The Baseball Hall of Fame Contemporary Era Veterans Committee has announced tht Jeff Kent is the lone man to have obtained the necessarry 75% to join the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Kent received 14 of the 18 votes, and the man with the most Home Runs among any Second Baseman (351 of his career 377).   A five-time All-Star, Kent won the 2000 NL MVP and earned four Silver Sluggers.  Kent also had 2,461 Hits and 1,518 RBIs.

Three other players will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame on the next Contemporary Ballot.

Carlos Delgado received nine votes and Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy earned six.

As a new wrinkle, players who received five or fewer votes will not be on the next Contemporary Ballot in 2029.  This means that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela will not be considered for that ballot.

Notably, this year’s committee consisted of Hall of Fame Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount; major league executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan; and veteran media members/historians Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark.

Over the next five years, the respective committees will be voting for:

2027-Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires; 2028-Classic Baseball; 2029-Contemporary Baseball Players; 2030-Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires; 2031-Classic Baseball.

Please note that we will be revising our Notinhalloffame Baseball List once we know the Writers' elect for the Class of 2026.

We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Jeff Kent for his impending induction.

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When the veterans committee (VC), officially convening as the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for players, meets December 7 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, the only burning question is whether it will elect Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, or both to the National Baseball Hall of Fame since this ballot repeats the VC's 2023 charade of gaming that ballot to ensure that Fred McGriff was elected to Cooperstown.

Joining this anointed pair are Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, who had joined the M & M boys on the 2023 VC ballot, along with first-timers Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. Kent and Sheffield recently exited the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) ballot after ten fruitless years, with Delgado a one-and-done in 2015 and Valenzuela, who died in 2024 at age 63, gone in 2004 after two marginal appearances.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the eight names who will be on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot.  This Era focuses on players whose primary contributions occurred after 1980.

To gain induction, the candidate must receive 75% of the ballots cast among the 16-member committee.  That committee has yet to be announced.

The candidates are:

Barry Bonds, PIT 1986-92 & SF 1993-2007, Outfield.  Bonds is one of the greatest position players the game has ever seen.  The all-time leader in Home Runs (762) also boasts the single-season mark with 73.  The longtime Outfielder is also the all-time leader in bWAR (162.8), Walks (2,558), and MVPs (7), and he won two Batting Titles, 10 OBP Titles, seven Slugging Titles, and nine OPS Titles.  His trophy case also boasts 12 Silver Sluggers and eight Gold Gloves.  Bonds peaked on the regular ballot with 66% in his final year in 2022, and was on the Veterans ballot the year after, though did not receive enough support for his tally to be announced.  His issue, like many, is his suspected PED use, which has kept him out of Cooperstown.

Roger Clemens, BOS, 1984-96, TOR 1997-98, NYY 1999-2003 & 2007, & HOU 2004-06, Pitcher.  Clemens is the Pitching equivalent of Bonds regarding the Hall of Fame, as they joined the modern ballot together, left the modern vote together, and were also on the 2023 Senior Ballot, where, like Bonds, he did not receive enough votes for his tally to be revealed.  Clemens won an MVP, seven Cy Youngs, seven ERA Titles, five Strikeout Titles, and compiled a record of 354-184 with 4,672 Strikeouts.  There is no way anyone on this committee should vote for Bonds without Clemens or vice versa.

Carlos Delgado,  TOR 1993-2004, FLA 2004 & NYM 2006-09, First Base.  Delgado was a two-time All-Star who powered 473 Home Runs with 1,502 RBIs while also securing three Silver Sluggers.  While Delgado did not win an MVP, the Sporting News named him the 2003 Major League Player of the Year.  On the Modern ballot, Delgado lasted only one year (3.8% in 2015), but that ballot included 13 players who made the Hall, including Bonds, Clemens, Kent, Sheffield, Curt Schilling, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.

Jeff Kent, TOR 1992, NYM 1992-96, CLE 1996, SFG 1997-2002, HOU 2003-04 & LAD 2005-08, Second Base.  A five-time All-Star, Kent won the 2000 NL MVP and earned four Silver Sluggers.  Kent smacked 377 Home Runs with 2,461 Hits and 1,518 RBIs.  On the Modern ballot, Kent finished as high as 46.5% (his last time on the ballot), and this is his Senior ballot debut.

Don Mattingly, NYY, 1982-95, First Base.  Mattingly was one of the best hitters in the 1980s, batting over .300 for six consecutive seasons (1984-89) and winning the 1984 AL Batting Title.  A six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger recipient, Mattingly also won nine Gold Gloves.  Injuries derailed him by 1990, and his Hall of Fame candidacy went off the track with it.  Mattingly still had 2,153 Hits and 222 Home Runs, and he later became a Coach and Manager, and won the 2020 NL Manager of the Year.  The highest he finished on the Modern ballot was his first attempt (28.2% in 2001), but in 2023, on his third Veteran’s ballot, he had 50% of the votes.

Dale Murphy, ATL 1976-87, PHI 1990-92 & COL 1993, Outfield.  Murphy won back-to-back National League MVPs (1982 & 1983), was a two-time Home Run champion, and went yard 398 times.  The seven-time All-Star won four Silver Sluggers, five Gold Gloves, but never made it to 30%.  He has, however, been in the Senior vote three times, and in 2023, he had 37.5% of the tally.

Gary Sheffield, MIL 1988-91, SDP 1992-93, FLA 1993-98, LAD 1998-2001, ATL 2002-03, NYY 2004-05, DET 2007-08, & NYM 2009 Outfield.  A member of the 500 Home Run club (509), Sheffield went to the All-Star game nine times, won five Silver Sluggers, and a Batting Title.  A World Series Champion with the Marlins, Sheffield finished with 63.9% in his final year on the ballot (2024), and is on his first Senior ballot.

