Tagged: Manny Ramirez

The Winning Run 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot

The beginning of the new year means it is time for the annual debate about who is and is not a Hall of Famer. Ultimately only the opinions of Hall of Fame voters matter. They decide who goes to Cooperstown. The BBWAA is the sole voting body for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Voters must be a member of the BBWAA and meet the following eligibility requirements.

Hall of Fame Voter Eligibility 

  1. Any member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who has been an active member for ten years.
  2. The BBWAA is limited to writers for newspapers only, including some internet newspapers. 

The BBWAA sets the following rules for how eligible voters can vote. 

  1. Vote for no more than 10 players.
  2. A player is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame if they meet the following criteria:
    1. They competed in ten seasons. A single game counts as a season played.
    2. The player has been retired for at least five seasons. The clock restarts if the player returns and plays in the Major Leagues.
    3. The player is not on the ineligible list; banned from baseball. 
  3. The player must receive 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.
  4. The player is elected if they receive at least 75% of all ballots cast. 

In addition to the official voting rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame set forth by the BBWAA, The Winning Run has an additional rule for its ballot. 

  1. Known PED users are ineligible.

Every player dreams of reaching the Major Leagues and playing their way to Cooperstown. However, this dream is a reality for only 1% of Major Leaguers. Thousands of players begin their professional careers dreaming of the Hall of Fame and never spend a single day in the Major Leagues. Reaching the Major Leagues is extremely difficult. Appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot, even for a single year, is reserved for baseball’s elites. Making the ballot is an honor, even if the candidate does not receive a single vote.

The 2024 Hall of Fame ballot has 26 candidates. There are 14 returning candidates and 12 new candidates. The 14 returning candidates are:

  1. Todd Helton- 6th year (72.2%)
  2. Billy Wagner- 9th year (68.1%)
  3. Andruw Jones- 7th year (58.1%)
  4. Gary Sheffield- 10th year (55.0%)
  5. Carlos Beltran- 2nd year (46.5%)
  6. Alex Rodriguez- 3rd year (35.7%)
  7. Manny Ramirez- 8th year (33.2%)
  8. Omar Vizquel- 7th year (19.5%)
  9. Andy Pettitte- 6th year (17.0%)
  10. Bobby Abreu- 5th year (15.4%)
  11. Jimmy Rollins- 3rd year (12.9%)
  12. Mark Buehrle- 4th year (10.8%)
  13. Francisco Rodriguez- 2nd year (10.8%)
  14. Torii Hunter- 4th year (6.9%)

The 12 first time candidates are:

  1. Adrian Beltre
  2. Joe Mauer
  3. Chase Utley
  4. David Wright
  5. Bartolo Colon
  6. Matt Holliday
  7. Adrian Gonzalez
  8. Jose Bautista
  9. Jose Reyes
  10. Victor Martinez
  11. James Shields
  12. Brandon Phillips
Who will go to Cooperstown in July? (National Baseball Hall of Fame)

Following our own rule, 5 of the 26 candidates were removed from consideration due to their connections with PEDs. 

  1. Gary Sheffield
  2. Alex Rodriguez
  3. Manny Ramirez
  4. Andy Pettitte
  5. Bartolo Colon

The sad part of our PED rule is every one of these players posted the necessary numbers to be seriously considered for the Hall of Fame. Their decision to use PEDs has hampered their own election to Cooperstown and left them on the ballot for additional years. These extra years have siphoned votes away from other worthy candidates, harming their Hall of Fame chances through no fault of their own. 

Two players we voted for in 2023 were removed from the ballot. Scott Rolen was elected to the Hall of Fame. Jeff Kent failed to be elected in his 10th and final year of eligibility. This means our 2024 ballot has two open spots. None of the candidates we voted for last year received less than 5%, so the other eight candidates have returned. After much research and debate we arrived at our 10 candidates. 

Adrian Beltre could do it all on a baseball field. The Third Baseman played 21 seasons with 4 teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Seattle Mariners (2005-2009), Boston Red Sox (2010), and Texas Rangers (2011-2018). He played in 2,933 Games, scored 1,524 Runs, collected 3,166 Hits, including 636 Double, 38 Triples, 477 Home Runs, 1,707 RBI, 121 Stolen Bases, drawing 848 Walks, with 1,732 Strikeouts, posting a .286 BA, .339 OBP, .480 SLG, .819 OPS, 116 OPS+, and 5,309 Total Bases. Beltre won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and was a four time All Star. If elected, Beltre will rank first among Hall of Fame Third Basemen in RBI. He will be second in Hits, Doubles, and RBI. Beltre will have the third most Home Runs. He is a clear cut Hall of Famer. Just make sure you do not touch his head. 

Joe Mauer never left Minnesota. The hometown boy made good. Mauer Caught 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2004-2018). He played in 1,858 Games, scored 1,018 Runs, collected 2,123 Hits, including 428 Doubles, 30 Triples, 143 Home Runs, 923 RBI, 52 Stolen Bases, drawing 939 Walks, with 1,034 Strikeouts, posting a .306 BA, .388 OBP, .439 SLG, .827 OPS, 124 OPS+, and 3,040 Total Bases. He was a six time All Star, won five Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and three Batting Titles. Mauer was named the 2009 American League MVP. If elected, Mauer will have the most Walks among Hall of Fame Catchers. He will be third in Doubles, fourth in OBP, sixth in Hits, and seventh in BA. Mauer should easily reach Cooperstown. 

