One of our favorite days here at notinhalloffame.com has come with the Baseball Hall of Fame’s announcement of the Class of 2025.

The Baseball Writers of America have submitted their votes for the Modern Ballot, and this summer Ichiro Suzuki, C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner have been elected to Cooperstown.

They will join Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Veterans Committee.

To enter the Baseball Hall, a candidate must obtain 75 percent of the vote.

Ichiro Suzuki, Outfield:  SEA 2001-12 & 2018-19, NYY 2012-14 & MIA 2015-17.  99.7% on his 1st ballot.  Already cemented his name in Japan, winning three Pacific League MVPs, seven Batting Titles, seven Golden Gloves, seven Best Nine Award and a Japanese Series Title with the Orix BlueWave.   Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, and he became an instant sensation in North America.  In his first season in MLB, he won the American Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first season, and would overall go to ten All-Star Games, won ten Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers and two Batting Titles.  Statistically, he compiled 3,089 Hits with a lifetime .311 Batting Average.  He was also inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame.

C.C. Sabathia, Pitcher:  CLE 2001-08, MIL 2008 & NYY 2009-19.  86.8% on his 1st ballot.  Like Suzuki, Sabathia enters on his first ballot.  Winning the American League Cy Young Award in 2007 with Cleveland, Sabathia achieved greater fame with the New York Yankees where he had three consecutive top-five Cy Young finishes (2008-10) and helped the Bronx Bombers win it all in 2009.  Sabathia went to six All-Star Games, had a record of 251-161 and 2,093 Strikeouts.  He is already in the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame.

Billy Wagner, Pitcher:  HOU 1995-2003, PHI 2004-05, NYM 2006-09. BOS 2009 & ATL 2010.  82.5% on his 9th ballot.  Wagner gets in on his ninth ballot, jumping from 73.8% last year.  It is a seismic jump for the reliever, who had less than 20% in his first four years, but the momentum has been there the last three years.  Wagner, who is already in the Houston Astros Hall of Fame, was a seven-time All-Star and had 422 Saves.

Those that did not make the cut were:

Carlos Beltrán, Outfield:  KC 1998-2004, HOU 2004 & 2017, NYM 2005-11, SFG 2011, NYY 2014-16 & TEX 2016.  70.3% on his 3rd ballot.  Beltran, who has the statistical requirements to make the Hall, looks to still be punished by some voters for his role in the 2017 Astros cheating scandal.  Hr did have a considerable improvement from last year’s 57.1%.

Andruw Jones, Outfield:  ATL 1996-2007, LAD 2008, TEX 2009, CHW 2010 & NYY 2011-12.  66.2% on his 8th ballot.  The ten-time All-Star grew his tally from 61.6%, and though he only has two years left, he is trending in the right direction.

Chase Utley, Second Base:  PHI 2003-15 & LAD 2015-18.  39.8% on his 2nd ballot.  Utley’s support grew from 28.9% and looks like he will enter the Hall in a few years time.

Alex Rodriguez, Shortstop and Third Base:  SEA 1994-2000, TEX 2001-03 & NYY 2004-14.  37.1% on his 4th ballot.  Nobody has a better on-field resume than A-Rod, who is a three-time MVP, but he was suspended twice for PEDs.  His vote Toal did rise from last year’s 34.8, but he began the process at 34.3%.  Rodriguez is just treading water at this point.

Manny Ramírez, Outfield:  CLE 1993-2000, BOS 2001-08, LAD 2008-10, CHW 2010 & TBD 2010.  34.3% on his 9th ballot.  Ramirez is in the same boat as Rodriguez as he too was twice suspended for PEDs, and though this is highest tally to date, there is no reason to think that he can the 41.7% needed to enter in 2026.

Andy Pettitte, Pitcher:  NYY 1995-2003, 2007-10 & 2012-13 & HOU 2004-06.  27.9% on his 7th ballot.  Pettitte’s candidacy looked dead in the water, as he dropped to 13.5% last year, and he more than doubled that in 2025. 

Felix Hernandez, Pitcher:  SEA 2005-19.  20.6% on his 1st ballot.  King Felix makes a solid debut, and though he is behind Pettitte, his first tally is much better than Andys.

Bobby Abreu, Outfield:  HOU 1996-97, PHI 1998-2005, NYY 2006-09, LAA 2009-12, LAD 2012 & NYM 2014. 19.5% on his 6th ballot.  Abreu jumped from last year’s 19.5% but needs to average double digit increases to get into the Hall.

Jimmy Rollins, Shortstop:  PHI 2000-14, LAD 2015 & CHW 2016. 18.0% on his 4th ballot.  Rollins continues his growth of support, but has yet to see a 4% jump.

Omar Vizquel, Shortstop:  SEA 1989-93, CLE 1994-2004, SFG 2005-08, TEX 2009, CHW 2010-11 & TOR 2012. 17.8% on his 8th ballot.  Omar might have 17.8% of the vote but has zero chance to get in.  During the 2021 voting process, it was revealed that he was a domestic abuser, and since then he seen his support go from over 50% to less than 20.  Nobody has fallen like this before, and there is no reason to think he can regain that support.

Dustin Pedroia, Second Base:  BOS 2006-19.  11.9% on his 1st ballot.  The former MVP may have barely broke 10 percent, but others have started at the similar spot and entered the Hall.  Look at Billy Wagner!

Mark Buehrle, Pitcher:  CHW 2000-11, MIA 2012 & TOR 2013-15. 11.4% on his 5th ballot.  We have reached the half-way point for Buehrle, and 11.4 is the highest percentage he has received to date, but this is not a number that will cut it.

Francisco Rodríguez, Pitcher:  ANA/LAA 2002-08, NYM 2009-11, MIL 2011-13 & 2014-15, BAL 2013 & DET 2016-17. 10.2% on his third ballot.  K-Rod’s 10.2 is higher than last year’s 7.8, but is lower than his ballot debut of 10.8.

David Wright, Third Base:  NYM 2004-18:  8.1% on his 2nd ballot.  Wright saw a small increase from his 6.2% last year.

Torii Hunter, Outfield:  MIN 1997-2007 & 2015, LAA 2008-12 & DET 2013-14.  5.1% on his 5th ballot.  Hunter is clinging for life as one less vote would have eliminated him permanently.  HIs highest total was 9.5%, which was his first year on the ballot.

Those that failed to receive the 5% needed to stay on the ballot:

Ian Kinsler, Second Base.  TEX 2006-13, DET 2014-17, LAA 2018, BOS 2018 & SDP 2019.  2.5% on his 1st ballot.

Russell Martin, Catcher.  LAD 2006-10 & 2019, NYY 2011-12, PIT 2013-14 & TOR 2016-18.  2.3% on his 1st ballot.

Brian McCann, Catcher.  ATL 2005-12 & 2019.  NYY 2014-16 & HOU 2017-18. 1.8% on his 1st ballot.

Troy Tulowitzki, Second Base.  COL 2006-15, TOR 2015-17 & NYY 2019.  1.0% on his 1st ballot.

Curtis Granderson, Outfield.  DET 2004-09, NYY 2010-13, NYM 2014-17, LAD 2017, TOR 2018, MIL 2018 & MIA 2019.  0.8% on his 1st ballot.

Adam Jones, Outfield.  SEA 2006-07, BAL 2008-18 & ARI 2019.  0.8% on his 1st ballot.

Carlos González, Outfield.  OAK 2008, COL 2009-18, CLE 2019 & CHC 2019.  0.5% on the 1st ballot.

Hanley Ramirez, Shortstop, First Base and Third Base.  BOS 2005 & 2015-18, FLA/MI 2006-12, LAD 2012-14 & CLE 2019.  0.0% on the 1st ballot.

Fernando Rodney, Pitcher.  DET 2002-09, LAA 2010-11, TBR 2012-13, SEA 2014-15, CHC 2015, SDP 2016, ARI 2016, MIN 2018, OAK 2018-19 & WAS 2019.  0.0% on the 1st ballot.

Ben Zobrist, Second Base, Outfield and Shortstop.  TBR 2006-14, OAK 2015, KCR 2015 & CHC 2016-19. 0.0% on his 1st ballot

We will now begin revising the Notinhalloffame Baseball list.

After a decade of "ballot logjam," has voting for the National Baseball Hall of Fame finally returned to normal? We will know when results from the ballots cast by the qualified members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA, or "the writers") are announced on January 21, 2025, although based on voting trends over the last decade, the bulk of the results are predictable and, by now, unsurprising.

What does a "return to normal" mean? Of the 14 first-time candidates on the BBWAA 2025 ballot, only two, CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki, stand out as likely Hall of Famers, and neither are a lock for first-ballot induction. Of the 14 returning candidates, none of the "normal" candidates are automatic Hall of Famers, else they would have been elected already. Thus, there is no "ballot logjam," meaning that there are not more than ten sure-fire Hall of Famers who exceed the maximum of ten votes allowed per ballot.

Ah, November. 

Let’s first begin with what Notinhalloffame.com is thankful for…

Hall of Fame Season amps up every time this year!

Today, the Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the 2025 Ballot, which will be sent to the Baseball Writers of America.  Each committee member will send back their ballot, which can contain up to ten names from a 29-player list.  This includes 14 returning names and 15 new candidates.

To enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, a candidate must receive at least 75% of the vote.

