Examining the Credentials of the Current and Future Candidates for the Hall of Fame
In a sense, the answer to the title of this piece can be summed up this way: Jeff Kent snuck up on the baseball world as a Hall of Fame-caliber player. Having bounced from the Blue Jays to the Mets to the Indians early in his career, Kent was an average player at best for […]
Chase Utley, who had a distinguished 16-year Major League Baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles, is currently on the Hall of Fame ballot for the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) for the first time. Utley made six All-Star teams during his years on the diamond and won a World Series ring […]
For 17 years, Todd Helton was a mainstay at first base for the Colorado Rockies. The left-handed-hitting Helton was a consistent force with both the bat and the glove during his 17 years playing in the Mile High City. A former quarterback at the University of Tennessee, Helton had an exceptionally strong and accurate throwing […]
Adrian Beltre is on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot for the first time, the top new candidate for a plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Beltre, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner who finished his career with 477 home runs and 3,166 hits, is the one mortal lock […]
Joe Mauer, the longtime catcher/first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, is on the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) ballot for the first time. Mauer, a career .306 hitter who won three batting titles and was the 2009 MVP, was the top backstop in the American League for a decade, hitting .323 with a 135 […]
If you’re a baseball fan over the age of 50, Mark Buehrle was a pitcher who would remind you of baseball in the 1970s. He didn’t throw over 95 miles per hour. Even at 6’2″ and 240 pounds (per Baseball-Reference), Buehrle could be described as a “crafty” lefthander, one who mixed a curve, slider, cutter, […]
Sometimes it just feels right. Bill White, now 89 years old, is a current candidate to earn a plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. White is one of eight candidates on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot (non-players) for the Hall’s Class of 2024. This ballot, which […]
Torii Hunter was simply fun to watch when he was roaming center field. He was the quintessential “fly-chaser” who would relish a collision with the outfield wall as if he was still playing free safety in high school, colliding with an opposing running back or receiver. The Arkansas native won 9 Gold Gloves in his […]
Francisco Rodriguez is one of those rare Major League Baseball players who was instantly transformed from someone who was unknown to all but the most hard-core of baseball fans to a household name. Rodriguez, at the age of 20, made his MLB debut with the Anaheim Angels on September 18, 2002. After pitching in just […]
This evening, Scott Rolen, one of the greatest defensive third basemen in the history of baseball, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. The 389 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) elected Rolen to the Hall with 76.3% of the vote in an […]
On Tuesday at 6:00p ET, live on the MLB Network and mlb.com, Josh Rawitch, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2022 Hall of Fame voting from the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America). Based on the early reported voting (tallied on Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall […]
Two former members of the New York Mets, Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez, are the two most prominent first-time candidates on the 2023 Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot. In what’s an unusually weak overall group of new candidates, nobody is likely to be a first-ballot inductee on an overall ballot […]
He was known as “The Hit Man” and “Donnie Baseball.” New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, one of the very best players in baseball in the mid-1980s, is once again a candidate on the Eras Committee Hall of Fame ballot. This ballot (the “Contemporary Baseball Ballot”), which features eight men whose primary contributions occurred […]
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, having finished his 25th year as a skipper in Major League Baseball, is one win away from his first World Series Championship as a manager. Whether the Astros successfully close out the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fall Classic or not, this has been another campaign in which Baker significantly enhanced […]
Today is the 71st birthday of longtime Boston Red Sox right fielder Dwight Evans. The 8-time Gold Glover, often called “Dewey,” played in more games in a Red Sox uniform than any player in team history except for Carl Yastrzemski. Next week, Evans may once again be a candidate to be enshrined in the National […]
On Saturday night in St. Louis, Albert Pujols played in the final game of his 22-year career in Major League Baseball. In his final at bat for the St. Louis Cardinals, in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 2 of the N.L. Wild Card series, Pujols singled sharply down the left field line. […]
Today, former Minnesota Twins right fielder Tony Oliva, 46 years after playing his final game in Major League Baseball, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Oliva (who turned 84 on Thursday) was joined on stage today by his longtime Twins teammate, pitcher Jim Kaat. The two […]
Keith Hernandez, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and (briefly) the Cleveland Indians, was not a prototypical first sacker. Hernandez wasn’t a prolific home run hitter or RBI man. Instead, he was a solid offensive producer and quite possibly the best defensive first baseman in the history of baseball. To young […]
David Ortiz, one of the greatest hitters in the history of the postseason, was elected today to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum by the members of the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America). Ortiz, who got 77.9% of the vote in his first appearance on the BBWAA ballot, was the only player […]
Today at 6:00p ET, live on the MLB Network and mlb.com, Josh Rawitch, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2022 Hall of Fame voting from the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America). Based on the early reported voting (tallied on Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of […]
