The 2017 Hall of Fame ballot: How we'd vote on the rest of the returnees
The Hall of Fame ballot is the deepest it’s been in years, which means several players who should be a big part of the conversation are getting overlooked almost entirely.
As you’ve seen over the past two weeks, we’ve done our best to focus on the 13 candidates we feel present the most interesting case for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Some of them were first-timers. Others, like Tim Raines and Lee Smith, are in their final bid on the Baseball Writers Association of America’s ballot. The common thread being that all have, or we feel will, surpass 20-percent in the ballots.
Of course, even that exercise excluded several worthy candidates. Today, we’ll give those candidates — all of whom finished at 20 percent or below last year — some of the spotlight they deserve, while sharing our opinions of their Hall of Fame credentials.
Jeff Kent
The well-traveled Jeff Kent spent 17 seasons in MLB, suiting up for the Blue Jays, Mets, Indians, Giants, Astros and Dodgers. His most notable seasons were spent with the Giants, where he teamed with Barry Bonds to form one of baseball’s most feared middle of the order duos. He was voted the National League MVP in 2000, selected to the All-Star game five times, and finished his career with 2,461 hits; 377 home runs; 560 doubles; 1,518 RBI and 1,320 run scored.
2016 Result: 16.6 percent
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
No — Kent has hovered in the teens during his first three years on the ballot, and that seems low. He was arguably the game’s best second baseman from 1997 to 2004. That’s a pretty solid stretch. He may not be a Hall of Famer, but he deserves better. He and Barry Bonds once famously almost came to blows in the Giants’ dugout, and some people took Bonds’ side. That probably tells you all you need to know about why Kent doesn’t do well on the ballot.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — If there were a hall of fame for awesome ’90s mustaches, Jeff Kent would get my vote. But his stats don’t quite cut it for me in the Baseball Hall of Fame
MIKE OZ
No — Kent was a great player, underrated even. But his overall value falls below that of the other second baseman enshrined in Cooperstown.
MARK TOWNSEND
No — It’s surprising to see Kent doing so poorly in the voting. He was a terrific player and feared hitter for many years, especially when teamed with Barry Bonds. His numbers put him right on the cusp of Hall of Fame status, but he‘s not quite there in my eyes.
Fred McGriff
McGriff played 19 seasons in the big leagues, including stints with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays (and later Rays), Cubs and Dodgers. Oddly, McGriff never spent more than five seasons with any one team, but don’t let that movement fool you. He put together a productive career, launching 493 career home runs to go with 441 doubles and 1,550 RBIs.
2016 Result: 20.9 percent
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
No — Strong, impressive career. The bar for first baseman in the Hall is incredibly high. While his numbers look great in hindsight, he went up against some ridiculous sluggers at the position during his era.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — McGriff had himself a really amazing, luxurious mustache, and that needs to be recognized. But as far as actual baseball is concerned, he’s just not enough of a standout to get my vote.
MIKE OZ
No — This is a tough one. Those 493 homers look awfully good, but I’m staying on the “no” side here. I don’t believe that someone needs a benchmark stat to make the Hall, but if McGriff had hit 500 homers, maybe that would have changed the opinion of him among the overall electorate. As it stands, he doesn’t quite measure up to the other first baseman in the Hall.
MARK TOWNSEND
No — One of my favorites growing up for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I loved watching him effortlessly swat baseballs 400 feet. I always felt he played first base smoothly, even without the awards to back it up. And I especially enjoyed the “Crime Dog” nickname. He’s a first ballot Hall of Very Good player.
Gary Sheffield
Sheffield’s case is a complicated one after being linked to BALCO in the Mitchell Report. He says he was unaware there were steroids in the cream used to heal sutures following knee surgery, but the connection remains a lingering dark cloud. As it is, Sheffield remains one of five eligible members of the 500-homer club not in the Hall. That group includes Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro.
2016 Result: 11.6
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
No — He deserves a better look than he’s getting. A .292/.393/.514 slash line over 22 seasons in the majors is incredibly impressive. But Sheffield’s rumored connection to BALCO and his attitude during his playing days seem to be hurting his case.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — He was such a great hitter. Feared, even. But the rest of his game can’t match that, which makes it hard for me to give him my vote.
MIKE OZ
No — I’m “no” on Sheffield, but it’s a close one. His overall value doesn’t measure up to others at his position already in the Hall. Being in the 500-homer club is also enough to make up for that, but he’s also very one-dimensional, something that separates him from the likes of Vladimir Guerrero.