Here are the 2025 candidates:

Billy Wagner:  73.8% last year and is now on his tenth and final ballot.  It is now or the Senior Ballot for the relief pitcher, who has worked his way up from less than 12% on his first three years of eligibility.  Wagner compiled 422 Saves (8^th All-Time) and was a seven-time All-Star.  He finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting twice and is also a former Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year.  Ranked #42 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andruw Jones:  61.6% last year and is now on his eighth ballot.  Jones has progressed well, especially considering that he had lower than eight percent in his first two years.  The five-time All-Star won ten Gold Gloves, smacked 434 Home Runs, 1,289 RBIs, and was the 2005 NL MVP runner-up.  Ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carlos Beltran:  57.1% last year and is now on his third ballot.  Have the voters punished Beltran for his role in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal?  Probably.  Beltran has the stats for the Hall (435 HR, 1,587 RBI) and the accolades (nine All-Stars, two Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves), and it is a matter of time for a player who looked like a fringe first-ballot entry.  This could be the year.  Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Alex Rodriguez:  34.8% last year and is now on his fourth ballot.  No player on the ballot has a better resume than A-Rod, but he has two PED suspensions on a resume with three MVPs, 10 Silver Sluggers, and two Gold Gloves.  Boasting 3,115 Hits, 696 Home Runs, and 2,086 RBIs, Rodriguez, Rodriguez can make a claim as one of the ten best players ever, but his 34.8 percent in 2024 is DOWN 0.9 from last year.  This is not a Hall of Fame path.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Manny Ramirez:  32.7% last year and is now on his ninth ballot Ramirez is in the same expensive boat as Rodriguez, as he also has the stats (555 Home Runs, 1,831 RBIs) and the awards (12 All-Stars, nine Silver Sluggers, and two World Series rings) that eclipse many Hall of Famers.  However, again, like A-Rod, Ramirez also has two PED suspensions and has treaded water on the ballot since he debuted.  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chase Utley.  28.8% last year and is now on his second ballot.  Utley is a six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger at Second Base who owns a World Series Ring (Philadelphia 2008).  He has 259 Home Runs, 1,885 Hits, and a bWAR over 60.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel:  17.7% last year and is now on his eighth ballot.  Vizquel looked to be headed toward the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the defensively gifted Shortstop was accused of domestic violence, and his support plummeted to his lowest mark last year (17.7) from 52.6% in 2020.  11 Gold Gloves and over 2,800 Hits won’t matter.  Ranked #55 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Abreu:   14.8% last year and is now on his sixth ballot.  Abreu remains on the ballot, but his total dropped 0.6% from last year.  He is a two-time All-Star with 2,470 Hits, 288 Home Runs, and a bWAR of just over 60.  Ranked #75 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jimmy Rollins:  14.8% last year and is now on his fourth ballot.  Rollins’s 14.8% from last year was his best result, and the three-time All-Star needs a significant jump this year.  He is a former World Series winner with the Phillies, won four Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, and has 231 Home Runs and 2,455 Hits.  Ranked #116 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andy Pettitte:  13.5% last year and is now on his seventh ballot.  Pettitte looks like he will miss Cooperstown, and despite the solid metrics (256-153, 2,448 SO & 60.2 bWAR) and five World Series rings, he was also popped for PEDs.  That is probably why he has only broke 15% once (17.0% in 2023).  Ranked #43 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mark Buehrle:  8.3% last year and is now on his fifth ballot.  Beuhrle is going nowhere on the ballot, having debuted at 11%, a number he has not hit since.  Buehrle had a career record of 214-160 with 1,870 Strikeouts and was a five-time All-Star who won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox.  Ranked #73 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Francisco Rodriguez:  7.8% last year and is now on his third ballot.  Despite Rodriguez having similar numbers to Wagner, he has fallen since his 10.8% debut.  K-Rod was a World Series Champion with the Angels, and record 457 Saves with six All-Star Games and two Rolaids Relief Awards.  Ranked #127 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Torii Hunter:  7.3% last year and is now on his fifth ballot.  Hunter remains in jeopardy of falling off the ballot, having never made double digits in the vote.  Hunter collected 2,452 Hits, smacked 353 Home Runs, and went to five All-Stars, winning nine Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  Ranked #107 on Notinhalloffame.com.

David Wright:  6.2% last year and is now on his second ballot.  Playing for the New York Mets for his entire career, Wright played at Third Base where he was a seven-time All-Star and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.  Ranked #90 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The following are making their debut on the ballot:

Ichiro Suzuki:   Suzuki should enter on his first ballot and make history as the first Japanese-born player to enter Cooperstown. He has a resume with 3,089 Hits, an MVP, ten All-Stars, ten Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers, as well as a lifetime Batting Average of .311. Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

C.C. Sabathia:  A five-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, Sabathia won a World Series with the Yankees and had a career record of 251-161 with 3,093 Strikeouts. He is arguably now the best Pitcher on the ballot. Ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Felix Hernandez:  “King Felix” won a Cy Young Award with the Mariners, where he had a lifetime record of 169-136 with 2,524 Strikeouts.  He was also a five-time All-Star and twice led the AL in ERA. Ranked #66 on Notinhalloffame.com.

 

Dustin Pedroia:  Pedroia helped the Red Sox win two World Series Championships and individually was an MVP with four Gold Gloves four All-Stars, and a Silver Slugger.  He compiled 1,805 Hits. Ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.

 

Ian Kinsler:  A World Series Champion with Boston in 2018, Kinsler had his best years earlier with Texas and Detroit, where he went to four All-Star Games and won two Silver Sluggers.  He had 257 Home Runs and 1,999 Hits.  Ranked #261 on Notinhalloffame.com

Carlos Gonzalez: Gonzalez was a three-time All-Star who also won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and a Batting Title.  He had 234 Home Runs and 1,432 Hits.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curtis Granderson:  Granderson belted 344 Home Runs with 1,800 Hits and was a three-time All-Star.  Unranked on Nothinhalloffame.com.

Adam Jones:  A five-time All-Star with a Silver Slugger and 282 Home Runs, Jones was also a five-time Gold Glove winner.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Russell Martin:  The Catcher went to four All-Star Games and was a one-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Brian McCann:  A World Series winner with the Astros, McCann was a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger at Catcher with 282 Home Runs.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Hanley Ramirez:  A former Rookie of the Year, Ramirez had 271 Home Runs with three All-Stars, two Silver Sluggers and a Batting Title. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Fernando Rodney:  Rodney won a World Series Ring with the Nationals and had 327 Saves.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Troy Tulowitzki:  Tulo has a pair of Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves and was a five-time All-Star.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ben Zobrist:   The infielder had 1,566 Hits, was a three-time All-Star and won two World Series rings, one with Kansas Cty and one with the Chicago Cubs.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Clay Bucholz, Francisco Liriano, Ian Desmond, Jason Vargas, Kendrys Morales, Mark Reynolds, Mark Trumbo, Martin Prado and Melky Cabrera all played enough seasons to qualify for the ballot but were left off.

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We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate those who have made the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.

The Hall of Fame season is in full swing as the Baseball Hall of Fame vote has been tabulated and we have three new inductees who were voted in by the writers.  Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer will become enshrined in the most prestigious sports hall of fame this summer, and we are thrilled that we have a large class.  They will join Jim Leyland, who was inducted by the Veteran’s Committee.

The inductees:

Adrian Beltre: 95.1% on his first ballot.  The Third Baseman was considered by everyone to be a first ballot lock, and today the Dominican made that projection come true.  He brings to Cooperstown a resume that had 3,166 Hits, 487 Home Runs, 1,707 RBIs, five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, five Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves.  Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle, Boston and Texas, Beltre was never an MVP but finished in the top ten five times.  Amazingly, Beltre did not really look like a Hall of Fame possibility until he was past 30, as his second half eclipsed his first.

Todd Helton: 79.7% on his fifth ballot.   Helton jumped from 52.0 from last year, and came a long way from the 16.5% from year one.  He enjoyed the entirety of his career with the Colorado Rockies, where he smacked 369 Home Runs with 2,519 Hits and 1,405 RBIs.  Finishing his career as a member of the lifetime 3/4/5 club (.316/.414/.539), went to five All-Star Games, won three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and owns a Batting Title.  He joins Larry Walker in joining Cooperstown while donning the “CR”. 

Joe Mauer:  76.1% on his first ballot.  Mauer’s election gives us two first ballot inductees, but unlike Beltre, Mauer’s Cooperstown career was spent with one team, Minnesota.  One of the best hitting Catchers of all-time, Mauer won the MVP in 2009 in the season he won his third Batting Title.  Mauer was. Six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner.  He recorded 2,123 Hits with a lifetime .306 Batting Average.  He is a minor surprise to make it as a first ballot entry.

Failing to make the Baseball Hall of Fame were:

Billy Wagner: 73.8% on his eighth ballot.  Wagner fell five votes shy of the Hall, but momentum is certainly on his side, even though there are only two years left of eligibility.  This is phenomenal progress for a player who was under 20% in his first four years.  With 422 career Saves (6^th all-time), Wagner was a seven-time All-Star with a lifetime ERA of 2.31 and WHIP of 0.998. 

Gary Sheffield: 63.9% on his tenth and final ballot.   It is off to the Veteran’s Committee for Sheffield, and while that worked for Fred McGriff, this might not be the case for Sheffield who was suspected of PED use.  Sheffield’s numbers are overall better than McGriff, with 509 Home Runs, 1,676 RBIs, 253 Stolen Bases and a Slash Line of .292/.393/.514.  Chalk “Shef” as a member of the all Non-Cooperstown team.

Andruw Jones: 61.6% on his seventh ballot.  Jones has a unique resume with 434 Home Runs and 19 Gold Gloves, and when you throw in five All-Stars and a Major League Player of the Year Award, this is a player who feels like he should be in already.  He only moved up 3.5% from last year, but Jones has come a long way from his first two years where he was just hanging on with over 7%. 

Carlos Beltran: 57.1% on his second ballot.  Had it not been for the sign-stealing scandal in his final, and World Series winning year, Beltran would have probably been a first ballot inductee.  He has the stats for it with 2,625 Hits, 435 Home Runs, 1,578 RBIs and 312 Stolen Bases, and the accoladed (nine All-Stars, two Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves, but this is a message by the voting body.  He moved up 10.5% from last year, and he will get in eventually.

Alex Rodriguez:  34.8% on his third ballot.  Nobody had a better resume on this ballot than A-Rod.  Three MVPs, 10 Silver Sluggers, 696 Home Runs, 3,115 Hits, 2,021 Runs and 2,086 RBIs dwarves what many Cooperstown inductee have, but so does one other stat:  two PED suspensions.  You would think that Rodriguez’s work on Fox might show that he is forgiven, but clearly, he isn’t.  His total went down from 35.7 in 2023, and why should we think anything will change for him moving forward?

Manny Ramirez:  32.5% on his eighth ballot.  Like Rodriguez, Ramirez should be in the Hall.  Owning a lifetime Slash Line of .312/.411/.585, 555 Home Runs, 1,831 RBIs, 12 All-Stars and nine Silver Sluggers, Ramirez was the catalyst of Boston’s two World Series Championships in the 2000s.  However, again like A-Rod, Man-Ram was also popped for PEDs twice.  He also dropped from last year, descending .7%. 

Chase Utley: 28.8 on his first ballot.  A six-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger, Utley’s strength lies on his sabermetrics (64.5 bWAR) and a 28.8 debut is a lot better than what Helton got.  This is not a bat start.

Omar Vizquel:  17.7% on his seventh ballot.  Ob boy.  Vizquel was on track for the Hall.  Voters loved his defense (11 Gold Gloves), and though he was a light hitter, he stayed around so long that he accumulated 2,877 Hits.  He had 37.0 percent on his first ballot, and reached 52.6 in year three.  However, he dropped to 49.1, as while votes were submitted, domestic allegations emerged.  As they were credible, he plummeted to 23.9 in 2022, and has trended downward with 19.5 in 2023 and his now new low of 17.7.  Here is another number.  0.0.  Those are his Hall of Fame chances.

Jimmy Rollins:  14.8% on his third ballot.  Inching up from 12.9 %, Rollins is a former MVP and World Series winner with Philadelphia and had 2,455 Hits with 231 Home Runs.  The Shortstop also went to three All-Star Games and won four Gold Gloves.

Bobby Abreu:  14.8% on his fifth ballot.  Abreu reminds surprisingly low as his 60.2 bWAR puts him in line with others in the Hall.  Throw in 2,460 Hits, 288 HR, and a lifetime OBP of .395, he has the credentials, but he was only an All-Star twice and never sought attention.  Abreu fell 0.6% from last year.

  

Andy Pettitte:  13.5% on his sixth ballot.  Pettitte had a career record of 256 and 153 with 2,448 Strikeouts, three All-Stars and five World Series rings.  The latter credential, and his performance in them should put him much higher, but Pettitte is an admitted PED user.  That is probably enough for a lot of voters to pass on him. 

Mark Buehrle:  8.3% on his fourth ballot. The five-time All-Star and World Series Champion with the Chicago White Sox had 214 Wins but only had one year where he received Cy Young votes.  The Pitcher dropped from 10.8%, and is treading water at this point.

Francisco Rodriguez:  7.8% on his second ballot.  Rodriguez has 437 Saves, five All-Stars and is best known for exploding out of the gate leading the Angels to their first World Series Championship.  He had a disappointing drop from 10.8 on year two.

Torii Hunter:  7.3% on his fourth ballot.  Hunter hangs on for life, but has never broke double-digits, and is down from year one’s number of 9.5%.  He was a five-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger with a 50.7 bWAR, 353 Home Runs and 1,391 RBIs. 

David Wright: 6.2% on his 1^st ballot.  Wright loves to fight another day, but it won’t get easier going forward.  The career Met went to seven All-Star Games and won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, but faces a tall order to enter the Hall.  We do think he should be honored by New York as soon as possible.

Falling off of the ballot:

Jose Bautista:  1.6% on his first, only and last ballot.  Bautista entered the Blue Jays Ring of Excellence last year, but this Hall will elude the former slugger.  He blasted 344 Home Runs, won three Silver Sluggers and went to five All-Star Games.

Victor Martinez:  1.6% on his first, only and last ballot.  Martinez exits on his first try after a five All-Stars, two Silver Sluggers and 295 Home Runs.

Bartolo Colon:  1.3% on his first, only and last ballot.  The big man had a disappointing showing considering he won 247 Games and a Cy Young, but as popular as he was, he was suspended for PEDs.  That still seems weird, doesn’t it?

Matt Holliday:  1.0% on his first, only and last ballot.  The Outfielder won a World Series with St. Louis in 2011, and was a seven-time All-Star.  He also won a Batting Title, NLCS MVP and four Silver Sluggers.

Adrian Gonzalez:  0.8% on his first, only and last ballot.  Gonzalez had a good career with five All-Stars, four Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and 317 Home Runs.

Brandon Phillips:  0.3% on his first, only and last ballot.  Phillips received a single vote after a nice career that saw him belt 211 Home Runs with 2,029 Hits.

Jose Reyes:  0.0% on his first, only and last ballot.  Reyes had a good career, but it had its share of controversies that likely cost him from receiving a vote.  When we get around to the dream team of players who were shutout does Reyes belong on it?  2,138 Hits, a Batting Title and 517 SB tells us he might.

James Shields:  0.0% on his first, only and last ballot.  While he received no votes, he belonged on the ballot with a respectable 145 Wins and 2,234 Strikeouts.

We will now begin work on revising the Notinhallofame.com Baseball List of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Look for that later next month.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The clock begins!

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has unveiled the official Modern Hall of Fame ballot for the 2024 Class, and it features 26 men, 14 of whom are returning names.

Alphabetically, they are:

Bobby Abreu:  5^th Year, 15.4 percent last year.  Abreu was one of the game’s most patient hitters, having drawn 1,476 career Walks, while batting over .300 six times.  A two-time All-Star, Abreu won one Silver Slugger, one Gold Glove and scored 100 Runs over eight times.

Jose Batista:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Batista is best known for his bat flip and time as a Toronto Blue Jay where he won back-to-back Home Run Titles and Hank Aaron Awards.  He went to six All-Star Games and won three Silver Sluggers.

Carlos Beltran:  2^nd Year, 46.5% percent last year.  Beltran is one of four players (along with Barry Bonds, Willie Mays & Alex Rodriguez) who has at least 1,500 Runs, 2,700 Hits, 400 Home Runs and 300 Stolen Bases.  He went to nine All-Star Games, won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  He is a former Rookie of the Year and won the World Series in his final season.

Adrian Beltre:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Beltre played most of his career at Third Base and is one of the few players in MLB history to have at least 3,000 Hits and 450 Home Runs.  He is a four-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and won five Gold Gloves.  He also batted over .300 seven times.

Mark Buehrle:  4^th Year, 10.7 percent last year.  Buehrle went to five All-Star Games and recorded a record 14 200-inning years in the American League.  He won four Gold Gloves and threw a no-hitter.  Buehrle also won at least 13 Games twelve times.

Bartolo Colon:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Colon won the 2005 AL Cy Young and was an All-Star four times.  He led the league in Wins once, and topped 15 in that statistic nine times with 247 in total.  Colon also is 36^th all-time in Strikeouts with 2,535.

Adrian Gonzalez:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Gonzalez went to five All-Star Games, won five Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  He had 317 Home Runs over his career.

Todd Helton:  6^th Year, 72.2 percent last year.  Helton was a five-time All-Star who played all 17 of seasons with the Colorado Rockies.  The First Baseman had three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and smacked 30 Home Runs in six different seasons.  He also batted .300 12 times, and won one Batting Title.

Matt Holliday:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Holliday went to seven All-Star Games and won four Silver Sluggers playing at Leftfield.  He won the World Series with St. Louis in 2011.

Torii Hunter:  4^th Year, 6.9 percent last year.   Hunter won nine Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger and was chosen for five All-Star Games.  He was one of the most exciting players of his day.

Andruw Jones:  7^th Year, 58.1 percent last year.  Jones was a five-time All-Star, a ten-time Gold Glove recipient and won the 2005 NL Home Run Title.  He is in the top fifty all-time in Home Runs with 434.

Victor Martinez:  1^st Year on the Ballot.  Martinez won two Silver Sluggers, was a five-time All-Star, and he had eight .300 seasons.  He is one of four Catchers (along with Carlton Fisk, Ivan Rodriguez and Ted Simmons) with at least 2,000 Hits, 400 Doubles and 200 Home Runs.

Joe Mauer:  1^st Year on the Ballot:  Mauer played all fifteen of his seasons with the Twins where he won the 2009 MVP.  He is the only Catcher to win three Batting Titles, and he went to Six All-Star Games, and won five Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves.

Andy Pettitte:  6^th Year, 17.0 percent last year.  Pettitte won five World Series Rings with the New York Yankees, and had eight 15-Win years.  He went to three All-Star Games and exceeded 200 Innings ten times.

Brandon Phillips:  1^st Year on the Ballot.  Phillips was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at Second Base.

Manny Ramirez:  8^th Year, 33.2 percent last year.  Twice suspended for PEDs, Ramirez has the stats for the Hall with twelve All-Stars, nine Silver Sluggers and two Hank Aaron Awards.  Ramirez batted over .300 eleven times, won three OBP Titles, three Slugging Titles and one Home Run Title.  He is 12^th all-time in Slugging (.585), 15^th in Home Runs (555) and 20^th in RBIs (1,831).  Ramirez also won two World Series Rings with the Red Sox, winning the MVP in the first one.

Jose Reyes:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Reyes went to four All-Stars and won one Silver Slugger and Batting Title.

Alex Rodriguez:  3^rd Year, 35.7 percent last year.  Like Ramirez, A-Rod has the stats for the Hall, but was popped twice for PEDs.  He won three MVPs, ten Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and went to 14 All-Star Games.  Rodriguez belted 30 Home Runs in fifteen different seasons, and won five Home Run Titles.  He is fourth all-time in RBIs (2,086), fifth in Home Runs (696) and 23^rd in Hits (3,115).

