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

A few weeks ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame Class.  The result was that Derek Jeter (on his first ballot), and Larry Walker (on his tenth and final) were chosen to enter Cooperstown. The two will join former Catcher, Ted Simmons, who was elected by the Veteran’s Committee.  All three of those former players were ranked in the top ten, and have been removed from the list.

For the first time since we began this list in 2010, there is no new entry in our top 15.  Actually, there is no new entry in the top 50.  This should assist in clearing any existing backlog. 

The new top ten is:

1A. Pete Rose.  Following the bombshell that was the Astros sign-stealing scandal, Rose again lobbied for reinstatement in the Majors.  His reasoning was that since no Astros player was punished, that logic should transfer to his own situation.  That likely won’t happen, but he did remain in the news as President Trump also said he should be in the Hall of Fame.  Since he is ineligible, he has the “1A” designation.

1B. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Like Rose, Jackson was banned from baseball, which is now 100 years old.  Jackson was banned for his (alleged) participation in the 1919 Black Sox scandal where players were paid by gamblers to throw games in the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.  Jackson was a Hall of Fame worthy player, but as such his estate has to settle for his “1B” rank.

1C. Roger Clemens.  Unlike Rose and Jackson, Clemens is Hall of Fame eligible, but the PED stain has kept him out thus far.  He has two more years left and a big mountain to climb, but what looked impossible a few years ago, could be attainable.  

2. Barry Bonds.  Ditto for Bonds, and the only reason he is behind the “Rocket”, is because he has a slightly lower vote total than anyone than Clemens.  The all-time Home Run king is in the same boat as Clemens, as they both are in the low 60s in voting with two years left of eligibility.  

3. Lou Whitaker.  Playing his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, Lou Whitaker was only on the Hall of Fame ballot for one year, but has appeared on the Veteran’s Committee Ballot. There is still a good chance that he could enter via that route and join his double play partner, Alan Trammell, who also had to wait for a Veteran’s Committee admission to Cooperstown.

4. Bill Dahlen. “Bad” Bill Dahlen has been a Veteran’s Committee Nominee before, and could be again. The surly Shortstop was a defensive gem, a World Series Champion with the Giants in 1905, and is still in the top 50 in bWAR for Position Players.

5. Curt Schilling.  Had it not been for the mouth, political views and Twitter account of Curt Schilling, he would likely already have been inducted by now.  As it stands, he is close with a recent tally of 70% on his eight ballot.  Schilling has been on his best behavior in the last year, and with the weakest ballot in memory, he will enter Cooperstown in 2021 if he keeps his nose clean.

6. Manny Ramirez.  Unlike Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez WAS caught using PEDs and did so when the Baseball Player’s Union had an agreement with Major League Baseball.  Ramirez has approached 30% in the last ballot, and statistically he belongs, but induction is unlikely as of this writing.

7. Todd Helton.  Helton could follow Larry Walker into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his Hall of Fame support approached nearly 30% on his second year on the ballot. Helton is definitely on the right trajectory.  

8. Gil Hodges.  This might surprise you, but one of the most debated players on our baseball list is Hodges.  This is the player who has the most accumulated votes that never got inducted, and his name is synonymous with Dodgers lore.

9. Tommy John.  Tommy John Surgery is actually represented in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but John himself is not.  He has 288 Wins and 2,245 Strikeouts and he will definitely appear in a future Veteran’s Committee ballot.

10. Scott Rolen.  Rolen jumped from 17.2% to 35.3% on his third year of eligibility, and while he was not a Colorado Rockie like Todd Helton, he is the one called the “New Larry Walker” based on belief that he will methodically work his way into Cooperstown.  We agree with that assessment.

As you can see, there are no new entries in the top ten.  There are actually, nobody new in the top fifty.  The only two new entries are Mark Buehrle at #74, and Tim Hudson at #101.

This brings a unique opportunity for those who are on the 2021 ballot as the returning nominees will not be looking to be “slotted” below anyone new. 

We are in the preliminary process of expanding our list to 300.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look, and if you haven’t done so already, cast your vote and offer your opinion!

Baseball fans talk about this every day, and we now know who will comprise the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Let’s take a deep dive look into those chosen, those left off, and those who are off the ballot completely.

To the surprise of nobody, former New York Yankee infielder, Derek Jeter enters Cooperstown on his first year of eligibility.  Jeter entered on ___ of the ballot, and he joins his fellow career-Yankee, Mariano Rivera, as back-to-back first ballot Hall of famers.  Jeter would win five World Series Rings, was a 14-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger, and he would accumulate 3,465 Hits, 260 Home Runs and a .310 Batting Average. Jeter was denied a unanimous vote as one voter elected not to put the x by his name.

Jeter is joined by Larry Walker, who was in his last year of eligibility.  It is an incredible story, as Walker debuted on the ballot in 2011 with only 20.3% of the ballot.  He dropped as low as 10.2% in 2014, and only crept back to 21.9% in 2017.  He shot up to 34.1% in 2018, and rocketed to 54.6% last year. The momentum was rocketing for Walker, and he becomes the second Canadian to enter the Hall.

So, what changed?  Part of it is a re-evaluation of the Coors Field effect.  Another part is that the backlog of players has cleared. Perhaps, the biggest part is the recognition that regardless of what diamond he played on, that this is a former MVP who was a bona fide five-tool player.  That is rarified air.  He received 76.6% of the vote.

The former player who came closest is Curt Schilling who garnered 70% of the vote, who bluntly should have been in years ago based on his statistical accomplishments.  With a bWAR of 79.5, 3,116 Strikeouts and three World Series Rings, Schilling was a clutch performer who was at his best when the lights were at his brightest.  In Schilling’s fourth year of eligibility, he received 52.3% of the ballot, but comments against the media and other right-wing charged diatribes rubbed voters the wrong way, and he dropped o 45.0% in 2017.  Last year, he climbed to 60.9%.

Forgive us, as we are going to lump Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds together.  How can we not?  Clemens was the best Pitcher and Bonds was the best hitter without debate, but both are associated with PEDs (though neither was ever caught during their playing days), and both have finished their eighth year on the ballot.  They both had minimal gains this year, Clemens from 59.5% to 61.0% and Bonds from 59.1% to 60.7% but there is still a long way to go.   

Can they get there?

We think so, as three things work in their favor. The first is that Bonds and Clemens were at a different level than everyone else and you can argue (easily) that they would have been Hall of Famers without it.  The second is that Mike Piazza got in (as well as Jeff Bagwell), and there were more than one PED whisper about those two.  The third, and the most damming in our eyes is that Bud Selig is in, and the PED era happened under his watch, and he did not react until pressure forced him to.  Selig was not an ostrich, his head was not in the sand, and he knew what players were doing. He had too, and there have been voters who have said as much.

Former Shortstop, Omar Vizquel, is trending in the right direction.  This is his third year, and he moved from 42.8% to 52.6%.  Vizquel is considered to be one of the best defensive Shortstops of all-time, and he has 11 Gold Gloves to prove it.  While he was not considered to be a great hitter, he had 2,877 Hits to silence those critics.  That is a great number even if he played until he was 45!

Another infielder, Scott Rolen, is also climbing upwards.  With a healthy bWAR of 70.2, the Third Baseman has eight Gold Gloves, seven All-Star appearances and a World Series Ring (St. Louis, 2006) on his resume.  He moved from 17.2% to 35.3%

The best closer on the ballot, Billy Wagner, moved from 16.7% to 31.7%   He had 422 Saves over his career, with an ERA of 2.31 and WHIP of 0.998.

