On the heels of learning that Dikembe Mutombo, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away, Pete Rose, Baseball’s all-time leader in Hits, passed away today. He was 83.

Rose was one of the most popular players of his day due to his tenacious play and gritty determination.  Rose broke in with the Cincinnati Reds, winning the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year, and he emerged as one of the top batters in baseball history.  Rose’s resume includes:

3 World Series Championships
1 MVP
1 World Series MVP
17 All-Stars
1 Silver Slugger
2 Gold Gloves
3 Batting Titles

Also playing for Philadelphia and Montreal, Rose returned to Cincinnati as a Player/Manager, where he broke Ty Cobb's hit record in front of his own crowd at Riverfront Stadium.  A few years later, Rose was banned from the game he loved when he was caught betting on baseball.  He was never reinstated.

The qualities that made him so popular on the diamond also made him unpopular with executives and gatekeepers to baseball-related organizations.  The Baseball Hall of Fame, while a separate entity from MLB, upheld that ban and did not place him on their ballots.  As such, he never made it to Cooperstown.

On a personal note, I had the privilege of interviewing Pete Rose in Las Vegas twelve years ago.  He was kind, gracious, and giddy talking about baseball.  It helped make my site worthy, and I will always be in his debt.

We at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to Pete Rose’s fans, family, and friends.

Halls of Fames struggle with transparency, but the Baseball Hall does a very good job telling you who are the voters and what the results were.

We now know the 16-person group who comprise the Contemporary Committee. 

The voters will comprise of five Hall of Fame players (Jeff Bagwell, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Ted Simmons and Jim Thome), Hall of Fame Manager, Joe Torre, and Hall of Fame Commissioner Bud Selig.  Also included are Executives Sandy Alderson, Bill DeWitt, Michael Hill, Ken Kendrick, Andy MacPhail and Phyliss Merhige and media members/historians, Sean Forman, Jack O’Connell and Jesus Ortiz.

The group will be voting on Managers, Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland and Lou Piniella, Umpires Joe West and Ed Montague, Executive Bill White and Executive Hank Peters.

To enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, a candidate needs at least 75% for election.  Should the Committee induct any of the candidates they will be elected inducted on July 21, 2024.

As we are deep into the Baseball Hall of Fame season, one of the inductees is hopeful to get the logo on his plaque changed from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago Cubs.

Andre Dawson, who was inducted into the Hall in 2010, was enshrined with the Expos cap, but stated all along that he wanted to go in as a Cub.  He is still hopeful of changing it to the iconic Cubs “C”, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, and he has sent letters to the chairman of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors in another effort.  Dawson has long since said that he wanted to go in as a Cub, the team he won his only MVP (1987), despite the longer and more successful statistical tenure with Montreal.

The Hall of Fame rarely makes changes to plaques, and as the Cooperstown-based institution has not corresponded with Dawson, it is unlikely that we will see any changes in bronze.

The clock begins!

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

Alphabetically, they are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Baseball Hall of Fame season continues as the Baseball Hall of Fame has announced ten candidates who comprise the 2024 Ford C. Frick nominees.  This is an annual award that is given towards excellence in broadcasting. 

This ballot is the second of a four-year cycle focusing on announcers whose career extended or began in the Wild Card era.  In the fifth year, the Ford C. Frick will focus on broadcasters whose career ended before the advent of the Wild Card.

The Nominees are:

Joe Buck:  Buck is best known for his work as a football commentator, but served as Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer and has called multiple World Series.

Joe Castiglione:  Castiglione has been the Boston Red Sox radio announcer since 1983.

Gary Cohen:  Cohen has been broadcasting for the New York Mets since 1989.

Jacques Doucet:  A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (2020), Doucet was the lead play-by-play announcer in French Canada, for both the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays.  He retired in 2022.

Tom Hamilton: Hamilton has been the primary radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Guardians since 1998.

Ernie Johnson Sr.  Johnson Sr. worked for the Atlanta Braves as a color commentator on both television and radio from 1982 to 1999.

Ken Korach:  Korsch has been the Athletics play-by-play man since 1996.

Mike Krukow:  Krukow has been a broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants since 1990.

Duane Kuiper:  Like Krukow, Kuiper broadcasts for the Giants, and still does today.  With the exception of 1993, he has worked for the team since 1986.

Dan Shulman:  Shulman broadcasts for ESPN and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Ford C. Frick winner will be announced on December 6 during the Baseball Winter Meetings.

We are looking forward to see who they will select!

Hall of Fame season continues with the Baseball Hall’s announcement of the eight names on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Managers/Executives/Umpires.  The Committee will meet on December 3 at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, and the results will be shared that night at 7:30 on MLB Tonight on the MLB Network.

To enter the Hall, the candidate must receive 75 percent of the 16-person group. 

Here are the nominees:

Cito Gaston:  Gaston managed the Toronto Blue Jays for 12 seasons, and he helmed to back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.  Making history as the first African-American Manager to win a World Series, Gaston has a career record of 894-837, and is a member of the Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence.

Davey Johnson:  Johnson managed 17 seasons in the Majors, with his career-highlight leading the New York Mets to a 1986 World Series Championship.  Johnson won two Manager of the Year Awards (1997 & 2012) and had a record of 1,372-1,071.

Jim Leyland:  Leyland is a three-time Manager of the Year (1990, 1992 & 2006), and led the Florida Marlins to their improbable 1997 World Series title.  With a career record of 1,769-1,728 and helmed the United States to victory in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Ed Montague:  Montague served as an Umpire from 1974 to 2009 and was the Crew Chief in four World Series.

Hank Peters:  Peters worked 42 years as a Baseball Executive, first becoming a General Manager with the Kansas City Athletics helping them build their dynasty.  He would later serve as the GM in Baltimore, where he constructed their 1983 Championship squad.  He later rebuilt the Cleveland Indians into a power in the 90s.

Lou Piniella:  A 23-year veteran as a Manager, Piniella brought Cincinnati a World Series in 1990, and was a three-time Manager of the Year (1995, 2001 & 2008).  He had a lifetime record of 1,835-1,712.

Joe West: West umpired from 1976 to 2021, officiating a record 43 years and 5,460 Games.  He worked six World Series and ten League Championship Series.

Bill White:  White was the first African American President of a League, having served in that capacity in the NL from 1989 to 1994.

You know that we will be paying attention December 3!

Last month, the Baseball Hall of Fame elected Scott Rolen into their midst; a month after the Veteran’s Committee unanimously chose Fred McGriff for the Class of 2023.

This means that for us at Notinhalloffame.com, it is time to revise one of our most important lists, the top 300 Baseball players who we feel are deserving for a look at enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Our list looks at the following criteria:

1. Traditional and advanced statistics.

2. Playoff performance.

3. Impact and influence.

4. Your votes and comments.

We take all of these factors into consideration (especially your input), but as years go by, it becomes more difficult to rank players, especially since many of those eligible are tainted with activity that has kept them out.  Regardless of how Baseball may have decreased in popularity over the past decades, this is still the pre-eminent sports Hall of Fame in North America, and the standard by which all others are judged.

Specifically for the 2023 list, adjustments were made by removing Rolen and McGriff, factoring in your collective input, and adding former players who are eligible for the 2024 vote.

Our entire list of 300 can be found here, but below, we are pleased to present the Notinhalloffame.com Baseball top 20.

Remaining at #1 is Barry Bonds, the all-time leader in Home Runs (762) and is a seven-time MVP.  Controversy overshadows the power hitter, who is universally believed to have taken PEDs, though never tested positive.  Bonds concluded his ten years on the modern era ballot with 66%, and had there been 15 years like there were previously, he might have made it.  He was on the recent Veteran’s Committee ballot that included McGriff, though Bonds failed to gain the minimum votes needed to even have his number made public.  Bluntly, this means that Bonds is further than ever for Hall of Fame induction, as his peers do not view him as worthy.  We suspect that Bonds will forever be the most potent hitter to never see a plaque in the Hall, and could remain #1 here for decades (unless, your votes and comments plumet him from the top spot.

Roger Clemens also remains fixed at #2, and most of what we said about Bonds, applies to Clemens, only that he is a Pitcher.  A seven-time Cy Young winner, the “Rocket” never was suspended for PEDs, but the clouds around him are ominous, and he also did not win over a lot of friends in the media.  Just like Bonds, Clemens had his highest total on his last year of modern eligibility, and did not gain enough votes on his first Veteran Ballot for his tally to be known.  

