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.

A member of the rare 500 Home Run club, Gary Sheffield accomplished that feat over eight teams, with two of them being clubs he had at least 100 HR.  The Marlins were one of those teams.

The Marlins were Sheffield’s third team, and he was traded from San Diego to Florida midway during their expansion season.  Sheffield had the power, speed and average, and he had his best season with the Marlins in 1996.  That year, he smacked 42 Home Runs, 120 RBIs, and led the NL in OBP (.465), OPS (1.090) and OPS+ (189).  Sheffield won the Silver Slugger that year, and was sixth in MVP voting.

Sheffield had a down year in 1997, but it didn’t end that way.  The Marlins shocked everyone by winning the World Series in only their fourth year of existence, with Sheffield hitting a Home Run in every series.  There should have been so much more for Sheffield in South Beach, but right after the Marlins won it all, they went into garage sale mode, with Sheffield being traded during the ’98 season to the Dodgers.

With the Marlins, Sheffield blasted 122 Home Runs with a .970 OPS.

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

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.

Well that didn’t take long.

Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Joe Morgan, who also is the Vice-Chairman of the Hall and a member of the Board of Directors has sent a letter to the voters urging them not to vote for PED users. Rather than dissect the letter, we are showing it in its entirety below:

Dear BBWAA Hall of Fame Voter:

Over the years, I have been approached by many Hall of Fame members telling me we needed to do something to speak out about the possibility of steroid users entering the Hall of Fame. This issue has been bubbling below the surface for quite a while.

I hope you don’t mind if I bring to your attention what I’m hearing.

Please keep in mind I don’t speak for every single member of the Hall of Fame. I don’t know how everyone feels, but I do know how many of the Hall of Famers feel.

I, along with other Hall of Fame Baseball players, have the deepest respect for you and all the writers who vote to decide who enters Baseball’s most hallowed shrine, the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For some 80 years, the men and women of the BBWAA have cast ballots that have made the Hall into the wonderful place it is.

I think the Hall of Fame is special. There is a sanctity to being elected to the Hall. It is revered. It is the hardest Hall of Fame to enter, of any sport in America.

But times change, and a day we all knew was coming has now arrived. Players who played during the steroid era have become eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

The more we Hall of Famers talk about this – and we talk about it a lot – we realize we can no longer sit silent. Many of us have come to think that silence will be considered complicity. Or that fans might think we are ok if the standards of election to the Hall of Fame are relaxed, at least relaxed enough for steroid users to enter and become members of the most sacred place in Baseball. We don’t want fans ever to think that.

We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here.

Players who failed drug tests, admitted using steroids, or were identified as users in Major League Baseball’s investigation into steroid abuse, known as the Mitchell Report, should not get in. Those are the three criteria that many of the players and I think are right.

Now, I recognize there are players identified as users on the Mitchell Report who deny they were users. That’s why this is a tricky issue. Not everything is black and white – there are shades of gray here. It’s why your job as a voter is and has always been a difficult and important job. I have faith in your judgment and know that ultimately, this is your call.

But it still occurs to me that anyone who took body-altering chemicals in a deliberate effort to cheat the game we love, not to mention they cheated current and former players, and fans too, doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. By cheating, they put up huge numbers, and they made great players who didn’t cheat look smaller by comparison, taking away from their achievements and consideration for the Hall of Fame. That’s not right.

And that’s why I, and other Hall of Famers, feel so strongly about this.

It’s gotten to the point where Hall of Famers are saying that if steroid users get in, they’ll no longer come to Cooperstown for Induction Ceremonies or other events. Some feel they can’t share a stage with players who did steroids. The cheating that tainted an era now risks tainting the Hall of Fame too.

The Hall of Fame means too much to us to ever see that happen. If steroid users get in, it will divide and diminish the Hall, something we couldn’t bear.

Section 5 of the Rules for Election states, “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

I care about how good a player was or what kind of numbers he put up; but if a player did steroids, his integrity is suspect; he lacks sportsmanship; his character is flawed; and, whatever contribution he made to his team is now dwarfed by his selfishness.