Chase Utley put together an outstanding career. He was one of the leaders for the great Phillies teams, including their 2008 World Series championship. The Second Baseman played for two teams in 16 seasons: Philadelphia Phillies (2003-2015) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-2018). He played in 1,937 Games, scored 1,103 Runs, collected 1,885 Hits, including 411 Doubles, 58 Triples, 259 Home Runs, 1,025 RBI, 154 Stolen Bases, drawing 724 Walks, with 1,193 Strikeouts, posting a .275 BA, .358 OBP, .465 SLG, .823 OPS, 117 OPS+, and 3,189 Total Bases. Utley was a six time All Star and won four Silver Sluggers. If elected, Utley would rank fifth among Hall of Fame Second Basemen in Home Runs and seventh in SLG and OPS. 

Our ballot has three additions this year. We filled our two open slots with Adrian Beltre and Joe Mauer. We had one player, Jimmy Rollins, replaced by a former teammate, Chase Utley. The choice of Utley over Rollins is extremely close, but Utley is a more deserving candidate. The real issue is both Rollins and Utley are deserving candidates, but the idiotic Rule of 10 once again costs a deserving Hall of Fame candidate votes. If the Rule of 10 was not in place, we would also include Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, and Torii Hunter on our ballot. Now we wait for the official results for the Hall of Fame class of 2024. Who is heading to Cooperstown in July?

DJ

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! 2024 will be a great year for baseball. From the Opening Series in Seoul to amateur baseball at every level, baseball is on the rise. The game is continuing to grow as evident in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Baseball is a wonderful game and it gets better every year. 

Wishing you a wonderful 2024 from some of the greatest players to every wear #24. May your year be as graceful as Ken Griffey Jr.’s swing. May you be as confident as Rickey Henderson on the bases. May you be as happy as Miguel Cabrera. May you live life to the beat of your own drum like Manny Ramirez being Manny. May your 2024 be as great as the greatest player to ever wear #24, Willie Mays. See you at the Rickwood Classic. 

The greatest #24 of all time, Willie Mays. (www.mlb.com)

DJ

2024 Hall of Fame Ballot

The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has 26 candidates. The ballot returns 14 candidates, while adding 12 first time candidates. Once the votes are tallied, any candidate receiving 75% or more of the vote will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this coming July. Any candidate receiving less than 5% of the vote will be removed from future consideration. The results of the voting will be released on January 23rd. The Hall of Fame ballot is separate from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Managers/ Executives/ Umpires, which recently elected Jim Leyland to Cooperstown.  

The 26 candidates played a combined 455 MLB seasons. Omar Vizquel played the most seasons, 24 seasons of outstanding defense, and James Shields commanded on the mound for the fewest, 13 seasons. Simply making the ballot is no easy task and places a player in elite company.

Who will join the Hall of Fame this summer? (National Baseball Hall of Fame)

The 14 returning candidates are:

  1. Todd Helton- 6th year (72.2%)
  2. Billy Wagner- 9th year (68.1%)
  3. Andruw Jones- 7th year (58.1%)
  4. Gary Sheffield- 10th year (55.0%)
  5. Carlos Beltran- 2nd year (46.5%)
  6. Alex Rodriguez- 3rd year (35.7%)
  7. Manny Ramirez- 8th year (33.2%)
  8. Omar Vizquel- 7th year (19.5%)
  9. Andy Pettitte- 6th year (17.0%)
  10. Bobby Abreu- 5th year (15.4%)
  11. Jimmy Rollins- 3rd year (12.9%)
  12. Mark Buehrle- 4th year (10.8%)
  13. Francisco Rodriguez- 2nd year (10.8%)
  14. Torii Hunter- 4th year (6.9%)

Last year Todd Helton fell just 11 votes short of induction. Will he find 11 more votes to reach Cooperstown? This is the final year of eligibility for Gary Sheffield. Can the bat wiggling slugger make it into the Hall of Fame?

The 12 first time candidates are:

  1. Adrian Beltre
  2. Joe Mauer
  3. Chase Utley
  4. David Wright
  5. Bartolo Colon
  6. Matt Holliday
  7. Adrian Gonzalez
  8. Jose Bautista
  9. Jose Reyes
  10. Victor Martinez
  11. James Shields
  12. Brandon Phillips

Who gets into Cooperstown this Summer? We will find out in a few weeks. There are several candidates that should go in the Hall of Fame come July. The only question is can enough of the voters agree to make this a reality? 

DJ

2023 Hall of Fame Ballot

The 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot is filled with talented players who spent at least a decade playing on a Major League diamond. The election results will be announced tomorrow, January 24th. As is tradition, The Winning Run has filled out its own officially unofficial ballot. We have been writing about baseball for more than a decade, but we lack the credentials to be full voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). No matter, we humbly submit our ballot anyway.

There are 28 candidates on the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Each hopes to join Fred McGriff, who was elected in December through the Contemporary Era Committee, in Cooperstown. There are 14 returning candidates and 14 first year candidates on the ballot. The 2023 ballot is also the final year of eligibility for Jeff Kent. If he is not elected this year, his path into the Hall of Fame will be through the committees. 

The BBWAA is the sole voting body for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. As such, only members of the BBWAA who meet the following eligibility requirements can vote.

Voter Eligibility 

  1. Any member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who has been an active member for ten years.
  2. The BBWAA is limited to writers for newspapers only, including some internet newspapers. 

The BBWAA sets the rules for how eligible voters can vote.

Voting Rules

  1. Vote for no more than 10 players.
  2. A player is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame if they meet the following criteria:
    1. They competed in ten seasons. A single game counts as a season played.
    2. The player has been retired for at least five seasons. The clock restarts if the player returns and plays in the Major Leagues.
    3. The player is not on the ineligible list; banned from baseball. 
  3. The player must receive 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.
  4. The player is elected if they receive at least 75% of all ballots cast. 

In addition to the official voting rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame set forth by the BBWAA, The Winning Run has its own rule for its ballot. 