Gary Sheffield also received a jump on his sixth year of eligibility.  The former slugger who blasted 509 Home Runs, went from 13.6% to 30.5% This is a good sign for Sheffield as he was one of the guys was treading water for a long time, and while the odds still remain long, they are much better than they were yesterday.

Todd Helton is on his second year of eligibility, and he holds a very good career Slash Line of .316/.414/.539.  Helton moved from 16.5% to 29.2%

Manny Ramirez left baseball with 555 Home Runs and a Slash Line of .312/.411/.585.  That is a Hall of Fame number, but unlike Bonds and Clemens, Ramirez WAS suspended for PED use as an active player.  This is a huge distinction, as Ramirez did break an agreed upon rule agreed upon by the Players Union.  He moved from 22.8% to 28.2%.

Former MVP, Jeff Kent, finally climbs over 20% for the first time with 27.5%.  This is his seventh year on the ballot.

Andruw Jones remains on the ballot.  The former Braves’ Outfielder is on his third ballot and he went from 7.5% to 19.4%, a huge jump.

Sammy Sosa is entrenched in Hall of Fame purgatory. Sosa is like Clemens and Bonds, in that he was not caught as a player, but he is as associated with PEDs as much as they are.  Detractors are pointing to his fake media persona and lack of clutch hitting, and he is dead in the Hall of Fame water.  He had 8.5% last year, and hits 13.9% this year, his highest ever.

Andy Pettitte had 9.9% in his first year of eligibility.  In his second year, he moved to 11.3%.

Bobby Abreu barely made the 5.0% threshold to remain on the ballot for a second year.  He received 5.5%.

Paul Konerko, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Cliff Lee, Brad Penny and J.J. Putz all received at least one vote.

Raul Ibanez, Rafael Furcal, Josh Beckett, Jose Valverde, Heath Bell, Chone Figgins, Carlos Pena, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano and Adam Dunn did not receive any votes.

Jeter and Walker join Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller, who were chosen by the Veteran’s Committee.  Boston sportswriter, Nick Carfado, will also enter via the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.   It is a posthumous induction as he passed away last year.  The ceremony will take place on July 26.

We will be redoing our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball List in late February, which will see us remove those who were chosen, and we will add those now eligible.  Rankings will also be altered based on your votes and comments.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Derek Jeter     for being chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Arriving midway through the 2002 season after demanding a trade out of Philadelphia, Scott Rolen proved to be the same star he was in the NL East and he actually raised his game.  Rolen was an All-Star in 2002 (though represented Philadelphia and he would be one in his first four full seasons as a Cardinal.  Already respected for his defensive ability, Rolen would win three more Gold Gloves in St. Louis, his 2004 accolade also coupled with leading the National League in Defensive bWAR.  That year was also his best in the majors with the bat as he had a career-high 34 Home Runs with a Slash Line of .314/.409/.598.  He would finish fourth in MVP voting that year.  Arguably his 2006 would be far more memorable as he would be a vital component of St. Louis World Series win.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com have been (slowly) working on the Top 50 of every major franchise in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB.  As such it is significant news to us that the St. Louis Cardinals have announced their franchise Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

The new inductees are:

Jason Isringhausen: Isringhausen joined St. Louis in 2001 after being named an All-Star in Oakland.  He would remain a closer with the Redbirds and in 2004 would lead the National League in Saves in 2004.  The following year he would be named to his second All-Star Game (his second as a Cardinal) and he played there until the end of the 2008 season.  

Scott Rolen:  The Third Baseman was a four-time All-Star as a St. Louis Cardinal where he was a three-time Gold Glove recipient.  Rolen was an integral part of the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series Championship and the fringe Baseball Hall of Famer had 111 Home Runs with a Slash Line of .286/.370/.510 as a Cardinal.

Mort Cooper:  Cooper was chosen by the special Red Ribbon Committee and he was with the Cardinals from 1938 to 1945 where he was a two-time All Star and led the National League in Wins in both of those campaigns.  Cooper also won the ERA Title in 1942 and was named the league MVP.  He helped St. Louis win the 1942 and 1944 World Series.

The other nominees in the fan ballot included Keith Hernandez, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria and John Tudor.

The St. Louis Cardinals began their Hall of Fame in 2014 and it has quickly become one of the most important franchise halls in the “Big 4” sports.  

The induction will take place on August 24. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the latest members of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that their franchise Hall of Fame will have six nominees that can be voted on by the public beginning on March 1, which will commence on April 12.  You can vote for those candidates here and they are:

Keith Hernandez 1974-83:  The co-MVP in 1979, Keith Hernandez would win the National League Batting Title that year and was the top finished in On Base Percentage the season after.  Hernandez was a six time Gold Glove winner with St. Louis and he batted .299 with 1,217 Hits and 81 Home Runs for the team.  He would help them win the World Series in 1982.

Jason Isringhausen 2002-08:  Isringhausen is the all-time franchise leader (217) in Saves for the St. Louis Cardinals and he was the league leader in that category in 2004.  He would represent St. Louis in the 2005 All Star Game.

Matt Morris 1997-2005:  Morris would lead the NL in Wins with 22 in 2001where he was an All Star and second runner-up for the Cy Young.  He would be named an All Star again in 2002 and he had a record of 101-62 for the Cards.

Edgar Renteria 1999-2004:  A three time All Star with the Cardinals, Edgar Renteria also was chosen for three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers while he played there.  He would bat .290 with 973 Hits with 71 Home Runs and 148 Stolen Bases.

Scott Rolen 2002-07:  Rolen would help the Redbirds win the 2006 World Series and he was a four time All Star and three time Gold Glove winner for the team.  Rolen finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2004 and he collected 678 Hits with 111 Home Runs and a .286 Batting Average.

John Tudor 1985-88:  Tudor had a stellar 62-26 record with the Cardinals with a 2.52 ERA and 1.080 WHIP. In 1985, his first season with St. Louis he was the runner-up for the Cy Young and would lead the NL in WHIP.

The announcement of the two winners will be made on April 26 and they will be joined from a player chosen from the Veterans Committee.  The induction of the new class will take place on August 24.

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.

This by far is the most interesting ranking on the list of top 50 Philadelphia Phillies.

How cannot it not be?  

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.

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.

We are now taking a look at the Gold Glove Award, given annually to the best defensive player in MLB in each respective position.

This will take awhile, so be patient with us!

We have just tackled Catcher, First, Second Base and Shortstop.

As you can imagine, we are continuing with “the hot corner” of Third Base.

