As the Baseball Hall of Fame prepares to enshrine David Ortiz, plus the six former players elected last month, let's look ahead to see what might happen over the next three Baseball Writers' Association of America elections.
Oh, don't worry -- we haven't heard the last of the Hall of Fame debates surrounding Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa. All have seen their 10-year timespan on the writers' ballot expire, but there is always a committee hearing to reconsider their fates. The Today's Game era committee of the Hall of Fame will meet in December to discuss the merits of 10 candidates who made their mark in 1988 or later, and all four will be eligible -- although not guaranteed -- to be placed on the ballot (another committee will determine who goes on). The Central Committee's meetings following Stalin's death were probably less contentious than these will be.
Here's who joins the ballot -- and my prediction on who will compose the Hall of Fame classes of 2023, '24 and '25: