we do not believe this Nasty Boy is Hall of Fame material.

Dave Parker

Terry Pendleton had a few strong seasons in the early 1990's, but his contributions do not merit election to the Hall of Fame.

Jim Rice

Juan Samuel was an unspectacular player who does not deserve election to the Hall of Fame.

Ryne Sandberg received a vote from Rotohelp in 2003.

Lee Smith

Dave Stieb was a popular player, appearing on seven All-Star teams. However, his performance does not quite rank as Hall of Fame caliber.

Bruce Sutter received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Bob Tewksbury earned attention for his control skills, but the brief length of his career leaves his Hall of Fame credentials lacking.

Alan Trammell received Rotohelp's vote in 2002 and 2003.

Fernando Valenzuela