Fernando Valenzuela, LAD 1980-90, CAL 1991, BAL 1993, PHI 1994, SDP, 1995-97 & STL 1998, Pitcher,  Fernandomania took over the sports world in 1981, when Valenzuela won the Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young, and led the Dodgers to a World Series win.  He was also a six-time All-Star and had a record of 173-153 with 2,074 Strikeouts.  Previously, he was on the ballot for only two years and had never been on a Senior Ballot.

The results will be announced on December 7 at 7:30 EST on the MLB Network. 

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Boston Red Sox.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Red Sox finished with a disappointing .500 record and are on the rebuilding road.  There are two new entries, one with an active player and one who re-enters based on the latest algorithm.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.

1. Ted Williams

2. Carl Yastrzemski

3. Roger Clemens

4. Wade Boggs

5. Cy Young

You can find the entire list here.

Three-time All-Star Rafael Devers, makes his debut at #46 and Billy Goodman is the returnee at #47.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Happy Opening Day!

What better way to celebrate today’s festivities than by unveiling the Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2025?

You can see the entire list of 300 players here, but this is the new Top 10.

This is based on your votes, new entrants, and a blanket look at the candidates.

At #1 is Barry Bonds, the seven-time MVP and all-time leader in Home Runs.  The man was a hitting God but was beset with PED allegations and snubbed by both the Baseball Voters and Seniors.  Bonds may hold #1 on this list forever. 

Lather, rinse, repeat. Roger Clemens is the pitching equivalent of Bonds. He was the best hurler of his generation, but he has the same PED stink that Bonds does. He is ranked #2.

Alex Rodriguez did not fare well in the votes, but we kept him at #3.  The three-time MVP and statistical juggernaut was caught with PEDs, leading to two suspensions, but we are giving him a short leash next year.  If his voting numbers (by all of you) do not improve, he will plummet from his #3.

At #4 is another controversial figure, Pete Rose. The “Hit King” is banned from the Hall, but stranger things have happened (see Ohtani, Shohei), and a loud contingent wants him inducted.

At #5, the highest debut (and likely first-ballot inductee) is Ichiro Suzuki, who has more Hits than Rose if you combine the Japanese League.   Suzuki WILL become the first Japanese player to enter Cooperstown in 2025.

The #6 player is another banned player, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  He was banned for allegedly participating in the 1919 “Black Sox” Scandal.

Career Detroit Tiger Infielder Lou Whitaker is at #7 and late-1800’s Pitcher Jim McCormick finally breaks the top ten at #8. 

The Top Ten concludes with Bill Dahlen and Dwight Evans.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look at the names and cast your votes and opinions!

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Boston Red Sox.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Red Sox had a bad year, and there were no changes in the Top 50, but we did want to acknowledge that we took 2023 into account.

As always, we present our top five, which obviously did not change.:

1. Ted Williams

2. Carl Yastrzemski

3. Roger Clemens

4. Wade Boggs

5. Cy Young

You can find the entire list here.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Boston Red Sox.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Red Sox had one of their worst seasons in years, and there were no new entrants, with only one elevation.

As always, we present our top five, which had no changes.

1. Ted Williams

2. Carl Yastrzemski

3. Roger Clemens

4. Wade Boggs

5. Cy Young

You can find the entire list here.

The only change came from the now San Diego Padre, Xander Bogaerts, who jumped to #21 from #29 off his fourth (and final) All-Star with Boston.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Last month, the Baseball Hall of Fame elected Scott Rolen into their midst; a month after the Veteran’s Committee unanimously chose Fred McGriff for the Class of 2023.

This means that for us at Notinhalloffame.com, it is time to revise one of our most important lists, the top 300 Baseball players who we feel are deserving for a look at enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Our list looks at the following criteria:

1. Traditional and advanced statistics.

2. Playoff performance.

3. Impact and influence.

4. Your votes and comments.

We take all of these factors into consideration (especially your input), but as years go by, it becomes more difficult to rank players, especially since many of those eligible are tainted with activity that has kept them out.  Regardless of how Baseball may have decreased in popularity over the past decades, this is still the pre-eminent sports Hall of Fame in North America, and the standard by which all others are judged.

Specifically for the 2023 list, adjustments were made by removing Rolen and McGriff, factoring in your collective input, and adding former players who are eligible for the 2024 vote.

Our entire list of 300 can be found here, but below, we are pleased to present the Notinhalloffame.com Baseball top 20.

Remaining at #1 is Barry Bonds, the all-time leader in Home Runs (762) and is a seven-time MVP.  Controversy overshadows the power hitter, who is universally believed to have taken PEDs, though never tested positive.  Bonds concluded his ten years on the modern era ballot with 66%, and had there been 15 years like there were previously, he might have made it.  He was on the recent Veteran’s Committee ballot that included McGriff, though Bonds failed to gain the minimum votes needed to even have his number made public.  Bluntly, this means that Bonds is further than ever for Hall of Fame induction, as his peers do not view him as worthy.  We suspect that Bonds will forever be the most potent hitter to never see a plaque in the Hall, and could remain #1 here for decades (unless, your votes and comments plumet him from the top spot.

Roger Clemens also remains fixed at #2, and most of what we said about Bonds, applies to Clemens, only that he is a Pitcher.  A seven-time Cy Young winner, the “Rocket” never was suspended for PEDs, but the clouds around him are ominous, and he also did not win over a lot of friends in the media.  Just like Bonds, Clemens had his highest total on his last year of modern eligibility, and did not gain enough votes on his first Veteran Ballot for his tally to be known.  

