Blyleven, in my opinion, was a no-brainer. Career strike out totals truly are a solid indicator of a pitcher's greatness, and you only need to look at the all-time list to see this is the case. Blyleven had 3,701--you need to go down to Mickey Lolich at 2,832 before you hit a pitcher who isn't in the Hall of Fame (who has been retired long enough to be eligible). Blyleven is number five on the list, of all time!
Somebody commented on the proper exclusion of McGwire and Palmeiro though, and a few years back I would have agreed, but I have considered it often over time. The fact is, "cheating" has been a part of baseball since the beginning. There's a famous Rogers Hornsby quote:
"I've cheated, or someone on my team has cheated, in almost every single game I've been in."
There have been spitballers. Players have tripped baserunners. The 1951 Giants stole signs with a telescope. The old Orioles buried a cinder block (or did something similar) in front of the plate for the famous "Baltimore Chop." And, of course, there were the famous "greenies" not too long ago.
My point is that you can't call the old times players nobler because they didn't do something that didn't exist. They cheated how they could too. I think steroids are terrible for the game and I'm glad there is a more concerted effort to stop their use. I think a single, a stolen base and a close play at the plate on another single to drive in the runner is a far more exciting way to score a run than a homer and a slow jog around the bases. But if Rafael Palmeiro had played ball in the 1950's he would be in the Hall of Fame, am I right? Not quite as confident on McGwire, though he was still crushing the ball back in his rookie days when he was lanky.
Or, let's put it another way--who here thinks that, if steroids/HGH were available to ballplayers in the 1950's and 1960's, Mickey Mantle would not have taken them? With all those injuries to rehab? Anybody?
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