The Winning Run Rules

  1. Known PED users are ineligible.

Every player dreams of reaching the Major Leagues and playing at such a level that their ultimate destination is Cooperstown. However, this dream is a reality for only 1% of those who reach the Major Leagues. Thousands of players begin their careers dreaming of the Hall of Fame and never spend a single day on a Major League roster. The difficulty of reaching the Major Leagues makes simply appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot, even for a single year, an accomplishment reserved for baseball’s elites. Making the ballot is an honor, even if the candidate does not receive a single vote.

The honor of appearing on the 2023 Hall of Fame ballot belongs to these 28 candidates, their year of eligibility, and percentage of the Hall of Fame vote received in 2022. 

  1. Scott Rolen- 6th (63.2%)
  2. Todd Helton- 5th (52.0%)
  3. Billy Wagner- 8th (51.0%)
  4. Andruw Jones- 6th (41.4%)
  5. Gary Sheffield- 9th (40.6%)
  6. Alex Rodriguez- 2nd (34.3%)
  7. Jeff Kent- 10th (32.7%)
  8. Manny Ramirez- 7th (28.9%)
  9. Omar Vizquel- 6th (23.9%)
  10. Andy Pettitte- 5th (10.7%)
  11. Jimmy Rollins- 2nd (9.4%)
  12. Bobby Abreu- 4th (8.6%)
  13. Mark Buehrle- 3rd (5.8%)
  14. Torii Hunter- 3rd (5.3%)
  15. Carlos Beltran- 1st
  16. John Lackey- 1st
  17. Jered Weaver- 1st
  18. Jacoby Ellsbury- 1st
  19. Matt Cain- 1st
  20. Jhonny Peralta- 1st
  21. Jayson Werth- 1st
  22. J.J. Hardy- 1st
  23. Mike Napoli- 1st
  24. Bronson Arroyo- 1st
  25. R.A. Dickey- 1st
  26. Francisco Rodriguez- 1st
  27. Andre Ethier- 1st
  28. Huston Street- 1st

Following our own rule, 5 of the 28 candidates were removed from consideration due to their connections with PEDs. 

  1. Gary Sheffield
  2. Alex Rodriguez
  3. Manny Ramirez
  4. Andy Pettitte
  5. Jhonny Peralta

This left 23 candidates on our ballot, from which we could vote for a maximum of 10. The choices are never easy. Previous ballots we have unofficially voted on have contained more than 10 Hall of Fame caliber candidates. Reviewing our ballot from 2022 helped in beginning the voting process. Were the 10 players we voted for last year still the best choices? The Winning Run’s ballot last year listed these 10 candidates: 

  1. Bobby Abreu (8.6%)
  2. Mark Buehrle (5.8%)
  3. Todd Helton (52.0%)
  4. Tim Hudson (3.0%)
  5. Torii Hunter (5.3%)
  6. Andruw Jones (41.4%)
  7. Jeff Kent (32.7%)
  8. Tim Lincecum (2.3%)
  9. Scott Rolen (63.2%)
  10. Billy Wagner (51.0%)

Based upon the voting, none of our candidates were elected to Cooperstown. Two of our votes are open again as Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum failed to receive the minimum 5% of votes. This left us with eight returning candidates on this year’s ballot. This is our unofficially official 2023 ballot.  

We removed Torii Hunter from our ballot and replaced him with Jimmy Rollins. Hunter was our final choice on last year’s ballot. Rollins was on the ballot in 2022, but after reexamining every candidate, we concluded that Rollins was the more deserving candidate. Hall of Fame voting is not a perfect process, which we have previously examined. The process too is foiled because the voters themselves are imperfect. Reaching rational decisions is not easy when more than 300 voters must agree for a candidate to reach Cooperstown. Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran took our two open votes. Both are deserving first year candidates. Torii Hunter and Omar Vizquel were the top candidates not receiving our vote. None of these men are flawless, but their off the field actions have no impact on our voting. Yes the character clause exists, but they who are without fault shall cast the first stone. The Winning Run used all 10 of our votes, but we wanted 12.

Who will join Fred McGriff in Cooperstown this summer? (Stephen Dunn/ Getty Images)

Francisco Rodriguez pitched for five teams during his 16 season career: Anaheim/ Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels (2002-2008), New York Mets (2009-2011), Milwaukee Brewers (2011-2013, 2014-2015), Baltimore Orioles (2013), and Detroit Tigers (2016-2017). Rodriguez pitched in 948 Games, Finished 677 Games, converted 437 Saves, Pitcher 976 Innings, posted a 52-53 record, 1,142 Strikeouts, 389 Walks, with a 2.86 ERA, 1.155 WHIP, and 148 ERA+. He won the 2002 World Series with the Angels. He was a six time All Star and twice the American League Rolaids Relief Award winner. Rodriguez finished in the top four of Cy Young Award voting three times. He led baseball in Saves three times and Saved 40 Games six times. Rodriguez’s 437 career Saves are the fourth most all time, behind Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Lee Smith. 

Jimmy Rollins helped to set the standard for modern Shortstops. He played for three teams during his 17 season career: Philadelphia Phillies (2000-2014), Los Angeles Dodgers (2015), and Chicago White Sox (2016). Rollins played in 2,275 Games, collected 2,455 Hits, 511 Doubles, 115 Triples, 231 Home Runs, 936 RBI, 1,421 Runs scored, 470 Stolen Bases, 813 Walks, 1,264 Strikeouts, posted a .264 BA, .324 OBP, .418 SLG, .743 OPS, and 95 OPS+. Rollins led the National League in Triples four times. He stole 30 Bases ten times. Rollins was a three time All Star, won four Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and the 2007 National League MVP. Defensively, Rollins played 2,227 Games at Shortstop, totally 19,513.2 Innings, had 9,275 Chances, made 2,982 Putouts, 6,139 Assists, committed 154 Errors, turned 1,249 Double Plays, and posted a .983 Fielding %. Rollins played the sixth most Games at Shortstop, the most not in the Hall of Fame. He is 20th in Assists and 12th in Double Plays. He was one of the leaders for the Phillies in their 2008 World Series victory. 

