This past January, it was announced that, after a combined 16 years on the ballot, The Hall of Fame would finally welcome Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven to Cooperstown.
IN.
None.
OUT (in random order).
Javy Lopez.
It’s been a long time, but back in the day, I think we all might have been tempted to make the argument that Lopez was on his way to something. Then, well, the train left the tracks and I am not sure what happened to the guy. He ended his career with a respectable .287 batting average and 260 home runs.
Ruben Sierra.20 years ago, Sierra was, along with Hall of Very Good frenemy Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Pete Incaviglia, THE future of baseball and you would have been hard pressed to find anyone to agree with you. Now, after 306 home runs and 1322 RBI…he’s an interesting footnote to an era that has long since passed.
Vinny Castilla.
Was Castilla a very good third baseman or another one of those who was helped by the much ballyhooed Coors Effect? Both?!? Any way you slice it, his 320 home runs and near perfect hair doesn’t get him through the doors of Cooperstown without paying first.
1993 American League Rookie of the Year Tim Salmon, Brad Radke, Edgardo Alfonzo, Scott Erickson, Jeff Fassero, Joe Randa, Jeromy Burnitz, Eric Young, Brian Jordan, Bill Mueller, Matt Lawton, Jose Hernandez, Phil Nevin, Alex S. Gonzalez, Pedro Astacio, Carl “the Bible never says anything about dinosaurs” Everett, David Bell, Rick Helling, Jose Vizcaino, Terry Mulholland, Jeff Nelson, Danny Graves and Dustin Hermanson.
ON THE BUBBLE.
Bernie Williams.
I’ll be honest…I keep Williams on the bubble to please some of the Yankee fans that I know bump around the site. Sure, good friend of The Hall “Bald Vinny” might have Williams on his Yankees Mt. Rushmore, but it isn’t likely that the hall of Fame will welcome him. Sure, his .297 career batting average (eight straight seasons of .300 or more), 2336 hits and 22 post season home runs are things of recent Yankee legend…they are nothing but a blip on the radar of what gets mentioned alongside the names of those in Cooperstown.
All this week, The Hall is re-hashing the the first timers on the upcoming Hall of Fame ballots. Later this week…an all new breakdown of the 2016 ballot.
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