BA Mock Hall Admits Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez
In its annual mock Hall of Fame election, Baseball America editors enshrined Vladimir Guerrero and Ivan Rodriguez, two players making their ballot debuts, and also chose Tim Raines in his final appearance on the ballot. Manny Ramirez, a third first-timer on the ballot, fell two votes shy of election.
| BA HALL OF FAME • 2014-17 |
||
| Player |
Year |
Pct |
| Tom Glavine | 2014 | 100% |
| Greg Maddux | 2014 | 100% |
| Frank Thomas | 2014 | 100% |
| Randy Johnson | 2015 | 100% |
| Pedro Martinez | 2015 | 100% |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 2016 | 100% |
| Vladimir Guerrero | 2017 | 96% |
| Craig Biggio | 2015 | 95% |
| John Smoltz | 2015 | 95% |
| Mike Piazza | 2014 | 92% |
| Ivan Rodriguez | 2017 | 92% |
| Tim Raines | 2017 | 84% |
| Roger Clemens | 2014 | 83% |
| Curt Schilling | 2015 | 81% |
| Jeff Bagwell | 2014 | 79% |
| Barry Bonds | 2014 | 79% |
| Edgar Martinez | 2016 | 78% |
| Mike Mussina | 2015 | 76% |
Each year since 2014, BA has conducted a parallel-universe Hall of Fame election using the same voting standards as the baseball writers who guard the doors to Cooperstown. In the three elections in 2014, 2015 to 2016, the BA voting bloc enshrined 15 players, compared with nine by the BBWAA.
A record 25 ballots were cast this year by BA writers or former writers who wished to participate. The voting constituency has remained static through the years, and no writer who votes in this mock elections casts a ballot in the BBWAA election. The average BA ballot cast this year contained 6.5 names, with one voter opting for just two players and six voters maxing out their ballots with 10 players.
With 25 ballots cast this year, players had to receive at least 19 votes to reach the 75 percent threshold. Three candidates satisfied that requirement, though for the first time none did so unanimously. Guerrero missed unanimity by only one vote.
In addition to being highly accomplished as players, Guerrero (Dominican Republic) and Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) also are notable for their heritage. Just seven Latin Americans who played in the American or National leagues have been enshrined in Cooperstown*, but that number will grow rapidly in the coming years.
The BA mock election process recognized Pedro Martinez (Dominican Republic) in 2015, Edgar Martinez (Puerto Rico) in 2016 and very nearly Manny Ramirez (Dominican Republic) in 2017. Compelling Latin American candidates will continue to flood the BBWAA ballot for the foreseeable future, too. The list includes Andruw Jones (Curacao), Johan Santana (Venezuela) and Omar Vizquel (Venezuela) in 2018 and Mariano Rivera (Panama) and Miguel Tejada (Dominican Republic) in 2019.
Additionally, a number of superstars active in 2016 have built (or are building) Cooperstown-quality résumés, such Carlos Beltran, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
The BA mock Hall of Fame election process exists not to overshadow the actual writers’ vote but to provide a different perspective. We believe that no one takes a broader view of the game than BA, a media outlet that covers players from the amateur ranks through the draft, up the minor league ladder and on to the big leagues. Additionally, because the BA electorate has been more inclusive in its four elections than the BBWAA, we are able to avoid the 10-man ballot logjam and thus consider the cases for a wider range of players.
The Chosen Three
Vladimir Guerrero collected more extra-base hits (972) and RBIs (1,496) since the 1994 strike than any outfielder but Manny Ramirez or Carlos Beltran. A nine-time all-star, Guerrero claimed the 2004 American League MVP trophy with the Angels and won eight Silver Slugger awards. He finished with 2,590 hits and 449 home runs.
Ivan Rodriguez reached the majors at age 19 in 1991 and over the course of a 21-year career set numerous catcher records, most prominently for games caught (2,427), hits (2,844), runs (1,354) and doubles (572). He won the 1999 American League MVP award, earned all-star honors 14 times (including every year from 1992 to 2001) and claimed 13 Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers.
Tim Raines stole more bases in his career (808) than all but four others. He won the National League batting title in 1986 and made seven all-star teams. During his 10-year peak of 1981-90, Raines ranked among the major league leaders with a .391 on-base percentage (fourth), a .302 average (seventh) and 926 runs (fourth). Only Rickey Henderson stole more bases.
| Player |
Pos | Primary Team | Votes |
Pct |
| Vladimir Guerrero | RF | Expos | 24 | 96% |
| Ivan Rodriguez | C | Rangers | 23 | 92% |
| Tim Raines | LF | Expos | 21 | 84% |
A Majority Of The Vote
Some voters expressed reservation about voting for Manny Ramirez on the first ballot because he twice flunked tests for performance-enhancing substances toward the end of his career.
Right fielders Larry Walker and Gary Sheffield gained ground in the 2017 election. Walker climbed from 57 percent last year to 64 percent this year, while Sheffield climbed from 39 percent to 56 percent. That could put them on a track for future enshrinement.
| Player |
Pos | Primary Team | Votes |
Pct |
| Manny Ramirez | LF | Red Sox | 17 | 68% |
| Larry Walker | RF | Rockies | 16 | 64% |
| Gary Sheffield | RF | Marlins | 14 | 56% |
More Than A Quarter Of The Vote
Trevor Hoffman received 48 percent of the BA vote—the same as Sammy Sosa and just a tick more than Jeff Kent (40 percent). He probably will receive substantially more support from the writers after he appeared on 67 percent of BBWAA ballots in 2016. If Hoffman enters Cooperstown this year, he will be the first player elected by the BBWAA but not BA.
Some BA voters want time to process exactly what a high saves total—and Hoffman has a National League-record 601—means in an era of one-inning closers. Notably, he lost support compared with last year, when he pulled in 61 percent of the vote. Contrast that with Sammy Sosa (35 percent last year) and Jeff Kent (22 percent), who both gained votes.
| Player |
Pos | Primary Team | Votes |
Pct |
| Trevor Hoffman | RHP | Padres | 12 | 48% |
| Sammy Sosa | RF | Cubs | 12 | 48% |
| Jeff Kent | 2B | Giants | 10 | 40% |
Pockets Of Support
Five players received scattered votes but probably don’t have enough momentum to gain election one day. Billy Wagner will be an interesting case to reexamine if fellow closer Trevor Hoffman is enshrined at a future date.
| Player |
Pos | Primary Team | Votes |
Pct |
| Billy Wagner | LHP | Astros | 6 | 24% |
| Fred McGriff | 1B | Braves | 3 | 12% |
| Jorge Posada | C | Yankees | 3 | 12% |
| Lee Smith | RHP | Cubs | 1 | 4% |
| Jason Varitek | C | Red Sox | 1 | 4% |
The best performers to receive zero votes in our balloting were center fielder Mike Cameron, right fielder J.D. Drew, right fielder Magglio Ordonez, first baseman Derrek Lee and shortstop Edgar Renteria.
* Luis Aparicio (Venezuela), Rod Carew (Panama), Orlando Cepeda (Puerto Rico), Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico), Juan Marichal (Dominican Republic), Pedro Martinez (Dominican Republic) and Tony Perez (Cuba)
** Vladimir Guerrero and Ivan Rodriguez also are linked by the fact they have sons who are active minor league players. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a third baseman, is the No. 1 prospect in the Blue Jays system, while Dereck Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick out of high school in 2011, is a righthander in the Twins system.
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