2022 Baseball Hall of Fame: Who gets in and who doesn’t, our writers weigh in
Ed Stein
The Mike Greenberg test is what I go by for things like this. Ask yourself is (fill in name here) a Hall of Famer. If you don’t immediately say yes, then he doesn’t get in. I put a little caveat on that when it comes to cheating.
In my mind, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were Hall of Famers before steroids. There were also a pair of jerks off the field. Who votes for the Hall? Baseball writers, the very group Bonds, and Clemens treated like crap. If I had a vote, they would reluctantly go in, but I don’t, and they won’t.
I’m not sure I’d vote for Alex Rodriguez. Despite his post-career face turn, the repeated PED violations are a non-starter.
Todd Helton was a hitter’s hitter and a real pro at the plate. He was great in the field, too, with three gold gloves. There is a bad rap associated with playing for Colorado and their thin air home stadium, Coors Field.
While his home/road splits show a difference, it shouldn’t disqualify him. How many hitters took advantage of the short rightfield porch at Yankee Stadium or relatively close foul poles at Fenway Park? Payton Manning’s former backup should be voted in, but the Coors Field bias keeps him out.
I’d like to think that someone’s performance on the field is what voters evaluate and not their political views. Based on his career, Curt Schilling belongs in the Hall. He asked to be taken off the ballot, giving the voters an excuse, which they will be glad to take.
Conclusion
So, If I had a ballot, my votes would go to the above quartet Bonds, Clemens, Helton, and Schilling.
Under the main criteria, Jimmy Rollins, Scott Rolen, and Andy Pettite are out. Andrew Jones and Omar Vizquel were Hall of Fame defensive players but weren’t productive enough, long enough throughout their careers at the plate.
That leaves David Ortiz and Billy Wagner. Big Papi is the second-best designated hitter of all time, and Wagner may go down as the best left-handed closer ever (either him or John Franco). That’s good enough to get both through the door this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1c9a0LTno