A hitter digging into the batter’s box sixty feet, six inches away from Greg Maddux might not initially be intimidated. After all, Maddux was listed at six-feet tall and one-hundred seventy pounds, never relying on blazing fastball velocity to put hitters away. “The Professor” often wore glasses off the mound, which almost emphasized his unassuming persona. However, what...
The newest members of baseball’s hall of fame are Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff. They will be enshrined in Cooperstown this summer. A preview of the 2024 hall of fame candidates shows a few former Mets on the ballot, as well as one former star who seems to be a lock to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Adrián Beltré Let’s start with Adrián Beltré, the former Dodger,...
Poor Billy Wagner… arguably the best left-handed reliever in the game and once again he failed to get enough votes for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. And while Wagner was undoubtedly one of the most glaring snubs, he certainly was not the only one as Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, and former Mets Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent all failed to make the grade. But hey, congratulations to Scott...
Good morning, Mets fans! Former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen has entered baseball infamy as he has accumulated enough votes to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rolen enters as the lone ballot Hall of Famer this year and will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December. Several players with Mets connections have missed the 75%...
It was revealed Tuesday the Baseball Writers of America Association (BBWAA) voted Scott Rolen into the Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class. Rolen will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December. Rolen received 76.3% of the vote, crossing the 75% threshold needed for induction. Todd Helton narrowly missed with 72.2% and Billy Wagner had the third...
MLB writers are notorious for being sticklers when casting their ballots for Hall of Fame inductees. This year in particular, a certain former Met is getting learning that lesson. Carlos Beltrán made his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot at the end of the 2022 MLB season. The former Met retired in 2017 and appeared to be a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Beltrán finished his career with 435 home runs,...
Howard Johnson, Al Leiter, Gary Cohen, and Howie Rose will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame as the 2023 class of inductees, the team announced on Wednesday. Additionally, Jay Horowitz, the team’s longtime media relations guru, will receive the team’s Hall of Fame Achievement Award. Johnson, Leiter, Cohen and Rose will officially be inducted on Saturday, June 3 in a pre-game...
His statistics minus context would have guaranteed him election on the first ballot. A 143 OPS+, a career .308 batting average, six seasons with at least 100 RBIs, plus 427 home runs. Impressive numbers made more so because of where he played on the field. The unofficial title of “Greatest Hitting Catcher” was deservedly given to Mike Piazza as his career concluded and as he...
Sixty-two Hall of Fame ballots have been publicly released, kept track by Ryan Thibodaux and the Hall of Fame Ballot Tracker team. Among those early returns we’ve seen increased love for Todd Helton (+11 votes), Andruw Jones (+11), Jeff Kent (+12), Gary Sheffield (+13), and Billy Wagner (+12). These returning members are trending toward higher voting percentage than last year but only two,...
Mike Piazza’s journey of going from a 62nd-round draft pick (1,390th overall) at the behest of a Hall of Fame manager, to switching positions late in his teenage years and becoming the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of near improbability. For Piazza, 54, baseball was a way of life and something he innately knew he was destined for. From a young age, Piazza had access to the...
There is only one new entrant into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The man who is receiving that distinct honor is Fred McGriff. He was selected by the Contemporary Era committee, this committee was comprised of 16 individuals, all of which voted for him. To gain entry, nominees needed at least 12 votes from the 16 electors. McGriff, who endured a 19-year career, played from 1986 to 2004....
Carlos Beltran is officially eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, after being added to the 2023 BBWAA ballot earlier this week alongside some other former Mets like R.A. Dickey and Francisco Rodriguez. Beltrán is one of the more intriguing names to be added to the ballot, and his Hall of Fame candidacy is sure to stir up debate. Beltrán’s on-field numbers speak for themselves. He is one...