Carlos Beltran went from young phenom to wise veteran. He played for seven teams during his 20 season career: Kansas City Royals (1998-2004), Houston Astros (2004, 2017), New York Mets (2005-2011), San Francisco Giants (2011), St. Louis Cardinals (2012-2013), New York Yankees (2014-2016), and Texas Rangers (2016). Primarily patrolling Centerfield, Beltran played in 2,586 Games, collected 2,725 Hits, 565 Doubles, 78 Triples, 435 Home Runs, 1,587 RBI, 1,582 Runs scored, 312 Stolen Bases, 1,084 Walks, 1,795 Strikeouts, posted a .279 BA, .350 OBP, .486 SLG, .837 OPS, 119 OPS+. Defensively, he had above average Range for two decades. He won the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year. Beltran was a nine time All Star, won three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers. He helped five different teams reach the Postseason and provided the veteran leadership, not always within the rules, the Astros needed to win the 2017 World Series. 

Removing Torii Hunter from our ballot was not fun. He was our final selection last year, but his career still deserves recognition. Additionally, Omar Vizquel once again comes up short because of his lack of offense. 

We will find out tomorrow if anyone will join Fred McGriff in Cooperstown. There are many deserving candidates, but we must wait to see if 75% of the writers can agree. 

DJ

Crime Finally Pays

Fred McGriff hit 493 Home Runs, the same as Lou Gehrig. His .284 career Batting Average is higher than Ken Griffey Jr. and Craig Biggio. McGriff collected more hits than David Ortiz and more Doubles than Roberto Clemente. He has more RBI than Joe DiMaggio and a higher OPS than Sammy Sosa.  Fred McGriff played 19 seasons of consistent baseball, without even the faintest whiff of PEDs. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times. McGriff helped the Braves win the World Series in 1995. So why did it take so long for Fred McGriff to be elected to the Hall of Fame?

The Crime Dog was a steady presence in baseball for nearly two decades, and it took nearly as long for him to take his rightful spot in Cooperstown. Why? Maybe the ballots were too stacked. McGriff appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2010. He was one of 26 former players on that ballot. He received 21.5% of the vote. 11 players received less than 5% of the vote and fell off. Andre Dawson was elected in his 9th year of eligibility. Harold Baines received 6.1% of the vote and still made it to Cooperstown before McGriff. Four of the 15 players to receive more than 5% of the vote in 2010 are not in the Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire because of PED usage. Don Mattingly, Dave Parker, and Dale Murphy each have supporters that strongly believe they should be in Cooperstown. 

Fred McGriff was a cool customer on the field, quietly great. (Focus on Sports/ Getty Images)

McGriff remained on the ballot for the full ten years. He peaked with 39.8% in 2019, his final year of eligibility. Only seven non-Hall of Fame players ever finished higher than McGriff. Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Manny Ramirez are strongly connected to PEDs and the Steroid Era. Omar Vizquel is a defensive wizard with a weak bat on the diamond and a terrible person off. Curt Schilling is a bad businessman and traffics in conspiracy theories. Jeff Kent is an all time great Second Basemen, but was never a fan of the media. There are reasons these seven players have never been honored.

The stats have not changed. There were plenty of Hall of Fame players around McGriff, but never controversy. The helicopter, one handed finish to his swing remains a sight to behold. Whatever the reason, an oversight has been corrected. The Baseball Writers swung and missed for a decade. It took one try for McGriff’s contemporaries to place him in Cooperstown. He was a unanimous choice, 16 out of 16 voters see him as a Hall of Famer. He was the only player elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. The Tom Emanski instructional videos that taught Major League skills and were endorsed by Major League Superstar Fred McGriff needs an update. They are now endorsed by Baseball Hall of Famer Fred McGriff. 

Welcome to Cooperstown Crime Dog, you should have been in a decade ago.

DJ

2022 Hall of Fame Ballot

The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s class of 2022 will be announced tomorrow. This year is an especially stacked ballot. There are already six inductees as the Early Baseball Era Committee elected Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil, while the Golden Days Era Committee elected Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, and Tony Oliva. The Baseball Writer’s ballot has 30 candidates. Sorting through the candidates is not an easy task. A player has up to ten years on the ballot. The rules for induction into are straight forward. 

Voting Rules

  1. Vote for no more than 10 players.
  2. A player is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame if they meet the following criteria: 
    1. They competed in ten seasons. A single game counts as a season played.
    2. The player has been retired for at least five seasons. The clock restarts if the player returns and plays in the Major Leagues.
    3. The player is not on the ineligible list; banned from baseball. 
  3. The player must receive 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.
  4. The player is elected if they receive at least 75% of all ballots cast. 

Voter Eligibility 

  1. Any member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who has been an active member for ten years.
  2. The BBWAA is limited to writers for newspapers only, including some internet newspapers. 

The Winning Run Rules

  1. Known steroid users are ineligible.

Last year no player achieved the necessary 75% mark to gain induction into the Hall of Fame. Curt Schilling came the closest with 71.1% before angrily demanding to be removed from future consideration. These demands were ignored, and he remains on the ballot. Will voters grant him his wish by not voting for him? None of the 25 players on the 2021 ballot exhausted their 10 years of eligibility, but eight failed to gain the 5% minimum and were removed. 13 new players join the 17 returning players on the 2022 ballot. Four are on the ballot for a tenth and final time. All four have PED ties and/or character flaws. Each has received varying levels of voter support. This is the final chance for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa to be elected to Cooperstown by the Writers. 

