Could more Hall of Fame shutouts be on the horizon?
It could be a while before the Baseball Writers’ Association of America votes anyone new into the Hall of Fame.
BBWAA members delivered an empty class in this year’s election, which was announced Tuesday night. Curt Schilling received the most support, but the former pitcher was selected on 71.1 per cent of the ballots, falling 16 votes short of the 75 per cent needed for induction. Barry Bonds (61.8 per cent) and Roger Clemens (61.6 per cent) were the nexthighest finishers.
It was the first time since 2013 the BBWAA didn’t elect anyone. That year proved to be an exception. The writers elected 22 players from ’14 to ’20. But there are signs the ’21 shutout could be repeated next year — and perhaps the year after that, as well.
Schilling came up short, his numbers barely budging from last year. He’s turned off voters with his behaviour in recent years, including social media posts about Muslim extremists, transgender people and journalists.
Schilling wrote on Facebook he has asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from next year’s ballot.
Hall of Fame board chair Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement the board “will consider the request at our next meeting.”
Bonds and Clemens appear to have stalled, as well, amid suspicions of the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Next year’s ballot is expected to include Alex Rodriguez and David
Ortiz for the first time. Rodriguez was suspended for the 2014 season for violating Major League Baseball’s PED policy and collective bargaining agreement. The New York Times reported in ’09 that Ortiz was among those who tested positive in an ’03 survey designed to determine the degree of steroids use in baseball.
Barring a significant change in the way the electorate approaches PEDs, it’s possible the BBWAA won’t vote anyone in next year, either.
And the same could be true for ’23, when Carlos Beltran — implicated in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal — appears likely to be the top newcomer on the ballot.
Last chance
Bonds and Clemens have one more year on the writers’ ballot, and Schilling does, too, unless the hall abides by his request for removal.
There was a time when Bonds and Clemens seemed to be making progress as new voters were added to the process, but now they’re heading into their 10th and final chance.
“The turnover in the electorate seems to be good for a point or two every year, but they need, what, 13 or 14 points now?” said Ryan Thibodaux, whose online ballot tracker provides a running poll in the weeks leading up to the vote announcement.
Hard to predict
Ortiz has his own PED questions, but he’s managed to remain relatively popular, and it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll fare in the voting.
Perhaps a groundswell of support for Ortiz will cause some voters to rethink their opposition to Bonds and Clemens, but it’s not at all clear how well Ortiz will do on his first try.
Other avenues
Even if the BBWAA doesn’t vote anyone in next year, there’s still a chance someone will be elected by one of the Eras Committees, which consider players no longer eligible for the BBWAA vote. The Golden Days and Early Baseball committees are supposed to consider candidates for next year’s class, and the Today’s Game Committee is set to have its say for the 2023 class.