The 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Class has issues (part three)

This week I will review the cases of the players on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot that are in their second and ninth year of eligibility. The players are Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield, Billy Wagner, Many Ramirez, Scott Rolen, Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Todd Helton, Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, Mark Buehrle, Torii Hunter, and Tim Hudson.

Jeff Kent has the most home runs as a second baseman with 354 and an MVP award in 2000. His career slash line over seventeen seasons is .290/.356/.500. So why did Kent get only 32.4% of the vote in 2021 his eighth year of eligibility? Kent’s defense was average at best, and this has held him back in the voting.

Gary Sheffield was a nine-time all-star, finished in the top three for MVP voting three times and has an offensive WAR total of 80.7. Sheffield was a feared hitter and someone you always paid attention to when he was up to bat. He took such violent swings at the ball and when he made contact too early it resulted in dangerously fast flying foul balls that were better avoided than caught by fans. Sheffield was named in the Mitchell Report as a played that had used steroids. Sheffield’s personal trainer was Greg Anderson who was the same trainer used by Barry Bonds.

Billy Wagner finished his career with 422 saves good for sixth on the all time list and an ERA of 2.31. In his last season at age 38, he finished with 37 saves and an ERA of 1.43. His strikeout rate of 33.2% is the highest of all pitchers who have pitched at least 800 innings. He received 46.4% of the vote last year and you should expect that number to climb this year. It is difficult for relief pitchers to get into the Hall of Fame, and it may take several more years for Wagner’s vote total to hit the required 75%.

Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 for violating baseball’s drug policy. In 2011, he was again suspended, this time for 100 games. Instead of taking the suspension he decided to retire that year. In September he asked to be reinstated and MLB reduced his suspension to 50 games. During his career he was a 12-time all-star, won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox, won a batting title in 2002 and has the most post season home runs and runs batted in all time. In 2021 he received 28.2% of the vote.

Scott Rolen has seven all-star games and eight gold gloves in his career. If he makes it into the Hall of Fame it will be due to the extra push that his great defense gives him. Rolen’s career WAR total is 70.1 which is slightly higher than the 68.4 total of the average HOF third baseman. He received 52.9% of the vote last year and of returning players has the best chance to make it in this year.

Former Seattle Mariner Omar Vizquel received 52.6% of the vote in his third year on the ballot in 2020. The three-time all-star and eleven-time gold glove award winner played twenty-four seasons in the major leagues and finished with 2,877 hits for his career. Unfortunately, Vizquel has been making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent years. Domestic abuse allegations surfaced in December of 2020 and a sexual harassment lawsuit in August of 2021 both caused his voting percentage to drop to 49.1% in last year’s vote.

Andruw Jones started with the Atlanta Braves in 1996 at the age of nineteen. A five-time all-star and ten time gold glove award winner he looked destined to be a Hall of Famer when he lead the league in home runs with 51 and runs batted in with 128 in 2005 at the age of twenty eight. However, by age thirty he quickly went into decline and hit only .222 that season his last with Atlanta. He played five seasons after that but never more than 107 games.

Todd Helton’s career slash line is .316/.414/.539. However, the knock on him is that he played his career for the Colorado Rockies and that inflates his numbers. If you adjust for park factors his career slash line is .287/.381/.488. Still good but don’t expect him to get in this year.

Andy Pettitte compiled 256 wins, was a three time all-star and won five World Series with the Yankees. Pettitte’s admission to using human growth hormone during his career resulted in him getting just 13.7% of the vote last year.

Bobby Abreu was a very good outfielder that played for eighteen years but one gold glove and only two all-star game appearances doesn’t make for a Hall of Fame career.

Mark Buehrle was a five time all-star, won four gold gloves and won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005. He had a similar career to Pettitte, but with a lot less wins and strikeouts. He received 11.0% of the vote last year.

Torii Hunter was a five time all-star, won nine gold gloves and played for nineteen seasons. His 50.7 career was is impressive but the average Hall of Fame center fielder has a career WAR total of 71.6. He received 9.5% of the vote last year.

Tim Hudson was a great pitcher that didn’t stand out among his peers. He finished his career with a record of 222-133 with a 3.49 ERA and four all star appearances. His post season pitching record of 1-4 despite thirteen starts doesn’t help his case.

Next week, we will begin reviewing the careers of the four players voted in by the Golden Days Era Committee.