The Winning Run’s official unofficial 2021 ballot was as follows, with the vote percentage from the actual voters. 

Scott Rolen (52.9%)

Omar Vizquel (49.1%)

Billy Wagner (46.4)

Todd Helton (44.9%)

Andruw Jones (33.9%)

Jeff Kent (32.4%)

Mark Buehrle (11.0%)

Torii Hunter (9.5%)

Bobby Abreu (8.7%)

Tim Hudson (5.2%)

The next wave of PED users have arrived with this year’s ballot. The Writers do not have a coherent process for handling PED users. This has created a backlog. Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa should have been ruled on years ago. Either their statistics overcome their failings, or their PED use invalidates their numbers. This backlog will only continue with the addition of Alex Rodriguez. 

The players not tied to PEDs, and thus eligible for our ballot, deserve a thorough examination of their candidacy for the Hall of Fame. Below are the 30 candidates on this year’s ballot, and their 2021 vote percentages.

  1. Curt Schilling- 10th (71.1%)
  2. Barry Bond- 10th (61.8%)
  3. Roger Clemens- 10th (61.8%)
  4. Scott Rolen- 5th (52.9%)
  5. Omar Vizquel- 5th (49.1%)
  6. Billy Wagner- 7th (46.4%)
  7. Todd Helton- 4th (44.9%)
  8. Gary Sheffield- 8th (40.6%)
  9. Andruw Jones- 5th (33.9%)
  10. Jeff Kent- 9th (32.4%)
  11. Manny Ramirez- 6th (28.2%)
  12. Sammy Sosa- 10th (17.0%)
  13. Andy Pettitte- 4th (13.7%)
  14. Mark Buehrle- 2nd (11.0%)
  15. Torii Hunter- 2nd (9.5%)
  16. Bobby Abreu- 3rd (8.7%)
  17. Tim Hudson- 2nd (5.2%) 
  18. Alex Rodriguez- 1st
  19. David Ortiz- 1st
  20. Mark Teixeira- 1st
  21. Jimmy Rollins- 1st
  22. Carl Crawford- 1st
  23. Jake Peavy- 1st
  24. Justin Morneau- 1st
  25. Prince Fielder- 1st
  26. Joe Nathan- 1st
  27. Tim Lincecum- 1st
  28. Jonathan Papelbon- 1st
  29. A.J. Pierzynski- 1st
  30. Ryan Howard- 1st

The publicly known ballots have shown Omar Vizquel’s freefall. His personal misdeeds have cost him votes, as many Writers have seemingly invoked the character clause against him. This has imperfect voters playing god on a person’s behavior. The abuse Vizquel is accused of is disgusting, it cannot be overlooked. Vizquel appears to be taking the brunt of those invoking the character clause. Yes, we invoke our own clause against the use of PEDs, but this is on the diamond and a safety issue, as we have previously discussed. Ultimately our vote is this, are you one of the 10 best players on this list after removing those tied to PEDs? 

The Winning Run’s 2022 Ballot

We dropped Omar Vizquel from our ballot this year. He was our 10th vote last year. While his defense is close to Ozzie Smith, there are more deserving candidates based upon the constraints on the rule of 10. We did not invoke the character clause, but it did not help Vizquel remain on our ballot. 

Tim Lincecum is the only addition to our ballot. He pitched the minimum 10 seasons to appear on the ballot, but did not enjoy a consistent career. Instead, The Freak was similar to Sandy Koufax, burning white hot for five years. While Koufax retired, Lincecum held on. In Lincecum’s first five seasons he went 69-41 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.188 WHIP, and 137 ERA+. He averaged 206 Innings Pitched and 225 Strikeouts. He threw 8 Complete Games and 5 Shutouts in an era where pitchers receive standing ovations for pitching into the fifth inning. Lincecum led the National League in Strikeouts three times and had four consecutive seasons with 220 punch outs. He won back to back Cy Young awards as the Giants built a dynasty by the Bay. 

If the ballot were expanded to allow votes for 12 candidates, the 40% we have argued for, Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon would have received votes. Neither pitched 1,000 innings, but baseball has and continues to change. Relief pitchers are more important than ever and managers rarely use them for more than one inning. The only two Hall of Fame pitchers with less than 1,000 innings are Leon Day, 600, and Hilton Smith, 851.2. Both of these men were barred from the Majors because they were African-American. An expanded ballot would allow for an examination of the changes baseball has undergone by the Writers, an appreciation by the fans, and a reflection in the Hall of Fame. 

Regardless what the official vote brings, there will be a Hall of Fame induction this summer. Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva will have their day in the sun and the other inductees will be honored. The Hall of Fame is reserved for the top 1% in the history of the game and there are players in that elite group on this year’s ballot. 

DJ

2021 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2021 tomorrow. Those elected will hopefully join the Class of 2020 for their induction ceremony this summer. There are no clear cut inductees this year. Several players may come close, but we will see if any pass the 75% minimum for induction. 

Voting Rules

  1. Vote for no more than 10 players
  2. A player is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame if they meet the following criteria:
    1. They competed in ten seasons. A single game counts as a season played. 
    2. The player has been retired for at least five seasons. The clock restarts if the player returns and plays in the Major Leagues. 
    3. The player is not on the ineligible list; banned from baseball.
  3. The player must receive 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot. 
  4. The player is elected if they receive at least 75% of all ballots cast. 

Voter Eligibility

  1. Any member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who has been an active member for ten years.
  2. The BBWAA is limited to writers for newspapers only, including some internet newspapers.

