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Who Deserves A Spot In Cooperstown This Year?

BOSTON (CBS) -- The baseball Hall of Fame class of 2016 will be announced on Wednesday, but who exactly is going to get into Cooperstown this year?

It's a lock that Ken Griffey Jr. will make it, and he may even be the first unanimous decision. But after that, it's a very weak class of first-year players that includes the likes of Jim Edmonds, Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner. Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell is also in the mix.

That may clear a path for some guys who have been trying to get in for a few years, including Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Curt Schilling, and some of the players with PED allegations clouding their eligibility like Rogers Clemens and Barry Bonds.

Who deserves a spot in Cooperstown this year? Fred Toucher & Jon Wallach debated that Tuesday morning, with both agreeing that Griffey deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer. There's a good chance that won't happen though, because baseball writers are so fickle and entitled.

Wallach also thinks Schilling should get in because of his success during the month of October.

"His 216 wins [in the regular season] isn't close to being good enough, but there are few postseason pitchers better than Schilling," said Wallach.

Fred doesn't think Schilling will get in, and doesn't think you can go just on postseason numbers because then Jack Morris would be in Cooperstown. He does think that Clemens and Bonds should be in though.

"I think the Hall of Fame is a museum for people who want to enjoy and see highlights of their favorite players. What's funny is there is stuff of theirs in the Hall of Fame," he said. "Don't you find it odd they would honor someone by including a bunch of their memorabilia? The idea you would celebrate their accomplishments and not let them in is ridiculous."

The one exception for Fred is Pete Rose, who he said if you gambled on the game you shouldn't get enshrined.

Listen to the full discussion in the podcast below, and let us know who you think should make it in this year in the comments section: 

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