Chipper, Thome, Vizquel head HOF ballot Hoffman, Guerrero among top repeat candidates for Cooperstown
The National Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 could be part of another blockbuster induction weekend next summer. The 2018 Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot was released on Monday and it includes three possible first-ballot electees: Braves prolific switch-hitting third baseman Chipper Jones, slugger Jim Thome -- eighth all-time with 612 home runs -- plus Omar Vizquel, the shortstop who played 24 seasons and won 11 Gold Gloves for six teams.
Other leading candidates include Trevor Hoffman, the reliever who holds the National League record with 601 saves, and Vladimir Guerrero, the outfielder who is one of the top Latin-American position players in Major League Baseball history.
A year ago, Hoffman missed by five votes at 74 percent and Guerrero by 15 at 71.7 percent. It's Hoffman's third time on the ballot and Guerrero's second.
Hoffman was the Padres' closer for most of his 18-year career and had 552 of his saves in 16 seasons with San Diego. Guerrero hit .318 with 449 home runs in 16 seasons, mostly for the Expos and Angels.
Any candidate for the Hall of Fame must be named on 75 percent of the ballots. In the 2017 election, 442 eligible members of the BBWAA voted and 332 were needed for induction. A BBWAA member can vote for as many as 10 candidates. Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez were elected a year ago and inducted in July.
Voters have until Dec. 31 to file their paper ballots. The results will be announced on Jan. 24 on MLB Network and MLB.com. Inductions are scheduled for July 28-29 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
"As much as you thought the ballot was going to clear up a little bit, with the fact that each recent year three or four guys have gotten in, it just goes to show you how many great players were part of that era," Hoffman said. "More and more incredible people keep coming on the ballot. Guys like Chipper, Thome and even Vizquel seem like sure-fire first-time Hall of Famers."
Jones batted .303 in 19 seasons, all for the Braves -- .303 from the left side of the plate, .304 from the right side. His career line of .303/.401/.529 puts him right there with Mickey Mantle's .298/.421/.557 as the top two switch-hitters in baseball history. Mantle hit 536 homers. Jones hit 468.
Thome played the first 13 of his 22 seasons for the Indians. Playing along with Vizquel, that team went to the postseason in five straight years, including two World Series appearances, from 1995-99. Aside from his abundant home-run numbers, Thome drove in 1,699 runs, had a .402 on-base percentage, a .554 slugging percentage and a .956 OPS playing for six teams.
Vizquel turned 1,734 double plays, the most ever by a shortstop, 144 more than Ozzie Smith, who was elected to the Hall in 2002. Vizquel batted .272 with 2,877 hits.
"I think I have the numbers," Vizquel said. "I think people usually pick the right guys to get in there, and I have a pretty good chance. My 11 Gold Gloves help a lot. I played a lot of games and got a lot of hits. You don't know how they're going to rank what you did, but I'm very excited about my chances."
There are a number of other newcomers on the ballot who will generate votes, too.
Johan Santana was a dominant left-hander from 2003-10, going 122-60 and winning two AL Cy Young Awards for the Twins during that time.
Jamie Moyer pitched until he was 49 and logged 269 wins in 25 seasons for eight teams.
Andruw Jones was a fleet-footed center fielder who played with Jones on two of the five Braves teams that went to the World Series from that era. He won 10 Gold Gloves and had 434 homers in 17 seasons playing for five teams.
Livan Hernandez, a Cuban right-hander, pitched 17 seasons for nine teams and was Most Valuable Player in both the 1997 NL Championship Series and World Series for the Marlins.
Johnny Damon had 2,769 hits and played for both the 2004 World Series-winning Red Sox and the Yankees' championship team of 2009.
And Hideki Matsui, the Japanese slugger who came over from the Yomiuri Giants as a free agent late in his career at 29, played 10 seasons -- seven for the Yankees -- winning MVP of the 2009 World Series in which he batted .615 with three homers and eight RBIs in New York's six-game win over the Phillies.
