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

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

Adam Jones began his career in Seattle, but after two years, he was traded to the Orioles, where he had the best part of his career.

An Oriole from 2008 to 2018, Jones was an All-Star in 2009, and then four years straight beginning in 2012.  The Centerfielder had good power numbers, belting at least 20 Home Runs seven times, with his best year coming in 2013 with 33 taters and 108 RBIs.  Jones not only had power, but he was also excellent defensively, winning four Gold Gloves.

Finishing his career in 2019 with Arizona, Jones retired with 1,939 Hits and 282 Home Runs.

Dubbed “Pacman”, Adam Jones was a highly touted First Round Pick from West Virginia but he would become more known for off-field problems than his on-field accomplishments.  This doesn’t mean that Jones didn’t have a lot of gridiron success as he would be named a First Team All-Pro in 2014 as a Cincinnati Bengal as a Returner.  That year, he would lead the NFL in Yards per Kick Return, and earlier in 2006 as a Tennessee Titan, he would do the same in Punt Returns.  In his regular position at Cornerback he would accumulate 17 Interceptions.

Adam Jones was one of five players traded by the Seattle Mariners for Canadian Pitcher, Erik Bedard, in the Winter of 2008.  Had it just been straight-up Bedard for Jones, the Mariners still would have lost the trade.

The NFL retirement season continues as the enigmatic Adam “Pacman” Jones announced on social media that he is retiring from the game.

Playing his college ball at the University of West Virginia, Jones was drafted 6^thoverall in 2005 by the Tennessee Titans where he would play at Cornerback and was Returner.  “Pacman” was a tumultuous figure who was often in trouble with the law but was one of the most exciting players in the league.  Jones would lead the NFL in Yards per Return in 2006 but his off-field troubles caused him to miss the 2007 season due to violation of the personal conduct policy.  The Titans traded him to Dallas but he had an average year and again got into legal trouble and he was released at the end of the season and was unemployed in 2009.

Jones kept in shape and was given an opportunity by the Cincinnati Bengals and he had a career revival.  Pacman was a First Team All-Pro returner in 2014 and Pro Bowl Selection in 2015, accomplishments that seemed improbable years before,  He played with Cincinnati until 2017 and would play his final year in the NFL with Denver.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Adam Jones the best in his post-playing career.

Although it has certainly been seen that Metal is struggling to find a solid place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it will be interesting to see what they do with Tool who by no means was a traditional Metal band.  Tool added Post Punk and Progressive styles and dark imagery (both in videos and in lyrics) this was a band that was intelligent as they were “depressing”.  The Artistic elements that they used work in their favor for any potential induction, but if they are lumped primarily as a Metal band, then their chances will greatly diminish. 

Known primarily as a band that Kurt Cobain once worshipped, Melvins were a Washington state based band that have been called by some as the true “Godfathers of Grunge”. Their music had a deliberately slow and plodding pace and their Godfather nickname does have some credence as many Grunge acts cited them as an influence. They were far from one dimensional; as they were a very experimental band whose entire catalogue shows depth. Still together, still touring and still recording, the Melvins are seemingly the last of their genre still together. Based on who they have influenced, they may have an outside shot for induction.