Francisco Rodriguez:  2^nd Year, 10.8 percent last year.  Rodriguez went to six All-Star Games, won two Rolaids Relief Awards, and led the league in Saves three times.  He won the World Series in 2002 with the Angels and is fourth all-time in Saves (434).

Jimmy Rollins:  3^rd Year, 12.9 percent last year.  Rollins’ best years were in Philadelphia where he won the 2007 MVP and the 2008 World Series.  He also won four Gold Gloves, was a three-time All-Star, and led the NL in Triples four times.

Gary Sheffield:  10^th Year, 55.0 percent last year.  A 22-year veteran, Sheffield went to nine All-Star Games, won a World Series with the Marlins and also owns five Silver Sluggers.  The Outfielder also has a Batting Title, and is 27^th all-time in Home Runs (509).

James Shields:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Shields played 13 years and was an All-Star once.  He posted at least 10 Wins nine years in a row, and was part of two American League Championship Teams.

Chase Utley:  1^st Year on the ballot.  Utley played most of his career with Philadelphia where he won the 2008 World Series, appeared in six All-Star Games, and captured four Silver Sluggers as a Second Baseman.

Omar Vizquel:  7^th Year,19.5 percent last year.  Vizquel’s Hall of Fame momentum was derailed by domestic violence allegations which could prevent the 11-time Gold Glove and three-time All-Star from enshrinement.  He is also 44^th all-time in Hits (2,877).

Billy Wagner:  9^th Year, 68.1 percent last year.  Wagner is sixth all-time in Saves (422), and second among southpaws.  He won one Rolaids Relief Award and went to seven All-Star Games.

David Wright:  1^st Year on the Ballot.  The Third Baseman went to seven All-Star Games and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.

We will be paying attention in the upcoming weeks as the votes trickle in.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate those who have made it this far.

If you are a Baseball fan, today is the day in “Hall of Fame Season” that is the pinnacle: the annual announcement of the Baseball Hall of Fame Class.

Rolen enters the ballot on his 6^th year on the ballot.  Increasing his total from 63.2% to squeaking in with 76.3%, Rolen was a seven-time All-Star, a World Series Champion in 2006 with St. Louis and he also won eight Gold Gloves at Third Base and one Silver Slugger.  He enters Cooperstown with 2,077 Hits, 316 Home Runs, a bWAR of 70.1 and a decision as to which hat he will wear on his plaque (it has to be St. Louis, right?).  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The players who did not make the Hall were:

Todd Helton, 72.2%, 5^th Year on the Ballot.  Helton looks like he will wait one more year, but he is getting in, showing a 20.2% rise from the year before.  The “Toddfather” blasted 369 Home Runs with 2,519 Hits with a lifetime Batting Average of .316, and the five-time All-Star had four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves.  Helton is ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Wagner, 68.1%, 8^th Year on the Ballot:  Wagner keeps getting closer, showing a sizable increase from his 51% from last year.  The former seven-time All-Star and owner of 422 Saves looks to be the next Relief Pitcher to be inducted. Wagner is ranked #41 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andruw Jones, 58.1%, 6^th Year on the Ballot:  We were stunned when in both 2018 and 2019, that Jones had less then 10% of the votes, and how could we not be!  The native of Curacao has 434 Home Runs, a bWAR over 60, a Silver Slugger and ten Gold Gloves.  Last year, Jones had 41.4%, and his voting rise tells us that he will enter this decade.  Jones is ranked #38 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Sheffield, 55.0%, 9^th Year on the Ballot:  Sheffield is a member of the 500 Home Run club, but the nine-time All-Star played for eight different teams, and his appearance on the Mitchell Report does him no favors.  He climbed substantially from 40.6%, but he only has one more shot.  He won’t get there.  Sheffield is ranked #22 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carlos Beltran, 46.5%, 1^st Year on the Ballot.  Betran has the Hall of Fame resume (2,725 Hits, 435 HR, 1,587 RBI, 312 SB & 70.1 bWAR) but we suspect that many voters wanted Beltran to pay penance for his lead   role in the Astros 2017 sign-stealing cheating scandal.  Beltran is ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jeff Kent, 46.5%, 10^th Year on the Ballot.  It is the end of the road for Kent, who was a former MVP.  His tally this year is his highest on the Modern Era ballot, and he now moves into the Senior Pool.  Kent is ranked #50 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Alex Rodriguez, 35.7%, 2^nd Year on the Ballot.  A-Rod has the best resume on the ballot.  He is a three-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, ten-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner.  His bWAR is over 115.  He is a World Series Champion.  That will not be enough to overturn his multiple positive PED tests, and no relationship with J-Lo or anyone of her ilk will overcome this.  He did improve from last year’s 34.3, but not by much.  Rodriguez is ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Manny Ramirez, 33.2%, 7^th Year on the Ballot.  Manny Ramirez is one of the most important players in Red Sox history, but like A-Rod, he was caught taking PEDs after the MLBPA agreed to that players would be suspended if caught.  Ramirez will continue to tread water until he is ushered off the ballot in three years.  He is Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel 19.5%, 6^th Year on the ballot   PEDs have derailed many potential Hall of Famers on this list, but for Vizquel it is domestic violence.  When that scandal came out, the 11-time Gold Glove recipient, who was once at 52.0% of the voting, dropped to 23.9% and is now even lower at 19.5%.  He has no chance.  Vizquel is ranked #49 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Andy Pettitte, 17.0%, 5^th Year on the Ballot.  Pettitte won 256 Games over his career, won five World Series Rings, but also has a positive PED test, which is costing him a plethora of votes.  He is ranked #39 o Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Abreu, 15.4%, 4^th Year on the Ballot.  Abreu amassed 2,425 Hits, was a two-time All-Star and he breaks double-digits in voting for the first time.  It is still a tough task for Abreu, but based on his plate-patience, he can wait!  He is ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jimmy Rollins, 12.9%, 2^nd Year on the Ballot.  The former World Series Champion and MVP remains on the ballot with excellent power numbers, but lousy advanced metrics.  He is Ranked #110 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mark Buehrle, 10.8%, 3^rd Year on the Ballot.  Buehrle continues to cling to the ballot, but is yo-yoing, going from 11.0% to 5.8% and now back up to.  Ranked #79 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Francisco Rodriguez 10.8% 1^st Year on the ballot.  K-Rod survives the first ballot, and he has similar numbers as Wagner; 437 Saves, but owns a World Series Ring.  Ranked #172 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Torii Hunter 6.9%, 3^rd Year on the Ballot.  Hunter continues to hang on for life on the ballot and at this point that might be the best you can hope for.  Ranked #194 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Any candidate who received less that 5.0% of the votes are now removed from the modern era ballot.

This means that those who received 0.3% (Bronson Arroyo, R.A. Dickey, John Lackey, Mike Napoli and Huston Street) and 0.0% (Matt Cain, Jacoby Ellsbury, Andre Ethier, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta, Jared Weaver and Jayson Werth) are eliminated.

We will now remove Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen from our Notinhalloffame Baseball List and add those who are now eligible.  The list will also be revised based on your votes, comments, and social media interactions.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and we will see you this summer at Cooperstown!

Days from the January 24, 2023, announcement by the National Baseball Hall of Fame of candidates who may have been elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), the burning question is not who those candidates, if any, will be. Instead, the burning question is: What morality are BBWAA voters going to legislate for the Hall of Saints this year?

For more than a decade, the controversy over performance-enhancing drugs (PED) has consumed discussion about who should or should not be elected to the Hall, capped by the late Hall of Famer Joe Morgan's now-infamous 2017 missive to voters about keeping the PED Penitents out of Cooperstown. But although the PED predicament remains—among the returning candidates on the 2023 BBWAA ballot are Manny Ramirez and Álex Rodriguez—voters are now finding other performance flaws in candidates to deny them entrance to the Hallowed Hall.

On a ballot packed with qualified candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is it possible that none of them will be elected this year?

If that happens, as it did last year, it would be the third time in the last decade that the qualified voters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) have thrown a shutout at the Hall of Fame. This is an odd paradox considering that after the Big Zilch of 2013, the BBWAA in subsequent years went on to elect 22 players across the next seven ballots, with the various guises of the veterans committee voting in another five players (and six non-players) during that seven-year span. (In 2013, the veterans committee did elect three candidates to the Hall.)

Last year, Curt Schilling, who had garnered 70 percent of the vote on the previous ballot, seemed to be a lock for election. Instead, he stalled with a negligible increase in support, then threw a social-media Trumper tantrum declaring that he wanted to be removed from this year's ballot. The Hall of Fame quickly responded that it would not do so.

Is this the year Curt Schilling makes it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Will Schilling be the only player elected to the Hall this year? After all the tumultuous voting activity of the 2010s, has voting for the Hall returned to "normal"?

Only a crystal ball, or the patience to wait until voting results for the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame are announced on January 26, 2021, can give us the definitive answers, but of course that doesn't stop us from prognosticating before we learn the results.

For now, the short answers are:

1. Maybe.

2. Possibly.

3. Likely.

2021 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot: Executive Summary

According to John Franco, he should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In an interview this past weekend with WFAN in New York City, Franco was asked about his Cooperstown omission and had quite a bit to say on the topic:

“I’m still trying to figure it out myself, too.  It is what it is. Writers at the time … guess they felt the save statistic wasn’t that important.

The game has changed from early 90s to present where relief pitchers more important and part of that strategy of the game.  It is what it is. My numbers are just as good as anybody in the Hall of Fame. Mariano’s off the chart, obviously, and Trevor Hoffman, but [my numbers] are comparable to everyone else in there.