Remaining at #3 is Alex Rodriguez, who was arguably the top player of the 2000s, and he will enter his third year of Modern eligibility.  There was nobody (Bonds and Clemens included) whose first year on the ballot intrigued us the most.  Unlike Bonds and Clemens, A-ROD DID test positive and served the longest suspension in MLB history.  At one time, he was the most hated man in all of sports, yet here we are in 2023 where he has a job with Fox Sports, and was in a high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez.  His marginal improvement in the 2023 vote does not forecast a Hall of Fame for Rodriguez.

With Pete Rose staying at #4, we have another player who looks to be forever to remain on the outside-looking-in.  Baseball’s all-time hit king was banned from Baseball for gambling on the sport, though he has recently made some appearances.  The Baseball Hall of Fame has followed the edict of MLB (although they don’t actually have to) and never added him to a ballot of any kind.  Even if he is reinstated, he would still have to appear on a Veteran’s Committee ballot, and that group would have to choose him.

With “Shoeless” Joe Jackson at #5, we have a top five (our only) where it is likely that none will ever receive the call. Banned in 1920 for allegedly conspiring to throw the World Series from the year before, Jackson maintained his innocence, and there many suspect that the Outfielder, who may have known about it, did not participate, which reflects his 1919 postseason statistics.

This takes us to #6, Adrian Beltre, who enters his first year on the ballot, and is a bona fide threat to enter on his first attempt.  He brings a resume of 3,166 Hits, 477 Home Runs, four All-Stars, four Silver Sluggers and five Silver Sluggers.

Falling one spot to #7 is he former career-Tiger, Lou Whitaker.  The Second Baseman and World Series Champion was a one-and-done on his only year on the ballot and is one of the most egregious omissions from the multi-ballot club.  

Bill Dahlen, a previous Veterans Committee nominee, is at #8.  We expect that he will be on the next one for his respective era. 

Dropping one to #9 is Curt Schilling, whose war with the media (and possibly his right-wing politics) resulted in his perpetual snub.  At the end of his run on the Modern Era ballot, the Pitcher asked the voters not to select him, and many acquiesced.  Schilling was on the same Veteran’s Committee ballot that Bonds and Schilling was on, and though he also was denied induction, he fared much better, gaining 6 votes.

Rounding out the top ten is Manny Ramirez, who though is still on the ballot is running out of time.  If Alex Rodriguez is unlikely to get elected, Ramirez has no shot, as he too was suspended, and has weaker (though Hall of Fame worthy) stats than A-Rod.

Todd Helton stays at #11.  The “Toddfather” missed out on Cooperstown this year with 72.2 of the vote, but next year on 2024 looks promising for Helton, who enters year number six on the ballot.

Boston’s most wanted for the Hall of Fame, Dwight Evans, holds firm at #12.

Pre-1900 Pitcher, Jim McCormick, advances two spots to #13. 

Carlos Beltran had a bit of tumble from #10 to #14.  Like others above, Beltran has the stats, but is paying a penance for his prominent role in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal.  He received only…. 1st   And we suspect that many voters wanted to make him wait a year.  Beltran will likely jump significantly on his second vote.

Tommy John, whose career-saving surgery named after him is recognized by the Hall, fell one spot to #15.

The final five of the top twenty all hold the same positions as last year, respectively being; Roger Maris (#16), Dick Allen (#17), Mark McGwire, (#18), Dave Parker (#19) and Rafael Palmeiro (#20).

There are other new entries on our list.  They are:

Chase Utley (#28), Joe Mauer (#37), Bartolo Colon (#77), David Wright (#89), Jose Bautista (#220) and Jose Reyes (#271)

We are now going to begin work on revising or Notinhalloffame.com Football 300, where we rank those to consider for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As always, we thank you for your support, and ask you to continue with your votes and comments.

Roger Clemens was only a Toronto Blue Jay for two seasons, and though sports history forgets this, his two-year performance in Canada was one of the best back-to-back regular seasons in MLB history.

Before Clemens signed with the Blue Jays, he was the young superstar for the Boston Red Sox.  Clemens was, at that point, a 13-year veteran, but his skills looked to have eroded.  Toronto thought otherwise, and while we can look at potential PED use by Clemens, it was a colossal return to greatness by the Pitcher and what arguably placed him in HOF contention.

Clemens signed with the Blue Jays after the 1996 Season, and many in Boston thought that their division rivals had made a mistake.  The flamethrower reclaimed his past glory, and though Toronto was no longer a World Series contender, Clemens reclaimed his spot as the top Pitcher in the American League.

Clemens won the Pitcher's Triple Crown in 1996 and 1997 and was the Cy Young winner in both seasons.  He also led the AL in ERA+ and FIP in both years, and was first in WHIP in 1996.  There has never been a Jays Pitcher before or since who had back-to-back seasons this good.  The problem for Clemens was that there was no similar talent around him, and the Jays were not threats to challenge for a Pennant while he was there.

Following the ’97 campaign, Clemens asked to be traded to a contender, and his wish was granted when the Jays traded him to the Yankees.

In his two-year stay in Toronto, Clemens had a bWAR over 20 with a 41-13 record.

Today the Contemporary Baseball Veterans Committee met and voted on, and elected Fred McGriff unanimously, receiving all sixteen votes.