The following are the past players who have won the Gold Glove at Shortstop who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (1960)

2.0 dWAR. Let’s begin with the long story of the man regarded as the greatest defensive player at Third Base shall we? In what would be his first All Star and Gold Glove season, Brooks Robinson would finish third in American League MVP voting. Robinson finished fifth overall in Defensive bWAR and would lead in Putouts, Assists, Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Get used to seeing the name Brooks Robinson all over this page! Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (2) (1961)

1.9 dWAR. An All Star again, Robinson would finish sixth in the AL in Defensive bWAR. While he would only finish first in Fielding Percentage he was second overall in Total Zone Runs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (3) (1962)

2.1 dWAR. This year, Robinson was the American League leader in bWAR and fifth in Defensive bWAR. Like the season before, he would finish first in Fielding Percentage and second in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (4) (1963)

1.5 dWAR. Finishing 7th in Defensive bWAR, Brooks Robinson would lead the American League Third Basemen in Assists, Putouts, Double Plays Turned and Fielding Percentage. He was also second in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (5) (1964)

2.2 dWAR. Robinson had his best season as he again led the American League in bWAR and was named the Most Valuable Player. Robinson would also finish seventh in Defensive bWAR. In addition to winning his lone RBI title, he would also finish first at his position in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned and Fielding Percentage and would again finish second in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Ron Santo, NL Chicago Cubs (1964)

0.8 dWAR. Ron Santo would offensively lead the NL in On Base Percentage while batting over .300 for the first time. An All Star for the second time in his career Santo finished eighth in MVP voting. While his sub 1.0 Defensive bWAR seems low he was still first among the National League Third Baseman in Assists, Putouts, Double Plays Turned and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (6) (1965)

1.2 dWAR. Robinson may be the greatest defensive Third Baseman of all time but he was gifted at least two Gold Gloves. Here is one of them, as he did not lead in any defensive category. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Ron Santo, NL Chicago Cubs (2) (1965)

1.2 dWAR. Santo was again an All Star and he would finish first at his position in Putouts, Assists, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. This was the first year where he finished first in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (7) (1966)

0.6 dWAR. …and here is the second unwarranted Gold Glove for Brooks, though he did finish first in Fielding Percentage. In both 1965 and 1966 he failed to be in the top five amongst American League Third Basemen in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Ron Santo, NL Chicago Cubs (3) (1966)

1.2 dWAR. Lather, rinse, repeat. Santo was again an All Star and he would finish first at his position in Putouts, Assists, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (8) (1967)

4.2 dWAR. Talk about a comeback! His 4.2 was more than enough to lead in Defensive bWAR as was his 32 Total Zone Runs marking the first time he led the American League in those metrics. Robinson also finished first at his position in Assists, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Ron Santo, NL Chicago Cubs (4) (1967)

2.7 dWAR. In what would be the best season of Ron Santo’s career, he would finish fourth in MVP voting, first in bWAR and second in Defensive bWAR. Santo would again finish first in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. He was second overall in Total Zone Runs this season. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (9) (1968)

4.5 dWAR. With a 4.5 Defensive bWAR and 33 Total Zone Runs, this season exceed his stellar 1967 defensive run and this was arguably the best of his career. The future Hall of Famer would finish first in Assists and Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Ron Santo, NL Chicago Cubs (5) (1968)

1.5 dWAR. Santo finished tenth in the National League in Defensive bWAR. At his position he would lead in Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. It was the first and only time he would finish at the top in Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (10) (1969)

2.9 dWAR. This was still good enough to finish second overall in Defensive bWAR and had 23 Total Zone Runs, also enough for second in the AL in first overall at Third Base. Robinson would additionally finish first amongst his peers in Assists and Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (11) (1970)

0.8 dWAR. Like 1966 & 1967, 1970 was a season where Brooks Robinson should not have been awarded a Gold Glove. He would however help Baltimore win the World Series and was named the MVP of the Fall Classic. Defensively however, Robinson would not come close to finishing first in any defensive category. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (12) (1971)

2.8 dWAR. Robinson rebounded defensively with a third place finish in Defensive bWAR. While he did not finish first in any defensive statistic, he was second in Total Zone Runs amongst the Third Basemen of the American League. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (13) (1972)

2.6 dWAR. Robinson rebounded defensively with a third place finish in Defensive bWAR. Robinson finished first in his position in Total Zone Runs and Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (14) (1973)

2.5 dWAR. This season Brooks Robinson finished sixth in Defensive bWAR with a second place finish in Total Zone Runs amongst the AL Third Basemen. He did not finish first in any defensive stat. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (15) (1974)

2.1 dWAR. You would think we would be tired of writing about Brooks Robinson, but here we are with another top ten finish in Defensive bWAR (fourth place) here we are again! At his position, Robinson would lead in Assists, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Brooks Robinson, AL Baltimore Orioles (16) (1975)

2.5 dWAR. This was the final full season of Brooks Robinson’s legendary career and he finished in style with his sixteenth Gold Glove, earned with a third place finish in Defensive bWAR. 1975 would also see him finish first in Total Zone Runs and Fielding Percentage amongst the American League Third Basemen. Robinson’s positional defensive records include the most Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned and Total Zone Runs. In the latter category he is first among all players and is third all time in Defensive bWAR. This WAS the best Third Baseman that ever played the game! Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (1976)

1.9 dWAR. Prior to Mike Schmidt’s first Gold Glove, he had already finished in the top ten in Defensive bWAR twice before. In 1976, Schmidt finished ninth in Defensive bWAR and finished third in MVP voting. The Third Baseman would lead his position in Assists and Range Factor per Game, while finishing second in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (2) (1977)

2.5 dWAR. This would be Mike Schmidt’s highest single season in Defensive bWAR and he would also finish first overall in the National League in bWAR. Schmidt would also have career highs in Total Zone Runs (20, leading his position) and also finished first in Assists and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (3) (1978)

1.8 dWAR. Schmidt would finish seventh overall in Defensive bWAR in the NL and would lead in Double Plays Turned and Total Zone Runs at Third Base in the National League. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (4) (1979)

1.1 dWAR. Mike Schmidt did not finish in the top ten in Defensive bWAR in the NL, though this would be the second of four seasons where he would finish first on the Offensive side of the ledger. Schmidt would finish first at his position in Double Plays Turned and Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (5) (1980)

1.5 dWAR. How good a 1980 was it for Mike Schmidt? He would win the National League MVP Award, the World Series and the World Series MVP. Defensively, he was tenth overall in Defensive bWAR (while being first in Offensive bWAR) and was the National League Third Base leader in Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (6) (1981)

1.2 dWAR. Schmidt was seventh in Defensive bWAR in the NL, which would be the last time he was in the top ten in that statistic. He would again finish first at his position in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (7) (1982)

0.7 dWAR. Mike Schmidt may have had a lower Defensive bWAR but he would finish first at Third Base in the NL in Assists and Double Plays Turned. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (8) (1983)

0.7 dWAR. Matching the Defensive bWAR he had in the season previous, Mike Schmidt would lead in Assists and Double Plays Turned at the Third Base position. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (9) (1984)

1.4 dWAR. Realistically, this was the last decent season with the glove for Mike Schmidt, while he would not finish first in any defensive metric at Third Base. He would however finish second in Total Zone Runs at Third in the NL. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

George Brett, AL Kansas City Royals (1985)

0.4 dWAR. George Brett had an incredible 1985. He finished second in MVP voting and led the Royals to a World Series win. Brett was a first ballot Hall of Famer and the greatest Kansas City Royal of all-time. However, this does not make him worthy of the ’85 Gold Glove. While he did lead in Assists and Double Plays Turned, he was not in the top five in Total Zone Runs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

Mike Schmidt, NL Philadelphia Phillies (10) (1986)

-0.1 dWAR. This is hard for us. We love Mike Schmidt and especially that he is a two time MVP, the second of which he obtained this year. Still, he won a Gold Glove here with a negative Defensive bWAR and did not remotely come close to finishing first in any defensive category. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Wade Boggs, AL New York Yankees (1994)

0.4 dWAR. There was a time when a case could be made for Wade Boggs to win the Gold Glove but that never should have been case when he was with New York.yet here we are. While he did finish first among the AL Third Basemen in Range Factor per Game he was not a top five finisher in Total Zone Runs nor would finish in the top in any other defensive statistic. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Wade Boggs, AL New York Yankees (1995)

0.7 dWAR. Boggs did have a somewhat better Defensive bWAR and he did lead the American League Third Basemen in Fielding Percentage but he also again failed to finish in the top five in Total Zone Runs and was also not in the top five this year in Range Factor per Game. This is a worthy Hall of Famer but not worthy to own two Gold Gloves. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Third Base who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Frank Malzone, ML Boston Red Sox (1957)

1.2 dWAR. The first Gold Glove winner at third base was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year and would go to fist of six All Star Games. Malzone also finished seventh in MVP voting and would lead in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Although Malzone was Hall of Fame eligible in 1972 he was not on the ballot.