The Hall of Fame is supposed to be about numbers…relief pitchers in there have 400-600 saves. The other ones who have been in there a while have 300 saves, obviously that’s a different era. I have 424. In my mind, I think I deserve to be in there, but it’s up to the voters. 

Longevity, number of games I pitched in, games I finished – I think it was over 1,100 games I played in – my ERA has been really good…these are things that they consider and we’ll just have to see who is on that committee.  The thing I like about that is that there are players voting on that, too. That’s probably how the Hall of Fame should be…we’ll have to wait and see what happens but I’m hoping vote goes my way next time.”

Franco was on the ballot in 2011 and received 4.6% of the vote, thus failing to meet the 5% to remain on the ballot.  The first thing to look at is the year he was on the ballot, 2011.  It was a loaded year, and he finished 19^thon the ballot, with 11 of them currently inducted.  Look at what he was up against:

Roberto Alomar, 2^nd Year, 90.0%
Bert Blyleven, 14^th Year, 79.7%
Barry Larkin, 2^nd Year, 62.1%
Jack Morris, 12^th Year, 53.5%
Lee Smith, 9^th Year, 45.3%
Jeff Bagwell, 1^st Year, 41.7%
Tim Raines, 4^th Year, 37.5%
Edgar Martinez, 2^nd Year, 32.9%
Alan Trammell, 10^th Year, 24.3%
Larry Walker, 1^st Year, 20.3%
Mark McGwire, 5^th Year, 19.8%
Fred McGriff, 2^nd Year, 17.9%
Dave Parker, 15^th Year, 15.3%
Don Mattingly, 11^th Year, 13.6%
Dale Murphy, 13^th Year, 12.6%
Rafael Palmeiro, 1^st Year, 11.0%
Juan Gonzalez, 1^st Year, 5.2%
Harold Baines, 5^th Year, 4.8%

The first reaction is that it is possible that some Hall of Fame voters left Franco off of their ballot, as he could not make their top ten.  If that is true, and there were just three voters who did not select him because the cap is ten, he would have remained on the ballot.  Subsequently, this was when the Hall still had a 15-year period, thus Blyleven, Morris, Parker, Mattingly and Murphy would not have been on the available pool to vote on had the current rules applied.  It should also be noted that other first ballot candidates were Kevin Brown (2.1%), Tino Martinez (1.0%) and John Olerud (0.7%).  This was one tough ballot!

Franco referenced his save total (424), which is currently fifth all-time, and ahead of Goose Gossage and Bruce Sutter, who are in, but Franco played later, when Saves were not as prevalent.  As for Lee Smith, he had 478 Saves, and a bWAR of 28.9 against Franco’s 23.4.  The most accurate comparison is Wagner, who is currently in his 6^thYear of Eligibility, has 422 Saves with a 27.7 bWAR, and had less competition on his ballot.  Wagner had 31.7% of the vote last year, and it is not inconceivable for him to get in.

Franco’s Cooperstown path is not closed.  He is eligible for the Today’s Game Committee, who will convene in 2022 for a 2023 induction.  That is still a tall order, but if Wagner looks to be Hall of Fame bound, Franco looks so much better, especially considering he has more association with a single team, and a better post-season record.

In 2021, we will be expanding our baseball to list to 300, and Franco will be among them.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such it is huge news that Houston Astros have announced their second franchise Hall of Fame Class.

The timing is not getting a lot of exposure, as the Astros are embroiled with stealing signs scandal that has transfixed the game.  Nevertheless, this organization ushered in something special last year with their franchise Hall of Fame, and it is time for us to celebrate that.

These six individuals will be honored in a pre-game ceremony at the Astros home game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 8.

Those six are:

Lance Berkman:  The third member of the “Killer B’s”, Berkman played for Houston from 1999 to 2010, where he was a five-time All-Star, and in all of those seasons, he finished in the top seven in MVP voting.  Berkman showed power with a pair of 40 Home Run Seasons, and would smack 326 taters with 1,090 RBIs for the Astros.  Berkman was traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and he left there with a Slash Line of .296/.410/.549.

Cesar Cedeno:  From the Dominican Republic, Cedeno was with Houston from 1970 to 1981 where he was a four-time All-Star.  Cedeno had three seasons where he batted over .300, and he would lead the NL in Doubles twice.  From 1972 to 1976, he won a Gold Glove and he would also have six straight 50 Stolen Base seasons, totaling 487 for the team.  Cedeno also could go deep, as shown by his 163 Home Runs with Houston.  He would have 1,658 Hits, with a .289 Batting Average for the Astros.

Roy Hofheinz:  Hofheinz was the former Mayor of Houston, and part of the group that the Majors to Houston.

Roy Oswalt:  Debuting for the Astros in 2001, Roy Oswalt would finish in the top five in Cy Young voting in five of his six first seasons.  The three-time All-Star would have two 20 Win campaigns, won the ERA Title in 2006 and would have a 143-82 record for Houston.  He also would strike out 1,593 batters.

Billy Wagner:  One of the more dominating relief pitchers of his day, Wagner went to three All-Star Games with Houston, and would win the National League Rolaids Relief Award in 1999.  He would record 225 Saves and 379 Games Finished.

Bob Watson:  Watson was with Houston from 1966 to 1979, and he was a two-time All-Star.  He would accumulate 1,448 Hits with 139 Home Runs for the team while batting .297.

This is the first class that was voted on by the 11-member Astros Hall of Fame committee.

They will join Bob Aspromonte, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Jose Cruz, Larry Dierker, Gene Elston, Milo Hamilton, Joe Morgan, Joe Niekro, Shane Reynolds, J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Jim Umbricht, Don Wilson and Jimmy Wynn, who were all inducted last year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Larry Walker for earning this prestigious honor.

The College Baseball Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2019.

The nominees are:

Dave Chalk:  Chalk competed at the University of Texas from 1969 to 1972 where he batted .362 and would lead the Longhorns to three College World Series appearances.  He would later be a two-time All-Star with the California Angels.

Andre Dawson:  Dawson played at Florida A&M, leading the All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs in 1974 and 1975.  He would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Wally Hood:  Hood played at USC, where in 1948, he went 21-2 in 1948.  He would later have a cup of coffee with the New York Yankees.

Mark Kotsay:  Kotsay was an absolute stud at the Cal-State Fullerton where he was a two-time All-American and took his school to a College World Series Championship in 1995.  That year he won the Golden Spikes Award and was also named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.  A regular Outfielder, he pitched the final five outs to win the title that year. Kotsay would go on to hit 127 Home Runs in the Majors in a career that spanned over eight teams.

Mike Martin:  Martin finished his legendary career this year after helming Florida State since 1980.  He retired with 2,029-736-4 with a tournament record of 142-83.  No manager has more wins in College Baseball and although the Seminoles did not win a championship under his tenure, he never missed the post-season and his teams appeared in 17 College World Series.  He is also a two-time Baseball America Coach of the Year.

Dennis Poppe:  Poppe worked for the NCAA for 39 years, specifically earning this honor for overseeing the College World Series from 1987 to 2013.

Lloyd Simmons:  Simmons won 1,804 Games as the Manager of Seminole State.  He led 13 teams to the NJCAA College World Series.

Billy Wagner:  Wagner played at Division III Ferrum College where he averaged 16 Strikeouts per nine innings.  He would go 17-3 with a 1.63 ERA.

The ceremony will take place on November 1^stand 2^ndin Baton Rouge.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

 

 

We love this day!

Regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com know how much we consider the announcement of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class to be our Christmas.  If that is the case, then the announcement of the Baseball Hall of Fame Class is like our Birthday.

Let’s get right into the votes!

As expected, Mariano Rivera enters the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility.  Rivera is without question the greatest Relief Pitcher in the history of Baseball and he retired with 652 Saves, the all-time record.  A thirteen time All Star who spent his entire career with the New York Yankees, Rivera had a career ERA of 2.21 and WHIP of 1.000, which is outstanding but his post season numbers were even better with an ERA of 0.70 and WHIP of 0.759 over 96 Games including five World Series Rings and a World Series MVP.  Even more impressive is that Rivera made history as the first man to receive a unanimous vote, a great sign that the voters are no longer sending in blank votes in protests.

Roy Halladay also enters the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility with 85.4%.  Halladay is one of the few Pitchers to win a Cy Young in both leagues (2003 with Toronto and 2010 with Philadelphia) and he was the runner-up for the award twice. He retired with a record of 203 and 105 with 2,117 Strikeouts.  Sadly, this induction will be posthumous as he died when he crashed his plane in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017.

Edgar Martinez gets in on his 10^thand final try after receiving 85.4% up from 70.4%.  The career Seattle Mariner is considered to be the first Designated Hitter voted in (unless you count Frank Thomas and remember Harold Baines was not voted in by the writers). Martinez retired with a .312 Batting Average with 309 Home Runs. 

Mike Mussina.  Mike Mussina makes in on his 6^thtry finishing with 76.7% up from 63.5% from last year.  Mussina had a record of 270 and 153 with five All Star Game appearances.  We have been open in our belief that Mussina’s induction is long overdue.

Curt Schilling is also on his seventh year of eligibility.  Unlike Bonds and Clemens, his obstacle to the Hall has been his himself as he has been openly critical of writers and media alike.  On the field, Schilling does have a Hall of Fame resume, which showcases 216 Wins and three World Series Rings where he put on incredible performances which included the infamous bloody sock (Boston 2004) and being named the Co-MVP of the 2001 Fall Classic as an Arizona Diamondback. Schilling has been relatively quiet leading up to this vote, which may have helped his rise in the vote from 51.2% to 60.9%, a significant increase indeed.

