David Ortiz’s Hall of Fame candidate shares similarities with Mariano Rivera.
They are designated hitters and closer specialists, and voters tend to keep those with limited work at a higher standard. As a voter, I do. But like Rivera, I think Ortiz has reached a higher standard.
Rivera and Ortiz were more than just experts. They are arguably the best rescuers and the best DHs ever.
They are on the short list of the best postseason performers ever. Rivera has made the biggest difference in the Yankees’ recent five championships. Ortiz defeated The Curse in 2004 and continues to be the most important player in the 2008 and 2013 Red Sox titles.
If you need to finish a World Series match alone, would you choose someone before Rivera? Ortiz is strongly considered if you need to choose someone to take a huge turn at bat in October.
The hurdle for Ortiz’s major hall is that his name was revealed in a 2009 New York Times report for failing a 2003 research test of a performance-enhancing drug. In 2016, Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that more than 10 of these positives were potentially false positives because they contained substances that were legally sold over the counter. Manfred also revealed that Ortiz had never failed the test from 2004 to the end of his career. The duration of the test was enhanced over time.
It’s not like Manny Ramirez or Alex Rodriguez, who failed to test after 2003, for example. I liken it to a series of roads rich in speed violations. Police then announced that radar would be a permanent feature in its range. If you get caught, you can no longer claim that everyone is doing it. Until 2003, players could claim that MLB rules were flimsy, but the use of unprescribed steroids was illegal in the country. But since 2004, the rules have been understood. “Everyone was doing” Alibi was no longer accepted.
I’m not happy to exclude them from my vote. Ramirez is on my favorite at-bat list — I don’t think he’s hit, but I don’t think he’s been on the plate as prime minister. Rodriguez was one of the most talented players to date. His biggest enemy has always been Alex Rodriguez. It’s a shame.
I put a checkmark next to Ortiz. Are you worried about his legitimacy? You bet Like Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and Pudge Rodriguez already in Cooperstown. Ortiz didn’t have the first season to fit in the hall until he was 27 years old. However, late bloomers were seen. Jeff Kent, who participates in this vote, didn’t have his first elite season until he was 29 years old. Suddenly, Lighty’s fastball jumped to 95 mph. The following season, at the age of 26, he broke out and launched an attack on immortality.
Perhaps only Ortiz can reach the required 75% when the vote is announced on Tuesday. In addition, 4 to 6 can exceed 50%. It emphasizes how difficult it is to win — the majority don’t. I voted for a total of 4 players (rules allow anywhere from 0 to 10). Others were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. These three are in their tenth year and are therefore the final year of the writer’s vote. I voted for each in 10 years.
They will qualify for today’s Game Age Commission as early as December next year — reminding us of the writer’s checks and balance. It’s positive. This is especially true for fan monitoring on social media. As popular as the NFL, there is little controversy, anger, or controversy over the Football Hall of Fame. Having a lot around the baseball version is good news, not bad. That passion means that our vote is scrutinized and criticized. That is the price of voting. Other prices need to explain your vote. Therefore, the reasons for the other checkmarks are:
Barry Bonds
I know there is a contradiction in steroid-related voting. But I believe Bond did not cheat throughout the 1998 season. At that point, he looked around and made another decision, seeing Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa getting all the crazy love and money. It’s a Greek tragedy and the best player at the expense of ego and greed. By the way, I think many of us used to collapse.
But until 1998, Bond was the best baseball player I’ve ever seen. At that point, he was the first and still a 400 Homer / 400 Steel player. Until then, his number was .290 / .411 / .556 in the 33-year-old season with 8,100 at-bats, 164 OPS plus, 411 Homer, 445 Steel and 8 Gold Glove. His godfather Willie Mays, up to 33: 8,051 at bats, .313 / .388 / .588, 161 OPS plus, 453 Homer, 267 Steel, 8 Gold Glove (the distinction is until 1957) It didn’t start. I had more).
Maze may be the best player ever. If his career ends at that point, he can easily join. By the age of 33, Bond had three of the seven MVPs. It is enough to see him as the Slam Dunk Hall of Fame.
Roger Clemens
I’m not as comfortable as Clements didn’t cheat early in his career. But after he left Boston for Toronto following the 1996 season, it really becomes suspicious. At that point, he pitched over 2,700 innings, earning three (of his seven records) Cy Youngs, one second, one-third, and MVP, and one of the greatest fastball pitchers of all time. Was recognized as. That’s enough for me.
Curt Schilling
He offends me in many ways His “joke” that journalists should be lynched.. He said he wanted to stop voting when he didn’t enter last year, and he said he wanted to be judged by the former players of today’s Game Age Commission. First, more than 70% of the writers he said knew nothing and voted for him. Second, today’s game-era committees have writers.
But this is not a popular contest. This is: Are you inducted into the Hall of Fame? Schilling is one of the best power pitchers, one of the best control artists and one of the best postseason pitchers ever. It is equal to the Hall of Fame.
By the way, the last one should not be ignored. Many current indicators include “win” in the title. But for me, having so much to do with actually winning the title is now given too little love. Ortiz and Schilling were at the heart of the championship (plural). As a good candidate as Billy Wagner, he played in 14 post-season games, three of which were his biggest negative plays. In another NLCS Game 6, Mets allowed two runs of nine times in the winning game. But that discouraged then-manager Willie Randolph from using him twice in the ninth inning of Round 7, instead of Aaron Heilman. Did he give up on Yadier Molina’s pennant clinch home run?
Wagner was like Mike Vanderjagut, Colts’ old kicker. He was one of the best players ever in the regular season, but he was unreliable in the biggest games. Give me Adam Vinatieri.
Wagner had one of the jobs like Rivera and Ortiz, but their limited role makes post-season results more important. Still, I hate bringing out negatives because he’s a borderline case. That is, he is better than 98 percent of the players he has played. The same is true for candidates such as Kent, Todd Helton, Andrew Jones and Gary Sheffield. I believe in a small hall. But you can see why others have different boundaries.
Ultimately, we determine the boundaries and who crosses them. For me, this year is Bond, Clements, Ortiz, Shilling.