For five years (1998-2002), Sammy Sosa was one of baseball’s greatest superstars. His Home Run Chase with Mark McGwire in 1998 captivated the nation’s imagination and aided in the sport’s continued healing from the ’94 strike that canceled the World Series. Both players eclipsed the single-season home run mark of 61 (by Roger Maris in […]
Dick Allen, one of baseball’s greatest hitters from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, has now set a record that his legions of fans hope will not be extended: he’s now twice fallen just one vote shy of a plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Allen was […]
Longtime rivals and now fellow Fox Sports analysts Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz are the headline first-time candidates on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot. While A-Rod and Big Papi join a ballot for the first time, some of the biggest stars in the game in the last 35 years […]
On December 5th, former St. Louis Cardinals’ third baseman Ken Boyer will be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum by the “Golden Days” Eras Committee. Boyer is one of ten candidates on a ballot that evaluates players and others whose primary impact on the game was between 1950 and 1969. Although […]
Today is the Hall of Fame induction day for Yankees great Derek Jeter. Sunday will be the 53rd birthday of New York Yankees’ great Bernie Williams. Williams was the center fielder during the height of the Yankees’ dynasty from 1996-2003; the Bronx Bombers won 4 World Championships and 6 pennants during those 8 seasons. Off […]
Last January, in his 10th and final year of eligibility, Larry Walker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Walker’s election was seemingly impossible six years ago, when he received the 17th most votes and garnered just 11.8% support in an election requiring at least 75% for induction. On the day […]
Jorge Posada was a member of what was known as the “Core Four,” the four longtime members of the New York Yankees whose careers began in the mid-1990s and were also with the team when they won the World Series in 2009. Two of the Core Four (closer Mariano Rivera and shortstop Derek Jeter) were […]
For over 12 years, second baseman Dustin Pedroia was the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, however, as the club won a team-record 108 games and ultimately the World Series, Pedroia was limited to playing the role of cheerleader and coach. Pedroia, who had surgery on his left knee after the […]
In what was not a surprise to most analysts (including this one), the voting writers of the Baseball Writers Association (BBWAA) did not elect a single player into the National Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York this year. With the top four returning candidates from 2020 all immersed in controversy, the lack […]
Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6:00p ET, live on the MLB Network and mlb.com, Tim Mead, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2021 Hall of Fame voting from the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America). Based on the early reported voting (tallied on Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall […]
On the night after Christmas, less than a week before the end of this dark year, the Baseball Hall of Fame family lost yet another member when Phil Niekro passed away at the age of 81. Niekro, known as “Knucksie” for his baffling knuckleball, pitched until he was 48 years old. His 5,404 career innings […]
When the Hall of Fame announced the names of the 10 candidates for the “Modern Baseball” ballot in November 2019, Luis Tiant was not on the list. The colorful Cuban-born right-handed starting pitcher retired after the 1982 season with 229 career wins, four 20-win campaigns, and two ERA titles. Although he considered a solid candidate […]
On Monday, the names of the 25 Hall of Fame candidates on the 2021 Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballots were revealed. There are a total of 14 returning candidates along with 11 newcomers to the ballot. With just 25 listed candidates, this is the smallest BBWAA ballot since 2009, when Rickey Henderson and […]
It’s always one of my very favorite days of the year: Opening Day for Major League Baseball. For many in the colder parts of the USA, it’s a line of demarcation between winter and spring. For fans of the grand old game, the anticipation towards Opening Day is not unlike a young child waking up […]
Yesterday, the Houston Astros officially introduced longtime manager Dusty Baker as their new skipper. For Baker, who described his new gig as a “last hurrah,” this is 5th job as a Major League Baseball skipper and gives him a final chance to pursue a World Series title, which is possibly the missing link on what […]
Earlier this evening Tim Mead, the new President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, announced that Derek Jeter and Larry Walker have been voted into baseball’s most exclusive club and will have plaques unveiled this summer in Cooperstown, New York. Jeter was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers […]
On Tuesday, live on the MLB Network at 6:00p ET, one to three new members of the Class of 2020 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be announced. Whoever gets elected, by receiving at least 75% of the 400+ expected votes, will join catcher Ted Simmons on stage this summer in Cooperstown, […]
On Friday, San Diego Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler announced that he was retiring after a 14-season Major League Baseball career. In 2019, a season in which he turned 37 years old, Kinsler was limited by injury and ineffectiveness to a career low 87 games played. The right-handed hitting second sacker finishes his career with […]
Articles Posted or Updated from 2021 to 2024: Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton are Elected to the Hall of Fame Cooperstown Cred Virtual Ballot: 10 Picks for 2024 The One-and-Dones on the 2024 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot Billy Wagner is Getting Closer to Cooperstown Todd Helton: Another Coors Field Hall of Fame […]
A little over three months ago, on August 2nd, baseball fans throughout the country noted the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson. At the time the death of Munson, caused by a crash of a plane he was piloting, was a shock to the entire baseball world. Munson, […]
