2017 Hall of Fame ballot Former MVPs Rodriguez, Guerrero among 19 newcomers Bagwell, Raines, Hoffman, Schilling Lead Returnees; Results Announced Jan. 18, 2017
Two former American League Most Valuable Player Award winners as well as two World Series MVPs are among 19 new candidates on the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot that is being mailed this week to more than 400 voting members of the BBWAA. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez and shortstop Edgar Renteria head the newcomers’ list that will join 15 holdovers from the 2016 balloting in which center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. and catcher Mike Piazza were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Candidates must be named on 75 percent of ballots cast by selected BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of Major League Baseball coverage to gain election. Falling 15 votes shy of the required total in 2016 was first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who received 71.6 percent of the vote. The only other players to be named on more than half the ballots were outfielder Tim Raines (69.8), relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman (67.3) and starting pitcher Curt Schilling (52.3).
Players may remain on the ballot provided they receive at least five percent of the vote for up to 10 years. This is Raines’ final year of consideration. Prior to 2015, players remained on the ballot for up to 15 years if they received five percent of the vote. One player remains of those that were grandfathered on the ballot, relief pitcher Lee Smith, in his 15th and final year. Other players receiving sufficient support to remain on the BBWAA ballot were pitchers Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina and Billy Wagner; first baseman Fred McGriff; second baseman Jeff Kent; third baseman-designated hitter Edgar Martinez and outfielders Barry Bonds, Larry Walker, Gary Sheffield and Sammy Sosa.
Rodriguez had an extraordinary combination of offense and defense for a player behind the plate in a 21-season career in which he earned 13 Gold Gloves, the most for a catcher and tied for second most among position players, and seven Silver Slugger Awards. He was the AL MVP in 2009 with the Texas Rangers when he set a career high with 113 RBI and tied his career best with 116 runs while batting .332 with 35 home runs and falling one hit shy of 200. A member of 14 All-Star teams, “Pudge” started behind the plate in 12 of those games. Rodriguez appeared in the most games as a catcher (2,844) and among players who appeared in at least 50 percent of their career games as a catcher has the most hits (2,844) and doubles (572). He ranked first in his league in caught stealing percentage nine times, led all catchers in his league in assists five times and putouts twice and is the all-time leader in career putouts as a catcher with 14,864. Rodriguez won a World Series ring with the then Florida Marlins in 2003 and was MVP of the National League Championship Series.
Guerrero was the MVP in the AL in 2004, his first season with the then Anaheim Angels, when he batted .337 with 39 home runs and 126 runs batted in, plus league-leading totals in runs (124) and total bases (366). The Dominican Republic native also played for the Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles in a 16-season career in which he compiled a .318 batting average and .553 slugging percentage, one of only nine players in history to do so. The others were Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams and still-active Miguel Cabrera. Guerrero was an eight-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, seven times as a right fielder and once as a designated hitter, in 2010, when he won the Edgar Martinez Award as the league’s top DH. The nine-time All-Star batted .300 in 13 seasons, including 12 years in a row, had four 200-plus hit seasons, drove in 100 or more runs 10 times and scored 100 or more runs six times.
Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger winner, starred on the Boston Red Sox title teams of 2004 when he was the World Series MVP and ’07. A .312 hitter with a .996 on-base plus slugging percentage, Ramirez bashed 555 home runs and drove in 1,831 runs over 19 big-league seasons. He led the league in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS three times apiece and in batting, home runs and RBI once each. In 23 postseason series, Ramirez’s 29 home runs and 72 walks are the most in postseason play, and his 78 RBI rank second. Renteria, a shortstop who won three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves, was a World Series hero for two franchises. He drove in the winning run for the Marlins in Game 7 of their 1997 championship and was the MVP of the 2010 World Series for the San Francisco Giants.
Other players new to the ballot brandishing World Series rings include four of Ramirez’s Red Sox teammates – pitcher Tim Wakefield and catcher Jason Varitek with two apiece and one each for shortstop Orlando Cabrera and outfielder J.D. Drew, who was also the MVP of the 2008 All-Star Game – and two of Renteria’s Giants teammates in 2010, infielder Freddy Sanchez, who also won two NL batting titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and outfielder Pat Burrell, who also was on the Philadelphia Phillies’ championship team in 2008. Outfielder Matt Stairs, who played for 12 franchises, was also on that Phillies club in ’08.
When it comes to World Series rings, no one on the ballot can top the five that belong to catcher Jorge Posada, who played all of his 17 seasons with the New York Yankees. Also bearing rings among the first-timers on the ballot are first baseman Derrek Lee (2003 Marlins) and relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes (2011 St. Louis Cardinals). Former AL batting champion Magglio Ordonez, a six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner, is on the ballot for the first time along with fellow outfielder Mike Cameron and infielders Casey Blake, Carlos Guillen and Melvin Mora.
Writers must return ballots by a Dec. 31 postmark. Votes are counted jointly by BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell and Ernst & Young partner Michael DiLecce. Results will be announced by Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, on MLB Network.
