The Baseball Hall of Fame is set to reveal the identities of its Class of 2023 on Tuesday, and with Fred McGriff already guaranteed to pass on his sport’s immortality this summer, some former players are crossing their fingers for a surprise call from Cooperstown.
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Approved by a unanimous vote by the Baseball Modern Age Committee, McGriff is expected to have little company at the July 23 induction ceremony. In fact, few people would have a logical chance of reaching the 75% votes of Association of Baseball Writers of America members entitled to speak.
The one with the best odds, in the eyes of many pundits, is former third baseman Scott Rolen. He garnered 63.2% of the ballot last year, playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008 and 2009. The author of a streak of 316 homers and 1,287 career RBIs has spent 17 years playing in the major leagues, mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. He has a World Series title under his belt.
Other experts have put the name of Todd Helton among the men who might hope to be invited. However, his years at Denver’s Coors Field, a place propitious for thugs, could weigh heavily on the balance. The left-hander has played his 17 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, putting 369 shots over the fence and maintaining a .316 batting average. His four silver bars are a testament to his effectiveness on offense, as does his .539 power average.
Gary Sheffield and Andruw Jones, feared in the rectangle in the 1990s and 2000s, should get their share of the vote, but it will be necessary to see if that will be enough. The former had 509 four-base hits in 22 years and won the 1992 National League hitting title. However, he has been linked to the BALCO scandal, which linked athletes to the use of banned substances in 2002. As for the second, he sent 434 out-of-bounds shots, including 51 with the Atlanta Braves in 2005. A solid midfielder, he earned 10 Golden Gloves.
other cases
Some familiar names from the past still see their names on the ballots, but they have two strikes against them and may be waiting their turn. Such is the case with Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez, all of whom have been the subject of doping allegations.
Some are trying to gain ground compared to last year. Among them, former helper Billy Wagner will want to improve his score of 51% in the vote. The southpaw is in his eighth year of eligibility and if he fails he will have two more left. However, his 422 lifetime saves and opponent’s average against him (.187) are a plus for his candidacy.