Rolling by means of the Corridor of Fame poll right here this December continues and sadly typically that features negativity. At present’s entry falls beneath that subheading. We’re going to talk about three holdovers on the poll with what look like helpless and, in not less than one case, flailing candidacies.
No purpose to waste any time. Let’s get into it.
Alex Rodriguez
The three-time MVP has a statistical case rivaled by solely the best gamers in historical past.
A profession .295/.380/.550 (140 OPS+) hitter, he ended up with 3,115 hits, 548 doubles, 696 residence runs, 2,086 RBI, 2,021 runs and 329 stolen bases. He ranks eighth in profession runs, twenty third in hits, seventh in whole bases, thirty third in doubles, fifth in residence runs, fourth in RBI and sixteenth in occasions on base. He is twelfth in WAR amongst place gamers, trailing solely Honus Wagner at shortstop. The highest six most statistically related gamers to A-Rod are Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson, Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron. The one gamers to ever high 2,000 runs and RBI are A-Rod, Aaron and Babe Ruth.
So, yeah, we get the thought.
And but, A-Rod’s voting percentages to this point:
- 2022: 34.3
- 2023: 35.7
- 2024: 34.8
There is no momentum there in any respect. No altering citizens or clearing of the poll goes to get him residence. He is not even midway there and hasn’t actually moved up in three tries.
Clearly the disconnect between his on-field case and vote totals can be the PEDs. A-Rod was discovered by MLB to have been utilizing PEDs and skirting the foundations for years and he was suspended for 211 video games due to it.
This is not a case the place a participant is borderline together with his stats and will construct momentum by way of an Web marketing campaign like we have seen occur with gamers like Edgar Martinez, Larry Walker and Scott Rolen. Everybody’s thoughts is just about already made up with Rodriguez. To realize 40 proportion factors is a pipe dream.
It is arduous to see issues altering, which suggests he is simply going to attend out his 10 years on the poll and are available up emptyhanded.
Manny Ramirez
Ramirez is in an analogous boat to A-Rod, although with out the wonderful protection. He is now been on the poll eight occasions and has been between 22% and 33.2%. He misplaced help final yr, falling virtually a proportion level to 32.5%.
Ramirez had 9 top-10 MVP finishes and was one of the vital feared sluggers in baseball for many of his 19 years. He retired with a slash line of .312/.411/.585 (154 OPS+) along with 2,574 hits, 547 doubles, 555 residence runs and 1,831 RBI. He additionally gained two rings and World Collection MVP for the Pink Sox. In his 111 profession playoff video games, he hit .285/.394/.544 with 19 doubles, 29 residence runs and 78 RBI. He is nonetheless the profession chief for postseason residence runs. The 5 most statistically related gamers to Manny? Frank Thomas, Jimmie Foxx, David Ortiz, Ted Williams and Ken Griffey Jr.
It could be an open-and-shut case, however the PEDs are again within the dialogue. Ramirez was suspended in 2009 for 50 video games for failing a drug check, then once more in 2011.
He is an inferior participant to A-Rod, however sits across the identical proportion in votes. It is fairly easy. Everybody who pays consideration to baseball is aware of that the on-field instances are each simple and apparent. We’re merely taking a look at round 65% of the voting physique that does not need to put in a participant suspended for PEDs. The gamers want 75% of the vote to get in. The mathematics simply would not work.
Mainly, Manny is on the poll two extra occasions after which he’ll fall off.
Omar Vizquel
This is a completely totally different case. The one similarity is that Vizquel, like Manny and A-Rod, is not getting within the Corridor of Fame.
In Vizquel’s case, there is a vocal group — it seems like we have been the minority — that does not imagine his on-field case was ever ok to make the Corridor of Fame. He was, nonetheless, monitoring towards getting in. He bought 37% of the vote his first yr then rose to 42.8 then 52.6. What did him in have been a collection of private revelations in 2020-21, together with a lawsuit that alleged that he uncovered himself to a teenage bat boy who has autism.
The vote percentages since then:
- 2022: 23.9
- 2023: 19.5
- 2024: 17.7
That is his eighth yr on the poll, so he is accomplished and flailing. He would possibly even fall off the poll earlier than his tenth yr.
In components of 24 years, Vizquel hit .272/.336/.352 (82 OPS+) with 2,877 hits, 456 doubles, 77 triples, 80 residence runs, 951 RBI, 1,445 runs and 404 steals. He was an 11-time Gold Glover with the popularity of an distinctive defender. Positive sufficient, he ranks ninth in profession defensive WAR. Factoring within the offense, although, hurts Vizquel significantly. He was a singles hitter with out a nice batting common and, as such, wasn’t overly productive a few years. He sits forty fifth in JAWS at shortstop with gamers like Hanley Ramirez, Mark Belanger, Andrelton Simmons and Rafael Furcal in his vary.
I might have been ready to argue extra vehemently towards him, nevertheless it would not a lot matter at this level. He’ll by no means get in.
