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Committee Chairman

Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

Olivier Vernon

Olivier Vernon had a nice collegiate career at the University of Miami, and the local pro team noticed, as the Miami Dolphins made the Defensive End a Third Round Pick in 2012.

Vernon became a starter as an NFL sophomore at Right Defensive End, and in that year, he had a career-best 11.5 Sacks.  Joining the New York Giants in 2016, Vernon was a Second Team All-Pro and would be a Pro Bowler in 2018.  He played two more years in Cleveland, and had a total of 63.5 Sacks over a nine-year run.

Dexter Fowler

A month before making his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies, Dexter Fowler was a United States Olympic Team member who won Bronze at the 2008 Olympics. Called up that September, Fowler was eighth in National League Rookie of the Year voting the following season and was the NL leader in Triples in 2010. Playing with the Rockies until 2013, Fowler was not a star but was a competent everyday player with above-average speed who could steal you a game.

Fowler was traded to Houston in 2014 and subsequently dealt to the Chicago Cubs a year later. He was only there for two seasons, but the second one is what his career is most known for. The year in question was 2016 when Fowler went to his only All-Star Game and helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series in 108 Years. Notably, Fowler made history as the first player to lead off a game by hitting a Home Run.

Fowler left Chicago as a Free Agent and played for the St. Louis Cardinals for four seasons. While declining, he had his two best power years, with 18 Home Runs in 2017 and 19 in 2019. Fowler was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, but a torn ACL held him to 7 Games, and he could not make a comeback.

The Outfielder had 1,306 lifetime Hits.

Derek Holland

Derek Holland is a former Starting Pitcher best known for his time with the Texas Rangers in the first half of the 2010s.

Though he was a 25th Round Pick in 2006 and not highly rated, Holland impressed in the Minors and made it to Texas in 2009 as part of their starting rotation. He had his best year in 2011, with a record of 16-5, and was the league leader with four shutouts. Holland played a crucial role in helping Texas reach the World Series, where he secured a win over the Yankees in the ALCS. Despite at least ten wins over the following two seasons, a series of injuries hindered the rest of his career.

He later played for Chicago (AL), San Francisco, Chicago (AL), Pittsburgh, and Detroit. Holland retired with an 82-83 record and is unlikely to appear on the ballot.

Dellin Betances

It is intriguing to note that we cannot recall a player with four All-Star Games to his name who might not make the ballot. However, this is the case with Relief Pitcher Dellin Betances.

Betances hails from New York City and was drafted by the New York Yankees, his favorite team, in 2006. He made his first appearance in the Bronx in 2011 (2 Games) and again in 2013 (6 Games). But the following year, Betances was ready to stay in the Majors for good.

Standing at 6'8", Betances had the imposing stuff that a man with his frame should possess. He dominated as a set-up man, striking out 135 batters over 90 innings in 70 games. He was an All-Star that year, with an ERA of 1.40 and a WHIP of 0.778. He was third in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year, and even though he did not receive a Cy Young vote, The Sporting News named Betances the AL Pitcher of the Year.

Betances went to the All-Star Game the following season, finishing 14th in Cy Young voting (6-4, 1.50 ERA, 131 SO, 1.012 WHIP), and was once again named the Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year. Betances was not only a two-time All-Star but was also established as the best set-up man in baseball during that period.

Betances made the All-Star Game for the next two years (2016 and 2017) but was not as dominant as before. In 2018, he made history as the first reliever to strike out 100 batters five years in a row. However, a bone spur in his right shoulder kept him out of most of the 2019 season. He signed with the Mets but struggled with continued shoulder problems, playing in only 16 games for the team before retiring.