Remaining at #3 is Alex Rodriguez, who was arguably the top player of the 2000s, and he will enter his third year of Modern eligibility.  There was nobody (Bonds and Clemens included) whose first year on the ballot intrigued us the most.  Unlike Bonds and Clemens, A-ROD DID test positive and served the longest suspension in MLB history.  At one time, he was the most hated man in all of sports, yet here we are in 2023 where he has a job with Fox Sports, and was in a high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez.  His marginal improvement in the 2023 vote does not forecast a Hall of Fame for Rodriguez.

With Pete Rose staying at #4, we have another player who looks to be forever to remain on the outside-looking-in.  Baseball’s all-time hit king was banned from Baseball for gambling on the sport, though he has recently made some appearances.  The Baseball Hall of Fame has followed the edict of MLB (although they don’t actually have to) and never added him to a ballot of any kind.  Even if he is reinstated, he would still have to appear on a Veteran’s Committee ballot, and that group would have to choose him.

With “Shoeless” Joe Jackson at #5, we have a top five (our only) where it is likely that none will ever receive the call. Banned in 1920 for allegedly conspiring to throw the World Series from the year before, Jackson maintained his innocence, and there many suspect that the Outfielder, who may have known about it, did not participate, which reflects his 1919 postseason statistics.

This takes us to #6, Adrian Beltre, who enters his first year on the ballot, and is a bona fide threat to enter on his first attempt.  He brings a resume of 3,166 Hits, 477 Home Runs, four All-Stars, four Silver Sluggers and five Silver Sluggers.

Falling one spot to #7 is he former career-Tiger, Lou Whitaker.  The Second Baseman and World Series Champion was a one-and-done on his only year on the ballot and is one of the most egregious omissions from the multi-ballot club.  

Bill Dahlen, a previous Veterans Committee nominee, is at #8.  We expect that he will be on the next one for his respective era. 

Dropping one to #9 is Curt Schilling, whose war with the media (and possibly his right-wing politics) resulted in his perpetual snub.  At the end of his run on the Modern Era ballot, the Pitcher asked the voters not to select him, and many acquiesced.  Schilling was on the same Veteran’s Committee ballot that Bonds and Schilling was on, and though he also was denied induction, he fared much better, gaining 6 votes.

Rounding out the top ten is Manny Ramirez, who though is still on the ballot is running out of time.  If Alex Rodriguez is unlikely to get elected, Ramirez has no shot, as he too was suspended, and has weaker (though Hall of Fame worthy) stats than A-Rod.

Todd Helton stays at #11.  The “Toddfather” missed out on Cooperstown this year with 72.2 of the vote, but next year on 2024 looks promising for Helton, who enters year number six on the ballot.

Boston’s most wanted for the Hall of Fame, Dwight Evans, holds firm at #12.

Pre-1900 Pitcher, Jim McCormick, advances two spots to #13. 

Carlos Beltran had a bit of tumble from #10 to #14.  Like others above, Beltran has the stats, but is paying a penance for his prominent role in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal.  He received only…. 1st   And we suspect that many voters wanted to make him wait a year.  Beltran will likely jump significantly on his second vote.

Tommy John, whose career-saving surgery named after him is recognized by the Hall, fell one spot to #15.

The final five of the top twenty all hold the same positions as last year, respectively being; Roger Maris (#16), Dick Allen (#17), Mark McGwire, (#18), Dave Parker (#19) and Rafael Palmeiro (#20).

There are other new entries on our list.  They are:

Chase Utley (#28), Joe Mauer (#37), Bartolo Colon (#77), David Wright (#89), Jose Bautista (#220) and Jose Reyes (#271)

We are now going to begin work on revising or Notinhalloffame.com Football 300, where we rank those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As always, we thank you for your support, and ask you to continue with your votes and comments.

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!

Today the Contemporary Baseball Veterans Committee met and voted on, and elected Fred McGriff unanimously, receiving all sixteen votes.

The committee was comprised of Hall of Fame platers, Greg Maddux, Jack Morris, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Frank Thomas, Alan Trammell, Executives, Paul Beeston, Theo Epstein, Derrick Hall, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Dave St. Peter, Ken Williams and Veteran Media Members/Historians Steve Hirdt, LaVelle Neal and Susan Slusser. 

McGriff, who played First Base, was a five-time All-Star, received 39.8 percent in 2019, his last year on the writer’s ballot, but this committee is more player driven.  He had 493 Home Runs, and likely would have had 500 had there not been a strike in 1994, likely would have had 500.  McGriff’s induction was largely predicted my many (including us), though the 100% tally is a little bit of a surprise. 

Finishing second was Don Mattingly, who had eight votes.  Arguably the greatest New York Yankee to have never won a World Series Ring in the Bronx, Mattingly won a Batting Title (1985), twice led the AL in Hits, and had a lifetime Batting Average of .307.  He is also a nine-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com, “Donnie Baseball” was on the ballot for 15 years with his peak coming in year one (28.2%) in his first year (2001).

Curt Schilling was in third with seven votes.  Likely ousted on the regular ballot due to his anti-media stance and right-wing beliefs, Schilling failed to make it past the ten years on the ballot, peaking on his penultimate year, 2021 with 71.1%.

Former two-time MVP, Dale Murphy has six votes.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com, Murphy was on the ballot for 15 years, with his highest tally coming in 2000 (23.2%), Murphy’s second year on the ballot.  

Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens received four or less votes.  We do not know how many (if any) these former players received.  In the case of the latter three, it is an indictment that the PED-associated players have an even tougher road than they had with the writers.

McGriff will be inducted along with the rest of the inductees this summer.  Please note that we will not be revising our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list until the conclusion of the Modern Ballot.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Fred McGriff for earning this prestigious honor.

We love to add more sub-sections at Notinhalloffame.com, and if you have been looking at our recent posts, you can see that our current focus is on our Futures Section, which look at eventual candidates who have retired from their respective sport, but are not yet Hall of Fame eligible.  Today, we unveil the latest add-on, the 2026 Baseball Futures of the players who qualify for Cooperstown in 2026.

Here are the players in our 2026 Baseball Futures Section:

Alex Gordon:  Playing his entire career with the Royals, Gordon won three Gold Gloves, was a three-time All-Star and was a member of the 2015 World Series Championship Team.

Chris Davis:  Davis was a power hitter who won two American League Home Run Titles as a member of the Orioles.

Cole Hamels:  Hamels helped lead Philadelphia to a World Series win in 2008, and he was the NLCS and World Series MVP that year.  A four-year All-Star, Hamels had four top ten Cy Young finishes and 2,560 Strikeouts.

Daniel Murphy:  Murphy was the runner-up for the 2016 National League MVP in 2016, and was a three-time All-Star.  He also won two Silver Sluggers and twice led the NL in Doubles.

Edinson Volquez:  Volquez was a long time Starting Pitcher who went to one All-Star Game and won a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Edwin Encarnacion:  Finding his stride as a Designated Hitter with Toronto, Encarnacion earned three All-Star appearances, and had 429 Home Runs.

Gio Gonzalez:  Gonzalez went to two All-Star Games and had an overall record of 131-101 and 1,860 Strikeouts.

Howie Kendrick:  Kendrick played most of his career with the Angels where he was an All-Star in 2011, but he would later win an NLCS MVP and World Series Ring with Washington in 2019.

Hunter Pence:  Pence was a four-time All-Star who won two World Series Rings with the San Francisco Giants.

Jason Kipnis:  Kipnis is best known for his time with Cleveland where was a two-time All-Star and won one a Wilson Defensive Player Award.

Jeff Samardzija:  Samardzija was an All-Star Pitcher in 2014 and also led the NL in Strikeouts in 2017.

Kelvin Herrera:  Herrera went to two All-Star Games as a Relief Pitcher and would win a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Matt Kemp:  Kemp went to three All-Star Games, and won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  He was the runner-up for the NL MVP in 2011 when he was a Dodger.

Matt Wieters:  Wieters was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner as the Catcher for the Orioles.

Nick Markakis:  Splitting his career between Baltimore and Atlanta, Markakis won three Gloves, one Silver Slugger and went to one All-Star Game.

Rick Porcello:  The Starting Pitcher won the American League Cy Young Award in 2016 and the World Series two years later. 

Ryan Braun:  Braun played his entire career with Milwaukee where he won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2008 and the AL MVP in 2011.  He is also a five-time Silver Slugger, six-time All-Star and he twice led the league in OPS and Slugging Percentage.

Shin-Soo Choo:  Choo is one of the first everyday players from South Korea and was an All-Star in 2018.

You know what we want you to do!  Cast your votes, and offer your opinions on this group and all other entries on Notinhalloffame.com.

