In addition to being one of the most mediated and engaging in history, the Cooperstown ballot of the year will also be one of the most powerful in nearly eight decades of the US Baseball Hall of Fame. United, considering the number of quadrangulars that hit their members.
Dominicans Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz will debut in December on the jury ballot of the American Baseball Writers Association (BBWAA), alongside American initialists Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder, among others. others.
While “A-Rod” (696) is the fifth greatest home runner of all time, “Big Papi” (541) is number 17 and Teixeira (409) is number 56. Howard (382) and Fielder (319) are among the 125 toleteros that more balls have removed from park in the majors leagues.
They will join in the ballot with Barry Bonds, the all-time leading homer, with 762, Dominicans Sammy Sosa (609) and Manny Ramirez (555), American Gary Sheffield (509) and Curazoleño Andruw Jones (434).
In the historic lead of the Major Leagues, Sosa is ninth, Ramirez No. 15, Sheffield # 26 and Jones # 47, tied with Puerto Rican Juan “Igor” Gonzalez.
These 10 players combined to hit 5,216 home runs (an average of 521 per run), the third-highest number to have had a tenth on a particular ball at the Hall of Fame.
The quadrangular record for the top 10 of a ballot is 5,274, set in 2018 by Bonds (762), Jim Thome (612), Sosa (609), Ramirez (555), Sheffield (509), Fred McGriff (493 ), Chipper Jones (468), Vladimir Guerrero (449), Jones (434) and Larry Walker 383. the top 10 in 2016 accumulated 5,238 home runs, while those in 2014 had 5,173 and those in the in 2015 they totaled 5,065.
This is possible due to the long time they have remained on the ballot Bonds, Sosa and Ramírez, who failed to be elected in 2021. For Bonds and Sosa it was their ninth and penultimate year of eligibility and for Ramírez the fifth.
All of these players have been related to the use of substances to improve performance, in one way or another. While Ramirez was punished twice for violating the anti-doping policy of the major leagues, Bonds and Clemens were prosecuted for lying under oath in this regard, while Sosa has been accused several times of having taken advantage of the absence of punishment for use substance when active.
Rodriguez, a three-time Most Valuable Player, confessed that he used substances to improve performance in different parts of his career and was even suspended for the entire 2014 due to his role in the biogenesis clinic scandal. of Miami.
A 2009 New York Times report reported that Ortiz, a three-time World Series champion, was allegedly one of the players who pitched positive in the voluntary and secret tests he conducted in the Major Leagues in 2003, but the player disputed the report and was publicly supported by the commissioner’s office.
“A-Rod” and “Big Papi” were not only the best players of their generation, but also the most popular. After retiring they have continued to work in the industry, even for the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, and the chains that broadcast the games nationally.
The BBWAA did not pick any players this year, the ninth time this has happened. That way, Bonds, Sosa and pitchers Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling will have their last chance to be chosen by reporters next winter.
In 2022, gardener Carl Crawford, torpedo boat Jimmy Rollins, receiver AJ Pierzynski and pitchers Jake Peavy, Tim Licecum, Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon will also be making their debut on the ticket.
Among those returning, in addition to Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Schilling and Ramirez, are Sheffield, Jones, Scott Rolen, Billy Wagner, Todd Helton, Jeff Kent, Venezuelans Omar Vizquel and Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Torii Hunter and Tim Hudson.