MARK TOWNSEND
Yes — Sheffield was the definition of intimidation with his patented bat wiggle and menacing look. He also backed it up with great production for a surprisingly long time. I think 509 home runs speaks for themselves, but the dark cloud of PEDs allegations will always remain. I lean toward yes, but also see him as a test case for how the Hall of Fame is evolving to something more than counting stats and milestones
Sammy Sosa
Steroid speculation and monster home run numbers aside, Sosa may be best remembered for the guy getting caught with cork in his bat. Sosa’s career was as dynamic as it was bizarre, with moments ranging from his flag-waving post-911 home run to his dramatic falling out with the Cubs that still hasn’t been patched up. His retirement has been much the same way, leading him to become a mere afterthought in the Hall of Fame despite an astounding 609 career home runs.
2016 Result: 7.0 percent
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
No — From 1998 to 2002, he was among the top-three hitters in the game. He also gets unfairly dinged for his connection with steroids. Other players who have the same rumors get a pass because people believe “they were Hall of Famers before they used,” but those same people refuse to apply that logic to Sosa. Seems inconsistent to me, even if I’m unsure whether he belongs in Cooperstown.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — If homers alone could get someone into the Hall of Fame, Sosa would be there. Sadly, they can’t.
MIKE OZ
No — I don’t agree with the people who say that if you vote for Bonds and Clemens, you need to vote for Sosa. Even if you include the steroids-boosted numbers, he’s borderline. His JAWS score puts him below the average Hall of Famer at his position. To prove how much Bonds and Sosa aren’t the same, just look at their career WAR: 162.4 to 58.4.
MARK TOWNSEND
No — You won’t find a more bizarre case on the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot, which is saying a lot. His power numbers were brilliant. His everything else wasn’t so much. But his reported failed drug test in 2003 is what makes him a definite no.
Billy Wagner
Wagner possessed one of baseball’s most dominant arms over his near 16-year career. The flame-throwing left-hander pitched primarily for the Astros, racking up 225 saves over his first nine seasons, before moving on to the Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves. He’s currently sixth on the all-time saves list with 422.
2016 Result: 10.5
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
No — It’s amazing to me that Trevor Hoffman could sneak into the Hall his second year on the ballot, but Wagner will have to fight to survive. He had a lower ERA and a better strikeout rate than Hoffman over his career. The main reason for the difference in votes seems to be save totals. Hoffman is second all-time with 601. Though Wagner is sixth on the list, he’s roughly 180 saves off Hoffman’s total. The bar for relievers getting into the Hall is high, and I’m not sure what to do with Hoffman or Wagner, but I know Wagner deserves better than this.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — Definitely a guy who should be enshrined in the Hall of Very Good, though not in the Hall of Fame.
MIKE OZ
No — My take on closers: They need to be truly transcendent. I think Hoffman is. I think Rivera is. Wagner? He was great, but he wasn’t quite there.
MARK TOWNSEND
No — I remain stubborn with relief pitchers. I feel like Mariano Rivera is the true standard among them, and I don’t feel Wagner came close enough to that level for long enough to get over the hump.
Larry Walker
One of baseball’s most dynamic talents during the 90s and 2000s, Walker won three batting championships, seven Gold Gloves and was voted N.L. MVP in 1997. Walker played 17 season in the majors, splitting his prime seasons with the Expos and Rockies before finishing with the Cardinals. The fact that Walker spent much of his prime hitting in Coors Field seems to have damaged his Hall of Fame chances significantly, but his .313 career average, 383 home runs and 1,311 runs batted in remain very impressive.
2016 Result: 15.5
OUR BALLOT
CHRIS CWIK
Yes — Another player who should have a higher voting percentage. Walker gets dinged for playing in Coors Field for a long portion of his career. Had he played in a different market, he might get more attention now. It’s really tough to write off a guy who hit .313/.400/.565 slash line over 17 years in the majors, even if his peak seasons came in a friendly ballpark.
LIZ ROSCHER
No — Injuries and life (i.e. the strike) really got in Walker’s way. He was just so good, I just wish he’d been able to do it for longer. That would have gotten him my vote.
MIKE OZ
Yes — I’m amazed how much love Walker hasn’t been getting from voters. He’s not a no-doubter, but I think the numbers give him a strong case. I think the .300+/.400+/.500+ slash puts him in a nice class (only Edgar Martinez and Manny Ramirez on this ballot). Walker could be on the fringe for me on a ballot where there’s a 10-person limit, but in a simple yes-or-no format, I say yes.
MARK TOWNSEND
No — This is tough because Walker will always be a sentimental favorite of mine. As great as he was and as great as his numbers are, he’s more of a what could have been guy than a Hall of Famer due to numerous injuries that sidelined or limited him.
ALSO IN THIS SERIES:
• Jeff Bagwell
• Barry Bonds
• Roger Clemens
• Vladimir Guerrero
• Trevor Hoffman
• Edgar Martinez
• Mike Mussina
• Jorge Posada
• Tim Raines
• Manny Ramirez
• Ivan Rodriguez
• Curt Schilling
• Lee Smith
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
