Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
January 6, 2025
While a snowstorm is blanketing the overwhelming majority of these United States, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) is staying warm determining who will be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This year, the announcement from Cooperstown to determine the Class of 2025 will be made on Tuesday, January 21. And the Hot Stove season has been in full bloom as the ballparks enjoy the winter slumber and solitude.
Still at issue, those ballplayers tainted by substance allegations. The only way steroid/HGH-addled balloteers should be admitted to the Hall of Fame is with a paid ticket for admission to the museum.
“We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here,” wrote late Hall of Famer Joe Morgan in a November 2017 letter to the BBWAA, hoping to influence their Hall votes in 2018. Hopefully Morgan’s letter continues to resonate in 2025 as cheaters such as Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez (A-Roid) may inch closer to the magic number of 75 percent - the required minimum to grant one admission to the Hall.
The cloud of controversy has been dark and heavy, while initially eliminating some from Hall of Fame contention. In the cases of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa, the BBWAA voters rejected those candidacies, and after 10 years, their eligibility expired. Votes for Ramirez, in his eighth year on the ballot dropped slightly to 32.5 percent in 2024 from 33.2 percent in 2023, while Rodriguez checked in with 34.8 percent of the vote in his third year on the ballot, down from 35.7 percent of the vote in 2023. Perhaps the shrinking vote totals for Ramirez and Rodriguez is a good sign the BBWAA voters understand how wrong it is to reward a player for cheating, and the use of such substances is cheating.
(That said, the Classic Baseball Era Committee, on December 8, 2023, announced the election to the Hall of Dick Allen and Dave Parker. Parker, caught up in the cocaine scandal of the 1980s, should not gain induction into the Hall of Fame.)
I remain a consistent and virulent opponent of the steroid players and will continue to do so for the next seven years as Alex Rodriguez is on the ballot for the fourth year. The last thing to be said about A-Roid speaks volumes as to why he should never earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Admitting his use of steroids/banned substances, Rodriguez found himself suspended for 211 games from August 2013 through the entire 2014 season - a suspension well merited.
Ramirez, while expressing some sense of contrition during a 2019 interview with Boston 25 News, still should not be admitted to the Hall. On getting caught using steroids Ramirez said, “it was a good thing for me because it made me grow up. Maybe a lot of people didn’t get caught and they were doing maybe some crazy stuff and they’re not learning from it. So I think everything happens for a reason and everything is working for the good. I’m in a better place than I’ve ever been, even when I was playing, so I don’t regret it because it made me grow up.”
Players like Bonds, Clemens, Ramirez, Rodriguez, and Sosa, almost certainly would have been enshrined in Cooperstown sans steroids.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a so-called character clause. “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the team(s) on which the player played.” So-called because it has existed since 1945 and more than a fair share of miscreants have found their way to Cooperstown. (https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/bbwaa-rules-for-election)
With voting in mind, were I a privileged member of the BBWAA charged with the task of electing the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, three former major leaguers would earn my votes - two rookie balloteers and one holdover. Fourteen retirees are on the ballot for the first time with another 14 holdovers. Candidates who do not attain 75 percent of the vote must receive at least five percent of the vote or will be eliminated from future consideration.
Carsten Charles “CC” Sabathia pitched 19 seasons - 11 with the Yankees, eight with the Indians, and part of one with the Brewers. Sabathia posted a 251-161 win-loss record, a 3.74 ERA, 38 complete games, and 12 shutouts - stats for the current generation that are considered solid. The six time All Star averaged 6.4 innings pitched per start. Sabathia won 21 games once, and 19 games three times, including 2007 when he earned the Cy Young award. In addition to winning one Cy Young, Sabathia was named on five Cy Young ballots, five MVP ballots, and finished second for Rookie of the Year in 2001.
Sabathia is one of six pitchers with at least 250 victories, a .600 winning percentage, and at least 3,000 strikeouts. The other five are Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, and Justin Verlander. His 251 victories rank Sabathia 47th all time, tied with Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Al Spalding. Sabathia’s 3,093 strikeouts rank him 18th all time, nine ahead of Hall of Famer John Smoltz, and 24 behind Gibson. Sabathia is one of three southpaws with more than 3,000 strikeouts, trailing Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton who amassed 4,875 and 4,136 respectively. Sabathia’s 560 games started rank him 28th all time, two behind Hall of Famer Kid Nichols, and six ahead of Hall of Famer Eppa Rixey. Sabathia would have my vote, and if he is not elected on his first ballot, he won’t have long to wait thereafter.