Steroid use put Baseball through a tainted era where records were shattered. “It was a steroidal farce,” wrote Michael Powell in the New York Times. It is no accident that those records held up for decades until the steroid era began, and they haven’t been broken since the steroid era ended. Sadly, steroids worked.

Dan Naulty was a journeyman pitcher in the late 1990s who admitted he took steroids, noting that his fastball went from 87 to 96. He told Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci in 2012, “I was a full-blown cheater, and I knew it. You didn't need a written rule. I was violating clear principles that were laid down within the rules. I understood I was violating implicit principles.”

The Hall of Fame has always had its share of colorful characters, some of whom broke or bent society’s rules in their era. By today’s standards, some might not have gotten in. Times change and society improves. What once was accepted no longer is.

But steroid users don’t belong here. What they did shouldn’t be accepted. Times shouldn’t change for the worse.

Steroid users knew they were taking a drug that physically improved how they played. Taking steroids is a decision. It’s the deliberate act of using chemistry to change how hard you hit and throw by changing what your body is made of.

I and other Hall of Famers played hard all our lives to achieve what we did. I love this game and am proud of it. I hope the Hall of Fame’s standards won’t be lowered with the passage of time.

For over eighty years, the Hall of Fame has been a place to look up to, where the hallowed halls honor those who played the game hard and right. I hope it will always remain that way.

Sincerely,

Joe Morgan
Hall of Fame Class of 1990 Vice Chairman

P.S. Families come to Cooperstown because they know it’s special. To parents, it’s a place they can take their kids for an uplifting, feel-good visit. It’s a place where kids can see what true greatness is all about. It’s a place where youngsters can dream that one day they too might get in. This place is special. I hope it stays that way.

Hardly on the fence is it?

Specifically, this applies to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield who were named in the Mitchell Report, and Manny Ramirez who failed two tests. Sammy Sosa did not officially fail a test, but did test positive in an “anonymous” test in 2003.

Bonds and Clemens saw their vote total increase above the 50% mark for the first time in the last vote, with many of the voters stating that the induction of Bud Selig, who was the commissioner over the PED era triggering their change of heart.

This won’t be the last time we hear about this in the next two months!

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!

Our favorite day here at Notinhalloffame.com is always when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces their annual Classes.  Our second day is when they announce their Baseball Hall of Fame Class.

That second day is here.

The Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017 has been announced and let’s get right to it as we have three new Baseball Hall of Famers

The highest vote getter this year is Jeff Bagwell who is selected on his 7th year of eligibility.  Bagwell received 86.2% of the vote, well up from his 71.6% last year.  It has been believed that his delay into getting into the Baseball Hall has been due to PED suspicion, but that is all there was in his case. 

Finishing second on the ballot is Tim Raines, who was on his last year of eligibility.  “Rock” had 86.0% and like Bagwell received a more than 15% jump.  For many Baseball fans, this is long overdue and many are thrilled to see him get his due.

Perhaps a bit of a surprise is that Ivan Rodriguez entered on his first ballot with 76.0%.  Statistically, I-Rod is Cooperstown worthy but he has a direct PED accusation from Jose Canseco though was never named in the Mitchell Report.

Overall, the PED users/suspected players have seen a rise in the totals, a lot of which can be attributed with the elimination of older and inactive baseball writers from the process and the induction of Bud Selig, who presided over the time that PED use arose in the game.

Let’s look at those who didn’t make the cut:


Trevor Hoffman: 2nd Year on the ballot, 74.0%

The prolific reliever did not make this year, but he was only a handful of votes away.  He finished with 67.3% last year and should get in next year. 

Vladimir Guerrero: 1st Year on the ballot, 71.7%

“Vlad the Impaler” was pegged by some as a first ballot inductee but it won’t take him long to get in.  He should be a lock next year.

Edgar Martinez: 8th Year on the ballot, 58.6%

Edgar has only two years left but this was a huge jump from the 43.4% he had last year.  Martinez was a Designated Hitter, a position that has hurt him in the past and the fact that three people got in to help thin the ballot somewhat does not hurt his cause.

Roger Clemens: 5th Year on the ballot, 54.1%

This was a huge jump for Clemens and the first time he eclipsed 50 percent.  This is up 8.9% from last year and perhaps for the first time we have a strong reason to think that the Rocket could get in. 