The Winning Run Rules

  1. Known steroid users are ineligible.

There are 25 candidates on this year’s ballot. Many require serious consideration, while a few are honored simply to make the ballot. Below are the candidates, their year on the ballot, and 2020 vote percentage. 

  1. Bobby Abreu- 2nd (5.5%)
  2. Barry Bonds– 9th (60.7%)
  3. Mark Buehrle- 1st
  4. A. J. Burnett– 1st
  5. Roger Clemens– 9th (61.0%)
  6. Michael Cuddyer– 1st
  7. Dan Haren– 1st 
  8. LaTroy Hawkins– 1st
  9. Todd Helton- 3rd (29.2%)
  10. Tim Hudson- 1st
  11.  Torii Hunter- 1st
  12. Andruw Jones- 4th (19.4%)
  13. Jeff Kent- 8th (27.5%)
  14. Andy Pettitte– 3rd (11.3%)
  15. Aramis Ramirez– 1st
  16. Manny Ramirez– 5th (28.2%)
  17. Scott Rolen- 4th (35.3%)
  18. Curt Schilling- 9th (70.0%)
  19. Gary Sheffield– 7th (30.5%)
  20. Sammy Sosa– 9th (13.9%)
  21. Nick Swisher– 1st
  22. Shane Victorino– 1st
  23. Omar Vizquel- 4th (52.6%)
  24. Billy Wagner- 6th (31.7%)
  25. Barry Zito– 1st

Here is my official unofficial 2021 Hall of Fame ballot.

I believe there are more than 10 Hall of Fame worthy candidates this year. Excluding deserving players because of the maximum of 10 rule creates an unfair system. There are also legitimate concerns about the actions of some off the field, but my focus is on the field. It is not hypocritical to exclude Bonds and Clemens as their actions impacted games. The accusations against Omar Vizquel and the public declarations by Curt Schilling did not. Poor morals do not exclude a player from the Hall of Fame. Cooperstown is a museum that preserves the history of baseball. PED users are part of that history, but they can be remembered elsewhere in the museum.

Six candidates return to the ballot after receiving my vote in 2020. Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen, Omar Vizquel, and Billy Wagner. They each retain my vote, leaving just four votes for the other candidates. 

Todd Helton had 10 consecutive seasons with at least 140 games played, 160 hits, 37 Doubles, while hitting over .300. Thin air does not help you make contact. He also slugged at least 25 Home Runs in seven straight seasons. Helton should not be penalized for playing in Colorado, the Hall of Fame does not exclude Rockies players. 

Andruw Jones is the greatest defensive Center Fielder ever. He won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves. Awards voting is subjective, but the numbers never lie. His .990 Fld% is .007 higher than league average during his 17 season career. His Range meant Jones reached 0.46 more balls per nine innings than league average, turning 74.52 additional hits into outs every season. Runners were scared to advance on Jones. 49.2% of them held on fly outs with the next base open. He killed, threw out, 2.6% of them. 51.8% of runners did not advance, more than 5% higher than league average. Jones’ reputation prevented 86 runners from advancing a season. He was not only better than an average Center Fielder, he was better than Willie Mays. Jones prevented 253 runs, 14.88 per season, from scoring to Mays’ 173, 7.86 per season, in five fewer seasons. At the plate, Jones hit at least 26 Home Runs in 10 straight seasons on his way to 434. Put Andruw Jones in Cooperstown already.

Jeff Kent is one of the greatest offensive Second Basemen ever. His 377 Home Runs are 33 more than second place, Robinson Cano. He is a career .290 hitter. Kent had nine consecutive seasons with at least 22 Home Runs and 30 Doubles. He hit at least 21 Doubles in all 17 seasons of his career. Kent won the 2000 National League MVP. While he was average defensively, this has not excluded other Hall of Famers.

Third Base is underrepresented in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is the logical choice to help correct this error. He won the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year. He had eight consecutive seasons with at least 21 Home Runs and 28 Doubles. In addition to his bat, Rolen was an elite defender. Playing over 2,000 Games at Third Base, with 140 defensive Runs saved, with .968 Fld%, .014% higher than league average. His Range allowed him to reach 0.19 more balls per nine innings. The hot corner needs a new addition. 

Omar Vizuel was a magician with the glove. He won 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row. While no one compares to Ozzie Smith, Vizquel was close. Vizquel was better at the plate. A career .272 hitter. He stole at least 22 bases in six consecutive seasons and hit at least 23 Doubles in eight seasons. Vizquel never struck out more than 72 times in a season. If Ozzie Smith is a Hall of Famer, so is Omar Vizquel.

Billy Wagner posted 422 Saves during the Steroid Era. Simply, he got batters out. He posted a 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 1,196 Strikeouts, and 300 Walks. Mariano Rivera opened the door for more Closers, Wagner should walk into Cooperstown. 

Who will be enshrined in Cooperstown from the Class of 2021. (The Winning Run/ DJ)

The four additions to my ballot in 2021 came down to five players. Deciding who to leave off was difficult, the rule of 10 is dumb.

Hall of Fame players either burn brightly for a short time, Sandy Koufax, or have a long consistent career, Craig Biggio. Bobby Abreu fits the Biggio mold. Abreu had 12 straight seasons with at least 155 Hits. He hit at least 29 Doubles in 14 straight seasons. Abreu slugged at least 15 Home Runs in 13 straight seasons. All while playing at least 150 games a season. Playing every day builds impressive career numbers and Bobby Abreu built such a career. 

