This is indeed a great list of borderline candidates. I think the arguments are clear as to why none of them are in, but also why they are all under consideration. My two cents:
Marvin Miller should already be in--absolutely no idea why he's not. (Totally agree on non-player balloting comments, though.)
I grew up in an NL town and even I knew Jack Morris was to be feared (and he didn't need Denkinger to beat us in '87). He was the #1 or #2 pitcher on three World Championship teams in three different cities, right? I'm honestly surprised he didn't get to 75% in his last year on the BBWAA ballot. He's on my ballot if I'm on the panel.
I haven't compared the stats the way some others did here (Parker vs. Rice), but as an opposing fan Dave Parker always seemed equivalent to Andre Dawson. Offense...defense...leadership...and again feared. I think he's right there on the border, but he does get one of my votes.
I admit that Dale Murphy, Steve Garvey and Don Mattingly are three guys I always have to double-check to make sure they're NOT in the hall already (along with a few I have to double-check that they ARE in, like Sutton and Rice). But those three just don't feel right to me. I guess I'd put Murphy at the top of that list if I had to pick one. But I don't, so I won't. But he'd be my fourth on this list.
Luis Tiant and Tommy John are at the bottom of this list for me. I'd almost consider throwing Tommy John in to the
"contributors" ballot along with Marvin Miller. Of course maybe his surgeon is just as fitting (or moreso) to be on that ballot.
My friends here in SE Michigan insist Alan Trammell was as forsaken by BBWAA voters as Jack Morris was. But I was a teenager in St. Louis in the early 80's when ESPN was a fledgling and SportsCenter was must-see TV. Trammell wasn't someone on my radar the way Mattingly and others were. Maybe the comments here are right that if he played in NYC or LA he'd be in already. And maybe if I didn't see Ozzie Smith play every day he'd be on my ballot, too. But I did. So he's not.
Finally, I can tell you that I never, ever, EVER thought of Ted Simmons as Hall of Fame worthy despite him being my favorite Redbird back in the 70s. That could be for the same reason as my Trammell argument above, but substituting Johnny Bench for the Wizard. But a few years back when this committee was considering the 70's/80's era I heard some really compelling arguments on how Simmons' career--and especially the 70s--compare to his corresponding catching counterparts including Bench, Fisk and Carter. I'm not going to say he's on my ballot, but if you're not familiar with his career it's worth the time for you to take a look and give him some consideration. And I probably owe him an apology for underrating him all these years.