Four returnees to the ballot have been tracking higher in recent years: Edgar Martinez, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Mike Mussina.
Martinez, one of the top designated hitters of all time, received 58.6 percent on the most recent ballot and is in his ninth year on it. Players are eligible for the BBWAA ballot for 10 years beginning five years after retirement. Martinez played his entire 18-year-career for the Mariners and hit .312/.418/.515 with a .933 OPS.
Clemens, a right-hander with 354 wins and seven Cy Young Awards, was at 54.1 percent year ago. Bonds, the all-time leader with 762 homers who won seven NL MVPs, was just below Clemens at 53.8 percent. Both have four more years of eligibility after this one and have struggled toward election because of their association with the performance-enhancing drug era.
The right-handed Mussina, who logged 270 wins and a 3.37 ERA pitching 18 seasons for the Orioles and Yankees in the tough American League East, had 51.8 percent of the vote. He has five more years on the ballot after this one.
Curt Schilling, whose voting support fell from 52.3 percent in 2016 to 45 percent in 2017, is on the ballot for a sixth time.
The class has a potential to be stellar and could be bolstered by players on the upcoming Modern Era Committee ballot, to be voted on next month. On that ballot, the players include Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant and Alan Trammell. Union leader Marvin Miller is also on the ballot.
The vote of a yet-to-be named 16-person panel is slated to be announced Dec. 10 live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. ET at the Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The 16 members of the committee can vote for a maximum of five candidates, a total of 80 votes. In this case, a name must appear on at least 12 of the 16 ballots to be elected.
Since Joe Gordon was elected in 2009, only two players have been enshrined through the Veterans' Committee process: Cubs third baseman Ron Santo in 2012 and Deacon White, a 19th-century catcher, in '13.
"Of course, I'd love to be in, but I've always said, 'Let's get somebody in,'" Garvey said. "It's been so long. The managers come up and they [get] in. Yeah, let's get some players in. Have some fun."
The complete list of players on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot:
Barry Bonds Chris Carpenter Roger Clemens Johnny Damon Vladimir Guerrero Livan Hernandez Trevor Hoffman Orlando Hudson Aubrey Huff Jason Isringhausen Andruw Jones Chipper Jones Jeff Kent Carlos Lee Brad Lidge Edgar Martinez Hideki Matsui Fred McGriff Kevin Millwood Jamie Moyer Mike Mussina Manny Ramirez Scott Rolen Johan Santana Curt Schilling Gary Sheffield Sammy Sosa Jim Thome Omar Vizquel Billy Wagner Larry Walker Kerry Wood Carlos Zambrano
Purke signed a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Mets on Friday.
Purke appeared in 48 games with Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox's system last season, posting a 3.84 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 65.2 relief innings. The 27-year-old has only pitched in 12 career big-league games -- all coming in 2016 -- but will look to find a home with the Mets this spring.
Should get in this year Vladimir Guerrero Chipper Jones Jim Thome
Should get in some year Trevor Hoffman Fred McGriff Edgar Martinez Larry Walker Gary Sheffield Omar Vizquel Curt Schilling (press may keep him out due to non-baseball reasons)
Should get some votes, but not get in Chris Carpenter Mike Mussina Jamie Moyer Manny Ramirez
Should never get in due to drugs Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Sammy Sosa
Should fall off the ballot in one year Johnny Damon Livan Hernandez Orlando Hudson Aubrey Huff Jason Isringhausen Andruw Jones Carlos Lee Brad Lidge Hideki Matsui Kevin Millwood Scott Rolen Johan Santana Billy Wagner Kerry Wood Carlos Zambrano
The Mets' spring training/batting practice cap design for 2018:
Question: Does anybody in MLB actually wear the high crown, flat brim style that they're also advertising? The "low profile" style above looks more like what players wear, with the curved brim. But New Era insists that the stiff style is the official one.
The Mets' spring training/batting practice cap design for 2018:
Question: Does anybody in MLB actually wear the high crown, flat brim style that they're also advertising? The "low profile" style above looks more like what players wear, with the curved brim. But New Era insists that the stiff style is the official one.
Should get in this year Vladimir Guerrero Chipper Jones Jim Thome
Should get in some year Trevor Hoffman Fred McGriff Edgar Martinez Larry Walker Gary Sheffield Omar Vizquel Curt Schilling (press may keep him out due to non-baseball reasons)
Should get some votes, but not get in Chris Carpenter Mike Mussina Jamie Moyer Manny Ramirez
Should never get in due to drugs Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Sammy Sosa
Should fall off the ballot in one year Johnny Damon Livan Hernandez Orlando Hudson Aubrey Huff Jason Isringhausen Andruw Jones Carlos Lee Brad Lidge Hideki Matsui Kevin Millwood Scott Rolen Johan Santana Billy Wagner Kerry Wood Carlos Zambrano
close....switch guerrero and vizquel and billy wagner will get a few votes.
_________________ Incorrectly is the only word that when spelled correctly is still spelled incorrectly.
Over the years, I have been approached by many Hall of Fame members telling me we needed to do something to speak out about the possibility of steroid users entering the Hall of Fame. This issue has been bubbling below the surface for quite a while. I hope you don’t mind if I bring to your attention what I’m hearing. Please keep in mind I don’t speak for every single member of the Hall of Fame. I don’t know how everyone feels, but I do know how many of the Hall of Famers feel. I, along with other Hall of Fame Baseball players, have the deepest respect for you and all the writers who vote to decide who enters Baseball’s most hallowed shrine, the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For some 80 years, the men and women of the BBWAA have cast ballots that have made the Hall into the wonderful place it is. I think the Hall of Fame is special. There is a sanctity to being elected to the Hall. It is revered. It is the hardest Hall of Fame to enter, of any sport in America. But times change, and a day we all knew was coming has now arrived. Players who played during the steroid era have become eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame. The more we Hall of Famers talk about this – and we talk about it a lot – we realize we can no longer sit silent. Many of us have come to think that silence will be considered complicity. Or that fans might think we are ok if the standards of election to the Hall of Fame are relaxed, at least relaxed enough for steroid users to enter and become members of the most sacred place in Baseball. We don’t want fans ever to think that. We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here. Players who failed drug tests, admitted using steroids, or were identified as users in Major League Baseball’s investigation into steroid abuse, known as the Mitchell Report, should not get in. Those are the three criteria that many of the players and I think are right. Now, I recognize there are players identified as users on the Mitchell Report who deny they were users. That’s why this is a tricky issue. Not everything is black and white – there are shades of gray here. It’s why your job as a voter is and has always been a difficult and important job. I have faith in your judgment and know that ultimately, this is your call. But it still occurs to me that anyone who took body-altering chemicals in a deliberate effort to cheat the game we love, not to mention they cheated current and former players, and fans too, doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. By cheating, they put up huge numbers, and they made great players who didn’t cheat look smaller by comparison, taking away from their achievements and consideration for the Hall of Fame. That’s not right. And that’s why I, and other Hall of Famers, feel so strongly about this. It’s gotten to the point where Hall of Famers are saying that if steroid users get in, they’ll no longer come to Cooperstown for Induction Ceremonies or other events. Some feel they can’t share a stage with players who did steroids. The cheating that tainted an era now risks tainting the Hall of Fame too. The Hall of Fame means too much to us to ever see that happen. If steroid users get in, it will divide and diminish the Hall, something we couldn’t bear. Section 5 of the Rules for Election states, “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.” I care about how good a player was or what kind of numbers he put up; but if a player did steroids, his integrity is suspect; he lacks sportsmanship; his character is flawed; and, whatever contribution he made to his team is now dwarfed by his selfishness. Steroid use put Baseball through a tainted era where records were shattered. “It was a steroidal farce,” wrote Michael Powell in the New York Times. It is no accident that those records held up for decades until the steroid era began, and they haven’t been broken since the steroid era ended. Sadly, steroids worked. Dan Naulty was a journeyman pitcher in the late 1990s who admitted he took steroids, noting that his fastball went from 87 to 96. He told Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci in 2012, “I was a full-blown cheater, and I knew it. You didn’t need a written rule. I was violating clear principles that were laid down within the rules. I understood I was violating implicit principles.” The Hall of Fame has always had its share of colorful characters, some of whom broke or bent society’s rules in their era. By today’s standards, some might not have gotten in. Times change and society improves. What once was accepted no longer is. But steroid users don’t belong here. What they did shouldn’t be accepted. Times shouldn’t change for the worse. Steroid users knew they were taking a drug that physically improved how they played. Taking steroids is a decision. It’s the deliberate act of using chemistry to change how hard you hit and throw by changing what your body is made of. I and other Hall of Famers played hard all our lives to achieve what we did. I love this game and am proud of it. I hope the Hall of Fame’s standards won’t be lowered with the passage of time. For over eighty years, the Hall of Fame has been a place to look up to, where the hallowed halls honor those who played the game hard and right. I hope it will always remain that way. Sincerely, Joe Sig Joe Morgan Hall of Fame Class of 1990 Vice Chairman
Thank you Joe Morgan. You are so very right...for that I will forgive you for beating my 1976 New York Yankees - making them look as if they didn't belong in the World Series.
You have said it all.
_________________ The Yankees win, THE YANKEES WINNNNN!!!! Most people wouldn't know music if it came up and bit them on the ass. FZ "Well, that kind of puts a damper on even a Yankee win." -- Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto after reading a bulletin that Pope Paul VI had died
close....switch guerrero and vizquel and billy wagner will get a few votes.
I don't think Vizquel is a first ballot guy, given how stringent they are about giving that out. Especially with Thome and Chipper on the ballot. Chipper may not even get in first time. I'm not a big fan of the first ballot / not first ballot (you're in, or you're not, IMO), but since they make it a thing, those 123 hits will be enough to keep him off today.
and while I see Wagner getting some votes, I don't know if he'll get enough to stay on the ballot. Closers are tricky, since in their case, a number isn't always a number.
Oh, and add me to the likes for Joe Morgan's letter. Although I'm willing to bet there were people on the big red machine taking performance enhancers, the late 80's and early 90's were just too over the top.
I don't disagree with Morgan at all. My problem is with Selig and a fully complacent Major League Baseball. I wish that none of those guys would have used but I cannot find fault in them alone. I find fault in the institution for allowing and encouraging the behavior because they loved the benefits from it. Thus we are left with this blob of shit from that timeframe. Selig himself should never have been voted in the HOF.
And just because it worked out for the Astros and I have actually liked the move to the AL, Selig should never have forced them to move and based Crane's purchase of the team on it. All kind of messed up things Selig did that should be mentioned as many times as possible.
I loved Morgan as a player, and consider him one of the 2 or 3 best 2nd basemen to ever play the game. I also think he was one of the worst broadcasters of all time, and an asshole to boot.
I agree absolutely with the sentiment of his letter. The problem will be that unless you have absolute proof, such as a failed drug test, of someone taking PED's, how do you know for sure. Is suspicion enough to keep guys out? I hope that Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, McGuire and the like never get in, but there are so many other guys that played during that era that were rumoured to have done something. It's certainly a ticklish situation.
_________________ "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -Will Rogers
I loved Morgan as a player, and consider him one of the 2 or 3 best 2nd basemen to ever play the game. I also think he was one of the worst broadcasters of all time, and an asshole to boot.
Agreed. He could really come off as a bit of a prick at times.
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973)[1] is an American Major League Baseball infielder and manager and is the current manager of the New York Yankees.
Has Boone ever been a manager?
_________________ "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
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