Barry Bonds: 5th Year on the ballot, 53.8%

See above.  Could we see in the future a year where both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens enters Cooperstown together?  A few years ago we wouldn’t have thought so, but now that seems like a possibility.

Mike Mussina: 4th Year on the ballot, 51.8%

Mussina doesn’t get a lot of attention as he is not a controversial choice, nor is he one that plays to the media.  He did however jump up past the 50% mark for the first time and is going in the right direction.

Curt Schilling: 5th Year on the ballot, 45.0%

Schilling dropped 7 percent, and we all know why don’t we?  He angered the media with his comments toward them and is this backlash was long expected.

Lee Smith: 15th Year on the ballot, 34.2 %

This is the end for Smith, who at one point was the all-time Saves leader.  Based on how he was trending, he was lucky to make it this far.

Manny Ramirez: 1st Year on the ballot, 23.8 %

This could be the biggest surprise.  The suspected PED users went up, but Ramirez was caught and suspended twice.  Maybe the writers thought “Manny being Manny” was not enough explanation.

Larry Walker:  7th Year on the ballot, 21.9%

While it doesn’t look like Walker will get in, he did jump up from his 15.5% from last year.

Fred McGriff:  7th Year on the ballot, 21.7%.

McGriff barely budged from his 20.9% from last year.  It isn’t looking good for the “Crime Dog.”

Jeff Kent: 3rd Year on the ballot, 16.7%

The former National League MVP moved up…0.1%.  Is there a Survivor Hall of Fame?

Gary Sheffield:  3rd Year on the ballot, 13.3%

Sheffield mildly improved but he on such a crowded ballot, he still has time to jump up considering his career stats.

Billy Wagner: 2nd Year on the ballot, 10.2%

Wagner actually went down from his 10.5% from the year before.  Realistically, just staying on the ballot is a win for him.

Sammy Sosa:  5th Year on the ballot, 8.6%

Sosa is still alive, so we are stuck debating him another year.

The notable player who did not make the 5% to stay on the ballot was former New York Yankee Catcher, Jorge Posada, received 3.8%.

Others who received votes were Magglio Ordonez (0.7%), Edgar Renteria (0.5%), Jason Varitek (0.5%) and Tim Wakefield (0.2%).

The others on the ballot who did not receive any votes were Corey Blake, Pat Burrell, Orlando Cabrera, Mike Cameron, J.D. Drew, Carlos Guillen, Derrek Lee, Melvin Mora, Arthur Rhodes, Freddy Sanchez and Matt Stairs.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the latest Baseball Hall of Fame Class and we will be unveiling our next list in a month’s time.

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.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least amount of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

While the Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot for this year was already known, it is worth noting that the names on the ballot have been made official and have been sent out to prospective voters.

Let’s go through the ballot and take a quick look shall we?

You know how hard it is to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame? In 2013, with a ballot brimming with qualified candidates, not one player received the 75 percent of the votes needed for admission. (I identified 14 likely Hall of Famers on the 2013 ballot.)

Granted, 2013 was the first year of eligibility for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, both poster boys for performance-enhancing drugs (PED), bringing to a head the contentious debate about "cheaters" and their admission into the Hall. But there were certainly several "clean" players on that ballot, and a few of those, such as 3000-hit-club member Craig Biggio, would have been uncontroversial picks in any previous year.

And although 2014 saw the election of three players—Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas—it was merely the tip of a talent-heavy iceberg (I identified 18 likely Hall of Famers for that ballot), while providing a burn to Biggio yet again as not only did he miss election by one vote (he garnered 74.8 percent of the vote), but three first-time candidates leapfrogged him into Cooperstown.

Gary Sheffield has to be the most interesting candidate who appeared on the 2014 Ballot. Traditionally speaking, Sheffield hit the magical 500 Home Run mark, won a Batting Title and had five seasons with an OPS over one. His career WAR is respectable, his OPS is in the top fifty and he also won five Silver Sluggers and played in nine All Star Games. That’s pretty good right? Unfortunately there are few things to consider.