The committee was comprised of Hall of Fame platers, Greg Maddux, Jack Morris, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Frank Thomas, Alan Trammell, Executives, Paul Beeston, Theo Epstein, Derrick Hall, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Dave St. Peter, Ken Williams and Veteran Media Members/Historians Steve Hirdt, LaVelle Neal and Susan Slusser. 

McGriff, who played First Base, was a five-time All-Star, received 39.8 percent in 2019, his last year on the writer’s ballot, but this committee is more player driven.  He had 493 Home Runs, and likely would have had 500 had there not been a strike in 1994, likely would have had 500.  McGriff’s induction was largely predicted my many (including us), though the 100% tally is a little bit of a surprise. 

Finishing second was Don Mattingly, who had eight votes.  Arguably the greatest New York Yankee to have never won a World Series Ring in the Bronx, Mattingly won a Batting Title (1985), twice led the AL in Hits, and had a lifetime Batting Average of .307.  He is also a nine-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com, “Donnie Baseball” was on the ballot for 15 years with his peak coming in year one (28.2%) in his first year (2001).

Curt Schilling was in third with seven votes.  Likely ousted on the regular ballot due to his anti-media stance and right-wing beliefs, Schilling failed to make it past the ten years on the ballot, peaking on his penultimate year, 2021 with 71.1%.

Former two-time MVP, Dale Murphy has six votes.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com, Murphy was on the ballot for 15 years, with his highest tally coming in 2000 (23.2%), Murphy’s second year on the ballot.  

Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens received four or less votes.  We do not know how many (if any) these former players received.  In the case of the latter three, it is an indictment that the PED-associated players have an even tougher road than they had with the writers.

McGriff will be inducted along with the rest of the inductees this summer.  Please note that we will not be revising our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list until the conclusion of the Modern Ballot.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Fred McGriff for earning this prestigious honor.

Days after the Houston Astros were crowned the 2022 World Series Champions, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced the eight Contemporary Baseball Hall of Fame ballot candidates. 

Of the former players nominates, should any of the receive at least 75% of the vote from the 16-member Committee, they will enter Cooperstown!  The Committee will be meeting on December 4.

Here are the nominees:

Albert Belle:  Belle was a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger and was named by The Sporting News as the Player of the Year in 1995.  He had 381 Home Runs and a lifetime Slugging Percentage of .564.  Ranked #61 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for two years, peaking a 7.7% in his first year in 2006.

Barry Bonds:  The controversial slugger set the all-time mark for Home Runs (762) and in a single season (73) while winning seven MVP Awards.  A 14-time and 12-rime Silver Slugger, Bonds is also the all-time leader in Walks (2,558) and boasts a lifetime OPS of 1.051.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for ten years, finishing as high as 66.0% in his final year, 2022.

Roger Clemens:  Clemens has the same level of polarization that Bonds has, only he was a Pitcher.  A seven-time Cy Young winner and 12-time All-Star, Clemens has the World Series Rings (2) that Bonds does not have, and we think it is a safe bet that he will be the last 350-Win Pitcher in Baseball.  Clemens, who also has 4,672 Strikeouts, is also a two-time Major League Player of the Year.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com and was on the ballot for ten years, with his highest total coming in 2022, 65.2%, his last year on the ballot.

Don Mattingly:  Arguably the greatest New York Yankee to have never won a World Series Ring in the Bronx, Mattingly won a Batting Title (1985), twice led the AL in Hits, and had a lifetime Batting Average of .307.  He is also a nine-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com, “Donnie Baseball” was on the ballot for 15 years with his peak coming in year one (28.2%) in his first year (2001).

Fred McGriff:  The “Crime Dog” is not closely associated with one team, which overall hurts his Hall of Fame chances, nor does the fact that he played in an era with offensively charged First Basemen, hence why he is “only” a five-time All-Star.  McGriff had 493 Home Runs, and had he made 500, would we be having this conversation?  Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com, McGriff was on the ballot for ten years with his highest tally coming in 2019, 39.8%, his last year of eligibility.

Dale Murphy:  Murphy won the National League MVP in both 1983 and 1984, where the seven-time All-Star smacked 398 Home Runs over his career.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com, Murphy was on the ballot for 15 years, with his highest tally coming in 2000 (23.2%), Murphy’s second year on the ballot.  

Rafael Palmeiro:  Palmeiro is one of only three players who had 3,000 Hits and 500 Home Runs over his career, and he was named the Major League Player of the Year in 1999.  The First Baseman was a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, and like others on this list, he is associated with PEDs, though unlike others, he was caught.  Ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com, Palmeiro was only on the ballot for four years, with the highwater mark in 2012 (12.5%), his second year of eligibility.

Curt Schilling:  Schilling might be the most contentious former player of this group and think of what that means!  Likely ousted on the regular ballot due to his anti-media stance and right wing beliefs, Schilling failed to make it past the ten years on the ballot, peaking on his penultimate year, 2021 with 71.1%.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the former baseball stars who have made it to this stage.

By paring the number of candidates to be considered by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee to a lean-and-mean eight, and if trends by recent iterations of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee continue, the odds look very good for Fred McGriff to be making an induction speech in Cooperstown, New York, in July 2023 when the committee announces its results during the baseball winter meetings to be held on December 4, 2022.

Why should McGriff start preparing his induction speech? Because the Screening Committee that selected the eight players whose careers began after 1980 to be considered by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee of the Hall of Saints—sorry, make that the Hall of Fame—have gamed the ballot to, in essence, eliminate half of its candidates right off the bat, leaving the slugging first baseman as the most viable candidate for consideration ahead of, in order of descending likelihood, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, and Albert Belle.

Is it that time again!

