Boston Globe writer submits shocking David Ortiz-less Hall-of-Fame ballot

For the second consecutive year, Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy submits a Hall of Fame ballot with only Jeff Kent marked, ignoring David Ortiz.

Usually, sports reporters give more credence to the athletes in their locale, honoring their successes more passionately as they see these individuals inspire the city and bring home championships.

Even though Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz brought three World Series home to Boston, apparently, he isn’t good enough to win over Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy.

For the second year in a row, Shaughnessy is only casting a vote for Jeff Kent, making him the only Boston Globe writer to not vote for Ortiz in his first year of HOF eligibility.

Boston Globe writer does not cast vote for David Ortiz to Cooperstown

The Hall of Fame ballot represents a challenge this year, as four controversial players are facing their last year of eligibility: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Curt Schilling.

Unlike the rest of his Boston Globe counterparts, Shaughnessy isn’t voting for any of them, nor is he voting for Ortiz, a Boston legend he acknowledges as the “the Father Christmas of baseball” who “may be the most clutch postseason hitter in history.”

Here’s why Shaughnessy isn’t voting for Ortiz in 2022:

"“Fair or unfair, I’ve never voted for anyone who got caught using PEDs or appeared to gain an unfair advantage by juicing…In my opinion, Ortiz will gain entry when voting is revealed Jan. 25. Good for him. But there’s no vote here, because I’m trying to be consistent. Big Papi failed MLB’s baseline testing in 2003. The commissioner asked us to ignore that failed test — a presidential pardon not granted Sosa, A-Rod, or Manny, who also failed the same test. I didn’t vote for the others. Not voting for David.”"

Instead, he’s voting for Jeff Kent because during the second baseman’s Hall of Fame career, he was “dominant at his position in the time he played and there is no whiff of cheating or off-field scandal.”

“Look him up: Among all second basemen, Kent ranks first in homers and third in RBIs — better than Ryne Sandberg or Joe Morgan,” Shaughnessy wrote. “He also was National League MVP in 2000. He has a higher WAR than Bobby Doerr.”

The Hall of Fame ballot results will be revealed on Jan. 25, and if the rest of the Globe’s staff is representative of the MLB voters at large, Ortiz is expected to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer.