Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot: FanSided’s SoDo Mojo

Bobby Abreu

Career Accomplishments:  

.291/.395/.475, 288 HR, 1,363 RBI, 400 SB

2x All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, HR Derby Champ

Chris: If I could vote for an 11th, it would be Abreu. Great power/speed combo, and he averaged 20 HR/28 SB with a .295/.399/.484 slash line over a 14 year period.

Vote: No

Connor: Bobby Abreu obviously put up some excellent career numbers, but without much award recognition or a solid postseason resume, I can’t vote for Abreu over any of the other candidates on this year’s ballot.

Vote: No

Barry Bonds

Career Accomplishments:  

.298/.444/.607, 762 HR, 1,996 RBI, 514 SB

7x MVP, 14x All-Star, 8x Gold Glove, 12x Silver Slugger, 2x Batting Title, HR Derby Champ

Chris: Bonds was on track to be one of the greatest players ever. We all know what happened after that.

Vote: No

Connor: The true shame about Barry Bonds’s legacy is that he most likely could have been an all-time great even if he hadn’t chosen to use steroids. The athleticism, the bat speed, and the contact skills were all there, but his unbelievable improvement after his PED usage began makes it impossible to know how his career really would have panned out.

From 1986-1997 (Bonds mentioned 1998 to be the first year of his PED usage in his sworn testimony), Bonds put together seven All-Star appearances and won three MVPs, seven Gold Gloves, and seven Silver Sluggers. That 12-year run itself is a Hall of Fame career in my book, BUT, since PED testing was not common before 1998, there’s just no way to know if that truly was his first year of cheating.

Vote: No

Mark Buehrle

Career Accomplishments:  

214-160, 3.81 ERA, 1,870 K

5x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, World Series Champ

Chris: Quick worker and an innings eater. Amazing to watch. Was consistently quite good, but not quite Hall of Fame good. Maybe time to reflect will change that.

Vote: No

Connor: Buehrle was remarkably consistent throughout his 16-year career, but he was never a true ace. I believe every player in the Hall of Fame should have at least one run of dominance in their career to prove their elite status.

Vote: No

Carl Crawford

Career Accomplishments:  

.290/.330/.435, 136 HR, 766 RBI, 480 SB

4x All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All-Star Game MVP

Chris: Nah.

Vote: No

Connor: Crawford was stellar in his first nine seasons in Tampa Bay (all seven of his awards came in that span), but he became a mostly average player after that run.

Vote: No

Roger Clemens

Career Accomplishments:

354-184, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 K

MVP, 7x Cy Young, 11x All-Star, 2x World Series Champ, 2x Pitching Triple Crown, 7x ERA Title, All-Star Game MVP

Chris: The on-field attitude and rumors is enough to keep him off my ballot.

Vote: No

Connor: Mentioned 82 times in the Mitchell Report; never once admitted to steroid use. Multiple marital affairs. Requested (and received) special treatment from the Astros and Yankees in the late part of his career to not travel with the team on road trips if he wasn’t scheduled to pitch. Overall, Clemens was just an awful representative of the game of baseball, and not deserving of the Hall.

Vote: No

Prince Fielder

Career Accomplishments:

.283/.382/.506, 319 HR, 1,028 RBI

6x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2x HR Derby Champ, All-Star Game MVP

Chris: Anybody with less than a 40 career WAR shouldn’t even be on the ballot.

Vote: No

Connor: Prince was fun, but fun doesn’t make the Hall of Fame.

Vote: No

Todd Helton

Career Accomplishments:

.316/.414/.539, 369 HR, 1,406 RBI

5x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger, Batting Title

Chris: The guy straight raked. From 1998-2007, he hit .333/.432/.585 WITH 298 HR. He’s my first guy in.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Honestly, Helton would be a shoe-in if it wasn’t for the “Coors Factor” potentially aiding his incredible career as a Colorado Rockie. Either way, his outstanding career numbers, longevity, and loyalty (17 years with the Rockies) make him an easy vote for me.

Vote: Yes

Ryan Howard

Career Accomplishments:

.258/.343/.515, 382 HR, 1,194 RBI

MVP, Rookie of the Year, 3x All-Star, Silver Slugger, World Series Champ, NLCS MVP, HR Derby Champ

Chris: Didn’t do it for long enough, and was an awful defender. If he would’ve been drafted to the AL and played DH, this could be an entirely different conversation.

Vote: No

Connor: Howard had a stellar 8-year run to begin his career with the Phillies, but, similar to Carl Crawford, his career spiraled after 2011.

Vote: No

Tim Hudson

Career Accomplishments:

222-133, 3.49 ERA, 2,080 K

4x All-Star, World Series Champ

Chris: Sort of like Buehrle. Always very good. Lack of K’s hurts. He would be a first ballot HOFer for the Hall of “Very Good”.

Vote: No

Connor: Chris is right; Tim Hudson had a fascinatingly similar career to Mark Buehrle, with Hudson’s being slightly better. If I had 11 votes, Hudson would be in, but the 2022 class is so good that he just misses the cut.

Vote: No

Torii Hunter

Career Accomplishments:

.277/.331/.461, 353 HR, 1,391 RBI, 195 SB

5x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger

Chris: Incredible defender with a good bat, but not at that next level of HOF. Upstaged by the next guy, and Hunter was not great at stealing bases, either (195 for 294, 66.3%).

Vote: No

Connor: Nine Gold Gloves at a premier position, well above-average career offensive numbers, and 18 solid years in the big leagues? Sign me up.

Vote: Yes

Andruw Jones

Career Accomplishments:

.254/.337/.486, 434 HR, 1,289 RBI, 152 SB

5x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger

Chris: Incredible defender (26.7 dWAR from 97-07), big power, and showed up for the playoffs with a .273/.363/.433 slash line. He gets in for me.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Elite center field defense? Check. Elite power? Check. Elite longevity? Nope. Nine years of stellar defense and big power is certainly impressive, but a mediocre contact/speed combination during that run doesn’t bring him into Hall of Fame consideration for me.

Vote: No

Jeff Kent

Career Accomplishments:

.290/.356/.500, 377 HR, 1,518 RBI

MVP, 5x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger

Chris: Couple of incredible seasons, and a great 3-year run from 00-02 when he won the MVP in 2000. That he was a second baseman helps him, but for now, he’s a no based on who else is available on the ballot.

Vote: No

Connor: Kent was a fantastic hitter with some impressive longevity, but his defense at second base was well below-average. Take a look at his career fielding numbers (at a non-premier position) and tell me he’s a Hall of Famer.

Vote: No

Tim Lincecum

Career Accomplishments:

110-89, 3.74 ERA, 1,736 K

2x Cy Young, 4x All-Star, 3x World Series Champ

Chris: Is it blasphemous to say he’s sort of the “modern day Koufax”… Half his career was incredible. Multi Cy-Young winner, multi World Series Champ, and dominant. Just didn’t last long.

Vote: No

Connor: “The Freak” was electric on the mound, great with the fans, and clutch in the postseason. However, with only four great years on his resume, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be remembered past this generation of fans.

Vote: No

Justin Morneau

Career Accomplishments:

.281/.348/.481, 247 HR, 985 RBI

MVP, 4x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, Batting Title, HR Derby Champ

Chris: No thanks.

Vote: No

Connor: Morneau put up some nice career numbers, but he was actually quite inconsistent during his career, which leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Vote: No

Joe Nathan

Career Accomplishments:

64-34, 2.87 ERA, 976 K, 377 Saves, 1.120 WHIP

6x All-Star, Rolaids Reliever of the Year

Chris: Incredible closer, but it’s real hard for them to get in the Hall. Sorry Joe.

Vote: No

Connor: If you take a look at the closers who are currently in the Hall, you’ll see two players who were used primarily in one-inning appearances: Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. Unfortunately, Joe Nathan isn’t anywhere near the level of those guys.

Vote: No

David Ortiz

Career Accomplishments:

.286/.380/.552, 541 HR, 1,768 RBI

10x All-Star, 7x Silver Slugger, 3x World Series Champ, World Series MVP, ALCS MVP, HR Derby Champ

Chris: Big Papi definitely gets the nod. Incredible hitter with some amazing clutch moments, and the second-greatest DH of all-time (much love, Edgar).

Vote: Yes

Connor: Ortiz tested positive for PEDs once during the massive survey testing in 2003, but it’s become common knowledge that “those particular tests were inconclusive because ‘it was hard to distinguish between certain substances that were legal, available OTC, and not banned under MLB’s program'”. He never tested positive again after that, and Ortiz remains steadfast that he tested positive for a substance that was not banned.

As for his career role as a DH-only: I believe the DH is a position, and in that position, you need to hit. I think we can all see that Big Papi did a fine job of hitting throughout his illustrious career, which is exactly what was asked of him.

Vote: Yes

Jonathan Papelbon

Career Accomplishments:

41-36, 2.44 ERA, 808 K, 368 Saves, 1.043 WHIP

6x All-Star, World Series Champ

Chris: Nope. Not even close.

Vote: No

Connor: Same situation as Joe Nathan, and Papelbon wasn’t even as good as Nathan.

Vote: No

Jake Peavy

Career Accomplishments:

152-126, 3.63 ERA, 2,207 K

Cy Young, 2x All-Star, Gold Glove, Pitching Triple Crown, 2x ERA Title, 2x World Series Champ

Chris: Uh-uh.

Vote: No

Connor: In spite of Chris’s brevity, I actually think Peavy makes a decent case. A career K/9 of 8.4 as a starter? Steve Carlton, often thought of as one of the greatest strikeout pitchers of all time, had a career K/9 of 7.1. However, it’s the inconsistency that drives me nuts, so he doesn’t nab my vote.

Vote: No

Andy Pettitte

Career Accomplishments:

256-153, 3.85 ERA, 2,448 K

3x All-Star, 5x World Series Champ, ALCS MVP

Chris: He owned up to what he did. Was also great in the playoffs, and was one of the best all-time at holding runners and picking them off.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Pettitte used Human Growth Hormone (HGH) briefly in 2002 and 2004 while recovering from injury, and admitted to his wrongdoing in 2008 while with the Yankees. I don’t believe HGH made a significantly positive impact on Pettitte’s 16-year career, and that longevity combined with his stellar postseason resume earns a vote from me.

Vote: Yes

A.J. Pierzynski

Career Accomplishments:

.280/.319/.420, 188 HR, 909 RBI

2x All-Star, Silver Slugger, World Series Champ

Chris: He’s actually on the ballot?

Vote: No

Connor: This will probably be Pierzynski’s only year on the ballot. Tough squash.

Vote: No

Manny Ramirez

Career Accomplishments:

.312/.411/.585, 555 HR, 1,831 RBI

12x All-Star, 9x Silver Slugger, Batting Title, 2x World Series Champ, World Series MVP

Chris: Incredibly dangerous hitter, fun to watch, and was great for a long time. From 1995-2008, had an OPS+ of 157, with a .317/.424/.599 slash. He hit 508 of his 555 career homers during that time as well.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Manny Ramirez was… wild. Obviously, the incredible career numbers, postseason excellence, and personality would have made Manny a sure-fire Hall of Famer, but his PED usage and acrimonious split from the Red Sox both put big asterisks on his resume.

Ramirez appeared on the Mitchell Report in 2003, was suspended 50 games in 2009 for previous usage of a women’s fertility drug (which he claimed he took without knowledge that it was banned), and tested positive once again in 2011 when trying to make a comeback to the major leagues. At the end of the day, I believe Ramirez’s positive impact on the sport far outweighed his negative impact, and I don’t think his PED usage drastically improved his career arc.

Vote: Yes

Alex Rodriguez

Career Accomplishments:

.295/.380/.550, 696 HR, 2,086 RBI, 329 SB

3x MVP, 14x All-Star, 10x Silver Slugger, 2x Gold Glove, Batting Title, World Series Champ

Chris: Sorry A-Rod. How you act about how you play, and the tales you tell do have an affect. It’s why I said yes to Pettitte and no to A-Rod.

Vote: No

Connor: Maybe my saltiness towards A-Rod is driven by his spurn of the Mariners in his 2001 free agency, but either way, there isn’t a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame for someone who made several attempts to cover up his PED usage and actively tried to obstruct MLB’s steroid investigation.