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, who were both on their 7^thyear of eligibility are easily the most successful Pitcher and Position Player on this ballot and both have not yet gotten in due to their alleged link to PEDs.  With the addition of former commissioner Bud Selig who presided over the rise of Performance Enhancing Drugs to the Hall of Fame many voters openly altered their stance on the PED users from that era and the two baseball juggernauts whose chances once seemed hopeless have seen their vote tally rise again.   Seven time Cy Young Award winner Clemens goes up from 57.3% to 59.%%.  Seven time MVP Bonds climbs from 56.4% to 59.1%

Former National League MVP, Larry Walker saw his totals ride from 34.1% to 54.6%.  Walker, who still might be receiving a Coors Field bias is on his ninth year of eligibility and with only one year left it looks like it will be hard for him to get in, but the sizable jump does show hope.

Defensive superstar Omar Vizquel remains in a good position on the second year of his eligibility.  The 11 time Gold Glove recipient also collected 2,877 Hits over his career.  The Venezuelan’s vote total increased from 37% to 42.8%. 

This is Fred McGriff’s final year on the ballot and he finishes with a vote of 39.8%, which is significantly higher than last year’s 23.2%.  With 493 Home Runs and 2,490 Hits he would not be out of place in the Hall but he was never a huge name and is not closely associated with any team.  Many have written that the induction of Harold Baines should pave the way for the “Crime Dog” in a future Veteran’s Committee ballot.

Manny Ramirezwent from 22.0% to 22.8% on his third year on the ballot.  Unlike Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, Ramirez was caught taking PEDs and was suspended for it.  Since he was caught after Major League Baseball and the Player’s Union came up with their stance on steroids, “ManRam” is in a distinct category all his own.

On his fourth year on the ballot Billy Wagner went from 11.1% to 16.7%, which is by far his best jump.

Jeff Kentstayed in limbo in his 6^thyear of eligibility.  The former National League MVP went from 14.5%. to 18.1%.

Scott Rolen went up on his 2^ndYear from 10.2% to 17.2% and like others, the fact that four people are removed from this group will be a big help to his cause.

Todd Helton debuts with 16.5% which may seem low but in this group is not that bad and does show that there is a chance for his total to rise.  To put this into perceptive, Mike Mussina’s first year on the ballot would see him only receive 20.3%.

Gary Sheffield remains in the same grouping that Kent is.  Sheffield, who had over 500 Home Runs also has a PED taint around him is on his fifth year of eligibility and his tally went from 11.1% to 13.6%.  It does not look good for Sheffield.

Andruw Jones had 7.3% on his first year and received 7.5% on his second, which is not the gain he would have hoped for.

Andy Pettitte just barely made it through with 9.9%.  The crowded ballot probably hurt Pettitte more than anyone else as he is an admitted PED user who while he had very good career numbers was only a three time All Star.

If Kent and Sheffield are in Hall of Fame limbo than Sammy Sosa is in purgatory.  Like Clemens and Bonds, Sosa is in his 7^thyear of eligibility but unlike the other two Sosa has not seen his number drop as with the exception of his first year on the ballot where he accrued 12.5%, he has not gained double digits since.  The longtime Chicago Cub has seen his once stellar reputation crumble ever since he feigned the inability to speak English in front of Congress.  Sosa received only 8.5%.

Significant names who received votes but did not make the mandatory 5% to remain on the ballot are Michael Young (2.1%), Lance Berkman (1.2%), Miguel Tejada (1.2%), Roy Oswalt (0.9%) and Placido Polanco (0.5%)

Kevin Youkilis, Derek Lowe, Freddy Garcia, Vernon Wells, Ted Lilly, Travis Hafner, Jason Bay, Michael Young, Jon Garland. Darren Oliver, Juan Pierre and Rick Ankiel did not receive any votes.

This group will join Harold Baines and Lee Smith who were chosen by the Veteran’s Committee.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and we will begin work on revising our Baseball list.  Look for that in late February.

Baseball Hall of Fame season is in full gear as following the announcements of the Today’s Era Finalists last week, Cooperstown has now unveiled the official Hall of Fame ballot.

Let’s take a look at the 35 former players who the Baseball Writers can vote on:

In alphabetical order:

Rick Ankiel: Ankiel is debuting on the ballot and he was the runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 as a Pitcher. Injuries to his pitching arm forced him to abandon that aspect of the game and he would come back as an Outfielder and collect over 400 Hits. This is a great story but just getting on this ballot is a win.

Jason Bay: Bay was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2004 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and he would be selected for three All Star Games. The Canadian would have 1,200 Hits with 222 Home Runs but he is unlikely to get any votes.

Lance Berkman: Berkman was the third “Killer B” for the Houston Astros and he would later win a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. This is his first time on the ballot and he is a six time All Star with 366 career Home Runs with an OPS at .943. He will struggle to get past the first ballot. Berkman is ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Barry Bonds: Bonds returns to the ballot for the seventh time and he had a high vote of 56.4% last year. The All-Time Home Run Leader and 7 time MVP has seen a 20.2% since he debuted and the “PED” guys have gone from “no chance” to “50/50”. Expect another bump this year. Bonds is ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Roger Clemens: How fitting that Clemens alphabetically comes after Bonds! Clemens was to pitching what Bonds was hitting and he was a 7 time Cy Young Award winner with 354 career Wins. Like Bonds, he has on his seventh year on the ballot and he had 57.3% of the ballot last year, well up from the 37.6% from his first year. Clemens is ranked #1C on Notinhalloffame.com.

Freddy Garcia: Garcia got off to a good start where he was a two time All Star and he was in the top ten in Cy Young voting twice. The Venezuelan Pitcher won 156 Games and he is on his first ballot but he will likely struggle to get any votes at all.

Jon Garland: Garland was an All Star in 2005, which was the same season he was sixth in Cy Young voting and helped the Chicago White Sox win the World Series. He won 136 Games over his career and he is not expected to receive any votes.

Travis Hafner: Hafner spent most of his career with the Cleveland Indians where he would finish in the top ten in MVP voting twice. Over his career he had 1,039 Hits with 213 Home Runs and he would win the American League Slugging Title in 2006. He will be fortunate to get any votes.

Roy Halladay: Halladay is on his first year of eligibility and he has an excellent chance to enter Cooperstown on his first year of eligibility. Over his career, “Doc” was a two time Cy Young winner one in both leagues and he was a top five finisher five times. Halladay had a great record of 203 and 105 with 2,117 Strikeouts. Should he get in, it will be posthumous as he died when he crashed his plane a couple of years ago. Halladay is ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Todd Helton: Helton is a five time All Star who spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies. Helton had 369 Home Runs over 2,519 Hits I n hic career. He is entering his first year of eligibility and while we don’t think he will enter on the first ballot he should receive enough to stay on the ballot. Helton is ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andruw Jones: Jones is on his second year on the Hall of Fame ballot after receiving 7.3 on his debut year. He had great power with 434 Home Runs and he was a ten time Gold Glove winner. Jones had a low vote tally due to a crowded ballot but we think he will see a decent rise this year. Jones is ranked #46 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jeff Kent: Jeff Kent is on his sixth year of eligibility where he has never escaped the teens, peaking at 16.7% in 2017. The 2000 National League MVP was a five time All Star and he smacked 2,461 Hits with 377 Home Runs. Kent will likely receive the same amount of Hall of Fame support as the previous years. Kent is ranked #52 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ted Lilly: Lilly had a 15 year career where he was a two time All Star who would have 130 and 113 record. Lilly never received any Cy Young votes and we suspect that he will not receive any Hall of Fame votes either.

Derek Lowe: Lowe was a two time All Star and in 2002 he finished third in Cy Young voting. He would win 176 Games and he helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. Lowe might receive a couple of votes.

Edgar Martinez: The bad news is that this is the last year that former Edgar Martinez is on the ballot. The good news is that he received 70.4% last year and has very solid momentum to get in this year. Arguably the greatest Designated Hitter of all-time had 2,247 Hits with 309 Home Runs and a career Slash Line of .312/.418/.515. He is ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Fred McGriff: Like Martinez, Fred McGriff is on his last year of eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but last year he only had 23.2% of the vote so the odds of him getting another 51.8% seems very unlikely. The five time All Star had 493 Home Runs with 2,490 Hits and will likely have to look at a Veteran’s Committee Induction. He is ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Mussina: Mike Mussina is entering his sixth season on the ballot and after a 63.5% finish last year he could gain the support needed to enter this year. Splitting his career between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, Mussina may never been a Cy Young winner but he was in the top six in voting nine times. The Pitcher would have a 270 and 153 record with 2,813 Strikeouts. He is ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Darren Oliver: Oliver had a 118 and 98 record over 766 Games. A 20 year veteran, Oliver probably won’t earn a vote but we are glad to see that he was respected enough to earn a spot on the ballot.

Roy Oswalt: This is Roy Oswalt’s first time on the ballot and the three time All Star would finish in the top six in Cy Young in voting six times. He was a two time 20 Game winner who totaled 163 over his career. A win for him this year would to be to make the 5% needed to stay on the ballot next year. He is ranked #104 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andy Pettitte: In our eyes, the most interesting first ballot vote will be that of Andy Pettitte who amassed a 256 and 135 record with 2,448 Strikeouts. Five times he would finish in the top five in Cy Young voting and he is a five time World Series winner with 19 post-season Wins. He likely won’t get in on the first ballot and he could conceivably finish anywhere between 20% and 55%. Honestly, we can’t pinpoint this one at all. He is ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Juan Pierre: Pierre was a speedster who would lead his league in Stolen Bases three times and he had 614 in total. He would have 2,217 Hits with a career Batting Average of .295. Pierre might get a couple of votes but will lucky to get even that.

Placido Polanco: Polanco had a good career with over 2,100 Hits and he was a two time All Star who also won three Gold Gloves. Polanco will be in the same boat as Pierre as they were both good players who will be worth a vote or two.

