Joe Saunders never made 100 Wins.  He never threw 1,000 Strikeouts.  He did not make a double digit bWAR.  He will not make the ballot.

‘Tis the season for NFL retirements, and we have an epic one with Jared Allen who retired by literally riding off into the sunset.

Allen was drafted in the fourth round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004 out of Idaho State.  The Defensive End would quickly become a starter and would become a fan favorite known for his quirk mannerisms and mullet hairstyle.  In 2007, which would be his last season with Kansas City, Allen would make his First Team All Pro roster, first Pro Bowl and would lead the NFL in Sacks.  He would also win the prestigious NFL Pass Rusher of the Year Award.

Allen would be traded to the Minnesota Vikings and would sign what was then the largest contract in NFL history for a defensive player.  In Minnesota, the accolades kept coming.  He made three more First Team All Pro Selections (2008, 2009 & 2011), won the NFL Alumni Defensive Alumni Player of the Year in 2009 and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.  In that season, Allen had 22 Sacks, which remains a Minnesota Vikings record.

He would later play with the Chicago Bears and finished off his career last season as a member of the Carolina Panthers where he appeared in last month’s Super Bowl.

Jared Allen finished off his career with 643 Tackles, 136 Quarterback Sacks and 6 Interceptions.  He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Jared Allen for his great career, and the impressive way in which he retired. 

While Jason Giambi is better known for being an inflated PED user, the fact remains that he was a very good hitter who was a former American League MVP.  Giambi would go to five consecutive All-Star Games, blasted 440 Home Runs with a .516 career Slugging Percentage over a twenty-year career.  He would also show solid plate discipline with three On Base Percentage Titles and retired with a very good 50.4 bWAR.

There is a good chance that Jason Bartlett will not make the ballot, as he is well under 1,000 Hits for his career.  Still, he is a former one time All Star who had decent defensive skills, which brought him to a 18.4 bWAR.