Frank Malzone, AL Boston Red Sox (2) (1958)

1.3 dWAR. Again an All Star, Malzone finished eighth overall in Defensive bWAR, the only time he would do so. He would finish atop the American League Third Basemen in Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Although Malzone was Hall of Fame eligible in 1972 he was not on the ballot.

Ken Boyer, NL St. Louis Cardinals (1958)

1.7 dWAR. Boyer would finish eighth overall in Defensive bWAR in the National League and finish first in Putouts, Double Plays Turned and Range Factor per Game. He would also finish second in Total Zone Runs. Boyer was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank Malzone, AL Boston Red Sox (3) (1959)

0.2 dWAR. While Malzone did lead in Assists and Double Plays Turned, this was not a spectacular defensive year overall. He was not in the top ten in Total Zone Runs. Although Malzone was Hall of Fame eligible in 1972 he was not on the ballot.

Ken Boyer, NL St. Louis Cardinals (2) (1959)

1.1 dWAR. An All Star for the second time of his career, Boyer would finish tenth overall in MVP voting. In terms of defense, Boyer still finished eighth in Defensive bWAR while finishing first amongst the NL Third Basemen in Double Plays Turned and Total Zone Runs. Boyer was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ken Boyer, NL St. Louis Cardinals (3) (1960)

1.0 dWAR. This would be Boyer’s third All Star season and he would finish sixth in MVP voting. This year Boyer would only finish first defensively in Double Plays Turned. Boyer was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ken Boyer, NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) (1961)

1.6 dWAR. Boyer would finish seventh in Defensive bWAR and would again be an All Star.   He would finish first in Assists and Total Zone Runs. Boyer was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Davenport, NL San Francisco Giants (1962)

1.1 dWAR. Offensively speaking, this was the best season of Jim Davenport’s career as he had career highs in Hits (144), Home Runs (14), Batting Average (.297) and OPS (.813). Whether or not this was the nest defensive year of Davenport’s career can be debated, but this was the season where he won the Gold Glove and was also an All Star. Davenport likely should not have won this as he did not really come close to leading in any defensive category. Although Davenport was Hall of Fame eligible in 1976 he was not on the ballot.

Ken Boyer, NL St. Louis Cardinals (5) (1963)

0.2 dWAR. Of the five Gold Gloves that Ken Boyer would win, this is the one that should be disputed. The only statistic that Boyer would lead in was Errors and he was not a top ten finisher in Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. He would however win the National League MVP and the World Series in 1964. Boyer was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. He is ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Clete Boyer, NL Atlanta Braves (1969)

2.1 dWAR. Had there been no Brooks Robinson, it is possible that Clete Boyer would have won a few Gold Gloves as his defensive prowess as a New York Yankee often rivaled that of the Hall of Fame Oriole. Boyer would finish first in the American League in Defensive bWAR in 1961 and 1962 and in ’69 was fourth in the NL (followed by a second place finish the following year). Boyer would be first amongst National League Third Basemen in Total Zone Runs.   While Clete Boyer would retire with only one Gold Glove, he had a career that easily could have warranted five. Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Doug Rader, NL Houston Astros (1970)

1.0 dWAR. We just looked at Clete Boyer who won one Gold Glove and probably should have won five. Here we have Doug Radar who won five and probably should have won one, which this one could be argued for. Rader finished first in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Doug Rader, NL Houston Astros (2) (1971)

0.2 dWAR. While Doug Rader would not finish with a very impressive 0.2 Defensive bWAR, Rader would however finish first in one defensive category, Errors by a Third Baseman. Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Doug Rader, NL Houston Astros (3) (1972)

0.8 dWAR. Rader would finish first in the National League Third Baseman in Assists and Double Plays Turned. Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Doug Rader, NL Houston Astros (4) (1973)

-0.2 dWAR. Ugh, we hate it when a Gold Glove is awarded to someone with a negative Defensive bWAR. He did lead in Putouts (and Errors) at Third and was not a top five finisher in Total Zone Runs. Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Doug Rader, NL Houston Astros (5) (1974)

0.5 dWAR. In what would be the final Gold Glove in the career for Doug Rader, we again see him as someone who is undeserving. This year, he did not finish first in any defensive statistic. Seriously, we think he won five Gold Gloves simply because he played in the most games at Third over this time frame. Over his five Gold Glove seasons, Rader would have a total Defensive bWAR of 2.2. Not exactly stellar is it? Boyer was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 0.7% in 1979.

Ken Reitz, NL St. Louis Cardinals (1975)

-1.4 dWAR. Is this for real? Ken Reitz had a career Defensive bWAR of 1.3, which is bad enough but he wins a Gold Glove on his worst ever year with the glove? Reitz did play the most games at Third, but still didn’t come close to finishing first in any defensive stat. Who voted for this? Although Reitz was Hall of Fame eligible in 1988 he was not on the ballot.

Aurelio Rodriguez, AL Detroit Tigers (1976)

0.3 dWAR. While there might have been seasons where Aurelio Rodriguez should have won a Gold Glove, this was not one of those years. He would finish first in Fielding Percentage at his position but was nowhere close in any other category. Although Rodriguez was Hall of Fame eligible in 1989 he was not on the ballot.

Graig Nettles, AL New York Yankees (1977)

1.4 dWAR. Graig Nettles had already secured four seasons of a Defensive bWAR over 2.5, but this was the first campaign where he would win a Gold Glove. Nettles had a good defensive season but did not finish at the top in any defensive statistic, though this was also the Yankees World Series championship team. This might have propelled him to a win. Graig Nettles is ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Graig Nettles, AL New York Yankees (1978)

1.8 dWAR. Nettles finished sixth in Defensive bWAR, which would be the seventh and final time he would finish in the top ten. 1978 would also see the Yankees win the World Series again, which certainly doesn’t hurt him winning the Gold Glove. He would finish first in Double Plays Turned by a Third Baseman. Graig Nettles is ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (1979)

3.7 dWAR. This would be Buddy Bell’s finest defensive season in terms of Defensive bWAR, finishing first overall in the American League, and would also do the same for Total Zone Runs. At Third Base, Bell did not finish first in any other defensive metric than TZR, but was second in Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (2) (1980)

1.6 dWAR. Buddy Bell would finish eighth in the AL in Defensive bWAR while making his first All Star Game appearance since 1973. Bell would finish first among the American League Third Basemen in Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage and was second in Total Zone Runs. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (3) (1981)

3.3 dWAR. For the second and final time, Buddy Bell would lead the American League in Defensive BWAR and Total Zone Runs. Bell would be tops amongst the AL Third Basemen in Assists, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (4) (1982)

1.8 dWAR. Bell would finish overall in the AL in Defensive bWAR and at the hot corner he would statistically rank first in Putouts, Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (5) (1983)

2.0 dWAR. Finishing fourth overall in Defensive bWAR in the AL, Bell was first at his position in Putouts and Total Zone Runs. He was also second in Range Factor Per Game. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Buddy Bell, AL Texas Rangers (6) (1984)

2.2 dWAR. This was Buddy Bell’s final top ten finish in Defensive bWAR (he finished seventh) and overall posted an excellent career 23.0 in that. In 1984 Buddy Bell would lead all American League Third Basemen in Range Factor per Game and second in Total Zone Runs. Bell was on the ballot for one year in 1995 and received 1.7% of the ballot.