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

At 81 years old, former Baseball legend is still lobbying for a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reported by TMZ, Rose penned an open letter to MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred:

“I have apologized many times, both for betting on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds and then for denying that I did.  I am writing today for three reasons. First, because at my age, I want to be 100% sure that you understand how much I mean it when I say that I’m sorry.  Second, to ask for your forgiveness.  And third, because I still think every day about what it would mean to be considered for the Hall of Fame.

The two most important people in my life were my dad and my Manager, Sparky.  My dad introduced me to baseball and Sparky taught me how to play it.  Both set an example for me about how to live my life that I sometimes have failed to live up to.  I think every day about them.  I know I disappointed them and I hope that they would still be proud of me.  What helped set me down the right path was Commissioner Giamatti telling me to reconfigure my life and the belied that they were watching me and I didn’t want to disappoint them anymore.  

I also know that I disappointed many Reds fans and baseball fans.  Besides spending time with my kids and my partner, there’s nothing that made me happier than playing baseball in front of fans.  That I let them down and brought shame to the sport we all love is something I think about every single day.

It is among my greatest regrets that I let down fans who believed in me and loved baseball.  It is also among my greatest regrets that I let down my teammates – and everyone I shared a baseball field with.  You can’t imagine how painful it is when I see my teammates from all the great teams I played on and players I played against go about their lives in ways I wanted to.  I want to be a part of that too and I know I probably never will.  I am so grateful for the time I shared with them on and off the field.  Nothing replaces it.  People think you move on after you leave the game.  You do in many ways.  But the most important parts of baseball should grow even stronger.  I screwed that up.

I am asking for your forgiveness.  Despite my many mistakes, I am so proud of what I accomplished as a baseball – I am the Hit King and it is my dream to be considered for the Hall of Fame.  Like all of us, I believe in accountability.  I am 81 years old and know that I have been held accountable and that I hold myself accountable.  I write now to ask for another chance.”

Should Manfred reinstate Rose (though this seems unlikely), it is not an automatic path to Cooperstown.  Rose would have to be nominated by the respective Veteran’s Committee, and then receive the necessary 75% of the votes to get in.

Rose is currently ranked #4 on our latest rank of those to considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Days after the Houston Astros were crowned the 2022 World Series Champions, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced the eight Contemporary Baseball Hall of Fame ballot candidates. 

Of the former players nominates, should any of the receive at least 75% of the vote from the 16-member Committee, they will enter Cooperstown!  The Committee will be meeting on December 4.

Here are the nominees:

Albert Belle:  Belle was a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger and was named by The Sporting News as the Player of the Year in 1995.  He had 381 Home Runs and a lifetime Slugging Percentage of .564.  Ranked #61 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for two years, peaking a 7.7% in his first year in 2006.

Barry Bonds:  The controversial slugger set the all-time mark for Home Runs (762) and in a single season (73) while winning seven MVP Awards.  A 14-time and 12-rime Silver Slugger, Bonds is also the all-time leader in Walks (2,558) and boasts a lifetime OPS of 1.051.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for ten years, finishing as high as 66.0% in his final year, 2022.

Roger Clemens:  Clemens has the same level of polarization that Bonds has, only he was a Pitcher.  A seven-time Cy Young winner and 12-time All-Star, Clemens has the World Series Rings (2) that Bonds does not have, and we think it is a safe bet that he will be the last 350-Win Pitcher in Baseball.  Clemens, who also has 4,672 Strikeouts, is also a two-time Major League Player of the Year.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for ten years, with his highest total coming in 2022, 65.2%, his last year on the ballot.

Don Mattingly:  Arguably the greatest New York Yankee to have never won a World Series Ring in the Bronx, Mattingly won a Batting Title (1985), twice led the AL in Hits, and had a lifetime Batting Average of .307.  He is also a nine-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com, “Donnie Baseball” was on the ballot for 15 years with his peak coming in year one (28.2%) in his first year (2001).

Fred McGriff:  The “Crime Dog” is not closely associated with one team, which overall hurts his Hall of Fame chances, nor does the fact that he played in an era with offensively charged First Basemen, hence why he is “only” a five-time All-Star.  McGriff had 493 Home Runs, and had he made 500, would we be having this conversation?  Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com, McGriff was on the ballot for ten years with his highest tally coming in 2019, 39.8%, his last year of eligibility.

Dale Murphy:  Murphy won the National League MVP in both 1983 and 1984, where the seven-time All-Star smacked 398 Home Runs over his career.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com, Murphy was on the ballot for 15 years, with his highest tally coming in 2000 (23.2%), Murphy’s second year on the ballot.  

Rafael Palmeiro:  Palmeiro is one of only three players who had 3,000 Hits and 500 Home Runs over his career, and he was named the Major League Player of the Year in 1999.  The First Baseman was a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, and like others on this list, he is associated with PEDs, though unlike others, he was caught.  Ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com, Palmeiro was only on the ballot for four years, with the highwater mark in 2012 (12.5%), his second year of eligibility.

Curt Schilling:  Schilling might be the most contentious former player of this group and think of what that means!  Likely ousted on the regular ballot due to his anti-media stance and right wing beliefs, Schilling failed to make it past the ten years on the ballot, peaking on his penultimate year, 2021 with 71.1%.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the former baseball stars who have made it to this stage.

There is a major change going forward with the Baseball Hall of Fame in regards to their Era Committees.

Eras have been reduced to two, the Contemporary Baseball Era, consisting of the period from 1980 to present day, and the Classic Baseball Era, covering the period before 1980.  The Contemporary Baseball Era will be split in two separate ballots, one for players and one for managers, executives and umpires.

These Era Committees will rotate annually, with each ballot consisting of eight candidates.  The Contemporary Baseball Players will be up first.

As always, we will be paying attention!

Is it that time again!

One of our core lists on Notinhalloffame.com, our Baseball list of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame has been revised.

The steps in our revisions are basic:

-Remove all of those who were inducted.  This included David Ortiz (#8), Gil Hodges (#11), Minnie Miniso (#14), Jim Kaat (#20) and Tony Oliva (#27).

-Input those we think worthy who are now eligible.

-Adjust rankings based on your votes and comments.

Before we announce our top ten, note that we did one major change.  We used to have three number ones, with Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson appearing as 1A and 1B since our inception, as both were deemed ineligible.  We have altered this with no multiples at the top, and although Rose and Jackson are still not welcome into Cooperstown, we disagree, and will keep them ranked.

The entire list can be found here, but here is our new top ten:

#1. Barry Bonds.  Bonds’ ten years of eligibility may have ended a few months ago, but the all-time leader in Home Runs leader won seven MVPs, despite there being a cloud of PED suspicion around him.  His chances now lie with the Veteran’s Committee.  Bonds was ranked at 1C last year.

#2. Roger Clemens.  Clemens is like Bonds, in that he too ended his regular stay on the ballot, and was likely excluded due to the belief that he might have used PEDs.  Clemens won the Cy Young seven times, and remains at #2.  

#3. Alex Rodriguez.  Unlike Bonds and Clemens, Rodriguez DID test positive for PEDs, which happened after the 2004 agreement between the players and MLB that outlawed the enhancers.  A-Rod was on his first year of eligibility, drawing only 34.3% of the vote, despite being a three-time MVP.  He holds the same rank as last year.

#4. Pete Rose.  Rose is the all-time leader in Hits, but he has been from baseball for gambling on the sport.  Ranked at #1A last year, Rose drops considerable on this list, but despite the issues of the players of above him, Rose actually has a significantly lower bWAR than Bonds, Clemens and Rodriguez.

#5. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Ranked #1B last year, Jackson is ineligible for the Hall due to his possible participation in the throwing of the 1919 World Series.  That being said, there are many, including us, who feel that he belongs.

#6. Lou Whitaker.  The former Tigers Second Baseman might not have lasted more than one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, but he was once on the Veteran’s Ballot, and is considered one of the more egregious snubs by sabremetricians.  He was ranked #4 last year.

#7. Bill Dahlen.  Dahlen was a previous Veteran’s Committee Nominee, and that is still the route in which he needs to gain entry to Cooperstown.  The Shortstop was a two-time leader in Defensive bWAR and won a World Series Ring with the Giants in 1905.  He was ranked #5 last year.

8. Curt Schilling.  Schilling asked to be removed off of the ballot, and that didn’t happen, and many of the voters acquiesced to his later request to be removed from consideration.  On his last year on the ballot, Schilling dropped from 71.1 to 58.6, and despite his resume, it is conceivable that he will never see a Veteran’s Committee ballot.

9. Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez entered the ballot in 2017, and offensively he statistically had a better resume than Ivan Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero, both of which are now in Cooperstown.  He is in the same vein as A-Rod, as he was popped for PEDs as a player.  Ramirez will enter his seventh year on the ballot, but has yet to crack 30%.