Last night in Houston, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve continued to build on his over-sized legend by hitting a two-run, walk-off home run in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, a blast which will send the Astros to the World Series for the second time in three years. Facing the New York […]
100 years ago today, on January 31, 1919, baseball legend Jackie Robinson was born. He was Major League Baseball’s first acknowledged African-American player when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame just 15 years later. Besides being forever tied with the historical […]
Early this evening, Mariano Rivera made history as he was unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Rivera received all 425 of the votes cast by the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Prior to today’s announcement, the closest that any other player got to 100% was Ken […]
For those of us who are enthusiasts about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, today is Christmas. At 6:00p ET, on MLB Network, Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson will reveal the latest members of the Hall. Either three or four players will join last month’s Eras Committee inductees Lee Smith and Harold […]
On Tuesday, live on the MLB Network at 6:00p ET, three or four new members of the Class of 2019 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be announced. I am not a Hall of Fame voter and almost certainly never will be but I’ll stack the number of hours I spend thinking […]
Today the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) announced the names that will be on the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot. Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Todd Helton and the late Roy Halladay are the top headliners among the first-time eligible players. They’ll join 16 other newcomers and 15 returning players on the 2019 ballot. Each […]
It took a long time for Jack Morris to get to the Hall of Fame and the route was full of speed bumps and virtual cyber lynch mobs. Considered one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Morris won more games than any other pitcher in the 1980’s. He was a workhorse who completed a […]
Well, hello again you Hall of Fame maniacs, welcome to another edition of “Cooperstown Talk.” In case you haven’t noticed and, based on the number of @cooperstowncred Twitter followers, you haven’t, I shared 20 fun facts about the Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on Twitter in the last few weeks. They don’t call this the […]
Over the past few weeks, Cooperstown Cred has profiled dozens of players who are either sure bets or long shot candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Today, we’ll take a look at the stars of the N.L. East. In a division with three teams rebuilding and another that features a couple of […]
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto headlines the list of players in the National League West who are on track to have a chance to make it into baseball’s Hall of Fame. As it was with the A.L. Central, the presence of multiple teams in full rebuild limits the number of potential future Cooperstown inductees. […]
Clayton Kershaw headlines our list of active future Hall of Fame candidates who are plying their trades in the National League West. This is the second part of a six-part series highlighting the players who are on the way to Cooperstown as well as some who have a chance but have a lot of serious […]
It was about two months ago that about 425 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) received their Hall of Fame ballots in the mail. By the end of December, each of those writers returned their ballots to the Hall, with anywhere from 0 to 10 checkmarks next to the names of the […]
(Photo: Detroit Free Press) Well, that was quite an amazing post-season. The Houston Astros won their first World Series title ever in a 7-game bout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This October, things happened that we have never seen before. The two teams set an all time record for home runs. The classic Games 2 and […]
(Photo: The Sporting News) As it is with fellow first-time Hall of Fame candidates Scott Rolen and Omar Vizquel, the case for Andruw Jones rests primarily with his glove. According to multiple websites that track advanced defensive metrics, the pride of Willemstad, Curacao is the best defensive outfielder in the history of baseball, better than […]
When Chipper Jones was a rookie third baseman in 1995, the Atlanta Braves won their first World Series title (the first in Atlanta) by defeating the Cleveland Indians in 6 games. Chipper’s opposite number at the hot corner was 25-year-old Jim Thome, who was completing his first full season as a regular starter with the […]
(Photos: New York Times (Rivera) & Sports Illustrated (Fingers)) It’s a theme throughout this seven-part series, the importance of having a quality relief ace in post-season baseball. There is no role in which a player has the “hero or goat” possibilities more often in October than in the role of a closer. A position player […]
In Part Three of this history of relief pitching series, we’re going to delve into the golden age of relievers, when closers were multi-inning specialists. We’ll discuss the careers of Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage and Bruce Sutter. Although Dennis Eckersley also pitched in this era, his main claim to the Hall started […]
(Photo: Chicago Tribune) 1946-1968: The Emergence of the Bullpen Specialist In Part One of our seven-part series on the history of relief pitching, we chronicled how a significant percentage of the relief appearances in Major League Baseball were made by starting pitchers, coming out of the bullpen in between their starts. In the first 75 […]
On this page are links to pieces regarding the candidates for the Hall of Fame Class of 2022. 2023 Hall of Fame Candidates (for the BBWAA ballot): Abreu, Bobby (4th year on ballot) Beltran, Carlos (1st year on ball0t) Buehrle, Mark (3rd year on ball0t) Helton, Todd (5th year on ballot) Hunter, Torii (3rd year […]
Links to all profiles, articles and essays indexed by the individual, some of whom are in the Hall of Fame, some of whom are candidates, and some of whom are still active in the game. Players, managers, executives and broadcasters are all indexed alphabetically in the following categories: Hall of Famers, current Hall of Fame […]