Tim Wallach, NL Montreal Expos (1985)

2.9 dWAR. The year before, Tim Wallach finished with 2.2 in Defensive bWAR, which was good enough for third in the NL. This year, his 2.9 was enough for second, his highest finish ever. Wallach would also record his first Silver Slugger win. At Third Base, Wallach topped all in the National League in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Notably, he would also finish first in Total Zone Runs overall in the league. Wallach was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Gary Gaetti, AL Minnesota Twins (1986)

1.2 dWAR. Gaetti actually had a stronger case in the two years previous, but this is not a terrible choice. Gaetti finished first at Third Base in the AL in Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Gaetti was on the ballot for one year in 2006 and received 0.8% of the ballot.

Gary Gaetti, AL Minnesota Twins (2) (1987)

0.6 dWAR. Gaetti finished first in Putouts amongst the American League Third Basemen but also played the most games that year. He was second in Fielding Percentage but nowhere to be found at the top in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Gaetti was however on the World Series Champions and was the past winner. Not a great choice this year. Gaetti was on the ballot for one year in 2006 and received 0.8% of the ballot.

Terry Pendleton, NL St. Louis Cardinals (1987)

0.2 dWAR. Hmmmm. In the two years before, Terry Pendleton finished over 2.0 in Defensive bWAR, but this is the year he wins the Gold Glove? Probably, because this was first offensive season that didn’t suck. Pendleton actually had NEGATIVE Offensive bWARs in the two years before. He did however in 1987 finish first amongst the NL Third Basemen in Assists and Range Factor per Game. Pendleton was on the ballot for one year in 2004 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Gary Gaetti, AL Minnesota Twins (3) (1988)

-0.2 dWAR. While this would be Gaetti’s first All Star Game, he would win his third Gold Glove with a negative Defensive bWAR. He was second in Fielding Percentage but was not top ten in any other defensive statistic. Gaetti was on the ballot for one year in 2006 and received 0.8% of the ballot.

Tim Wallach, NL Montreal Expos (2) (1988)

1.9 dWAR. Wallach would finish ninth overall Defensive bWAR in what was arguably his last great season defensively. Wallach would lead the National League Third Basemen in Putouts and Double Plays Turned and finished second in Total Zone Runs. Wallach was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Gary Gaetti, AL Minnesota Twins (4) (1989)

0.9 dWAR. This was Gary Gaetti’s fourth and final Gold Glove and realistically he probably should not have won any of them, though in 1990 he would have a 2.4 Defensive bWAR. Gaetti finished third in Total Zone Runs and second in Fielding Percentage at his position. Gaetti was on the ballot for one year in 2006 and received 0.8% of the ballot.

Terry Pendleton, NL St. Louis Cardinals (2) (1989)

2.3 dWAR. As opposed to the first Gold Glove that he should not have won, the second one from Terry Pendleton was definitely warranted. He would finish sixth in the NL in Defensive bWAR while leading all league Third Basemen in Assists, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage while finishing second in Total Zone Runs. Pendleton was on the ballot for one year in 2004 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Kelly Gruber, AL Toronto Blue Jays (1990)

-0.6 dWAR. Here is another strange one. Kelly Gruber had a good career in Toronto and in 1990 he put up career highs in Home Runs, RBIs, Slugging Percentage and OPS. He finished fourth in MVP voting that year, also a career high. He would however also have a career low in Defensive bWAR, which showed how much the Gold Glove voters pay attention to the bat. He would have the most Putouts but had a poor season overall defensively. Although Gruber was Hall of Fame eligible in 1999, he was not on the ballot.

Tim Wallach, NL Montreal Expos (3) (1990)

0.0 dWAR. We already said that Wallach arguably had his last great defensive season but that did not mean that he did not win another Gold Glove, though he clearly shouldn’t have. The Expo might have played the most games at Third but he did not finish at the top in any defensive statistic. Wallach was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Robin Ventura, AL Chicago White Sox (1991)

0.7 dWAR. The first of six Gold Gloves for Robin Ventura was a bit of a curious one. Ventura finished first in Putouts at Third, but he also finished first in Errors. He did not come close to leading in any other defensive statistic. Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Matt Williams, NL San Francisco Giants (1991)

1.1 dWAR. Williams had a decent year defensively and while there have certainly been more dynamic Gold Glove winners at Third Base this wasn’t a year where there was great competition. He would finish first in Putouts and Total Zone Runs. Williams was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Robin Ventura, AL Chicago White Sox (2) (1992)

1.7 dWAR. Ventura would this year finish ninth overall in Defensive bWAR and would go to his first All Star Game. Among his peers at Third Base in the AL, Ventura was atop in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned, Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Terry Pendleton, NL Atlanta Braves (3) (1992)

0.7 dWAR. Now an Atlanta Brave, Pendleton was coming off an MVP season, Pendleton would finish second this year. This was not a terrible season defensively as he finished first in Assists and Range Factor per Game, but he only had 4 Total Zone Runs and was not exactly elite at the Third. Pendleton was on the ballot for one year in 2004 and received 0.2% of the ballot.

Robin Ventura, AL Chicago White Sox (3) (1993)

1.9 dWAR. This year, Ventura would finish tenth in Defensive bWAR while finishing first in Total Zone Runs and second in Fielding Percentage. Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Matt Williams, NL San Francisco Giants (2) (1993)

1.3 dWAR. Williams would finish sixth in MVP voting and was also a Silver Slugger. Defensively he would finish first in Double Plays Turned and second in Total Zone Runs. Williams was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Matt Williams, NL San Francisco Giants (3) (1994)

0.9 dWAR. Williams would win the National League Home Run Title and finished second in MVP voting. Again, this was not a spectacular defensive season for Williams but there were not a lot of competition for this. Amongst the National League Third Basemen he finished first in Assists and Range Factor per Game and second in Total Zone Runs. Williams was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Ken Caminiti, NL San Diego Padres (1995)

-1.0 dWAR. Once again we have a case of a bat winning a Gold Glove. Caminiti had two Gold Glove worthy seasons (1989 & 1994) and he did not win in those seasons. In 1995, Caminiti had his first 25 Home Run and .300 season. While Caminiti did finish first in Assists and Double Plays Turned, he also played the most defensive games at Third. He also led in Errors, was not in the top five in Total Zone Runs and Fielding Percentage. Caminiti was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.4% of the ballot.

Robin Ventura, AL Chicago White Sox (4) (1996)

0.9 dWAR. This is the second time that Robin Ventura won the Gold Glove when he probably should not have. While he did finish first in Putouts and Double Plays Turned, his finish in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game was a pedestrian fifth place. Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Ken Caminiti, NL San Diego Padres (2) (1996)

0.3 dWAR. Caminiti was an offensive beast this year with 40 Home Runs and a .326 Batting Average. He was voted the National League MVP and was named a Silver Slugger. Defensively, he was better than 1995, but far from Gold Glove worthy. He would finish first in Range Factor per Game amongst the NL Third Basemen but again he was not in the top five Total Zone Runs. Caminiti was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.4% of the ballot.