Vote: No

Scott Rolen

Career Accomplishments:

.281/.364/.490, 316 HR, 1,287 RBI, 118 SB

Rookie of the Year, 7x All-Star, 8x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, World Series Champ

Chris: Incredible defender, consistently had good pop, and sneaky speed for a while as well. Great at going gap-to-gap – an easy yes.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Rolen was one of the greatest third baseman of all-time, both offensively and defensively, created his own charity during his playing career, and his name hasn’t come anywhere near a PED scandal. He’s one of the easiest votes on the ballot.

Vote: Yes

Jimmy Rollins

Career Accomplishments:

.264/.324/.418, 231 HR, 936 RBI, 470 SB

MVP, 3x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, World Series Champ

Chris: Impact player all over the field, and seemed to be the leader of those great Phillies teams in the late 2000’s.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Jimmy Rollins had a great career, but a career OPS+ of 95 (where 100 is the league average) doesn’t inspire a vote on my end.

Vote: No

Curt Schilling

Career Accomplishments:

216-146, 3.46 ERA, 3,116 K

6x All-Star, 3x World Series Champ, World Series MVP, NLCS MVP

Chris: Schilling was incredible whenever he stepped to the mound. From Philly to Arizona to Boston, he played an enormous role in being a large part of multiple Championship teams.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Schilling had his fair share of controversies in his career, but none of them centered around cheating. He pitched the lights out in almost every one of his 20 seasons in the big leagues, and he was phenomenal in the playoffs.

Vote: Yes

Gary Sheffield

Career Accomplishments:

.292/.393/.514, 509 HR, 1,676 RBI, 253 SB

9x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger, Batting Title, World Series Champ

Chris: This should be a no brainer. He made pitchers nervous from 1992-2005. Every. Single. Year. He’s 36th overall in oWAR all-time. First Ballot, put him in. It’s the right thing to do.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Sheffield had arguably the best bat speed we’ve ever seen, and he was one of the biggest threats at the plate in MLB for 14 seasons. Though it was speculated that he used PEDs, he never actually tested positive, so his candidacy is solid.

Vote: Yes

Sammy Sosa

Career Accomplishments:

.273/.344/.534, 609 HR, 1,667 RBI, 234 SB

MVP, 7x All-Star, 6x Silver Slugger, HR Derby Champ

Chris: Regardless of how I feel about the issues surrounding him while he played, I don’t think the career as a whole is good enough to make it.

Vote: No

Connor: Despite appearing on the Mitchell Report in 2003, Sosa has consistently denied receiving a positive test for any drug at any point in his career. It was an odd way to approach the situation, as appearing on the Mitchell Report meant that a player tested positive for some kind of substance, so it’s difficult to trust Sosa at this point.

Vote: No

Mark Teixeira

Career Accomplishments:

.268/.360/.509, 409 HR, 1,298 RBI

3x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, World Series Champ

Chris: If he could’ve stayed healthy during his early 30’s, he would’ve made it. Those injuries robbed us of another 5 years of prime Tex.

Vote: No

Connor: It’s Teixeira’s first year on the ballot, so he’s facing long odds to get in this year. However, his numbers and accolades made him a star in his career, so definitely don’t count him out for a potential future election.

Vote: No

Omar Vizquel

Career Accomplishments:

.272/.336/.352, 2,877 Hits, 404 SB

3x All-Star, 11x Gold Glove

Chris: Although he is 9th all-time in dWAR, the bat wasn’t good. Every single team would take him if they could get that career. It’s not good enough for the HOF, though.

Vote: No

Connor: I’m bewildered that most Hall of Fame voters don’t support Vizquel’s election, as I think 11 Gold Gloves at the game’s most difficult position while collecting almost 3,000 hits and over 400 stolen bases should make him a lock.

Vote: Yes

Billy Wagner

Career Accomplishments:

47-40, 2.31 ERA, 422 Saves, 0.998 WHIP

7x All-Star, Rolaids Reliever of the Year

Chris: Other than an odd injury year in 2000, Wagner was lights out. He never had an ERA over 2.85. Career 11.9 K/9, and 400+ saves. He deserves to be in, and is in a different class of dominance compared to Papelbon and Nathan.

Vote: Yes

Connor: Billy Wagner allowed less than one baserunner per inning and struck out 33% of the batters he faced over the course of his 16-year career. He’s not quite Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman, but he’s earned the right to be the third one-inning closer inducted into the Hall.

Vote: Yes