Jeff Bagwell Casey Blake Barry Bonds Pat Burrell Orlando Cabrera Mike Cameron Roger Clemens J.D. Drew Carlos Guillen Vladimir Guerrero Trevor Hoffman Jeff Kent Derrek Lee Edgar Martinez Fred McGriff Melvin Mora Mike Mussina Magglio Ordonez Jorge Posada *Tim Raines Manny Ramirez Edgar Renteria Arthur Rhodes Ivan Rodriguez Freddy Sanchez Curt Schilling Gary Sheffield *Lee Smith Sammy Sosa Matt Stairs Jason Varitek Billy Wagner Tim Wakefield Larry Walker
MLB owners have discussed the possibility of resorting to a lockout in 2017 should they prove unable to reach a new collective-bargaining deal with the MLB Players Association before the beginning of next month, Fox Sports reported.
The current deal expires Dec. 1, which means the two sides have just over a week to reach an agreement.
It would mark the first MLB lockout in 21 years.
According to the report, owners have become frustrated with the players' union not moving at a quicker pace to get many important issues resolved. Three of the largest issues at play are the proposal of an international draft, the competitive-balance tax and the Joint Drug Agreement.
Even so, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has tried to keep dealings as private as possible.
“We don’t negotiate in the press,” Manfred said. “We remain committed to the idea that we’re going to make an agreement before expiration.”
Fox Sports cited anonymous sources who said the union and players are not afraid of a lockout if it means fighting for their core beliefs.
The sides are especially at odds over the international draft, which would essentially eliminate direct draft-pick compensation in free agency.
It would create a restricted free agency for the first time in the league. The union is against an international draft because foreign-born players don't have similar opportunities as Americans (or those who have lived by U.S. terms), such as those who play in college.
Not only does the union fear American-born players would be treated differently, but the amount of other countries involved could create a slew of other problems.
If a lockout were to occur, it would affect all business within and affiliated with the league, including halting free agency signings.
Don't know why but I've been having the strangest urge to give baseball a go. And, fortunately, living in MD there are two great teams to pull for.
Question for you experienced fans; are exhibition/pre-season games televised? I've read they start in Feb?
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
Don't know why but I've been having the strangest urge to give baseball a go. And, fortunately, living in MD there are two great teams to pull for.
Question for you experienced fans; are exhibition/pre-season games televised? I've read they start in Feb?
Some of the pre-season games are televised, but bear in mind that they are probably 1/2 minor leaguers who aren't going to make the team. It's rare for your regular guys (say, Machado or Harper) to play more than 5-6 innings in any particular game. It's more about getting their timing, and getting the pitchers ready. Then it's about seeing how the kids have progressed and who might be ready for a call up. Sometimes there's a competition in spring training to sort out (who's going to play where, who's in the bullpen), but only 1 or 2 of those per team.
In a lot of ways, it's like pre-season football. Not really fun until a couple of weeks before the season, and even then you don't miss anything if you skip it all entirely.
But welcome to the game, there's nothing else like it in North America - a game without a clock, where the team on defense has the ball, failing 7 out of 10 times makes you a superstar, and you can't play like there's no tomorrow, since there almost always is.
Oh, and following a team in the offseason - line up changes, trades, free agency, who's doing what - is also unique, since different teams build different ways, there and many, many ways to build a winner, and there is no salary cap.
Ah thanks Jason. I'm not worried about seeing any superstars because I don't know who any of the players are(at least for now). Right now I just want to watch the game and gain a greater understanding of it.
Mainly, I'm interested in the strategy part of the sport and pitching in particular. A lot of my buddies say when you understand that aspect the American Past time is far more exciting. Reading about batting order/line-up; different pitching techniques; etc, etc does make it seem more than just hitting a ball with a stick. And it can make it not seem as slow as when I initially watched some games.
The first game I ever watched was a Baysox game and I was so underwhelmed I fell asleep in the middle of it. I went to an Orioles game and found it a bit more bearable but still had no idea what was going on. Now that I have some idea of what is going on under the surface it seems more enticing. Plus it would be great to have another sport to follow during Football's off season.
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
Ah thanks Jason. I'm not worried about seeing any superstars because I don't know who any of the players are(at least for now). Right now I just want to watch the game and gain a greater understanding of it.
Mainly, I'm interested in the strategy part of the sport and pitching in particular. A lot of my buddies say when you understand that aspect the American Past time is far more exciting. Reading about batting order/line-up; different pitching techniques; etc, etc does make it seem more than just hitting a ball with a stick. And it can make it not seem as slow as when I initially watched some games.
The first game I ever watched was a Baysox game and I was so underwhelmed I fell asleep in the middle of it. I went to an Orioles game and found it a bit more bearable but still had no idea what was going on. Now that I have some idea of what is going on under the surface it seems more enticing. Plus it would be great to have another sport to follow during Football's off season.
A few similarities to cricket, but not many.
Do NOT watch the pre-season. It is horrific.
Games can end in ties because nobody cares and the managers don't want to use players.