One of our core lists on Notinhalloffame.com, our Baseball list of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame has been revised.

The steps in our revisions are basic:

-Remove all of those who were inducted.  This included David Ortiz (#8), Gil Hodges (#11), Minnie Miniso (#14), Jim Kaat (#20) and Tony Oliva (#27).

-Input those we think worthy who are now eligible.

-Adjust rankings based on your votes and comments.

Before we announce our top ten, note that we did one major change.  We used to have three number ones, with Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson appearing as 1A and 1B since our inception, as both were deemed ineligible.  We have altered this with no multiples at the top, and although Rose and Jackson are still not welcome into Cooperstown, we disagree, and will keep them ranked.

The entire list can be found here, but here is our new top ten:

#1. Barry Bonds.  Bonds’ ten years of eligibility may have ended a few months ago, but the all-time leader in Home Runs leader won seven MVPs, despite there being a cloud of PED suspicion around him.  His chances now lie with the Veteran’s Committee.  Bonds was ranked at 1C last year.

#2. Roger Clemens.  Clemens is like Bonds, in that he too ended his regular stay on the ballot, and was likely excluded due to the belief that he might have used PEDs.  Clemens won the Cy Young seven times, and remains at #2.  

#3. Alex Rodriguez.  Unlike Bonds and Clemens, Rodriguez DID test positive for PEDs, which happened after the 2004 agreement between the players and MLB that outlawed the enhancers.  A-Rod was on his first year of eligibility, drawing only 34.3% of the vote, despite being a three-time MVP.  He holds the same rank as last year.

#4. Pete Rose.  Rose is the all-time leader in Hits, but he has been from baseball for gambling on the sport.  Ranked at #1A last year, Rose drops considerable on this list, but despite the issues of the players of above him, Rose actually has a significantly lower bWAR than Bonds, Clemens and Rodriguez.

#5. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Ranked #1B last year, Jackson is ineligible for the Hall due to his possible participation in the throwing of the 1919 World Series.  That being said, there are many, including us, who feel that he belongs.

#6. Lou Whitaker.  The former Tigers Second Baseman might not have lasted more than one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, but he was once on the Veteran’s Ballot, and is considered one of the more egregious snubs by sabremetricians.  He was ranked #4 last year.

#7. Bill Dahlen.  Dahlen was a previous Veteran’s Committee Nominee, and that is still the route in which he needs to gain entry to Cooperstown.  The Shortstop was a two-time leader in Defensive bWAR and won a World Series Ring with the Giants in 1905.  He was ranked #5 last year.

8. Curt Schilling.  Schilling asked to be removed off of the ballot, and that didn’t happen, and many of the voters acquiesced to his later request to be removed from consideration.  On his last year on the ballot, Schilling dropped from 71.1 to 58.6, and despite his resume, it is conceivable that he will never see a Veteran’s Committee ballot.

9. Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez entered the ballot in 2017, and offensively he statistically had a better resume than Ivan Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero, both of which are now in Cooperstown.  He is in the same vein as A-Rod, as he was popped for PEDs as a player.  Ramirez will enter his seventh year on the ballot, but has yet to crack 30%.

10. Carlos Beltran.  Beltran is the only new entry in his first year of eligibility, and the nine-time All-Star has the stats for the Hall, but his recent scandal involving the Astros World Series win, could cost him some votes.

There were other new entries, including closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who debuts at #172.  To close off the list, a new #300 had to come in, which was Derrek Lee.

Thank you all for your support, and we encourage you to cast your votes and offer your opinions.

We love this day!

Though, that does not mean, we always love the results.

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced the results of the Class of 2022, and it ends an era of sorts as many of the controversial PED associated players are off the ballot.

Let’s get right into it.

The Baseball Hall of Fame elected one player this year, which was David Ortiz, who enters on his first year with 77.9%.  The long-time Designated Hitter led the Red Sox to three World Series Championships, and had 541 Home Runs, 1,768 RBIs and went to ten All-Star Games.  Ortiz becomes the first predominant DH to enter the Hall in his first year.

Here is a look at the rest of the vote:

Barry Bonds. 66.0%, 10^th and Final Year:  Bonds was a seven-time MVP, and let’s be frank: We all knew that he was using PEDs, and so did the people who kept voting him as an MVP.  Saying that, Bonds is one of the greatest offensive baseball players that the game ever saw, and is the game’s all-time leader in Home Runs (762) and Walks (2,558), and has a career Slash Line of .298/.444/.607.  Statistically speaking, we know that Bonds belongs in the Hall, and we also know why the voters kept him out.  He climbed from 61.8% from last year.

Roger Clemens. 65.6%, 10^th and Final Year:  We could “lather, rinse, repeat” with Clemens in regards to Bonds, as he is also a generational superstar who won seven Cy Youngs.  Like Bonds, Clemens was surly, but also was never officially popped for PEDs by Major League Baseball.  Clemens has every Hall of Fame stat you can think of, and shatters many of the inductees, but he will have to exist in an island with Bonds of players that eclipse the actual Hall of Famers.  Clemens reached his highest total, increasing from last year’s 61.6%.

Scott Rolen.  63.2%, 5^th Year:  Rolen, continues to rocket up the votes.  Debuting with only 10.2% in 2018, Rolen had 52.9% last year, and is poised to enter in 2023 with this result.  We would bet on it!

Curt Schilling.  58.6%, 10^th and Final Year.  Schilling told voters not to vote for him, and that is exactly what he got, as he dropped from 71.1% from last year.   While we think he has the resume for Cooperstown, his off-field feud with the media did him no favors.  This was his last year on the ballot, debuting at 38.8% in 2013, and peaking at 71.1% in 2021. Frankly, we feel that this elevates his fame, rather than decreases it, and a martyr factor now exists with Schilling.  His only path is the Veteran’s Committee, and it is likely that he will feel the same when he is eligible in those forums.

