Cleveland legend Kenny Lofton spoke with FanSided's Adam Weinrib on The Baseball Insiders on behalf of his new project, Sluggball. Described as "Baseball Reimagined," the new venture/evolution of the game is an attempt to emphasize small ball and bring back former players as ambassadors and participants. Learn more on their website, linked above.
After a steady climb dinged by a brutal post-prime, former Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones appears to be on the verge of Cooperstown with two more years left on the BBWAA ballot. A 10-time Gold Glover who slugged 434 home runs, but fell off tremendously after the age of 30, Jones received 66.2 percent percent of the vote, up from just 7.3 percent in his first year of consideration. That's a mere 2.3 percent above the threshold for swift elimination.
Kenny Lofton was not afforded that same luxury; entering a stacked ballot back in 2013, Lofton earned just 3.2 percent of the vote, falling out of consideration after just one year. It's no great surprise: The Hall's rules state that voters can only choose a maximum of 10 candidates, and that year's ballot featured 10 future Hall of Famers, which doesn't even account for other big names like Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Don Mattingly. Bernie Williams fell off in year two, as well. 3.2 percent doesn't sound like much, but imagine convincing 30 Hall of Fame voters to find room in that mess? Palmeiro garnered just 8.8 percent (50 votes), and without steroids, the 569-homer forgotten man would've been among the simplest shoo-ins in the game's history.
Despite out-WAR'ing the fast-rising Jones by 5.7 over their respective careers and ranking as the second-best center fielder who has yet to be honored in Cooperstown, per Jay Jaffe's JAWS system (Carlos Beltrán is first), Lofton has yet to receive his due. He also has yet to be reconsidered by the Eras Committee, which will be putting together a Contemporary Baseball Era/Player Ballot in December to help comprise the Class of 2026.
Lofton would like to be included — and should be included. He should also be elected.
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Cleveland's Kenny Lofton wants a second chance at the Baseball Hall of Fame (and deserves one)
"I think they have their niche of what they want to look at, and it's either 3,000 hits or 500 home runs," Lofton told The Baseball Insiders last week. "And that's how they make up the game of baseball. They look at it that way. You look at Andruw Jones, and you say "center fielders". I was a center fielder, so if you want to put me in that same category, I'm gonna get lost because I don't hit home runs."
In fact, Lofton eyed a different recent player rather than Jones' simmering vote totals when asked to consider his own improved chances.
"For myself, you have to look at Ichiro, who's not a home run-hitting guy and who does the other things that make this game exciting, those are the people that you should look at when you look at different guys in different categories. Center fielders, leadoff-type guys, and center fielders, power-type guys."
It all comes down to December, when the committee will attempt to pull together an eight-player ballot representing the modern era of recently scorned inductees. Unfortunately for Lofton, some of the same players who held him back last time — Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, perhaps even Bernie Williams — will likely be included.
"If I don't get on this year, I have to wait 'til 2028. I don't know what to do," Lofton stated. "Hopefully, they compare my numbers to people who are in the Hall of Fame and go from there."