10. Carlos Beltran.  Beltran is the only new entry in his first year of eligibility, and the nine-time All-Star has the stats for the Hall, but his recent scandal involving the Astros World Series win, could cost him some votes.

There were other new entries, including closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who debuts at #172.  To close off the list, a new #300 had to come in, which was Derrek Lee.

Thank you all for your support, and we encourage you to cast your votes and offer your opinions.

We love this day!

Though, that does not mean, we always love the results.

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced the results of the Class of 2022, and it ends an era of sorts as many of the controversial PED associated players are off the ballot.

Let’s get right into it.

The Baseball Hall of Fame elected one player this year, which was David Ortiz, who enters on his first year with 77.9%.  The long-time Designated Hitter led the Red Sox to three World Series Championships, and had 541 Home Runs, 1,768 RBIs and went to ten All-Star Games.  Ortiz becomes the first predominant DH to enter the Hall in his first year.

Here is a look at the rest of the vote:

Barry Bonds. 66.0%, 10^th and Final Year:  Bonds was a seven-time MVP, and let’s be frank: We all knew that he was using PEDs, and so did the people who kept voting him as an MVP.  Saying that, Bonds is one of the greatest offensive baseball players that the game ever saw, and is the game’s all-time leader in Home Runs (762) and Walks (2,558), and has a career Slash Line of .298/.444/.607.  Statistically speaking, we know that Bonds belongs in the Hall, and we also know why the voters kept him out.  He climbed from 61.8% from last year.

Roger Clemens. 65.6%, 10^th and Final Year:  We could “lather, rinse, repeat” with Clemens in regards to Bonds, as he is also a generational superstar who won seven Cy Youngs.  Like Bonds, Clemens was surly, but also was never officially popped for PEDs by Major League Baseball.  Clemens has every Hall of Fame stat you can think of, and shatters many of the inductees, but he will have to exist in an island with Bonds of players that eclipse the actual Hall of Famers.  Clemens reached his highest total, increasing from last year’s 61.6%.

Scott Rolen.  63.2%, 5^th Year:  Rolen, continues to rocket up the votes.  Debuting with only 10.2% in 2018, Rolen had 52.9% last year, and is poised to enter in 2023 with this result.  We would bet on it!

Curt Schilling.  58.6%, 10^th and Final Year.  Schilling told voters not to vote for him, and that is exactly what he got, as he dropped from 71.1% from last year.   While we think he has the resume for Cooperstown, his off-field feud with the media did him no favors.  This was his last year on the ballot, debuting at 38.8% in 2013, and peaking at 71.1% in 2021. Frankly, we feel that this elevates his fame, rather than decreases it, and a martyr factor now exists with Schilling.  His only path is the Veteran’s Committee, and it is likely that he will feel the same when he is eligible in those forums.

Todd Helton.  52.0%, 4^th Year:  Helton has now gone from 16.5 in Year one to looking like he is one or two years away.  We recently named Helton the greatest Colorado Rockies player of all-time.

Billy Wagner.  51%, 7^th Year:  Wagner is the top closer on this ballot, and considering his first three years he was barely over 10%, his ascension has been more than impressive.  This is his first year exceeding 50%.

Andruw Jones.  41.1%, 5^th Year:  Jones did not have double-digits if Hall of Fame votes in his first two years, but made it to 33.9% last year and cracks 40% this year.

Gary Sheffield.  40.6%, 8^th Year:   Sheffield has all of the Hall of Fame metrics, but lacks the name, the team, and the notoriety.  It was a little surprising he got to 40 percent last year, and he has the exact same number this year.  This is not boding well for Sheffield.

Alex Rodriguez.  34.3%, 1^st Year:  We said this for years, in that we were most intrigued of any player in any potential Hall to see where he would finish in terms of his first year of eligibility.  A-Rod was popped for PEDs, was at one time massively unpopular, but only Bonds had better stats of any position player on this ballot, and he is among the top ten ever in terms of skills and stats.  Bluntly, this is way lower than we thought.

Jeff Kent.  32.7%,  9^th Year:  Kent is a former MVP but never got past 30 percent on the ballot until last year (32.4).  A rise of less than half a percent tells us all we need to know about his chances.

Manny Ramirez.  28.9%,  6^th Year:  Unlike other PED-associated players on this list, Ramirez WAS popped and suspended for steroids.  He only climbs up .7% from last year.

Omar Vizquel.  23.9%. 5^th Year:   Ouch!!!!  While we don’t this for sure, has anyone fallen worse than Vizquel?  Since the last vote, he was accused of domestic violence, and it has shattered his chances.  Considering he debuted at 37.0, and he is now double digits lower than this, what chance does he have?  He drops from 49.1% and 52.6% from 2020.

Sammy Sosa.  18.5%, 10^th and Final Year:  Say what you want about Sosa, but this is a player who at one point was considered to be one of the top five players in the game for a half-decade, and was in the upper-echelon in terms of popularity.  For what it is worth, this was the highest result that Sosa received.

Andy Pettitte.  10.7%, 4^th Year:  Pettitte has a lot of the numbers you need, but is an admitted PED user.  For whatever reason, Pettitte dropped from 13.7%.

Jimmy Rollins.  9.4%, 1^st Year:  Rollins enters the ballot and survives to see another day.  

Bobby Abreu.  8.6%, 3^rd Year.  Abreu still has not reached ten percent, but he hasn’t dipped below five either.  He had 8.7% last year.

Mark Buehrle.  5.8%, 2^nd Year.  Buehrle hangs on, but plummets from 11.0% from last year.

Torii Hunter.  5.3%, 2^nd Year.  Hunter is clinging to life on this ballot, and like Buehrle, he suffered a similar drop.  He had 9.5% last year.

The following did not receive the 5% needed to remain on the ballot:

Joe Nathan (4.3%), Tim Hudson (3.0%), Tim Lincecum (2.3%), Ryan Howard (2.0%), Mark Teixeira (1.5%), Justin Morneau (1.3%), Jonathan Papelbon (1.3%), Prince Fielder (0.5%), A.J. Pierzynski (0.5%), Carl Crawford (0.0%) and Jake Peavy (0.0%).

We will rework our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the end of February.  This will involve removing those who were inducted, and added those worthy and eligible.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate David Ortiz.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the results of the 10-man ballots from both the Early Baseball Era Committee and Golden Days Era Committee for the Class of 2022, and it is a loaded group with six new names inducted.

Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neill were chosen by the Early Baseball Era Committee and Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva and Gil Hodges were selected by the Golden Days Era Committee.

Bud Fowler, P, 3B, 2B, MAN.  Fowler not only had a long career in the late 1800s, he is considered to be one of the first African-American baseball players in history.  He received 75 percent of the vote.

Buck O’Neil, 1B.   Memphis (NAL 1937), Kansas City (NAL 1938-43 & 1946-48).  O’Neill was a two-time All-Star and Negro League Champion, but more importantly became the voice of the Negro Leagues.  O’Neil played a large part in the creation of the Negro League Baseball Museum, and he became the first African-American to become a Coach in MLB.  He received 81.3% of the vote.

Those not selected were:

Bill Dahlen, SS, 3B.  Chicago (NL 1891-1898), Brooklyn (NL 1899-1903) & New York (NL 1904-1911).  

John Donaldson, CF, P.  Kansas City (NNL 1920-24)*.  

Vic Harris, OF.  Pittsburgh (NNL 1922), Cleveland (NNL 1924), (Chicago NNL 1924), Homestead (ANL 1929), Homestead (EWL 1932), Detroit (EWL 1932), Homestead (NN2 1933), Pittsburgh (NN2 1933), Homestead NN2 1935-45 & 1947)*.  

Grant “Home Run” Johnson, SS, 2B.  

Lefty O’Doul, OF, P.  New York (AL 1919-20 & 1922), Boston (AL 1923), New York (NL 1928 & 1933-34), Philadelphia (NL 1929-30), Brooklyn (NL 1931-33).  

Dick “Cannonball” Redding, P.  Brooklyn (ECL 1923-27).  

Allie Reynolds, P.  Cleveland (AL 1942-46), New York (1947-54).  

George “Tubby” Scales, 3B. 2B. 1B, P.  St. Louis (NWL 1921-23), New York (EVL 1923-28), Newark (EVL 1926), New York (ANL, 1926), Homestead (ANL 1926), Homestead (NN2 1935), New York (NN2 1936, 1939 & 1945), Baltimore (NN2 1940-44 & 1946).  

The four chosen from the Golden Days Era consists of four names, two of which, Kaat and Oliva are still alive.