Matt Williams, AL Cleveland Indians (4) (1997)

1.9 dWAR. With a tenth place finish in Defensive bWAR, this would be the only time that Matt Williams would place in the top ten in this metric. Incidentally, it was also the only season he would play in the American League. Williams would not finish first at Third Base in the AL in any defensive stat, but put up a career high 17 Total Zone Runs, enough for second in that statistic.  Williams was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Ken Caminiti, NL San Diego Padres (3) (1997)

-1.0 dWAR. This was the third in final Gold Glove for Caminiti and he went three for three in terms of not deserving any of them. His highest finish defensively was second…in Errors. Hey, the decisions overall do get better! Caminiti was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.4% of the ballot.

Robin Ventura, AL Chicago White Sox (5) (1998)

3.4 dWAR. There is no doubt that this was the finest defensive season that Robin Ventura had in Major League Baseball. Not only did the Third Baseman finish first in the AL in Defensive bWAR, he would do so in Total Zone Runs. He would also lead all of the AL Third Basemen in Assists and Double Plays Turned. Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Scott Rolen, NL Philadelphia Phillies (1998)

1.4 dWAR. Rolen was the Rookie of the Year in 1997, and this was a better season both offensively and defensively for the Third Baseman. Rolen finished ninth overall in Defensive bWAR while finishing first among the NL Third Basemen in Putouts and was third in Total Zone Runs. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Brosius, AL New York Yankees (1999)

0.9 dWAR. Scott Brosius was only with the New York Yankees but it did not take long for him to become a very popular one. An All Star in 1998, Brosius would win his only Gold Glove in 1999, though it was far from a dominating season with the glove. Either way, Brosius’ selection was not all bad as he did lead all American League Shortstops in Fielding Percentage and was a respectable third in Total Zone Runs. As there was no clear-cut choice, it didn’t hurt that he was Yankee who had just won his second World Series.   Brosius was on the ballot for one year in 2007 but did not receive any votes.

Robin Ventura, NL New York Mets (6) (1999)

2.8 dWAR. While the previous season was arguably the best ever with his glove, 1999 was his best overall. Ventura, now a New York Met would place sixth overall in MVP voting and fourth in Defensive bWAR in his first year in the National League. As for his position, Ventura was tops in Assists, Total Zone Runs and for the first and only time in his career, Fielding Percentage.  Ventura was on the ballot for one year in 2010 and received 1.3% of the ballot.

Travis Fryman, AL Cleveland Indians (2000)

0.3 dWAR. This would be Travis Fryman’s fifth All Star year and his lone Gold Glove win, but you have to openly ask why he got it. Fryman would finish first in Fielding Percentage at Third in the AL, but he was not in the top five in any other category. Fryman was on the ballot for one year in 2008 and received 0.4% of the vote.

Scott Rolen, NL Philadelphia Phillies (2) (2000)

0.9 dWAR. 1999 was actually a better season defensively where he finished second in Total Zone Runs and first in Range Factor per Game among his peers. In 2000 he was second and fourth respectively but did not finish first in any Defensive statistic. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL Philadelphia Phillies (3) (2001)

1.2 dWAR. While this was a good defensive season for Scott Rolen, you can’t really say that it was a spectacular one. Rolen did finish first in Range Factor per Game and was third in Total Zone Runs. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL Philadelphia Phillies/St. Louis Cardinals (4) (2002)

1.8 dWAR. Rolen was traded midway through the season from Philly to St. Louis, and was first among his peers in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor per Game. Overall in the National League he was sixth in Defensive bWAR. Notably, this was also the first time that Rolen would make an All Star Team and he would also win the Silver Slugger for the only time of his year. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL St. Louis Cardinals (5) (2003)

-0.2 dWAR. Scott Rolen took a step back defensively but the voters didn’t notice as he won his fifth Gold Glove this year. His highest finish in any defensive metric was fourth in Assists. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL St. Louis Cardinals (6) (2004)

3.3 dWAR. Talk about a comeback. Rolen went from -0.2 to 3.3 in Defensive bWAR and for the first and only time in his career would finish atop the National League. It was also the last time that he would finish in the top ten, though he wasn’t done collecting Gold Gloves. Amazingly, his career high of 27 Total Zone Runs would not top the National League Third Basemen, as Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers had a better number. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Mike Lowell, NL Florida Marlins (2005)

-0.5 dWAR. This was another strange win, but as bad as Mike Lowell’s Defensive bWAR was he still finished third in Total Zone Runs and was first in Fielding Percentage. Lowell was a player who did not make a lot of mistakes but also never exerted himself out of his comfort zone. This is also a strange case as this was the first time in three years that he was not an All Star and he was not rewarded for his offense, as he was barely a .300 OBP player in 2005. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL St. Louis Cardinals (7) (2006)

1.8 dWAR. This is actually a good number for Defensive bWAR but in 2006 it wasn’t enough to make the top ten in the NL, nor was his other defensive stats enough to win any defensive statistic at Third Base in the league. This could be the best “bad” win in Gold Glove history. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Scott Rolen, NL Cincinnati Reds (8) (2010)

1.2 dWAR. In what would be Scott Rolen’s final Gold Glove, he did so as a member of the Reds, the only time he would do so. This wasn’t the most warranted Gold Glove of his career as his best statistical finishes was second in both Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Overall, Rolen probably should not have won eight Gold Gloves but his 20.6 career Defensive bWAR is very good. As of this writing, Rolen is on the ballot for the first time.

Let’s update our tally shall we?

Award in Question	Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF	Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF.
NBA MVP	100%	100%
NHL Norris	90.5%	96.4%
NBA All Star Game MVP	89.5%	91.7%
NHL Conn Smythe	74.2%	85.4%
NHL Lady Byng	63.8%	76.0%
NFL Super Bowl MVP	60.6%	64.9%
NBA Defensive Player of the Year	58.3%	56.5%
NBA Rookie of the Year	56.5%	56.5%
MLB/NL/AL Cy Young Award	44.4%	55.4%
NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy	33.3%	36.7%
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year	28.6%	28.6%
MLB Edgar Martinez Award	26.7%	17.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Designated Hitter)	25.0%	30.8%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop)	23.5%	52.6%
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year	20.6%	20.6%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)	20.0%	22.5%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)	18.8%	39.8%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)	18.2%	35.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)	18.2%	20.1%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)	16.7%	32.7%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)	15.7%	25.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)	14.3%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)	13.6%	14.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)	13.6%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year	13.3%	13.3%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)	10.3%	15.2%
MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)	3.8%	3.2%

So who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Third Base who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

 

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (2001)

1.5 dWAR. Chavez would not commit many errors and would lead the AL Third Basemen in Fielding Percentage while also finishing first in Assists. He was third in Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (2) (2002)

0.0 dWAR. While Eric Chavez may have finished atop in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game he was not in the hunt at all for Total Zone Runs. This was an unspectacular defensive season. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (3) (2003)

1.0 dWAR. This was better than the season before for sure. Chavez would again lead the American League Third Basemen in Assists and Putouts and for the first time led in Range Factor per Game, though he was again not in the top five in Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (4) (2004)

1.4 dWAR. Again, this was an improvement from the season before. Chavez repeated his feat of finishing first among his peers in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game but for the first and only time he was atop in Double Plays Turned. He was also second in Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (5) (2005)

1.5 dWAR. This is probably the most deserving of his Gold Gloves, though mainly because he had far less worthy competition this year. Chavez would finish first in Range Factor per Game and for the first time was first in Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Eric Chavez, AL Oakland Athletics (6) (2006)

0.5 dWAR. In his final Gold Glove year, Eric Chavez had the highest Fielding Percentage and turned the most Double Plays amongst the AL Third Basemen. That is the good news. The bad is that he wasn’t in the top five in Range Factor per Game or Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Placido Polanco, NL Philadelphia Phillies (2011)

1.2 dWAR. Placido Polanco won two Gold Gloves as a Second Basemen prior to this one at Third. Polanco was an All Star for the second and final time in his career and he finished first in Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. He was also second in Total Zone Runs. Eligible in the Hall of Fame in 2019.

