The Baseball Hall of Fame will only induct one new face through its traditional voting system in 2023, Scott Rolen, with other names added by an independent committee.
One can understand the reluctance of some in relation to the steroid scandal. But players like Andruw Jones, who collected the Golden Gloves, Todd Helton, who seems shunned because he was playing in Colorado, and Jeff Kent, who was in his final year of eligibility, still haven’t seen their name to be immortalized forever.
Moreover, the latter is angry with the Association of Baseball Columnists in America. Kent confided in Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Voting over the years has been too embarrassing. Baseball is losing a few generations of great players who were the best of their time because a few continue to compare those players to already elected players from past generations and that influences the vote. It’s unfair to the best players of their time and those who have already been elected, in my opinion. »
The former infielder is ENTIRELY right. Some voters are completely overwhelmed, to be polite. A few don’t even seem to be in touch with the world of major league baseball anymore. Others need attention handing in an empty ballot…
Kent received just over 46% of the vote in his tenth year of eligibility, well below the 75% threshold required to be inducted, despite his 377 long balls giving him first place in the league. history among second basemen, and that he ranks third in the RBI column at that same position.
A new electoral system will have to be introduced sooner rather than later. Involvement of former players, managers and leaders could be a possible solution.