The Golden Days Era nominees are:

Gil Hodges, 1B, OF.  Brooklyn/Los Angeles (NL 1943 & 1947-61), New York (NL 1962-63).  Hodges was an eight-time All-Star who smacked 370 Home Runs with 1,274 RBIs.  He also twice led the Dodgers to World Series Championships.  Hodges was on the ballot for the full fifteen years, peaking at 63.4% in his final year (1983).  He received 75% of the ballot.

Jim Kaat, P.  Washington/Minnesota (AL 1959-73), Chicago (AL 1973-75), Philadelphia (NL 1976-79), New York (AL 1979-80), St. Louis (NL 1980-83).  Kaat was a three-time All-Star, and a 16-time Gold Glove winner.  He had a record of 283-237 with 2,471 Strikeouts.  Kaat was on the ballot for fifteen years, with his highest total coming in 1993 with 29.6%.  He received 75% of the vote,

Minnie Minoso, OF, 1B.  New York (NN2 1946-48), Cleveland (AL 1949, 1951 & 1958-59), Chicago (AL 1951-47, 1960-61, 1964, 1976 & 1980), St. Louis (NL 1962) & Washington (AL 1963).  The only player to appear in five different decades, Minoso had 2,110 Hits, 195 Home Runs and was a 13-time All-Star.  Minoso was on the ballot for 15 years, with his highest total coming in 1988 with 21.1%.  He received 87.5% of the vote.

Tony Oliva, OF.  Minnesota (AL 1962-76).  Oliva was a three-time Batting Champion, five-time leader in Hits and eight-time All-Star.  He had 1,917 career Hits with a lifetime Batting Average of .304.  Oliva was on the ballot for 15 years, and peaked at 47.3% in 1988.  He received 75% of the ballot.

The other nominees were:

Dick Allen, 1B, 3B, OF.  Philadelphia (NL 1963-69 & 1975-76), St. Louis (NL 1970), Los Angeles (NL 1971), Chicago (AL 1972-74) & Oakland (AL 1977).  

Ken Boyer, 3B, OF.  St. Louis (NL 1955-65), New York (NL 1966-67), Chicago (AL 1967-68) & Los Angeles (NL 1968-69).  

Roger Maris, OF.  Cleveland (AL 1957-58), Kansas City (AL 1958-59), New York (AL 1960-66) & St. Louis (NL 1967-68).  

Danny Murtaugh, MAN.  Pittsburgh (NL 1957-64, 1967, 1970-71 & 1973-76).  

Billy Pierce, P.  Detroit (AL 1945 & 1948), Chicago (AL 1949-61) & San Francisco (NL 1962-64).  

Maury Wills, OF.  Los Angeles (NL 1959-66 & 1969-72), Pittsburgh (NL 1967-68) & Montreal (NL 1969).  

These six men will (potentially) be joined by those from the writer’s ballot on January 25.  Following that, we will revise our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball List.  

We here a Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We have updated our Baseball futures, opening the 2025 section of all the new players who will be eligible for Cooperstown that year.

Those former players are:

Adam Jones:  Jones played for Baltimore for the majority of his career, and he was a five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger.  He had 1,939 Hits and 282 Home Runs.

Ben Zobrist:  Zobrist won two World Series Rings, one with Kansas City in 2015, and the year after in Boston, where he was the World Series MVP.  He was also a three-time All-Star.

Brian McCann:  McCann was an Atlanta Brave for the majority of his career, though he won a World Series with the Astros in 2017.  The Catcher was a six-time Silver Slugger and seven-time All-Star.

Carlos Gonzalez:  Gonzalez went to three All-Star Game, won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and belted 234 Home Runs.

CC Sabathia:  Sabathia won the 2007 American League Cy Young with Cleveland, and was also a six-time All-Star.  Twice leading the AL in Wins, Sabathia won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009.  His career ended with a 251-161 Record in 3,093 Strikeouts.

Clay Buchholz:  Buchholz was a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series winner with the Red Sox.  He won 90 Games against 69 Losses with 1,024 Strikeouts.

Curtis Granderson:  Granderson had a long career accumulating 1,800 Hits and 334 Home Runs, with three All-Star Game appearances and a Silver Slugger.  He also won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 2015, and the Roberto Clemente Award in 2016.

Dustin Pedroia:  Pedroia played his entire career with Boston, winning two World Series titles, an MVP (2008), and a Silver Slugger.  He is also considered one of the best defensive Second Baseman of his era, capturing four Gold Gloves and three Wilson Defensive Players.  He batted .299 with 1,805 career Hits.

Felix Hernandez:  Hernandez was a Seattle Mariner for all of his games, and he would win the Cy Young in 2010.  A six-time All-Star, Hernandez twice led the AL in ERA, and would finish his career with 2,524 Strikeouts and had a record of 169-136.

Fernando Rodney:  Rodney had 327 Saves and was a three-time All-Star.  He won the 2012 Delivery Man of the Year and as of this writing is in the top twenty in Saves, Games Finished and Games Pitched.

Francisco Liriano:  Liriano went to one All-Star Game and won a World Series Ring late in his career with the Astros in 2017.  He had 1,815 Strikeouts with a 112-114 Record.

Hanley Ramirez:  Ramirez was the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year, and won the Batting Title three years later.  He was also a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger.

Ian Desmond:  Desmond is a two-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and the Shortstop had 1,432 Hits with 181 Home Runs.

Ian Kinsler:  Kinsler was a four-time All-Star who had his best seasons with Texas.  He won two Gold Gloves, one Wilson Defensive Player Award, and won a World Series late in his career with Boston (2018).

Ichiro Suzuki:  Suzuki is a member of the 3,000 Hits Club, and if you count what he did in Japan, he has more than any other batter.  The long-time Mariner won the 2001 MVP, 2001 Rookie of the Year, and won three Silver Sluggers, ten Gold Gloves, and was a ten-time All-Star.  Suzuki also won two Batting Titles, led the AL in Hits seven times, and stole 509 Bases.

Jason Vargas:  Vargas had a career record of 99-99, went to the 2017 All-Star Game and won the World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Kendrys Morales:  Morales was a World Series Champion with the Royals in 2015, and was a one-time All-Star Game participant.

Mark Reynolds:  Reynolds smacked 298 Home Runs over a 12-year career.

Mark Trumbo:  Trumbo went to two All-Star Games, was a one-time Silver Slugger and he won the American League Home Run Title in 2016.  He had 218 Home Runs over his career.

Martin Prado:  Prado went to one All-Star Game and had 1,542 Hits.

Melky Cabrera:  Cabrera won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009 and was an All-Star in 2012.  

Russell Martin:  Martin played at Catcher and was a four-time All-Star, and won one Silver Slugger and Gold Glove.  He also was a two-time Wilson Defensive Player, and had 191 Home Runs.

Troy Tulowitzki:  Tulowitzki played most of his career with Colorado, and went to five All-Star Games while winning two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.  He had 225 Home Runs in his career.

The entire list can be found here.

As always, thank you for your support and look for more content from us at Notinhalloffame.com.

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 number 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.

Last time, we looked at the Hank Aaron Award.  We now have one of our last Baseball awards, the MLB All-Star Game MVP.

The trophy first came into existence in 1962, thirty years after Major League Baseball first gave us the mid-season classic.   It goes without saying that to win this award, you first have to be good enough that year to have made it to the game.

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the All-Star Game MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1963 Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants, Outfield, 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB.

Mays was in the prime of his career, and he finished the year with 38 Home Runs, 103 RBIs and a Slash Line of .314/.380/.582.  He finished fifth in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

1965 Juan Marichal, San Francisco Giants, Pitcher, 1 for 1, 1 R, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB.

Marichal became the first Pitcher to win the All-Star Game MVP, and would finish the year with 22-13, with a 2.13 ERA, and a league-leading 159 in ERA+.  He finished ninth in MVP voting this year, and appeared in ten All-Star Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

1966 Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Third Base, 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B.

Robinson went to eighteen All-Star Games over his career, and he finished the season with 23 Home Runs, 100 RBIs, and a Gold Glove, which would be one of his sixteen.  He would lead Baltimore to a World Series win this year.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

1967 Tony Perez, Cincinnati Reds, Third Base, 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI.

This was Perez’ first of seven All-Star Games, and he amassed 26 Home Runs, 102 RBIs and batted .290.  Perez finished ninth in MVP voting, and would later win two World Series Rings with the Reds.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

1968 Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants, Outfield, 1 for 4. (2)

It is not surprising that a legend like Willie Mays became the first man to win the All-Star Game MVP twice, although maybe it should be as Mays did nothing remarkable to win this award.  Nevertheless, he finished the year with 23 HR, a .289 Batting Average and was 13^th in MVP voting.  Mays would overall participate in 24 All-Star Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

1969 Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants, First Base, 2 for 4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR.

