MLB Hall of Fame Vote: 5 key takeaways

MLB Hall of Fame 2017: 5 key takeaways from this year’s class

Apr 1, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Former Montreal Expos player Vladimir Guerrero salutes the crowd next to Tim Raines during a ceremony before the game between teh Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jul 24, 2016; Cooperstown, NY, USA; Hall of Fame Inductee Ken Griffey Jr. makes his acceptance speech during the 2016 MLB baseball hall of fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Public balloting will help

Twitter and social media, and the excellent Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs — worth a follow 365 days a year regardless of ballot tracking) have brought much-needed transparency to the Hall of Fame vote. For the first time next year, all ballots will be made public knowledge. That should help force out some of the “small Hall” crowd hiding among the older voters who have continued keeping their ballots private. In the pre-announcement tracking, several candidates had polled much higher, only to see their percentages drop steeply upon the official announcement.

Big percentage of the ballots not published to date did not include Bonds and Clemens, who plummeted from 70% range to 53-54%
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 18, 2017

Baseball has one of the most inclusive Halls among the four major sports. Less than a quarter of a percent of players who played the game in the 1990s have been inducted. Compare that with over one percent historically. The movement towards a much smaller Hall has been fueled in some ways by a reluctance to accept that the Steroid Era happened and move on. There are older writers, too, who have failed to accept the changing nature of the game. Three-hundred wins should not be the bare minimum for a pitcher to reach Cooperstown. Closers and DHs are a part of the game, and will be from here on out.

The best players in those roles are just as eligible for the Hall of Fame as their counterparts who throw the first six innings (down from the nine customarily thrown in the 1920s) and the fielders (who often have lesser offensive numbers than the best DHs). A full reveal of all ballots cast will help force out the stodgiest members of the BBWAA, or at least force them to vote in a way that better reflects the current state of the game.

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