It's fun to attend the games in Florida or Arizona but only because you get away, not because of the games themselves.
Baseball is a slow, boring sport with tons of strategy and I love it.
The strategy is very intriguing.
Working the games can be torture, but I never thought I'd end up working for an MLB team so it's still very cool.
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
All this is like visiting a foreign land and learning its language. It's all very new and different to me.
By the way Pedestrian what team do you work for?
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
I think it also helps to enjoy statistics—appreciating things like "this guy historically hits .200 against left-handed pictures but his defense is far above average and we're going to be using a ground-ball pitcher for the next couple of innings" can really help you to enjoy the strategy of leaving him in to bat "even though he sucks" in a one-run game. Things like that.
It's also great to follow the development of young players. Then you can have little exciting moments during a larger game where you can focus on single at bats, fielding plays, etc.
I also found that joining a fantasy league gave me a much better appreciation for players on other teams (because I had some of them on my fantasy team). Then, when I was traveling to different parts of the country, I was able to better enjoy local games and conversations on planes, etc. with other baseball fans.
It is a slow game, though, overall, but you can also be doing other things while the game is playing. I still think one of my favorite ways to enjoy baseball is while driving and listening to it on the radio.
As I get older I cannot sit through a whole game and prefer to turn on the game in the eighth and ninth innings where the game is decided. A big game or playoff game involving my team? Yes but a regular season game on a Tuesday night, no!
Baseball is played without a clock (unusual for sports). That's a good thing and a bad thing. You can get a game that's over in less than 2 hours or end up with a marathon.
_________________ "Every day a little sadder, A little madder, Someone get me a ladder."
ELP
“You can't have everything. Where would you put it?”—Steven Wright
Never into Cricket. I wasn't into sports period until I was 13 with my first sport being Basketball. I started watching because Jordan came out of retirement and wanted to see what the big deal was about. I was a hardcore fan afterwards until he retired again. Haven't been into the sport since, except for the playoffs.
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
Plus if you cheer for your local National league team - the Washington Nationals - your ongoing heated debates with IP should give me loads of enjoyment next season
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
Plus if you cheer for your local National league team - the Washington Nationals - your ongoing heated debates with IP should give me loads of enjoyment next season
???
I don't think I've had heated debates about baseball with anyone?
I think it's been calm in here for years unless I'm missing something?
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
Plus if you cheer for your local National league team - the Washington Nationals - your ongoing heated debates with IP should give me loads of enjoyment next season :
???
I don't think I've had heated debates about baseball with anyone?
I think it's been calm in here for years unless I'm missing something?
I know I kid; just trying to get him interested in following the Nats, and having a friendly, in division rival to talk about last nights game with every day could help the experience.
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
Plus if you cheer for your local National league team - the Washington Nationals - your ongoing heated debates with IP should give me loads of enjoyment next season :
???
I don't think I've had heated debates about baseball with anyone?
I think it's been calm in here for years unless I'm missing something?
I know I kid; just trying to get him interested in following the Nats, and having a friendly, in division rival to talk about last nights game with every day could help the experience.
Oh!
I gotcha.
Well, until the Phils get good (and they're on the way), I have little to crow about!
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
To each his own. The seventh game of the World Series would have been much better if Chapman could have walked Davis and pitched to the pitcher with two outs. There have been rule changes in baseball since its inception. No change makes the game more impure than any other. Lets go back to a pitching circle, softer balls, and allowing the pitcher to mark them up however they want. Bring back metal spikes too, I want to see more injuries.
If strategy is a big factor for you, I would suggest watching National League games instead American League games.
The National League is baseball the way it's supposed to be played......9 players on the field,....the same 9 are the lineup. Pitchers are normally lousy hitters, but it brings intrigue in strategy from for how to work around a lineup to do you leave a good pitcher in a game in a runners on base situation with the pitcher coming up.
The American League has the (worst thing to happen to baseball) Designated Hitter. The games have more offense with the better bat in the lineup, but less room for interesting decisions. (You can change pitchers whenever you want).
Plus if you cheer for your local National league team - the Washington Nationals - your ongoing heated debates with IP should give me loads of enjoyment next season :
???
I don't think I've had heated debates about baseball with anyone?
I think it's been calm in here for years unless I'm missing something?
I know I kid; just trying to get him interested in following the Nats, and having a friendly, in division rival to talk about last nights game with every day could help the experience.
I plan on following The Nats and The O's. They're both local teams so I figured why not support both. Plus one of my closest mates is a die hard Orioles fan so he might view it as a betrayal, if I'm not one too, especially since he sparked my intrest in Baseball.
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
I'm okay with the DH and no-DH. But I will voice again, and I have been voicing for the last several years, I am tired of inter league play. Get rid of it, please, or, at the very least, swap it so that that cities that don't normally have the DH have the DH and vice versa. At least that way, we can all see firsthand how the other side plays the game.
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I kid; just trying to get him interested in following the Nats, and having a friendly, in division rival to talk about last nights game with every day could help the experience.