McCovey was an All-Star for the fourth of six times this season, and he would lead the National League in Home Runs (45), RBIs (126), On Base Percentage (.453), Slugging (.656) and OPS (1.108), all of which were career highs.  He would win the MVP this year.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

1970 Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox, Outfield, 4 for 6, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B.

Yastrzemski played his entire career with the BoSox and in 1970, he led the American League in Runs (125), On Base Percentage (.452), Slugging (.592), OPS (1.044) and OPS+ (177).  He finished fourth in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

1971 Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Outfield, 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR.

Robinson went to 14 All-Star Games, with this being his 13^th.  This year, he would smack 28 Home Runs with a .510 Slugging Percentage and was third in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

1972 Joe Morgan, Cincinnati Reds, Second Base, 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB.

This was Morgan’s first year in Cincinnati, and third All-Star Game, with this year beginning an eight-year streak.  He finished this season leading the NL in Runs (122), Walks (115), On Base Percentage (.417), and was fourth in MVP voting.  Morgan later won two MVPs and two World Series rings with the Reds.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

1977 Don Sutton, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher. Win, 3 IP, 4 SO, 1 BB, 1 H.

This was Suttons last of four All-Star Games, but he played another 11 years.  This season, Sutton finished the year with a 14-8 record with a 3.18 ERA and 154 Strikeouts.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

1981 Gary Carter, Montreal Expos, Catcher.  2 for 3, 1 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI.

Carter was an All-Star for the fourth time this year, and the third season of what would be a ten-year run.  He finished the strike-impaired season with 16 HR, 68 RBI and was sixth in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

1984 Gary Carter, Montreal Expos, Catcher.  1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI. (2)

Carter repeated as All-Star Game MVP, and was the NL leader in RBIs this season (106).  He was 14^th in MVP voting this year, and captured his third of five Silver Sluggers.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

1987 Tim Raines, Montreal Expos, Outfield.  3 for 3, 1 3B, 1 SB, 2 RBI.

Raines was an All-Star for the seventh and final time, which were all consecutive.  He concluded the year as the NL leader in Runs (123), with a .330 Batting Average and 50 Stolen Bases.  He was seventh in MVP voting, and though this year ended his era as an elite player, Raines played until 2002.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

1991 Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles, Shortstop.  2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.

Ripken was a perennial All-Star from 1983 to 2001, one of the longest runs of the sport.  This season, Ripken won his second MVP in a year where he had career-highs in Home Runs (34), RBIs (114), and batted .323.  Ripken also secured his sixth of eight Silver Sluggers.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

1992 Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners, Outfield.  2 for 3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.

With this win, the Griffeys became the first father and son combination to become All-Star Game MVPs.  Griffey Jr. was an All-Star for the third of eleven straight years, and he finished the year with 27 HR, 103 RBIs and a 17^th place finish in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

1993 Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins, Outfield.  2 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.

Puckett went to All-Star Game number eight of ten this year, and the former MVP and World Series Champion had a 22 HR season with a ,296 Batting Average.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

1996 Mike Piazza, Los Angeles Dodgers, Catcher.  2 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.

A 12-time All-Star, Piazza went to his fourth one this year, and would smack 36 Home Runs, 105 RBIs and batted .336.  Piazza won the Silver Slugger this year, and was second in MVP voting.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

1998 Roberto Alomar, Baltimore Orioles, Second Base.  3 for 4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 SB, 1 RBI.

A two-time World Series winner with Toronto, Alomar went to 12 consecutive All-Star Games, with this year being number nine.  Alomar also won the Gold Glove and batted .282 with 166 Hits this season.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

1999 Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, Pitcher.  Win, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 SO.

Martinez won the Cy Young this year, the second of three times he would do so.  He led the AL in ERA (2.07, Strikeouts (313), ERA+ (243), FIP (1.39), WHIP (0.923), SO/9 (13.2) and was second in MVP voting.  Martinez was also an All-Star eight times.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

2000 Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, Shortstop.  3 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI.

Jeter had already won four World Series Rings by this point, and he was in his third All-Star Game, with 11 more coming in his career.  This year, Jeter was tenth in MVP voting with a .339 Batting Average, 15 Home Runs and 201 Hits.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

2001 Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles, Shortstop.  1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI. (2)

This was Ripken’s farewell year, and realistically, he was not an All-Star worthy player at this point, only collecting 114 Hits with a .239 Batting Average in his swansong.  Nevertheless, the All-Star Game MVP was earned with a Home Run in the game.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

2013 Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Pitcher.  1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 SO.

Rivera was given the MVP nod over other worthy ASG competitors, but whatever, as this was his swansong.  He finished his last season in the Majors with 44 Saves and a 2.11 ERA.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

The following are the players who have won the All-Star Game MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

1962-1 Maury Wills, Los Angeles Dodgers, Outfield, 1 for 1, 2 R, 1 SB.            

This was the second year that Wills would be an All-Star, and he would be in three more seasons.  Wills would be the NL MVP this year, and led the NL in Stolen Bases (104), Triples (10), and batted .299.

Eligible Since 1978.  Wills was on the ballot for 15 years, and finished as high as 40.6% in 1981.  Ranked #73 on Notinhalloffame.com.  

1962-2 Leon Wagner, Los Angeles Angels, Outfield, 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

1962 would be Wagner’s first of two All-Star years, and it was also his best season in Baseball, finishing fourth in MVP voting with career-highs in Hits (164), Home Runs (37) and RBIs (107).

Eligible Since 1975.  Although Wagner was Hall of Fame eligible in 1975, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com 

1964 Johnny Callison, Philadelphia Phillies, Outfield, 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.            

This was Callison’s third of four All-Star Game appearances, and he went on to have the best year of his career, with 31 Home Runs, 104 RBIs and a second place finish for the MVP.

Eligible Since 1979.  Callison was on the ballot for one year and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1973 Bobby Bonds, San Francisco Giants, Outfield, 2 for 2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

Bonds went to his second All-Star Game (of what would be three), and he finished this season leading the NL in Runs (131) with career-highs in Home Runs (39) and Slugging (.530).  Bonds was third in MVP voting this year.

Eligible Since 1979.  Bonds was on the ballot for eleven years and finished as high as 10.6% of the vote.  Ranked #67 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1974 Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base, 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI.            

This was Garvey’s breakout year, and he won the MVP with a 21 HR, 111 RB and .312 BA year.  This was the first of his ten All-Star years.

Eligible Since 1993.  Garvey was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 41.6% in 1993.  Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1975 Jon Matlack, New York Mets, Pitcher, Win, 3 OP, 0 ER, 4 SO. Co-Winner

This was the second of Matlack’s three All-Star years, and he finished the year with a 16-12 Record with a 3.38 ERA and 154 SO.

Eligible Since 1989.  Matlack was on the ballot for one year but did not receive any votes.  Ranked #274 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1975 Bill Madlock, Chicago Cubs, Third Base, 1 for 2, 2 RBI. Co-Winner.

Madlock was an All-Star three times, this year being the first.  He would win the first of four Batting Titles this year and was 12^th in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 1993.  Madlock was on the ballot for one year and received 4.5% of the vote.  Ranked #208 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1976 George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, Outfield, 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI. 

This was the first of five All-Star Games for Foster, and the first of his three straight league-leading RBI years.  He was second for the MVP this year, won the World Series this season (his second), but win the MVP the following year.  

Eligible Since 1992.  Foster was on the ballot for four years and received as much as 6.9% in 1993.  Ranked #126 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1978 Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 2 RBI. (2)           

This was Garvey’s fifth All-Star Game and his second as the game’s MVP.  He finished the year leading the NL in Hits (202) with a .316 Batting Average.  This year, he was the runner-up for the MVP.

Eligible Since 1993.  Garvey was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 41.6% in 1993.  Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1979 Dave Parker, Pittsburgh Pirates, Outfield, 1 for 3, 1 BB, 1 SF, 1 RBI.            

An MVP the year before, Parker was an All-Star for the second of seven times, and he was tenth in MVP voting this year.  He completed the year with 25 Home Runs, 94 RBIs and a Slash Line of .310/.380/.526.

Eligible Since 1997.  Parker was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 24.5% in 1998.  Ranked #19 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

1980 Ken Griffey, Cincinnati Reds, Outfield, 2 for 3, 1 HR, 1 RBI.            

This was Griffey’s third and final All-Star Game and he was a previous two-time World Series winner with the Reds.  Griffey batted .294 this year with 13 Home Runs, and was 22^nd in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 1997.  Griffey was on the ballot for one year and finished with 4.7% in 1998.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

1982 Dave Concepcion, Cincinnati Reds, Shortstop, 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

This was Concepcion’s ninth and final All-Star Game appearance, and the two-time World Series winner completed the year with a Silver Slugger and a .287 Batting Average.