Wins are an inefficient measure of a pitcher’s performance, as Felix Hernandez and Jacob deGrom can attest. The magical 300 win club may be a thing of the past. Hall of Fame voters need to adjust their expectations for pitchers. Mark Buehrle won 214 games in 16 seasons. His rookie season was the only time he did not start at least 30 games. He pitched at least 200 innings in 14 consecutive seasons. Buehrle was the workhorse for the 2005 World Series winning White Sox. He also pitched the 18th Perfect Game in Major League history on July 23, 2009. A single game does not make you a Hall of Famer, but a Perfect Game helps. 

Tim Hudson, like Buehrle, deserves recognition as pitching changes. He won 222 games in 17 seasons. Hudson won at least 11 Games in all but one season between 1999 and 2012, failing in 2009 due to Tommy John surgery. He pitched over 3,100 innings with more than 2,000 strikeouts. Hudson finished in the top six of Cy Young voting four times. Hudson gave his team a chance to win every time he took the mound.

Torii Hunter has never received the recognition he deserves. He made a career out of consistency. He hit at least 21 Home Runs in all but one season from 2001 to 2011. He collected 21 Doubles for 15 straight seasons. Hunter won nine consecutive Gold Gloves in Center. He was an above average fielder, but his Range was elite. His +0.24 Range Factor per nine innings helped turn 39 hits into outs every season. Hunter’s most memorable moment was robbing Barry Bonds of an All Star game Home Run in Milwaukee. It was not as monumental as Kirby Puckett’s World Series catch. However, these Minnesota outfielders had similar careers. If Puckett earned his place in Cooperstown, so has Hunter. 

There are more than 10 deserving players on the ballot this year. The final cut was difficult. Curt Schilling was 11th on my list. His stats are similar to Buehrle and Hudson, but his Postseason accolades are why many believe he belongs in Cooperstown. Schilling is outspoken. His anger towards journalists and those who do not support his political views are well documented. I did not vote for Schilling last year and he falls short again this year. I voted for Omar Vizquel. The accusations against him are horrific. Both men have made poor choices off the diamond, but the Hall of Fame ballot and voters are not their judge away from the diamond.

DJ

Goodbye Cooperstown?

Robinson Cano has failed a second PED test and is suspended for the 2021 season. In addition to his $35.7 million in lost salary, $11.7 million for his 80 game suspension in 2018 and $24 million for the 2021 season, Cano has tarnished his reputation, potentially eliminating his chances for Cooperstown. He has gone from one of the greatest second basemen ever to another great player whose accomplishments are now questioned.

After playing the first 8 seasons of his career with the New York Yankees, Cano became a free agent before the 2014 season. Many expected Cano was the next lifelong Yankee. Shockingly Robinson Cano signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. In his first 4 seasons in the Pacific Northwest Cano’s numbers dipped; -.020 BA, -.014 OBP, -.026 SLG, and -.041 OPS. Not horrific considering Cano came from hitter friendly Yankee Stadium. Concerns however escalated in May 2018, when Cano failed a PED test. He was suspended 80 games for taking Furosemide, a diuretic that can be used to mask other banned substances. The debate began immediately, was Cano a drug cheat or did he make a stupid mistake. Cano claimed a doctor in the Dominican Republic gave him the medication and he did not know it was banned by MLB. A seemingly dumb mistake that would require time and effort to repair the damage with fans and Hall of Fame voters. 

Robinson Cano’s time in Seattle was the beginning of his decline, then he was suspended for using PEDs. (Stephen Brashear/ Getty Images)

At the end of the 2018 season, Seattle sent Cano and his albatross contract to Queens. Back in New York, Cano sought to win over Mets fans. Age began creeping in as his numbers continued to slide. Then came Cano’s second failed PED test and suspension for the 2021 season. He tested positive for Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Cano should know better, Stanozolol stays in your system for 3 to 4 days after a single use. He was reckless and has thrown his entire career into doubt. The Yankees are happy they did not break the bank for Cano in 2013 and the Mariners are happy they are no longer trapped under his contract. Cano’s latest suspension will save the Mariners $3.75 million and the Mets $20.25 million. Seattle made a financial mistake, but Cano’s are longer lasting.

Robinson Cano had a one way ticket to the Hall of Fame. It was only a matter of time before he joined the other 21 second basemen in Cooperstown. Cano is 10th all time in WAR among second basemen at 68.9. He ranks 9th in oWAR, 68.6; the highest ranked non-Hall of Famer. He has scored the 17th most Runs, 1,257. He has the 10th most Hits, 2,624; the most among non-Hall of Famers. He has the most Doubles for a second baseman not in the Hall of Fame and 4th most overall, 571. Cano has slugged the second most Home Runs, 334, only 43 behind Jeff Kent. He has the 5th most RBI, 1,302. His .303 Batting Average places him 20th among second basemen, ahead of 13 enshrined in Cooperstown. Cano has the 9th highest SLG, .492. Rogers Hornsby, .577, and Jeff Kent, .500, are the only players with more than 1,200 career At Bats ahead of him. Cano has the 12th highest OPS, .844, and 16th highest OPS+, 126; ahead of 15 Hall of Famers in each. Cano should have waltzed into Cooperstown, now his stupidity puts that into doubt.

The Mets, and new owner Steve Cohen, have Cano under contract through 2023, his age 40 season.  The market for a league average second baseman, at best, a diminishing bat and shrinking range with no long term future does not exist. The Mets will replace Cano for the 2021 season and despite his contract there is no guarantee Cano will play everyday again. His range is shrinking, Cano is making 1.05 fewer players per game (RFG) than the average second baseman. The universal DH could benefit Cano, but a .280 hitter with 15 Home Runs is not what most teams want as their full time DH. 