Manny Ramirez: Manny Ramirez will be on his third ballot but unlike other PED guys he went down last year in his votes. He had 22.0% last year and 23.8% the year before. It has to be remembered that unlike Bonds and Clemens, Ramirez DID test positive. Ramirez is a two time World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox with four top four MVP votes. He also blasted 555 Home Runs with a career Slash Line of .312/.411/.585. Statistically speaking we know that he meets the criteria but the label of forgiveness hasn’t spread to him…at least not yet. He is ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mariano Rivera: Usually Relief Pitchers are not Hall of Fame locks but there has never been a closer like Mariano Rivera. The Panamanian is the all-time leader in Saves (652) and the career New York Yankee won five World Series titles and his post season record saw him win 8 Games, record 42 Saves and he had a 0.70 ERA and a 0.759 WHIP. It will be a shock if he does not get inducted this year and is the leading vote getter. He is ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Rolen: Rolen received 10.2% of the ballot last year and is entering his second year of eligibility. He brings a very balanced resume of eight Gold Gloves, 316 Home Runs, is a World Series Champion (with St. Louis) and in terms of bWAR he is at 70.6. He might see his number increase but not by much. He is ranked #17 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling: Schilling won 216 Games with 3,116 Strikeouts and three times he was the National League Cy Young runner-up but he was even more lights out in the post-season where he was a three time World Series Champion (one with Arizona and two with Boston) with an 11 and 2 record and a 2.23 ERA. Schilling is on his seventh year on the ballot with a 51.2% finish last year, but it is down from where it was two years ago (52.3%). Schilling’s past comments against the media have not helped him, which might explain partially why he is still waiting. He is ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Sheffield: Gary Sheffield is another name on the ballot with PED suspicion and has been ballot purgatory for the four years he has been on the ballot finishing anywhere from 11.1% to 13.3%. Sheffield hit 509 Home Runs over his career and perhaps with the less crowded ballot he might increase vote total but it will be difficult to see him rise above the mid-teens. He is ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sammy Sosa: Sammy Sosa has been on the ballot for six years and in his first year on the ballot he received 12.5%. Since that time he never got past 10% and while some PED guys are being forgiven, the former MVP does not seem to be. He had 609 Home Runs with 2,408 Hits over his career, which are incredible numbers yet he will probably struggle to get a double digit vote. He is ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Miguel Tejada: Miguel Tejada won the American League MVP in 2002 and over his career he belted 307 Home Runs with 2,407 Hits. For Tejada, a win here would be to get the 5% needed to remain on the ballot but it will be difficult. He is ranked #95 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel: Omar Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive players ever accumulating 11 Gold Gloves over a 24 year career that also saw him collect 2,877 Hits. This is the second year of eligibility for Vizquel who got 37.0% last year. While many expected Vizquel to get a higher percentage in his ballot debut this is still a good start on the Hall of Fame path. He might increase by ten percent this year. He is ranked #68 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Wagner: Billy Wagner recorded 422 Saves over his career and he is entering his fourth year of eligibility. He received a high of 11.1% last year but it might be hard for him to reach the teens.

Larry Walker: Larry Walker is a former National League MVP who has a career bWAR over 70, a .313 career Batting Average and 383 Home Runs, which overall seems like a Hall of Fame resume on the surface but the former Colorado Rockies star appears to be the victim of what was then the “Coors Field effect” where he had really good home stats. He only has two more chances and he is coming off a high of 34.1%. He will likely see a vote increase but not much. He is ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kevin Youkilis: Youkilis would win two World Series Rings with the Boston Red Sox and was a three time All Star who finished third in MVP voting in 2008. He might get a vote or two but he probably shouldn’t.

Michael Young: Young had a pretty good career where he accumulated 2,375 Hits with an even .300 Batting Average. Young was a seven time All Star and should receive a few votes but it is also possible that we won’t have any.

Jose Contreras, Ryan Dempster, Octavio Dotel, Ramon Hernandez, Brad Penny, Yorvit Torrealba and Jake Westbrook played the minimum amount of seasons (10) to qualify for the ballot but they were not included.

The election results will be announced on January 22.

We can guarantee that between now and that time we will have a lot more to write about when it comes to this vote!

This is one of the days that we eagerly await annually as we now know who will comprise the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman have been chosen as all three received the necessary 75% of the vote from the Baseball Hall of Fame voters.

Jones, who played his entire career with the Atlanta Braves, is the highest vote getter this year with 97.2% of the ballot. Jones is one of the greatest hitting Third Basemen in history accumulating 2,726 Hits with a Slash Line of .303/.401/.529. The 1999 National League MVP also belted 468 Home Runs.

Vladimir Guerrero enters the Hall on his second try. The 2004 American League MVP and nine time All Star received 71.4% of the vote last season and easily cruised into the Hall this year with 92.9%.

Jim Thome also enters Cooperstown on his first try. In comparison to Jones, Thome was a vagabond playing for six different Major League teams, but his power prowess had few equals. The five time All Star blasted 612 Home Runs, which ranks him seventh all-time. Thome received 89.8% of the ballot

Trevor Hoffman enters the Baseball Hall of Fame on his third try and becomes the sixth Relief Pitcher to be inducted. Hoffman is second all-time in Saves and is a two time runner up to the National League Cy Young Award. Hoffman finished with 79.9% of the vote.

Now let’s take a look at those who were not chosen.

Edgar Martinez made another significant jump in the votes. He went from 43.4% to 58.6% and this year he went to 70.4%. This is the ninth year that the Designated Hitter was on the ballot and he is considered to be the best ever at that position. Martinez was tracking well and was projected to be inducted this year but he should be able to get in next year.

Mike Mussina saw his total rise from 51.8% to 63.5%. Sabremetrically speaking, Mussina remains one of the biggest snubs on the ballot, but he has only been on the ballot for five years. This increase could see him enter Cooperstown next year but this double digit rise will bring him induction eventually.

Barry Bonds remains a polarizing figure for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but PEDs or not, this was the best hitter of his era and arguably of all-time. The career Home Run Leader and seven time MVP received 56.4% up from 53.8% from last year.

Roger Clemens is in the exact same boat as Bonds. “The Rocket” was also the best of his generation and is a seven time Cy Young Award winner, though he is a two time World Series winner (unlike Bonds). His numbers increased to 54.1% last year and reached 57.3% this year.

The increase (albeit mild) of both Bonds and Clemens votes shows that the voters are becoming more forgiving of the PED era (with many citing the induction of Bud Selig as a catalyst for their change of heart) and it is also indicative of an influx of younger voters. This is the sixth year on the ballot for Bonds and Clemens and there is certainly hope on the horizon for both; something almost unthinkable three years ago.

Curt Schilling has Hall of Fame numbers but he did not exactly endear himself to voters with his anti-media stance and he was one of the few players to see his total decrease last year. He had 51.2% of the vote, which is up from last year’s 45.0% but down from 2016’s 52.3%. He may still need to grovel to the media for his upswing to resume.

Omar Vizquel is also on his first ballot and he received 37% of the vote. The Shortstop won eleven Gold Gloves and is regarded as one of the best defensive players ever. Vizquel also had 2,877 career Hits. He should be very happy with this debut number.

Larry Walker did see his total rise from to 34.1% but he is running out of time. The former National League MVP is still suffering from the Coors Field market and he has only two more years on the ballot.

Fred McGriff continues to tread water. “The Crime Dog” was only at 23.2% of the vote, which is his ninth year on the ballot. The First Baseman finished with 493 Home Runs but has never finished higher than 25%.

Manny Ramirez continues to struggle in his Hall of Fame voting. Ramirez has incredible career numbers, which are definitely Hall of Fame worthy but he was suspended twice for PEDs, something that did not happen to Bonds and Clemens. His tally was 22%, down slightly from last year.

Jeff Kent received 14.5% of the vote and with this being his sixth year on the ballot it is not looking good for the 2000 National League MVP.

Gary Sheffield received 11.1% in his fourth year of eligibility. “Shef” needs Bonds and Clemens to get in to have any real shot of getting into the Hall of Fame. He is a nine time All Star with 509 career Home Runs.

Billy Wagner received 11.1% in his third year of the ballot, which is enough to keep him on the ballot.

Scott Rolen only finished with10.2 on his first year of eligibility. Rolen’s biggest asset is his 70.0 bWAR but his traditional metrics will still give him a look for years to come. He should see his numbers rise in upcoming years.

Sammy Sosa held on with 7.8% of the vote. He is unlikely to make it to Cooperstown.

Andruw Jones received 7.3% on his first appearance on the ballot. The native of Curacao has over 400 Home Runs and is a four time league leader in Defensive bWAR.

Three notable first timers on ballot did not make it to 5%, that being Johan Santana, Jamie Moyer and Johnny Damon.

The others who did not earn enough votes were Chris Carpenter, Livan Hernandez, Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Jason Isringhausen, Carlos Lee, Brad Lidge, Hideki Matsui, Kevin Millwood, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano.

These three will join previously chosen Veterans Committee Selections, Alan Trammell and Jack Morris and Ford C. Frick recipient, Bob Costas.

We will be revamping our Notinhallofame.com Baseball list shortly. Look for that in late February.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. We don’t know about you but this is the most excited that we have been in years about a Hall of Fame Class!

Strategic voting. What you have to do when you have too many choices and not enough time or opportunities to realize all those choices.

Sounds like voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame for the last few years, doesn't it?

The good news is that since the Shutout of 2013, when the eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) could not muster the 75 percent of the vote necessary to elect any one ballot candidate to the Hall of Fame despite a wealth of candidates from whom to choose (I counted 14), the BBWAA has sent a dozen players to Cooperstown. Based on that trend, and barring any unusual or unforeseen wrinkle, the writers are certain to elect at least one player for 2018.