Todd Helton.  52.0%, 4^th Year:  Helton has now gone from 16.5 in Year one to looking like he is one or two years away.  We recently named Helton the greatest Colorado Rockies player of all-time.

Billy Wagner.  51%, 7^th Year:  Wagner is the top closer on this ballot, and considering his first three years he was barely over 10%, his ascension has been more than impressive.  This is his first year exceeding 50%.

Andruw Jones.  41.1%, 5^th Year:  Jones did not have double-digits if Hall of Fame votes in his first two years, but made it to 33.9% last year and cracks 40% this year.

Gary Sheffield.  40.6%, 8^th Year:   Sheffield has all of the Hall of Fame metrics, but lacks the name, the team, and the notoriety.  It was a little surprising he got to 40 percent last year, and he has the exact same number this year.  This is not boding well for Sheffield.

Alex Rodriguez.  34.3%, 1^st Year:  We said this for years, in that we were most intrigued of any player in any potential Hall to see where he would finish in terms of his first year of eligibility.  A-Rod was popped for PEDs, was at one time massively unpopular, but only Bonds had better stats of any position player on this ballot, and he is among the top ten ever in terms of skills and stats.  Bluntly, this is way lower than we thought.

Jeff Kent.  32.7%,  9^th Year:  Kent is a former MVP but never got past 30 percent on the ballot until last year (32.4).  A rise of less than half a percent tells us all we need to know about his chances.

Manny Ramirez.  28.9%,  6^th Year:  Unlike other PED-associated players on this list, Ramirez WAS popped and suspended for steroids.  He only climbs up .7% from last year.

Omar Vizquel.  23.9%. 5^th Year:   Ouch!!!!  While we don’t this for sure, has anyone fallen worse than Vizquel?  Since the last vote, he was accused of domestic violence, and it has shattered his chances.  Considering he debuted at 37.0, and he is now double digits lower than this, what chance does he have?  He drops from 49.1% and 52.6% from 2020.

Sammy Sosa.  18.5%, 10^th and Final Year:  Say what you want about Sosa, but this is a player who at one point was considered to be one of the top five players in the game for a half-decade, and was in the upper-echelon in terms of popularity.  For what it is worth, this was the highest result that Sosa received.

Andy Pettitte.  10.7%, 4^th Year:  Pettitte has a lot of the numbers you need, but is an admitted PED user.  For whatever reason, Pettitte dropped from 13.7%.

Jimmy Rollins.  9.4%, 1^st Year:  Rollins enters the ballot and survives to see another day.  

Bobby Abreu.  8.6%, 3^rd Year.  Abreu still has not reached ten percent, but he hasn’t dipped below five either.  He had 8.7% last year.

Mark Buehrle.  5.8%, 2^nd Year.  Buehrle hangs on, but plummets from 11.0% from last year.

Torii Hunter.  5.3%, 2^nd Year.  Hunter is clinging to life on this ballot, and like Buehrle, he suffered a similar drop.  He had 9.5% last year.

The following did not receive the 5% needed to remain on the ballot:

Joe Nathan (4.3%), Tim Hudson (3.0%), Tim Lincecum (2.3%), Ryan Howard (2.0%), Mark Teixeira (1.5%), Justin Morneau (1.3%), Jonathan Papelbon (1.3%), Prince Fielder (0.5%), A.J. Pierzynski (0.5%), Carl Crawford (0.0%) and Jake Peavy (0.0%).

We will rework our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list of those to consider for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the end of February.  This will involve removing those who were inducted, and added those worthy and eligible.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate David Ortiz.

On a ballot packed with qualified candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is it possible that none of them will be elected this year?

If that happens, as it did last year, it would be the third time in the last decade that the qualified voters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) have thrown a shutout at the Hall of Fame. This is an odd paradox considering that after the Big Zilch of 2013, the BBWAA in subsequent years went on to elect 22 players across the next seven ballots, with the various guises of the veterans committee voting in another five players (and six non-players) during that seven-year span. (In 2013, the veterans committee did elect three candidates to the Hall.)

Last year, Curt Schilling, who had garnered 70 percent of the vote on the previous ballot, seemed to be a lock for election. Instead, he stalled with a negligible increase in support, then threw a social-media Trumper tantrum declaring that he wanted to be removed from this year's ballot. The Hall of Fame quickly responded that it would not do so.

It’s on!

The 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is officially out with seventeen returning players and thirteen new first year eligible names.

To return on the ballot, a player must be within their ten years of eligibility and received at least 5% of the vote.

The returning former players are: (with their year of eligibility and last year’s result)

Curt Schilling: 10^th Year, 71.1%

Barry Bonds: 10^th Year, 61.8%

Roger Clemens: 10^th Year, 61.6%

Scott Rolen: 5^th Year, 52.9%

Omar Vizquel, 5^th Year, 49.1%

Billy Wagner, 7^th Year, 46.4%

Todd Helton,4^th Year, 44.9%

Gary Sheffield, 8^th Year, 40.6 %

Andruw Jones, 5^th Year, 33.9%

Jeff Kent, 9^th Year, 32.4%

Manny Ramirez, 6^th Year, 28.2%

Sammy Sosa, 10^th Year, 17.0%

Andy Pettitte, 4^th Year, 13.7%

Mark Buehrle, 2^nd Year, 11.0%

Torii Hunter, 2^nd Year, 9.5%

Bobby Abreu, 3^rd Year, 8.7%

Tim Hudson, 2^nd Year, 5.2%

The new former players are:

Carl Crawford

Prince Fielder

Ryan Howard

Tim Lincecum

Justin Morneau

Joe Nathan

David Ortiz

Jonathan Papelbon

Jake Peavy

A.J. Pierzynski

Alex Rodriguez

Jimmy Rollins

Mark Teixeira

Notably Coco Crisp, Marlon Byrd, Michael Bourn, Kyle Lohse, Angel Pagan, Omar Infante, Matt Thornton, Billy Butler, Colby Lewis, Jeff Francoer, Javier Lopez and Ryan Vogelsong were eligible this year, but were not included on the ballot.