One sure-fire Hall of Famer to be who won’t have to wait beyond January 21 for his call from Cooperstown will be Ichiro Suzuki, known simply as Ichiro. Ichiro debuted in 2001 as the first Japanese-born position player, manning rightfield masterfully enough to win 10 Gold Gloves in a row, out of the gates starting as a rookie. Ichiro, in 2001, became only the second Major Leaguer to win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Fred Lynn accomplished the feat in 1975 with the Boston Red Sox. in that amazing rookie year, Ichiro batted .350 with 242 hits, and 56 stolen bases. That batting average lead the American League, while the hits total and stolen bases lead all of Major League Baseball. And in the era of massive strike outs, Ichiro struck out an average of a paltry 66 times in a 162 game season.
In his first 10 seasons, all played with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro earned 10 All Star game appointments, batted over .300 each season, collected more than 200 hits each season, as well as stole more than 30 bases each season. Ichiro led all of Major League Baseball in hits seven times in that 10 year span, including a Major League record 262 hits in 2004. Ichiro surpassed the 257 hits collected by Hall of Famer George Sisler in 1920.
For his 19 year career which included 14 seasons with the Mariners, as well as time divided between the Yankees and the Marlins, Ichiro batted .311 with 3,089 hits, and 509 stolen bases. Including his years in Japan, Ichiro played 28 seasons amassing 4,367 hits, surpassing the all time hit king, Pete Rose, by 111. For his American hits total, Ichiro ranks 25th all time, 21 hits behind Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, and 29 hits ahead of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. Ichiro’s 509 stolen bases tie him with Hall of Famer Fred Clarke for 35th place all time, and put him three ahead of Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio. Without reservation, Ichiro would have my vote to enter the Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Omar Vizquel, the quintessential shortstop of a generation, won 11 Gold Glove awards during his 24 year career, second most at that position all time. Vizquel, also the oldest shortstop to win a Gold Glove, did so at age 39 in 2006. After five years with the Seattle Mariners, Vizquel took his talents to Cleveland continuing to be the defensive gem that will vault him into Cooperstown.
Vizquel was three times an All Star, overshadowed by Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, elected to Cooperstown in a near-unanimous vote in 2020. On the field, Vizquel led the league in Fielding Percentage six times as a shortstop and is the all time leader in Fielding Percentage at .985. Vizquel shares the season record with Cal Ripken, Jr. for committing the fewest errors by a shortstop playing in at least 150 games with a paltry three. Additionally, Vizquel is first all time in double plays turned by a shortstop, third all time in assists at shortstop, and 11th all time in putouts made by a shortstop.
At bat, Vizquel compares rather favorably to Hall of Fame shortstops Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and Luke Appling. Vizquel hit more home runs than Smith and Appling, trailing Aparicio by only three. Vizquel drove in more runs than Smith and Aparicio, stole more bases than Appling, hit for a higher batting average than Smith and Aparicio, while collecting more hits than all three. This is the eighth year on the ballot for Vizquel, having dropped from 19.5 percent of the vote in 2023 to 17.7 percent in 2024. Vizquel’s numbers may dip even further in 2025 due to allegations of a rather serious nature. Until they are adjudicated, I will not traffic in rumors and/or innuendo. Should Vizquel be found guilty, I will withdraw my support of his entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Two other former players on the ballot of note are Billy Wagner and Francisco Rodriguez. Wagner and Rodriguez are an interesting study because of their similar stat lines. Both closers pitched in 16 seasons and played for five teams each. Wagner’s record is 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and Rodriguez’s record is 52-53 with a 2.86 ERA. Wagner’s 422 saves ranks him sixth all time and Rodriguez’s 437 saves ranks him fourth all time. Wagner is in his 10th, and final year on the ballot, having fallen five votes short of induction in 2024. Wagner rose from 68.3 percent in 2023, to 73.8 percent in 2024. Wagner, a seven time All Star, appeared in 853 games, pitching 903 innings, and striking out 1,196 batters. Rodriguez, a six time All Star, appeared in 948 games, pitching 976 innings, striking out 1,142 batters. Rodriguez received 10.8 percent of the vote in 2023, as a freshman on the ballot, dropping to 7.8 percent in 2024. Wagner should be receiving a call from Cooperstown on January 21.
While it is important to not sully the Baseball Hall of Fame with the likes of Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, the focus must be on the greats who may be enshrined this July 27 and how they will continue to be the true ambassadors to the game of baseball as so many before them have been. Sadly, this is an ever shrinking community as four Hall of Famers passed away during 2024.