Eligible Since 1994.  Concepcion was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 16.9% in 1998.  Ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com.

1983 Fred Lynn, California Angels, Outfield. 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 4 RBI.            

This was the last of Lynn nine consecutive All-Star Games, and the former MVP concluded his season with 22 HR, 79 RBI with a .272 Batting Average.

Eligible Since 1996.  Lynn was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 5.5% in 1996.  Ranked #110 on Notinhalloffame.com.

1985 LaMarr Hoyt, San Diego Padres, Pitcher. Win, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 SO.            

Hoyt was only a one-time All-Star, but was a previous Cy Young winner.  He finished this season with a 16-8 record, a 3.47 ERA, and the league lead in BB/9 (0.9).

*Eligible Since 1992.  Hoyt did not play the ten years needed to make the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.

1985 Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox, Pitcher. Win, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.            

This was the first of Clemens’ 11 All-Star Games, and he would win both the American League MVP and Cy Young off of a 24-8 year, where he led the league in Wins, ERA (2.48), ERA+ (169), FIP (2.81), WHIP (0.969) and H/9 (6.3).  He was also second in Strikeouts (238). 

Eligible Since 2013.  Clemens had been on the ballot for nine years and has finished as high as 61.6% in 2021.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.

1988 Terry Steinbach, Oakland Athletics, Catcher.  1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR 1 SF, 2 RBI.            

Steinbach was an All-Star three times, with this being the first of them.  He would be injured for a chunk of this year and he only appeared in 104 Games with 93 Hits and a .265 Batting Average.

Eligible Since 2005.  Steinbach was on the ballot for one year and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.

1989 Bo Jackson, Kansas City Royals, Outfield.  2 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR 1 SB, 2 RBI.            

This was Jackson’s lone All-Star year, and the two-sport star belted 32 Home Runs, 105 RBIs and batted .256.  Jackson was tenth in MVP voting for the year.

*Eligible Since 2000.  Jackson did not play the minimum ten years to qualify for the Hall.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.

1990 Julio Franco, Texas Rangers, Second Base.  1 for 3, 1 2B, 2 RBI.            

Franco was a three-time All-Star, this being the second, and he would win the third of what were five Silver Sluggers.  He finished the season with 172 Hits, batted .26 and had 31 Stolen Bases.  Franco amazingly played in 23 MLB seasons, and more outside of the United States.

Eligible Since 2013.  Franco was on the ballot for one year and had 1.1% of the vote.  Ranked #95 on Notinhalloffame.

1994 Fred McGriff, Atlanta Braves, First Base.  1 for 1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

“The Crime Dog” participated in five All-Star Games, this being his second.  He concluded the season with 34 Home Runs, 94 RBIs, batted .318, and was eighth in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 2013.  McGriff was on the ballot for ten years and finished as high as 39.8% in 2019.  Ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.

1995 Jeff Conine, Florida Marlins, First Base.  1 for 1, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI.            

Conine was an All-Star twice in his career, with 1995 being his second time.  A future two-time World Series winner with the Marlins, Conine had 146 Hits this year with 25 Home Runs, 105 RBIs and a .302 Batting Average.  He was 22^nd in MVP voting this year.

Eligible Since 2013.  Conine did not receive any votes in his lone year on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

1997 Sandy Alomar, Cleveland Indians, Catcher.  1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

This was Alomar’s fifth of six All-Star Games, and he completed the season with career-highs in Hits (146), Home Runs (21), RBIs (83) and Batting Average (.324).  This was also the only season in which Alomar received MVP votes, and he was fourteenth in balloting.

Eligible Since 2013.  Alomar was on the ballot for one year and received 2.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2003 Garrett Anderson, Anaheim Angels, Outfield.  3 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

Anderson led the Angels to their first World Series win last year, and this season was All-Star number two of three for the Outfielder.  He finished 2003 as the American League leader in Doubles (49), hit 29 Home Runs, with 116 RBIs and a .315 Batting Average.  Anderson also won his second and final Silver Slugger and was 14^th in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 2016.  Anderson was on the ballot for one year and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2004 Alfonso Soriano, Texas Rangers, Second Base.  2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.            

Soriano went to seven consecutive All-Star Games, and this was the third in the streak.  He added his second Silver Slugger and would belt 28 Home Runs, 91 RBIs with a .280 Batting Average.

Eligible Since 2020.  Soriano was on the ballot for one year and received 1.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2005 Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles, Shortstop.  1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.            

Tejada was an All-Star for the third of six times in 2005, and he won his second and final Silver Slugger this season.  He concluded the season with 26 Home Runs, a league-leading 50 Doubles and a .304 Batting Average.  Tejada was 15^th in MVP voting this year.

Eligible Since 2019.  Tejada was on the ballot for one year and received 1.2% of the vote.  Ranked #103 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2006 Michael Young, Texas Rangers, Second Base.  1 for 2, 1 3B, 2 RBI.            

Young was an All-Star for the third time this year with four more coming in his career.  This season, Young had 217 Hits with a .314 Batting Average, and was 30^th in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 2019.  Young was on the ballot for one year and received 2.1% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2008 J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox, Outfield.  2 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 SB, 1 BB, 2 RBI.            

A year after winning the World Series with the Red Sox, Drew was one of Boston’s All-Star representatives, the first and only time he made one.  He finished the season with 19 Home Runs, 64 RBIs, and batted .260.

Eligible Since 2017.  Drew was on the ballot for one year but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2009 Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays, Outfield.  1 for 3.

This was Crawford’s third of four All-Star Games, all of which occurring with Tampa.  He batted .305 with 15 Home Runs and 185 Hits.

Eligible Since 2022.  Crawford is in his first year of eligibility.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2011 Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers, First Base.  1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.

Fielder was an All-Star for the third of six times, with the First Baseman hitting 38 Home Runs with 120 RBIs over the year.  He would also win his second of three Silver Sluggers, and was third in MVP voting.

Eligible Since 2022.  Fielder is in his first year of eligibility.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

*This would be the year of eligibility should he be given an exemption.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?       

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the All-Star Game in MLB who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame: 

2010 Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves, Catcher, 1 for 3, 1 2B, 3 RBI.   

McCann was a seven-time All-Star, with this season being the fifth of them.  This was his only Silver Slugger year, and the only one where he added an MVP vote; 21^st.   McCann had 21 Home Runs this year. 

Eligible In 2025. 

2012 Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants, Outfield, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.   

This was the only year that Cabrera was a Giant, and coincidentally the only season he was an All-Star.  Cabrera batted .346 with 159 Hits, but his campaign was struck short when he was suspended 50 Games due to PED use.  The Giants went on to win the World Series that year, without him in the lineup. 

Eligible In 2025. 

2012 Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants, Outfield, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.   

This was the only year that Cabrera was a Giant, and coincidentally the only season he was an All-Star.  Cabrera batted .346 with 159 Hits, but his campaign was struck short when he was suspended 50 Games due to PED use.  The Giants went on to win the World Series that year, without him in the lineup. 

Eligible In 2025. 

2017 Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners, Second Base, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI.   

Cano went to his eighth and final All-Star Game this year, and he would smack 23 Home Runs with 97 RBIs this year.  He would also bat .280. 

Eligible In 2026. 

The following are the past players who have won the MLB All-Star Game MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and are still active.

2014 Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, Outfield, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI.   

An All-Star for the third time, Trout won his first MVP, two years after he was the Rookie of the Year.  Trout led the AL in Runs (115) and RBIs (111) and would also belt 36 Home Runs with an OPS of .939.  Trout also win his third Silver Slugger.

30 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Angels.

2015 Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, Outfield, 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 RBI. (2)  

Trout became the first player to become back-to-back All-Star Game MVPs and he was second for the MVP.  He also was a Silver Slugger, and the Slugging Champion (.590) with 41 Home Runs and a .299 Batting Average.

30 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Angels.

2016 Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals, First Base, 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI.   

To date, this was Hosmer’s only All-Star Game, and he would belt 25 Home Runs with 104 RBIs this year.  He also batted .263.

31 Years Old, Playing for the San Diego Padres.

2018 Alex Bregman, Houston Astros, Third Base, 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI.   

This was Bregman’s first All-Star Game, and he would lead the American League in Doubles (51), and had 31 Home Runs, 103 RBIs and a .926 OPS.  He finished fifth in MVP voting.

28 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

2019 Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians, Pitcher, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 S0.

Bieber was an All-Star for the first time, and he led the AL in BB/9 (1.7), with a 15-6 Record with 259 Strikeouts and a 3.28 ERA.  He was fourth in Cy Young voting.

