In addition to being one of the most media-involved and involved in history, next year’s Cooperstown vote will also be one of the most powerful in the nearly eight decades of the United States Baseball Hall of Fame’s existence, taking taking into account the number of walks that hit its members.
Dominicans Alex Rodríguez and David Ortiz will make their debut on the jury vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) in December, along with North American first basemen Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder, among others.
While “A-Rod” (696) is the fifth greatest home runner of all time, “Big Papi” (541) is number 17 and Teixeira (409) is number 56. Howard (382) and Fielder (319) are among 125 sluggers with the most balls in the park in the major leagues.
They will participate in the vote with Barry Bonds, the all-time home run leader, with 762, the Dominicans Sammy Sosa (609) and Manny Ramírez (555), North American Gary Sheffield (509) and Curaçao Andruw Jones ( 434)).).
In the Major Leagues historical lead, Sosa is in ninth place, Ramírez is # 15, Sheffield is # 26 and Jones is # 47, tied with Puerto Rican Juan “Igor” González.
Those 10 players combined hit 5,216 home runs (average 521 per career), the third most to have had a dozen on a given Hall of Fame vote.
The home run record for the first 10 on a ballot is 5,274, set in 2018 by Bonds (762), Jim Thome (612), Sosa (609), Ramírez (555), Sheffield (509), Fred McGriff (493). ), Chipper Jones (468), Vladimir Guerrero (449), Jones (434) and Larry Walker 383. The first 10 of 2016 gathered 5,238 homers, while those of 2014 had 5,173 and those of 2015 had 5,065.
This is possible because of the long time that Bonds, Sosa and Ramírez remained on the ballot, which were not elected in 2021. For Bonds and Sosa it was their ninth and penultimate year of eligibility and for Ramírez their fifth.
All of these players have been associated in some way with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. While Ramírez was punished twice for violating the Major League’s anti-doping policy, Bonds and Clemens were prosecuted for lying under oath, while Sosa was accused multiple times of abusing the absence of punishment for the use of resources when he was active.
Rodriguez, a three-time MVP, confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs in various parts of his career and was even banned for all of 2014 for his role in the Miami biogenesis clinic scandal.
A 2009 New York Times report reported that Ortiz, a three-time World Series champion, was reportedly one of the players to test positive in the voluntary and secret tests conducted by Major League Baseball in 2003, but the player played the report and was publicly supported by the statutory auditor’s office.
“A-Rod” and “Big Papi” were not only among the best players of their generation, but also the most popular. After retirement, they continued to work in the industry, including for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and the networks that broadcast the games nationally.
The BBWAA has not selected any players this year, the ninth time this has happened. That way, Bonds, Sosa and pitchers Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling will have their last chance to be chosen by journalists next winter.
Also debuting on the ballot in 2022 are outfielder Carl Crawford, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, catcher AJ Pierzynski and pitchers Jake Peavy, Tim Licecum, Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon.
Among those returning, in addition to Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Schilling and Ramírez, are Sheffield, Jones, Scott Rolen, Billy Wagner, Todd Helton, Jeff Kent, Venezuelans Omar Vizquel and Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Torii Hunter and Tim Hudson.