Orlando Cepeda (09/17/1937 - 06/28/2024) gained admission into the Hall of Fame in 1999 via the Veteran’s Committee. Known as the “Baby Bull,” the pride of Puerto RIco won Rookie of the Year honors in 1958 with the Giants in their first year in San Francisco, batting .312, and leading the National League with 38 doubles. In 1967, with the Cardinals, Cepeda won the MVP batting .325 and driving in a NL leading 111 runs. Cepeda’s most prolific season came in 1961, also with the Giants, as MVP runner up leading the NL with 46 home runs and 142 runs batted in. For his career, Cepeda batted .297, hit 379 homers, and had 1,365 RBI.
Rickey Henderson (12/25/1958 - 12/20/2024) earned his first ballot ticket to Cooperstown in 2009 by being the most prolific base stealer of all time. His 1,406 thefts far surpassed the 938 by Hall of Famer Lou Brock. At times a shameless self-promoter, on May 1, 1991, upon stealing third base against the Yankees, for career steal 939, Henderson pulled the base out of the ground and declared, “Lou Brock is the symbol of great base stealing, but today I am the greatest of all time.” Those stolen bases certainly helped Henderson set a new record for runs scored in a career with 2,295, eclipsing Hall of Famer Ty Cobb’s 2,245. Of Henderson’s 297 home runs, 81 came leading off a game, also a record, far above George Springer’s 60. Known as “the man of steal,” Henderson’s career stretched 25 seasons, from 1979 through 2003, 14 with the A’s and the rest spread over time with eight other teams. He led the league in stolen bases 12 times, runs scored five times, earned one Gold Glove, three Silver Slugger awards, made 10 All Star teams, and won the MVP in 1990.
Dorrel “Whitey” Herzog (11/09/1931 - 04/15/2024) gained admission into the Hall of Fame via the Veteran’s Committee in 2010. Herzog managed for 18 years (1973-1990), including 11 for the St. Louis Cardinals where he achieved his greatest success winning three National League pennants, the 1982 World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and Manager of the Year in 1985. His Cardinals teams lost the World Series in 1985 to the Royals, and in 1987 to the Twins. As manager of the Royals, his teams won the AL West three years in a row from 1976-78, only to lose the playoffs each year to the Yankees. Herzog’s managerial record tallied in at 1281-1125-3 and a .532 winning percentage.
Willie Howard Mays (05/06/1931 - 06/18/2024), the “Say Hey Kid,” possessed the five tools of a ballplayer before they were called the five tools. The oldest living Hall of Famer at the time of his death, Mays began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1948, at age 17 playing in 13 games in his only season with the team. He made his Major League debut in 1951 with the New York Giants, remaining with the team through the move to San Francisco, until traded to the Mets in 1972. Mays ended his career in New York following the Mets defeat at the hands of the A’s in the 1973 World Series, where it started 23 years ago. In 1979 Mays earned election to the Hall of Fame overwhelmingly on his first ballot.
In the interim, Mays, considered the greatest baseball player of all time by many, became Rookie of the Year in 1951, earned universal praise for “the catch” during the 1954 World Series sweep over the Indians, and won his first MVP that year. Mays hit .345, hit 41 home runs, drove in 110 runs, scored 119 runs, and cracked 195 hits. In winning his second MVP in 1965, Mays hit .317, hit 52 homers, drove in 112 runs, and scored 118 runs with 177 hits. Mays appeared on 15 MVP ballots, won 12 Gold Gloves, led the league in home runs four times, in triples three times, and in stolen bases three years consecutively.
The Mays stat line includes a .301 batting average, 6,080 total bases, fourth all time, 660 home runs, sixth all time, 2,068 runs scored, seventh all time, 3,005 games played, ninth all time, 1,909 RBI, 12th all time, and 3,293 hits, 13th all time. Mays also earned selection to a record 24 All Star games.
Although Pete Rose (04/14/1941 - 09/30/2024) is not in the Hall of Fame, the all time hit king certainly deserves his plaque in Cooperstown, even posthumously. Rose holds claim to the most hits in MLB history with 4,256, most games played with 3,562, second all time with 746 doubles, sixth in runs scored with 2,165, ninth in total bases with 5,754, a .304 batting average, and a 44 game hitting streak - the longest in NL history. A 17 time All Star, Rose earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1963, won the NL MVP in 1973, and found himself in the running for MVP 14 other seasons.
I’m not dismissing the gambling scandal, but with all the gambling advertisements throughout the entire sporting landscape, including college sports, that the world of professional sports has embraced online gambling, legal sportsbook betting, and the like, it seems Rose’s scandal might likely not be much of one in this climate.
May their memories be for a Blessing. May 2025 be a better, healthier year for one and all, and may the baseball season continue to excite its fans while gaining new fans to discover the greatness of America’s national pastime.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He has been a Patron-level member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2007.
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