Tag Archives: Hall of Fame

On This Year’s Hall of Fame Ballot

The Hall of Fame ballot has been released, and there’s one question on the mind of pretty much every baseball writer and fan.

Is ANYONE going to get elected this year?

Of the newcomers to the ballot, only Cole Hamels really stands out – and that’s only due to his helping the Phillies win the World Series in 2008. The “crop” is so weak I don’t even feel like doing brief recaps of their careers.

There are quite a few holdovers from last year, but the most likely candidates all have “problems”. Steroids for Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez; the “sign stealing” scandal for Carlos Beltran.

By the way, the sign stealing thing was several years ago. Can we STOP holding it against the current Astros team already?

There are plenty of “Hall of the Very Good” players on the ballot, some of whom should easily make their team’s “Hall of Fame” or even have their number retired – if they haven’t already. But enshrined in Cooperstown? I’ve seen a suggestion that one could approach the nominees by asking “Would it be an outrage or travesty if this person was NOT elected?” I don’t see anyone raising a fuss over any of them. Gossip among the baseball writers hints that it’s going to be hard to use up all ten of the votes that they are allotted.

I suspect Carlos Beltran will make it in; but that’s it.

Next year should be better, when Buster Posey becomes eligible. The year after that will see Albert Pujols (a shoo-in) and Yadier Molina, then Miguel Cabrera, Zack Greinke, and Joey Votto will hit the ballot for 2029.

On the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot

It’s the Hot Stove Season, and all I’m seeing in the baseball press is who’s talking to which free agents. That’s boring. There’s something more fun that we can talk about – the Hall of Fame ballot.

Let’s take a look at all the new players on the ballot.

I don’t have a vote, and I doubt I ever will, but I can still have Opinions.

Generally, candidates can be grouped into a couple of classes / ranks. So let’s do that. Continue reading →

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton

Now that the confetti has settled, the people at the Hall of Fame can start designing the plaques to go in the actual “Hall”. Mauer and Helton will be easy; they’ll get Twins and Rockies caps, respectively. Beltré spent his best years with the Texas Rangers, so he’ll probably get their cap.

I don’t feel as excited about the announcements as I’ve been in the past. It’s not that the players aren’t deserving, it’s more that there’s been so much written about the candidates and voting and percentages and the like that it’s almost a relief when the announcement is made.

I do enjoy reading what the experts / professional baseball writers have to say; they are of course the most knowledgeable on the topic (especially when they are the ones with the actual votes). What does get tiring is all the over-detailed analysis of the vote tracking and other statistical minutiae. Tell us stories! It’s been years since we’ve seen them in action! Remind us how great they are, in a way that mere numbers can’t do!

Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen just won election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Playing third for the Phillies and Cardinals (with end of career stints with the Blue Jays and Reds), he made seven All Star teams and won eight Gold Glove awards for his fielding excellence over his seventeen seasons. He earned a World Series title with the Cardinals in 2006, but other than being named the NL Rookie of the Year in 1997, there’s not much else in the way of trophies.

His career numbers are unremarkable. A .281 batting average and 316 home runs is good, but not really exceptional. And you won’t find him leading the league in any offensive stats over the course of his career.

So what makes him a Hall of Famer?

Defense.

Those eight Gold Glove awards are fourth all time for third basemen. Add that to his solid offense, and he comes in with a career Wins Above Replacement of 70.1 – which compares well with the average of 68.3 for the fifteen third basemen already in Cooperstown.

Compared to other positions, third base isn’t a position where defense can really stand out. You don’t see much of the range and “flash” of a shortstop or second baseman; nor does the speed and grace of an outfielder come to the fore. On tough plays at third, a fan’s attention quickly shifts to the first baseman, to see if the out is made. You have to pay attention to the “Hot Corner” to find exceptional glovework.

And Rolen had it in spades.

More than good enough for the bronze plaque in Cooperstown.

“I told him once, my happiest day would be if there’s a game where 27 ground balls get to third base. The way he plays that position, the way he runs the bases, the way he takes his at-bats, he is a complete player.” – Manager Tony LaRussa

Fred McGriff

The “Whatever They’re Calling it This Year” Committee at the Hall of Fame has selected Fred McGriff for induction.