Ah, the road to the Class of 2018 is officially underway as the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has been released with 33 candidates who are on the ballot.

The candidates in alphabetical are:

Barry Bonds: Bonds is on his sixth ballot and enjoyed his biggest jump last year with a 53.8% finish. That increase gives a lot of hope to the PED associated players for Hall of Fame entry. He is ranked # 2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chris Carpenter: Carpenter is on his first ballot and the former Starting Pitcher went 144 and 94 and won the Cy Young Award in 2005. He was also a three time All Star.

Roger Clemens: Like Bonds, Clemens enjoyed a significant increase in his vote tally moving up to 54.1%. If the seven time Cy Young Award winner enjoys another gain in his sixth year on the ballot we could see him inducted before his time on the ballot ends. He is ranked #1C on Notinhalloffame.com.

Johnny Damon: Damon is on his first ballot and will struggle to make a second. He was a two time All Star and a two time World Series Champion. He is ranked #99 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Vladimir Guerrero: Guerrero is on his second year of eligibility and came off a 71.7% result. The 2004 American League MVP likely we will see enough of a rise to gain entry to Cooperstown. He is ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Livan Hernandez: A two time All Star, Livan Hernandez had a career record of 178 and 177. This is his first time on the ballot

Trevor Hoffman: Hoffman was only one percentage point away from Cooperstown last year, thus only a marginal increase in his third year of eligibility should get him in. His 601 career Saves puts him second all-time and he is also a seven time All Star. He is ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Orlando Hudson: Making his first appearance on the ballot, Hudson would go to two All Star Games and was a four time Gold Glove winner.

Aubrey Huff: Huff would accumulate 1,699 Hits and 242 Home Runs over his career. He is also a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants.

Jason Isringhausen: Isringhausen is also on his first year of eligibility and he was a two time All Star.

Andruw Jones: Jones is entering his first year of eligibility and brings a decent resume with eight All Star Games, ten Gold Gloves and 434 career Home Runs. He is ranked #47 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chipper Jones: The career Atlanta Brave is debuting on the ballot and is the most likely newly eligible former player to get inducted immediately. Jones was the National League MVP in 1999 and is an eight time All Star. He won the Batting Title in 2008. He is ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jeff Kent: Kent is on his fifth year of eligibility and finished with 16.7% of the vote last year, his highest to date. The Third Baseman was the 2000 National League MVP and was a five time All Star. He is ranked #50 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carlos Lee: Lee is making his first appearance on the ballot and was a two time All Star. He hit 358 Home Runs with 2,273 Hits.

Brad Lidge: The former Relief Pitcher recorded 225 Saves and was a two time All Star. He was also a World Series Champion with Philadelphia and he is entering his first year on the ballot.

Edgar Martinez: The former Designated Hitter is on his ninth try but his 58.6% gives him hope to possibly get in as it was a 15.2% increase from the previous vote. He is ranked #17 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Hideki Matsui: “Godzilla” was a two time All Star with the New York Yankees and was the 2009 World Series MVP.

Fred McGriff: It is not looking good for Fred McGriff who is on his ninth year of eligibility following a 21.7% vote tally last year. McGriff is a five time All Star with 493 career Home Runs. He is ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kevin Millwood: An All Star in 1999, Kevin Millwood is on the ballot for the first time. He went 169 and 152 with 2,083 Strikeouts.

Jamie Moyer: Playing almost to age of 50, Jamie Moyer makes his Hall of Fame ballot debut. Moyer was an All Star once and retired with a record of 269 and 209 with 2,441 Strikeouts. He is ranked #105 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Mussina: Mussina is on his fifth year of eligibility and finished with a high of 51.8% of the vote. Mussina retired with 270 Wins against only 153 Losses. He would be named to five All Star Games. He is ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Manny Ramirez: Manny debuted last year with only 23.8% of the ballot but the two time World Series Champion and 500 Home Run Club member should see an increase this year. He is ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Rolen: Rolen will be one of the most hotly debated new arrivals to the ballot as his sabremetric numbers far exceed his traditional ones. Still, this is a seven time All Star with a World Series Ring. He is ranked #17 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Johan Santana: Santana was a two time Cy Young Award winner and four time All Star. He is making his first appearance on the ballot. He is ranked #65 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling: Unlike many others who were on the ballot previously, Schilling actually trended downwards mostly due to his comments against the media finishing with 45% last year as opposed to the 52.3% he had the year before. Schilling is a three time Cy Young runner-up, two time World Series winner and a six time All Star. He is ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Sheffield: Sheffield is on his fourth year of eligibility and received 13.3% of the vote last year. He has 509 career Home Runs with nine All Star Game appearances. He is ranked #21 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sammy Sosa: Sosa is entering his sixth year on the ballot following an 8.6% vote total. That is concerning as he has only finished in double digits on his first year of eligibility. He is ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Thome: Thome is on the ballot for the first time and brings five All Star Games and 612 Home Runs for consideration. He will likely get in but possibly not on his first try. He is ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel: Vizquel is also entering his first year of eligibility and the defensive specialist should receive enough ballots to remain on future ballots. He is ranked #76 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Wagner: The seven time All Star is entering his third year on the ballot and he received 10.2% on the ballot last year.

Larry Walker: The 1997 National League MVP is running out of time. He is on his eight year of eligibility and he finished 21.9% last year. He is ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kerry Wood: The former flamethrower is on his first year of eligibility. Wood was a two time All Star and was the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year.

Carlos Zambrano: On his first year of eligibility, Zambrano was a three time All Star who finished with a career record of 132 and 91.

Not everyone who was Hall of Fame eligible for the first time made the ballot. This includes Miguel Batista,Francisco Cordero, Brian Fuentes, Adam Kennedy, Guillermo Mota, Carl Pavano, Scott Podsednik, J.C. Romero, Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan and Jack Wilson.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com will be very interested to see what will transpire with this latest ballot and we will love watching all of the debates begin!

A dominating reliever in his day, Billy Wagner would make three of his seven All0Star Games as an Astro, the team he began his career.  Wagner would accumulate 225 Saves with 1.039 WHIP and would finish 4th in Cy Young Voting in 1999, which would be the year he won his lone Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year Award.

Last year, we did our first ever debate on Notinhalloffame.com where we tackled the Hall of Fame merit of twenty-four men who are on the Hall of Fame ballot, in what was in our opinion the most loaded ballot in our lifetime.

Since it was so much fun last time, we thought we would do it again!

One thing that has not changed is the number.  We will again debate twenty-four men who are on the ballot.

What has changed are the ones debating.  Last year I had the pleasure of having DDT, the curator of DDT’s Pop Flies blog and D.K. of the Phillies Archivist blog.  This year, Spheniscus, who has participated in past Rock and Roll discussions, will be joining me.



Chairman: Like me you probably noticed that he isn’t getting a lot of press for debuting on the ballot.  It makes sense I suppose, as entering with Trevor Hoffman puts him in the shadow, but is this is a shadow he should really be in?

While he is well behind in Saves (601 to 422), there are a lot of stats where Wagner comes out ahead.  He has superior ERA (2.31 to 2.87), WHIP (0.998 to 1.058), SO/W (3.99 to 3.69) numbers and they have exactly the same JAWS of 24.0.

What people don’t mention about Wagner (maybe because they don’t mention him at all) is just how much he stunk in the playoffs.  In 8 playoff series, Wagner pitched 11.2 Innings with a 10.03 ERA and a 1.971 WHIP.  Hoffman hasn’t been a playoff stud either, but this is so atrocious to me that it counters so much of what he did in the regular season in my eyes.  Honestly, I think Wagner is going to struggle just to get 2.5 percent of the vote, and I don’t think that is a wrong tally for him at all.

Spheniscus: Wagner was a better player than Hoffman. There, I said it. I also proved it in Hoffman’s section. He is a better player than Lee Smith. Also proved in Hoffman’s section. He also has the misfortune of being a bit of a jerk who couldn’t get it done in the postseason in the biggest stage of all, New York, and of never having held the saves record.
If Wagner had played in Kansas City, who was so down for most of his career, we would think of him entirely differently. A great player toiling away for terrible teams always pulls at the heartstrings a little more and changes the writer’s perception. And even though his save numbers would undoubtedly been lower due to fewer opportunities, his vote tally for this Hall would be higher. As it is, 10 years from now, he’ll be buying a ticket to see Hoffman’s plaque. I think 1% is about where he will fall. 

Chairman: I think his biggest misfortune is debuting on the same ballot as Hoffman.  I have no problem agreeing with you that I would rather have Wagner than Hoffman in the regular season (and hope to God I don’t need either one of them in the post-season because my team has a two digit lead going into the ninth).  I am trying to think in this crowded ballot who is going to pick them both?   The sad thing is I have read countless articles about Hoffman’s credentials.  Hell, I got blasted via email when he debuted in the 40’s on our list and not in the top ten!

Basically, what I am saying is that I don’t see anybody picking Wagner over Hoffman (expect maybe us), and frankly, I don’t know that I would pick either.

Spheniscus: I said at the beginning I have 15 guys on this list I would vote into the Hall. None of them are closers. Wagner is first on my list of the three. Hoffman is first on the list of most people. He has no real friends in the media. There is no buzz. There is no way he is getting in. I just want it recorded somewhere in this process that he was the best at his position on that ballot. And that and $23 will get him a ticket to watch the Hall of Fame induction this summer.

Chairman:  I will finish this one up short and sweet.  Wagner would not get my vote this year, and I suspect not very many others either.  Frankly, I think if he gets 2% it is a win for him, which is where I expect him to fall.

Spheniscus: I said he’d struggle to get 2.5%, 2% is probably closer. But I’ll take the under. He will get 1.8% of the vote. More than 25% lower than Hoffman and 15% lower than Smith. All because he never held a record that absolutely no one cares about. Which is insane, but the way of the world.