Omar Vizquel, Seattle mariners, Hall of Fame.
Tuesday, the latest Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced. There are 11 new candidates up for selection. They join the 14 carryovers who are still eligible. Amongst those 14, at least half have been connected to PED or Steroids. To date, that’s the only reason they are not in the Hall.
That is a conversation for another day. Do those players deserve to get in? If those players aren’t selected at most, two get in this year, but it’s more likely no one does. Personally, I started off by saying that anyone who cheated should not be allowed into the Hall. Since then, I’ve started to sway to the other side.
Those players cheated the game, so they don’t deserve to get in, but then Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez were just SO good that it seems wrong they’re not enshrined. Further, it can be argued that Clemens and Bonds had Hall of Fame-caliber careers before they “juiced.”
The names that follow are the names of players who avoided the PED/Steroid stigma and deserve entry into Cooperstown.
The owner of one of the most recognizable pitches, Barry Zito, is the only major league pitcher that I swear I can hit, his curveball. I don’t understand how the pros couldn’t tee off on that pitch. But like Jamie Moyer and his changeup, Zito was an expert at fooling hitters. Zito is a three-time All-Star. Maybe not a Hall of Famer in the traditional sense, but with so many other pitchers’ legacies tarnished by steroids or PED’s what’s left is guys like Zito into Cooperstown.
Tied for 76th on the all-time wins list with 222, Tim Hudson is a four-time All-Star and World Series champion. He’s 74th with 2,080 strikeouts. Additionally, Hudson won 62.5 percent of his decisions. Like his former teammate Zito, he may not be a first ballot Hall of Famer. But he’s more worthy of Cooperstown. Maybe, unlike his former teammate.
Omar Vizquel is arguably one of the three best defensive shortstops to play the game. A super slick-fielder who came up in the Seattle Mariners organization before making a name for himself in Cleveland. His stay in the Emerald City might have been longer, but the M’s had this young phenom named Alex Rodriguez, a potential franchise player.
His glovework and fast hands paved the way for all the cool glove flips we see players doing today. If you don’t believe me, search YouTube for Omar Vizquel’s quick hands. It’s amazing. Even with his superior fielding, Vizquel would have a harder time becoming a starter in today’s game. Prioritizing defense isn’t in style right now.
A marvel of longevity, Vizquel played in the Majors until age 45. Over 24 MLB seasons, he had 2,877 hits, 404 stolen bases, won 11 Gold Gloves, and finished with a .272 career batting average.
We need to note the recent domestic abuse allegations against Vizquel. At this point, he should be in the hall; however, if these allegations prove to be true, then he shouldn’t be in Cooperstown. Some fans will view him as the terrific ballplayer they remember. Others will view him as a woman abuser. That’s not the kind of look the MLB wants.
Like Larry Walker before him, a Colorado Rockies player’s production is always dinged because of the altitude. Todd Helton was a legitimate multi-dimensional threat at the plate. Beltin Helton owns a career .316 average while averaging 27 home runs and 101 RBI per season.
Helton was a complete athlete. Before deciding on baseball, he was Peyton Manning’s backup at the University of Tennessee. Even rarer, he played his entire 17-year Major League career in one place. But like Jones, he’s another guy that played during the steroid era. At the peak of his career, from 1998-2004, Helton averaged 36 home runs and 122 RBI. All totaled, he was a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove winner.
The 1997 National League Rookie of the Year may be the most divisive candidate on the ballot. Over his 17-year career, he hit .281, averaging 25 home runs and 102 RBI with a .855 OPS. Scott Rolen was also a seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner. That’s good stuff and obviously worthy of Cooperstown consideration.
Here’s the rub, he was never the best player on his team. Rolen was always the Pippen to someone else’s MJ. When it came to the playoffs, he’s a career .220 hitter. Add in his burning of bridges with the Phillies and Cardinals; it’s not hard to see why he’s not in the Hall…yet. This is my ballot, and I’m voting for him.
“I thought you said players who avoided the steroid or PED stigma?” Yes, and as of my knowledge, Andruw Jones is only thought to have used. He came to the bigs a year before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa saved baseball with their home run chase. Jones played during the peak of the steroid era. So, yes, it’s very logical to assume he used steroids, especially when you see how his numbers and production just fell off a cliff during the traditional peak of a player’s career. Speculation and evidence are two different things.
During his heyday, he was arguably the best center fielder in the National League. Some kid in Seattle who wore #24 lays claim to the A.L. Jones did Ronald Acuna things before Acuna was even born. The Curacao native debuted in 1996 for an excellent Atlanta Braves team at 19-years-old. He spent 11 years in Atlanta, and in that time, the Braves only had one losing season.
With 10 Gold Gloves on defense alone, Andruw Jones is deserving of Cooperstown. He also slugged 434 home runs and finished with a career .836 OPS.
A nine-time Gold Glover with a .277 average over 2,400 hits and over 350 home runs. Referred to as Spider-Man in center field. Torii Hunter may be the third-best center fielder I’ve seen. He falls into Scott Rolen’s “boring 2nd fiddle” tag, to a degree. But he was a perfect blend of great defense and offense. And unlike Rolen, Hunter hit well in the playoffs with a .274 average. Hunter may not be a first ballot, but he should get in.
Who’s on your Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.