There’s a very good chance you’ve not heard of him and are wondering what the heck he did that makes him so great. Turns out there are two things that hurt his candidacy – both of which were pretty much beyond his control.

The first was the 1994-95 Strike. It happened right in the middle of his career, when he was at his most productive. Some seventy games were erased from the schedule. Given McGriff’s pace those two years (34 home runs in 113 games in 1994, 27 home runs in 144 games in 1995), it’s a good bet he’d have slugged another ten home runs in those games. As it is, he finished his career with 493 home runs. Those extras would have put him over the “milestone” number of 500.

It interesting and useful in McGriff’s case to see who is in the “500 Club”, and see who is NOT in the Hall of Fame. There’s Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, who are not yet eligible. Gary Sheffield is still on the ballot (though he hasn’t managed to get more than 50% of the vote). That leaves Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmiero, and Manny Ramirez as the ones on the outside. What is a common thread connecting those players? Right! PED allegations, and serious ones at that. McGriff has never been accused of taking PEDs.

For the record, McGriff has more home runs than Hall of Fame sluggers like Willie Stargell, Vladimir Guerrero, and Chipper Jones.

The other thing that hurt his candidacy was related to the Strike. Afterwards, there was a serious – if not stated outright – effort by MLB to win back the fans. It seems they settled on playing up home runs. The ball may have been “juiced”, ballparks were designed to increase the frequency of home runs, and both MLB and the media “looked the other way” when players started taking PEDs. McGriff stayed clean and continued to hit the long ball, but he couldn’t compete with the likes of Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa. And as his career wound down in the early 2000’s, he bounced around from team to team while Bonds and Alex Rodriguez were racking up the home runs, so no one was going to give his “quest for 500” much attention.

You can argue that since he never won any major award, rarely led the league in any hitting category, and only made five All Star teams, he shouldn’t really be a Hall of Famer. But there’s still plenty of room in Cooperstown for the players who show a quiet, sustained excellence.

 

The 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot

It’s that time again! The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the candidates on the main ballot. It’s a pretty “meh” group; all the superstars have come off (for one reason or another). The biggest names on the ballot are Scott Rolen and Todd Helton. Great players, but not the sort that scream out “Hall of Famer”. When you have to dig into the “advanced stats” because no one really looks like they belong, well….

There are fourteen newcomers to the ballot; let’s give them all their due.

Continue reading →

On the 2022 Hall of Fame Ballot – III

In addition to the regular Hall of Fame ballot that pretty much all baseball fans are following, there are two special committees that will examine the cases of several players who either never got their proper due, or were somehow overlooked.

The “Early Era” committee looks at players and people from before 1950. The “Golden Days” committee covers the years from 1950-1969. Each committee has sixteen members; nominees must get twelve votes to be inducted.

Here are the nominees on the Early Era ballot:

Continue reading →

On the 2022 Hall of Fame Ballot – II

In addition to the six mentioned the last time, there are two dozen other players on the Hall of Fame ballot:

Returning candidates are Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Andy Pettite, Tim Hudson, Billy Wagner, Jeff Kent, Mark Buehrle, Todd Helton, Manny Ramirez, Torii Hunter, Scott Rolen, Gary Sheffield, and Bobby Abreu.

The other newcomers are Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, Jimmy Rollins and Mark Teixeira.

All deserving of the nomination, but it’s hard to see anyone who clearly is a Hall of Famer.

Continue reading →

On the 2022 Hall of Fame Ballot – I

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has announced this year’s candidates for the Hall of Fame. It is now up to members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to decide who gets the bronze plaque in the “shrine” in Cooperstown.

There are six names on the ballot that are, well, “problematic”, to put it mildly. Four people who are on their last chance to be voted in, and two newcomers.

Those with having their last shot are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa. The newcomers are David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez.

Continue reading →

Jeter, Miller, Simmons, Walker

Just a few days ago, Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons, and Larry Walker were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I’ve already written about Jeter; there’s no need to do it again.

With regards to Marvin Miller, one of the things that seems to be overlooked with his contributions is that he didn’t come across as a “union boss”. No cigars or three-piece suits for him. He was approachable; players felt they could talk with him and not get a lecture. His portrait at the National Portrait Gallery shows this.

But what of Ted Simmons and Larry Walker?

Continue reading →