The results will be announced on January 25, 2022. 

We are a month removed from the Baseball Hall of Fame 2021 vote, and that means it is time to release our new list of those to consider for Cooperstown in 2022.  With nobody elected in 2021, there are no removals from the list, but there are four new entries.  We currently have 108 on this list, and by Spring, we will be expanding it to an even 300, which will be our fixed number moving forward.

As per our first year, there are three number ones, with the rational showing one eligible, and two ineligibles (Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson) due to gambling.

Remaining at #1A is Pete Rose, the man who collected an all-time record 4,256 Hits.  Rose was banned from the game over 30 years ago for betting on baseball.  

Also, staying at #1B, is “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Jackson was suspended for his alleged participation in the Chicago White Sox throwing of the 1919 World Series.

Barry Bonds is at #1C.  Bonds is the all-time leading Home Run leader with 762, and he is also first in Walks (2,558), Win Probability Added (127.7) and Power-Speed # (613.9).  While never caught, the seven-time MVP was widely suspected of PED use, and the Baseball Hall of Fame voters have kept him out.  He only has one year left of eligibility.  

Roger Clemens is just behind Bonds at #2.  Like Bonds, Clemens has been kept out of Cooperstown due to PED suspicion, and he is also entering his tenth and final year on the ballot.  Clemens is a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and is third all-time in Strikeouts (4,672).

The highest debut is Alex Rodriguez, who appears at #3. Unlike Bonds and Clemens, Rodriguez was twice suspended for PED use, but also, unlike Bonds and Clemens, he seems to be welcomed back as shown by his gig at Fox.  Rodriguez is fourth all-time in Home Runs (696).

Former Detroit Tiger Second Baseman, Lou Whitaker, is at #4.  Whitaker was a member of Detroit’s 1984 World Series Championship team, and is considered one of the best infielders not in the Baseball Hall.  

Bill Dahlen, a former star in the 1900s is in at #5.  Dahlen won a World Series with the New York Giants in 1905, and is still in the top-fifty in bWAR for Position Players.

Curt Schilling is at #6.  The former two-time World Series champion has one year left and has asked to be removed from the ballot after failing to enter the Hall.  He has feuded with media in the past, and his current right-wing politics have alienated many others.  

At #7 is Manny Ramirez.  Like Rodriguez, Ramirez has also been suspended for PEDs twice, and it has hampered his pursuit for a Hall of Fame plaque.  

Our second top-ten debut is at #8, David Ortiz, Ramirez’s former teammate in Boston.  With the Red Sox, Ortiz became the best Designated Hitter that baseball has ever seen, and would win three World Series rings.

Todd Heltonremains in the top ten at #9.  The career Colorado Rockie is trending towards induction in roughly three years.

Tommy Johnrounds out the top ten.  Ironically, the surgery that bears his name, is recognized by the Hall.  His only path for induction is with the Veteran’s Committee.

There are two other new entries, Mark Teixeira at #93 and Jimmy Rollins at #102.

Thank you all for your support, and look for our revised Football list next month.

Is this the year Curt Schilling makes it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Will Schilling be the only player elected to the Hall this year? After all the tumultuous voting activity of the 2010s, has voting for the Hall returned to "normal"?

Only a crystal ball, or the patience to wait until voting results for the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame are announced on January 26, 2021, can give us the definitive answers, but of course that doesn't stop us from prognosticating before we learn the results.

For now, the short answers are:

1. Maybe.

2. Possibly.

3. Likely.

2021 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot: Executive Summary

One of our favorite ballots came out today, that of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The official ballot comprises 25 former players, 14 of which were holdovers from 2020.  To gain entry to the Baseball Hall of Fame, a candidate must gain 75 percent of the ballot.  Once eligible, they have ten years go gain entry.  If an individual fails to get 5 percent, he falls off the ballot completely.  

The voting body consists of BBWAA members who have been in good standing for at least ten years. Voters can select as few as zero players or as many as ten.

The returning candidates are:

Curt Schilling:  9^thYear, 70% last year.  Had Schilling been more media friendly, the Pitcher would likely have been inducted already.  With the 2020 Class being inducted alongside the 2021 Class, Schilling would not be a headliner, and this could actually help him with voters who dislike him, but want him to receive less of the spotlight.  Ranked #5 on NIHOF.

Roger Clemens:  9^thYear, 61% last year.  It was never proven that Roger Clemens took PEDs but O.J. Simpson was found not guilty. Nevertheless, Clemens (allegedly) took them before Major League Baseball had an agreement in place that prohibited their use (2005), and suspensions for PEDs came after.  The fact that Commissioner, Bud Selig, who presided over the Steroids Era was inducted by the Veteran’s Committee in 2017, made some writers vocally say that it changed their opinion on players like Clemens.  Five years ago, it was considered a long shot for Clemens to get in.  Now it seems like it could happen.  The vote total for Clemens is the most interesting one of 2021.  Ranked #1C on NIHOF.