Robinson Cano had the opportunity to chase milestones at the end of his career. Adding the Hits, Home Runs, Doubles, and RBI to his career totals over his remaining two seasons with the Mets, plus the season and a half missed with PED suspensions, Cano would have reached 3,000 hits, sailed past the second baseman Home Run record, potentially lead in Doubles and RBI, and finish in the top 10 for Runs scores. Instead Cano threw it all away.

Robinson Cano’s second PED suspension brings his once guaranteed entrance into the Hall of Fame into doubt. (Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports)

Enshrinement in Cooperstown seemed a forgone conclusion before 2018. Now that destiny hangs in the balance. Hall of Fame voting has not been kind to those caught, or under suspicion of, using PEDs. Mark McGwire never reached 25% in 10 years on the ballot. Sammy Sosa has not reached 15% in 8 years on the ballot. Barry Bonds, a Hall of Fame player without PEDs, has come the closest, reaching 60% in 2019, his 8th year on eligibility. None of these three legendary sluggers failed an MLB test. Similarly Alex Rodriguez never failed a test, yet he received the longest suspension in MLB history for his involvement with PEDs. Time will tell how voters treat Rodriguez when he appears on the ballot in 2022. Rafael Palmeiro collected 3,000 Hits and 500 Home Runs. He was the first test case for PEDs and Hall of Fame voters. Palmeiro lasted 4 years, never reaching 15% before falling below the minimum 5% to remain on the ballot in 2014. Palmeiro’s candidacy was the opening act in the Hall of Fame’s ongoing reckoning with the Steroid Era. 

The player that may hold the key to Cooperstown for Cano is Manny Ramirez. He was also suspended twice for PEDs, 2009 and 2011. Ramirez is among the greatest power hitters, slugging the 15th most Home Runs, 555. Only 6 players ahead of him are not in Cooperstown. Bonds, Rodriguez, Sosa, McGwire, and Palmeiro are tied to PEDs, while Albert Pujols is still playing. Ramirez has been on the ballot for 4 years. He has not achieved 30% of the vote, reaching 28.2% in 2020. The BBWAA voters have changed since Palmeiro first appeared on the ballot. The hardened old guard is being replaced with younger, and slightly more forgiving, voters. Will the change enable a generation of enhanced sluggers reach Cooperstown? 

Can Robinson Cano rebound a second time, repair his image, and be enshrined among the greatest second basemen of all time? Once is a mistake, twice is not. Cano’s PED suspensions will hang over his candidacy. What a shameful way to end one of the great middle infield careers of all time.

DJ

2017 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

The Winning Run will be turning five years old this year, which means we should technically be halfway to receiving an official Hall of Fame vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Instead of waiting until we are voting for real, why not get some Hall of Fame voting practice in to work out the bugs.

There are 34 former players listed on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot this year. 15 players are returning to the ballot after receiving at least 5% of the vote during last year’s balloting. There are 19 new players appearing for the first time. Trimming the vote down from 34 players to no more than 10 is not an easy task. Some players are easier to exclude than other but there are about 15 players who demand a hard look and who are not easily removed.

lee-smith-2016-hall-of-fame-ballot
Will Lee Smith finally be elected in his final year on the ballot? (www.si.com)

As I have stated previously, I despise the use of PEDs in baseball and all other sports. Players, like Manny Ramirez, who have tested positive for these banned substances made my job a little easier to cull the list to just 10 players. On my ballot you are removed from consideration when you are suspended. Players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were also quickly removed from my list due to their own PED connections. Yes neither player ever failed a test, but the evidence of their use of PEDs is too great for me to consider their candidacy.

The process of reaching my list of ten players meant looking at players who sustained greatness. Having a few great seasons and a decade of mediocre seasons does not mean you get into Cooperstown. Players also had to have an impact on the game, such as redefining a position or raising a team’s profile. The National Baseball Hall of Fame should only enshrine the best of the best.

X

 Jeff Bagwell Jeff Kent

X

 Ivan Rodriguez
Casey Blake Derrek Lee Freddy Sanchez
Barry Bonds

X

 Edgar Martinez Curt Schilling
Pat Burrell

X

 Fred McGriff Gary Sheffield
Orlando Cabrera Melvin Mora

X

 Lee Smith
Mike Cameron

X

 Mike Mussina Sammy Sosa
Roger Clemens Magglio Ordonez Matt Stairs
J.D. Drew Jorge Posada Jason Varitek

X

 Vladimir Guerrero

X

 Tim Raines Billy Wagner
Carlos Guillen Manny Ramirez Tim Wakefield

X

 Trevor Hoffman Edgar Renteria

X

 Larry Walker
Arthur Rhodes

Tim Wakefield would receive an honorary vote this year because we love the knuckleball, the longevity of his career, and he was the topic of the first ever article on The Winning Run.

mlb_g_mcgriff_576
Will Fred McGriff and his 493 home runs make it to Cooperstown? (www.espn.com)

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are the saddest cases concerning Hall of Fame voting and the steroid era. Both players had the talent and skill to be Hall of Famers without the chemical assistance of PEDs. Bonds is truly one of the greatest hitters to ever step into a batter’s box and Clemens is arguably one of the greatest pitchers ever, often compared to Walter Johnson. They would undoubtedly be in Cooperstown now if they had chosen to stay clear of PEDs. They were able to sustain their peaks and lengthen their careers through unnatural means, but at what cost? Players like Sammy Sosa, also on the ballot this year, did not have the talent to ascend to the Hall of Fame without PEDs.

Voting for the Hall of Fame, even if unofficially, is a difficult process. Many players deserve consideration for enshrinement in Cooperstown through their accomplishments on the diamond. The cases for enshrining many players who are not in the Hall of Fame are valid. However, the case that a player elected to the Hall of Fame is undeserving means the bar for gaining election to Cooperstown must remain high. Many players come close, but only the best earn admission into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

DJ