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Third Base who are still active.

Adrian Beltre, AL Seattle Mariners (2007)

0.7 dWAR. Prior to winning his first Gold Glove, Adrian Beltre had three seasons where he should have been considered for the Gold Glove. Unfortunately when he finally won his first, it was in a year where he really should not have. Beltre was first in Putouts amongst the AL Third Basemen, but also in Errors and was not in the top five in Total Zone Runs or Fielding Percentage. This almost feels like they were saying sorry! 39 Years Old, Playing for the Texas Rangers.

David Wright, NL New York Mets (2007)

1.4 dWAR. Finishing fourth in National League MVP voting, David Wright also would win his first Silver Slugger. In regards to his NL Third base peers, Wright did not finish first in any defensive stat and while this was not the best choice for Gold Glove this was not terrible. Sadly, that is relevant when we are talking about Gold Gloves. 33 Years Old, Playing for the New York Mets.

Adrian Beltre, AL Seattle Mariners (2) (2008)

3.1 dWAR. Sabremetircally speaking this was the best defensive season of Adrian Beltre’s career and thankfully he won the Gold Glove this year. Beltre would finish first for the first and only time in Defensive bWAR in the American League while finishing first in Assists. 39 Years Old, Playing for the Texas Rangers.

David Wright, NL New York Mets (2) (2008)

0.7 dWAR. David Wright won his second Gold Glove (and coincidentally another Silver Slugger) but other than leading the NL Third Basemen in Assists, there was nothing special about his defensive season. The only saving grace here is that neither did anyone else. Incidentally, in 2012 he was named a Wilson Defensive Player but lost the Gold Glove to Andrelton Simmons of Atlanta, who had a stronger case. 33 Years Old, Playing for the New York Mets.

Evan Longoria, AL Tampa Bay Rays (2009)

2.2 dWAR. Following his Rookie of the Year win in 2008, Evan Longoria would win his first Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in 2009. Longoria finished seventh in the AL in Defensive bWAR while also finishing first in Double Plays Turned and Total Zone Runs among the American League Third Basemen. 31 Years Old, Playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ryan Zimmerman, NL Washington Nationals (2009)

2.5 dWAR. Ryan Zimmerman won only one Gold Glove in his career but this was the year it definitely should have occurred. Zimmerman, who was also named an All Star for the first time finished third in Defensive bWAR finished first in Assists and Range Factor per Game. 33 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Nationals.

Evan Longoria, AL Tampa Bay Rays (2) (2010)

2.5 dWAR. Longoria would finish third in Defensive bWAR in the American League and at his position was the leader in Double Plays Turned. He was also second in Total Zone Runs. 31 Years Old, Playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Adrian Beltre, AL Texas Rangers (3) (2011)

1.5 dWAR. Adrian Beltre also won the Platinum Glove though he did not finish first in any defensive statistic amongst the AL Third Basemen. He did however finish second in Total Zone Runs. 39 Years Old, Playing for the Texas Rangers.

Adrian Beltre, AL Texas Rangers (4) (2012)

1.4 dWAR. Beltre would win the Platinum Glove for the second time while leading the American League Third Basemen in Putouts. 39 Years Old, Playing for the Texas Rangers.

Chase Headley, NL San Diego Padres (2012)

0.0 dWAR. By far this was the best offensive season that Chase Headley ever had and he finished fifth in MVP voting. Defensively, this was not the case. He did play the most games at Third in the NL where he would lead his peers in Assists and Total Zone Runs, but there was not exactly a surefire winner this year. 34 Years Old, Playing for the New York Yankees.

Manny Machado, AL Baltimore Orioles (2013)

4.3 dWAR. In his second season in the Majors, Manny Machado with a good offensive year and stellar defensive one. Finishing first in Defensive bWAR by 1.5, Machado also put together a 32 Total Zone Run season! He was also first in Double Plays Turned, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage amongst the American League Third Basemen. He would also win the Platinum Glove and the Wilson Defensive Player Award. 25 Years Old, Playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Nolan Arenado, NL Colorado Rockies (2013)

3.6 dWAR. In his rookie season Nolan Arenado had an incredible defensive campaign with a 3.4 Defensive bWAR, which was good enough for fourth overall in the National League. Amongst the NL Third Basemen he finished first in Range Factor per Game. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Kyle Seager, AL Seattle Mariners (2014)

1.7 dWAR. 2014 was the first and only time that Seager would be an All Star or a Gold Glove winner. Seager had a decent season and he would finish first amongst the American League Third Basemen in Total Zone Runs and Fielding Percentage. 30 Years Old, Playing for the Seattle Mariners.

Nolan Arenado, NL Colorado Rockies (2) (2014)

1.9 dWAR. Aranedo secured his second Gold Glove while again leading the National League Third Basemen in Range Factor per Game. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Manny Machado, AL Baltimore Orioles (2) (2015)

1.9 dWAR. While this was not as good as his 2013 season (how could it be!) Manny Machado still had a very good 2015 with the glove. Machado finished sixth in the AL in Defensive bWAR and would finish first at Third in Double Plays Turned and Range Factor per Game. 25 Years Old, Playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Nolan Arenado, NL Colorado Rockies (3) (2015)

2.2 dWAR. This was the season where Nolan Arenado put it altogether offensively while maintaining his defensive acumen. He finished eighth in MVP voting, 6th in Defensive bWAR and was also named a Wilson Defensive Player. Amongst those in his position in the National League Arenado was first in Putouts, Assists, Double Plays Turned and Range Factor per Game. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Adrian Beltre, AL Texas Rangers (5) (2016)

1.8 dWAR. This was the third time that Beltre would finish first in Total Zone Runs, though only first time where he would win the Gold Glove. Beltre finished second that year in Range Factor per Game. 39 Years Old, Playing for the Texas Rangers.

Nolan Arenado, NL Colorado Rockies (4) (2016)

2.3 dWAR. This was enough for Aranedo to finish third overall in Defensive bWAR in the National League and again (though not relevant here) his offense continued to grow! Aranedo would for the fourth time finish first amongst the National League Third Baseman in Range Factor per Game. He also finished first in Assists and Double Plays Turned and was again the recipient of a Wilson Defensive Award. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Evan Longoria, AL Tampa Bay Rays (3) (2017)

0.7 dWAR. This should not happen in 2017. Longoria was ok in the field in 2017, but did not come close to finishing first in any defensive category. 31 Years Old, Playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Nolan Arenado, NL Colorado Rockies (5) (2017)

2.3 dWAR. This season Nolan Arenedo finished second in Defensive bWAR while also finishing fourth in National League MVP voting. Also, for the fifth straight year, Aranedo was the league leader amongst Third Basemen in Range Factor per Game. He also was first in Putouts, Assists and Double Plays Turned. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

The next one will take us awhile. It’s off to the Outfield next…. Look for that God knows when!