Barry Bonds: 9^thYear, 60.7% last year. See above.  Everything said about Clemens, applies to Bonds.  Everything.  So, how come each year, they haven’t finished with the same vote total?  Ranked #2 on NIHOF.

Omar Vizquel: 4^thYear, 52.6%.  With a lighter ballot, it is not impossible to foresee Vizquel vault all the way into Cooperstown this year.  Ranked #45 on NIHOF.

Scott Rolen: 4^thYear, 35.3%.  Rolen had only 10.2% in his first year of eligibility and he could crack 50% this year.   Ranked #10 on NIHOF.

Billy Wagner: 6^thYear, 31.7%.  Wagner nearly doubled his vote tally from the year before going from treading water to the realm of possibility.  He is the top reliever on this ballot.  Ranked #59 on NIHOF.

Gary Sheffield: 7^thYear, 30.5%.  Sheffield is running out of time, but he is another with the stats but the alleged PED user did crack the 30 plateau.  It is possible.  Ranked #14 on NIHOF.

Todd Helton: 3^rdYear, 29.2%.  Helton’s number might seem low but he is trending ahead of fellow Rockie, Larry Walker, who got in last year.  Ranked #7 on NIHOF.

Manny Ramirez: 5^thYear, 28.2%.  Unlike Clemens and Bonds, Ramirez WAS caught using PEDs and WAS suspended twice.  This is a delineation mark for many, and while Bonds and Clemens could get in, Ramirez is unlikely to, despite his gaudy stats and World Series rings.  Ranked #6 on NIHOF.

Jeff Kent: 8^thYear, 27.5%.  The former MVP’s total is his highest ever but there is only three years left.  If he does not get to 40% this year, it is not likely for Kent.  Ranked #48 on NIHOF.

Andruw Jones: 4^thYear, 19.4%.  Jones had less than 8.0% in his first two years of eligibility but approaching 20% last year was huge for the former Brave.  Ranked #40 on NIHOF.

Sammy Sosa: 9^thYear, 13.9%.  Sosa certainly has the stats, but unlike Bonds and Clemens, he appears to have no chance.  Sosa is not on the level of Bonds, but is that why he is so low in comparison? Probably not.  Everyone knew when Bonds and Clemens played that they were surly. Sosa pretended not to be and was eventually revealed as a character fraud.  Seriously, this a factor that hurts him that nobody talks about. Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com

Andy Pettitte: 3^rdYear, 11.3%.  Pettitte is an admitted PED user, but handled it in the blueprint way for everyone.  Sadly, not very many people followed his lead (see Braun, Ryan).  A jump to at least 20% keeps him in the conversation.   Ranked #32 on NIHOF.

Bobby Abreu: 2^ndYear, 5.5%.  Abreu barely made it through last year, but is worthy to do so again.  Saying that, it would not be a shock to see him fall under the 5% threshold.  Ranked #79 on NIHOF.

With the 11 new candidates it is very possible that none of them will advance.

The new entries are:

Mark Buehrle: Pitcher, 214-160, 3.81 ERA, 1,870 Strikeouts.  Ranked #74 on NIHOF.

A.J. Burnett: Pitcher, 164-157 3.99 ERA 2,513 Strikeouts.

Michael Cuddyer: Outfield, 1,522 Hits, 197 HR, .277/.344/.461.

Dan Haren: Pitcher, 153-131, 3.75 ERA, 2,013 Strikeouts.

LaTroy Hawkins: Pitcher, 75-94, 4.31 ERA, 127 Saves.

Tim Hudson: Pitcher, 222-133, 3.49 ERA, 2,060 Strikeouts. Ranked #101 on NIHOF.

Torii Hunter: Outfield, 2,452 Hits, 353 HR, .277/.331/.461. 

Aramis Ramirez: Third Base, 2,303 Hits, 386 Home Runs, .283/.341/.492.

Nick Swisher: Outfield, 1,338 Hits, 245 Home Runs, .249/.351/.447.

Shane Victorino: Outfield, 1,274 Hits, 108 HR, .275/.340/.425.

Barry Zito: Pitcher, 165-143, 4.04 ERA, 1,885 Strikeouts.

Notably, Aaron Harang, Adam LaRoche, Alex Rios, C.J. Wilson, Crey Hart, Dan Uggla, Grady Sizemore, Grant Balfour, Jason Marquis, Jeremy Affeldt, Kevin Gregg, Rafael Soriano and Skip Schumaker were eligible for the ballot but left off of it.

The results will be revealed on January 26.  This group will be inducted alongside Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller, who were the Class of 2020.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Boston Red Sox. 

The Red Sox were a charter member of the American League in 1901, first called the Boston Americans until they changed their name to the Red Sox in 1908.  Boston was the first team to win the modern World Series in 1903, and they were the dominant team of the 1910s, winning four titles in the decade. It was all sunshine and lollipops for the Red Sox, but the “Curse of the Bambino” struck when the Red Sox stupidly sold the contract of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, shifting the balance of power in the American League.

The Red Sox would be abysmal for years after, and they not win the World Series for the rest of the century.  They did have four shots at it, with three American League Pennants (1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986) but they fell short every time.  It would not be until 2004, where they won their sixth World Series, and they won three more after (2007, 2013 & 2018).

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2019 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Ted Williams

2. Carl Yastrzemski

3. Roger Clemens

4. Wade Boggs

5. Cy Young

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our All-Time Top 50 Chicago White Sox coming next!

As always we thank you for your support.