27 Years Old, Playing for the Cleveland Indians.

2021 Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays, First Base, 1 for 2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI.

Guerrero Jr. led the AL in Runs Scored (122), Home Runs (58), On Base Percentage (.401), Slugging Percentage (.601) and OPS (1.002), while having 121 RBIs and batting .311.  He won the Silver Slugger and was the runner up to Shohei Ohtani for the MVP.

23 Years Old, Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

So, what is up next?

We go back to Basketball, with the Sixth Man of the Year.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

It’s on!

The 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is officially out with seventeen returning players and thirteen new first year eligible names.

To return on the ballot, a player must be within their ten years of eligibility and received at least 5% of the vote.

The returning former players are: (with their year of eligibility and last year’s result)

Curt Schilling: 10^th Year, 71.1%

Barry Bonds: 10^th Year, 61.8%

Roger Clemens: 10^th Year, 61.6%

Scott Rolen: 5^th Year, 52.9%

Omar Vizquel, 5^th Year, 49.1%

Billy Wagner, 7^th Year, 46.4%

Todd Helton,4^th Year, 44.9%

Gary Sheffield, 8^th Year, 40.6 %

Andruw Jones, 5^th Year, 33.9%

Jeff Kent, 9^th Year, 32.4%

Manny Ramirez, 6^th Year, 28.2%

Sammy Sosa, 10^th Year, 17.0%

Andy Pettitte, 4^th Year, 13.7%

Mark Buehrle, 2^nd Year, 11.0%

Torii Hunter, 2^nd Year, 9.5%

Bobby Abreu, 3^rd Year, 8.7%

Tim Hudson, 2^nd Year, 5.2%

The new former players are:

Carl Crawford

Prince Fielder

Ryan Howard

Tim Lincecum

Justin Morneau

Joe Nathan

David Ortiz

Jonathan Papelbon

Jake Peavy

A.J. Pierzynski

Alex Rodriguez

Jimmy Rollins

Mark Teixeira

Notably Coco Crisp, Marlon Byrd, Michael Bourn, Kyle Lohse, Angel Pagan, Omar Infante, Matt Thornton, Billy Butler, Colby Lewis, Jeff Francoer, Javier Lopez and Ryan Vogelsong were eligible this year, but were not included on the ballot.

The results will be announced on January 25, 2022. 

It is another one of our favorite days at Notinhalloffame.com, as the Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the 10-man ballots from both the Early Baseball Era Committee and Golden Days Era Committee for the Class of 2022.

The Early Baseball Era nominees are:

Bill Dahlen, SS, 3B.  Chicago (NL 1891-1898), Brooklyn (NL 1899-1903) & New York (NL 1904-1911).  “Bad” Bill Dahlen is a sabrementric darling with a bWAR over 75, and 2,461 career Hits with 1,234 RBIs and 1,590 Runs.

John Donaldson, CF, P.  Kansas City (NNL 1920-24)*.  Donaldson played over 30 years of organized baseball, throwing 14 no-hitters over his career.  It is believed that he had a career record of 413-161, 5,081 Strikeouts with a 1.37 ERA.

Bud Fowler, P, 3B, 2B, MAN.  Fowler not only had a long career in the late 1800s, he is considered to be one of the first African-American baseball players in history.

Vic Harris, OF.  Pittsburgh (NNL 1922), Cleveland (NNL 1924), (Chicago NNL 1924), Homestead (ANL 1929), Homestead (EWL 1932), Detroit (EWL 1932), Homestead (NN2 1933), Pittsburgh (NN2 1933), Homestead NN2 1935-45 & 1947)*.  Harris is believed to have a lifetime Batting Average of .305 and he was also a longtime Manager.

Grant “Home Run” Johnson, SS, 2B.  Johnson played 30 years of organized baseball, and was a power hitter in the era of the deadball era.

Lefty O’Doul, OF, P.  New York (AL 1919-20 & 1922), Boston (AL 1923), New York (NL 1928 & 1933-34), Philadelphia (NL 1929-30), Brooklyn (NL 1931-33).  O’Doul did not become a bona fide starter until he was 31, and he would win the National League Batting Title in 1929 and 1932, and had a lifetime Batting Average of .340.

Buck O’Neil, 1B.   Memphis (NAL 1937), Kansas City (NAL 1938-43 & 1946-48).  O’Neill was a two-time All-Star and Negro League Champion, but more importantly became the voice of the Negro Leagues.  O’Neil played a large part in the creation of the Negro League Baseball Museum, and he became the first African-American to become a Coach in MLB. 

Dick “Cannonball” Redding, P.  Brooklyn (ECL 1923-27).  Redding was known for his fastball, as can be deduced by his nickname.  He is believed to have a lifetime ERA of 3.57.

Allie Reynolds, P.  Cleveland (AL 1942-46), New York (1947-54).  The “Superchief: was a five-time All-Star and six-time World Series Champion.

George “Tubby” Scales, 3B. 2B. 1B, P.  St. Louis (NWL 1921-23), New York (EVL 1923-28), Newark (EVL 1926), New York (ANL, 1926), Homestead (ANL 1926), Homestead (NN2 1935), New York (NN2 1936, 1939 & 1945), Baltimore (NN2 1940-44 & 1946).  Scales was also known as a curveball specialist and was successful as a Manager.

*From Baseball Reference.

The Golden Days Era nominees are:

Dick Allen, 1B, 3B, OF.  Philadelphia (NL 1963-69 & 1975-76), St. Louis (NL 1970), Los Angeles (NL 1971), Chicago (AL 1972-74) & Oakland (AL 1977).  Allen won the 1972 American League MVP, and was a two-time Home Run champion.  He would smack 351 Home Runs over his career, and was a four-time leader in OPS.  Allen also went to seven All-Star Games.

Ken Boyer, 3B, OF.  St. Louis (NL 1955-65), New York (NL 1966-67), Chicago (AL 1967-68) & Los Angeles (NL 1968-69).  Boyer won the National League MVP in 1964 and was a six-time All-Star.  Boyer helped lead the Cardinals to a World Series win in ’64, and he had 2,143 career Hits.

Gil Hodges, 1B, OF.  Brooklyn/Los Angeles (NL 1943 & 1947-61), New York (NL 1962-63).  Hodges was an eight-time All-Star who smacked 370 Home Runs with 1,274 RBIs.  He also twice led the Dodgers to World Series Championships.

Jim Kaat, P.  Washington/Minnesota (AL 1959-73), Chicago (AL 1973-75), Philadelphia (NL 1976-79), New York (AL 1979-80), St. Louis (NL 1980-83).  Kaat was a three-time All-Star, and a 16-time Gold Glove winner.  He had a record of 283-237 with 2,471 Strikeouts.

Roger Maris, OF.  Cleveland (AL 1957-58), Kansas City (AL 1958-59), New York (AL 1960-66) & St. Louis (NL 1967-68).  Maris made history in 1961, when he broke Babe Ruth’s single-season Home Run record.  A two-time MVP, Maris had 275 career Home Runs and is a three-time World Series winner.

Minnie Minoso, OF, 1B.  New York (NN2 1946-48), Cleveland (AL 1949, 1951 & 1958-59), Chicago (AL 1951-47, 1960-61, 1964, 1976 & 1980), St. Louis (NL 1962) & Washington (AL 1963).  The only player to appear in five different decades, Minoso had 2,110 Hits, 195 Home Runs and was a 13-time All-Star.  

Danny Murtaugh, MAN.  Pittsburgh (NL 1957-64, 1967, 1970-71 & 1973-76).  Murtaugh led the Pirates to World Series Championships in 1960 ad 1971, and he had a lifetime record of 1,115-950.

Tony Oliva, OF.  Minnesota (AL 1962-76).  Oliva was a three-time Batting Champion, five-time leader in Hits and eight-time All-Star.  He had 1,917 career Hits with a lifetime Batting Average of .304.

Billy Pierce, P.  Detroit (AL 1945 & 1948), Chicago (AL 1949-61) & San Francisco (NL 1962-64).  Pierce was a seven-time All-Star with a 211-169 Record with 1,999 Strikeouts.

Maury Wills, OF.  Los Angeles (NL 1959-66 & 1969-72), Pittsburgh (NL 1967-68) & Montreal (NL 1969).  Wills was the 1962 National League MVP, was a five-time All-Star, and helped the Dodgers win three World Series Championships.  Wills stole 586 bases and collected 2,134 Hits.

To enter the Hall of Fame, a candidate needs 75 percent of the 16-member committee.  The announcement will be made on the MLB Network on December 5 at 8:00 PM.

We here a Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all of those who made it this far.