Spring maybe?

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!

Baseball immortality: Precious few attain it, most do not even come close—and some perch on the cusp of that immortality as signified by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Theirs are the test cases, players whose careers, accomplishments, and legacies form the threshold of what separates a Hall of Famer from the rest.

Baseball Hall of Fame voting in the last few years has been fascinating for a number of reasons, particularly the logjam of qualified candidates, which promises to remain an issue for the next few years. That logjam puts additional pressure on the borderline candidates—will they be overlooked, perhaps unfairly, because there are too many candidates from which to choose?

When one Hall of Fame class is chosen it means it is time for us to start revising.  Now that the Baseball Hall of Fame has selected Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez to Cooperstown, we are now ready to put out our new Notinhalloffame.com Baseball List

As such, we took into account the following when looking at our Baseball Revisions:

Ranking the now eligible former players.  We already have them on our futures sections and your votes and comments have been taken into account. 

The votes and opinions that all of you have given based on those who are already on the list.

Remember, we encourage you to keep giving us your opinions and comments as this does alter our rankings as we continue.  Also, it is worth noting that we have expanded our 100 to 105. 

So, let’s get right to the Top 10!

If you are a regular visitor here, you know that we have a 1A, 1B and 1C on our to accommodate:

1A. Pete Rose:  The Hit King remains ineligible for the Hall of Fame due to gambling.

1B. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson:  Jackson remains ineligible after nearly a century has passed following the Black Sox Scandal of 1919.

1C. Roger Clemens:  It is either Clemens or Bonds in this spot.  Rocket gets the duke only because he has a slightly higher vote tally from all of you who voted.  Seriously though, can we get off the PED era already?

2. Barry Bonds:  The All-Time leader in MLB Home Runs remains #2.  While he does not have the vote total that others have who are ranked lower, like Clemens, this is as far as his (and Clemens) basement goes as far as Notinhalloffame.com is concerned, and yes, we know we said that we too take your votes into account!  With these two, we re going to hold firm right now.

3. Chipper Jones:  The career Atlanta Brave is considered by many to be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee.  Jones has the stats, both traditional and advanced, a World Series Ring and is very well liked.  He is the highest rated new entry.

4. Mike Mussina:  Mussina may have dropped one spot, but he is still a major snub in our eyes.  The former Yankee and Oriole may have played in high profile markets but his profile is relatively low amongst those who think about Cooperstown.  Apparently it is low with the Baseball Hall of Fame voters too.

5. Bill Dahlen:  “Bad” Bill Dahlen also drops one spot.  Dahlen is one of the few legitimate omissions from the game’s early days and was surly as he was good…and he was very good!

6. Jim Thome:  Thome statistically should be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and probably will be, but for someone who smacked over 600 Home Runs with an OPS of .956, he is a player that could easily fall below the radars of voters on the first go around.  He is the second highest ranked of the new entries.

7. Manny Ramirez.  Manny is being Manny in Japan now, but he got a far higher vote in his first year of eligibility than many people thought he would.

8. Curt Schilling.  Schilling took a tumble with the voters this year, the biggest drop of anyone who was on the ballot.  It might be worth watching to see if he falls again.

9. Vladimir Guerrero.  “Vlad, The Impaler” had the biggest jump in our Top 20, moving up from 14 to 9.  Guerrero was very close to entering Cooperstown on his first try, and probably should get in on his second try.

10. Lou Whitaker.  The sabremetric darling of the Detroit Tigers infield remains in the #10 spot.

Chipper Jones and Jim Thome are not the only new entries on this list.

Scott Rolen debuts at #18.  The former infielder and seven time All Star brings a very interesting case to the Baseball Hall of Fame and we are very curious to see how his first vote goes.

Chipper Jones is not the only high profile former Atlanta Brave to make the top 50 as Andruw Jones debuts at #49.

Johan Santana debuts at #67 though we wonder how much higher he would be if he lasted just two more seasons. 

Omar Vizquel is another new entry.  The defensive star makes his first appearance at #76.

Johnny Damon and Jamie Moyer appear at #99 and #105 respectively.

You know what we want you to do!

If you haven’t cast your vote for these former baseball players on our list, please do so and offer your opinion!

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you all for your support!

Yes we know this is taking a long time!

Regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly (or glacier like) working on our top 50 players for each major North American Franchise.  After that is done, our intention is to look at how each one of those teams honor their past players and executives. 

As such, it is news to us that the St. Louis Cardinals have announced seven finalists for their franchise Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

To become eligible for the Cardinals HOF, a player must have at least played for the team for three seasons and have been retired for three years. 


Here are this year’s nominees:

Steve Carlton, Pitcher.

Carlton is far better known for winning the Cy Young Award four times with the Philadelphia Phillies it was in St. Louis where “Lefty” first became a star.  Carlton rose to prominence in 1967, joining a rotation that would take the Cards to back-to-back World Series appearances in ’67 and ’68.  As a Cardinal, Carlton would post a 77 and 62 record with a 3.10 ERA and 951 Strikeouts.  The Hall of Fame Pitcher would be traded from St. Louis following a salary dispute, which was a deal that did not exactly fall in the Cardinals favor.

Keith Hernandez, First Base.

Hernandez would with the National League co-MVP in 1979 in a season where he also won the NL Batting Title.  Hernandez was thought of us as the best defensive First Baseman in his era and overall would have 1,217 Hits with a Slash Line of .299/.385/.448 over 1,165 games as a Cardinal.  Hernandez would be traded to the New York Mets in 1983 after falling out of favor with St. Louis Manager, Whitey Herzog.  Still, Hernandez did help the Cards win the 1982 World Series.

Jason Isringhausen, Pitcher.

The Cardinals closer from 2002 to 2008, Isringhausen recorded 217 Saves with a 2.98 ERA.  The Cards closer was an All Star in 2005 and led the NL in Saves in 2004.  He would help St. Louis win the World Series in 2006.

Tim McCarver, Catcher.

Playing 1,181 Games for St. Louis, the Catcher turned broadcaster was a two time All Star for the Cardinals.  McCarver would finish 2nd in MVP voting in 1967, the same season he helped St. Louis win the World Series.  He would smack 1,029 Hits as a Cardinal. 

Mark McGwire, First Base.

McGwire famously chased (and took) the single season home run record as a Cardinal.  He was only with the Cardinals for four and a half seasons but he belted 220 Home Runs with a .420 On Base Percentage while he played there.  He was also named to three All Star Games, earned a Silver Slugger and had two top five finishes in National League MVP voting while he was a Cardinal.

Edgar Renteria, Shortstop.

A member of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1999 to 2004, Renteria was skilled with his bat (973 Hits with a .290 Batting Average) and with his glove (two Gold Gloves).  The fleet footed infielder would also swipe 148 bases and earn two Silver Sluggers in St. Louis.

Scott Rolen, Third Base.

Rolen was traded to the Cardinals during the 200 season and from 2003 to 2006 was named a National League All Star.  Rolen dominated third base, winning three Gold Gloves and also producing good power numbers, belting 111 Home Runs as a Cardinal.  He would help St. Louis win the 2006 World Series.


Voting is available online at cardinals.com/HOF.  The top two vote getters (voting concludes on April, 14) will be officially inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame this August.

We would like to congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals who in a short time has made their franchise’s Hall of Fame one of the most respected in team sports.

Other teams, take note!

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.