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There has been quite a bit of controversy over the last few years surrounding the Baseball Hall of Fame election process by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers' Association of America)
The writers who get to vote on which players get immortalized in Cooper's Town year in and year out have been accused of having inflated ego's, extreme bias, thinking they are above the game, and being out of touch with the modern fan. And this year is no different, as in a stacked field of candidates, the BBWAA opted to only induct one man into the 2023 Hall of Fame, Fred McGriff. I'm not saying he isn't worthy, because he is, but there were a lot of other interesting names on the ballot.
Perhaps the biggest controversy surrounding the Hall of Fame voting process stems from the steroid era of baseball, which ran from somewhere around the late 1980's well into the late 2000's. The steroid era was quite possibly the most exciting time in the history of the game to be a fan of baseball. However, exciting or not, there is no in-between for those of us who pay attention to the game. Ask any baseball fan, and they're either of the opinion that known steroids users don't belong in the HoF, or they believe that these players deserve to be enshrined.
Here at House Enterprise, we thought we'd pool the opinions of a few of our content creators, in an effort to get a fan perspective on who should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2023. No enormous paychecks, no national coverage, just your average everyday fans trying to take the game back.
We will be following the conventional BBWAA voting rules, meaning we cannot vote for more than 10 candidates, and write-in votes are not permitted.
(Getty Images via TPS)
From the desk of Jake Zimmer, House Enterprise Co-Founder, BBB Podcast co-host:
Scott Rolen: Watching the Cubs growing up, I dreaded their games against the Cardinals. Sure, Pujols was a factor, but Scott Rolen played a major role. His 70.1 WAR remains the 9th-best in the category among any third baseman in baseball, past or present. Rolen is a guy that simply fell victim to circumstances of better players in front of him, and hopefully 2022 is his chance to break through.
Todd Helton: Basically the only player that held the Rockies together throughout the late '90s and 2000's, Helton was one of the most reliable first basemen in recent history. Sure; the "Coors Field factor," his steep decline in the late years, and the fact that the Rockies only made the playoffs twice in his 17-year career shouldn't be overlooked. But neither should his wild tear from 1999-2004, which he eclipsed .320 BA, 30 HR, and 96 RBI's in every season; nor should his 2000 NL Batting Championship, his 3-time Gold Glove honor, and 4-time nod to the Silver Slugger group. Put Todd in the Hall.
Andruw Jones: Winning, in my eyes, constitutes a Hall of Famer, and Andruw Jones met the standard. And, given the Atlanta Braves won the NL East in every single one of his first ten seasons, you can't overlook Jones' contributions to the game. A five-time All Star, ten-time Gold Glove Award winner, and 443-time home run hitter, Jones was a force across the field. I am of the belief that you cannot omit Jones from a discussion of the best outfielders of all time.
Alex Rodriguez: Without question, Alex Rodriguez remains the most polarizing candidate in the field. Can you put a known steroid user in the Hall of Fame? If history repeats itself, A-Rod will be on the outside-looking-in at the 2023 ceremony, but the glaring statistic that makes me second-guess this is his 696 home runs. How are we going to omit one of the best power hitters ever, regardless of his tribulations afterwards? A three-time MVP, 14-time All Star, 10-time Silver Slugger, and World Series winner should be in the Hall of Fame.
Manny Ramirez: In the spirit of polarizing candidates, Manny comes right to the top of the list with A-Rod. "Manny Being Manny" was more than an idiom; it represented his "me over team" mentality that many tried to attribute to him essentially just being a space cadet. But, as I did with others, let's try to focus on the facts; Manny was a .313 career hitter who mashed 555 career homers, and was instrumental in some of the Red Sox's world series runs. Sure, he eventually gave up on them, but he was universally feared as a hitter in Boston.
Notable No-Votes
Carlos Beltran - Beltran's legacy of becoming a potential - at some times, inevitable - Hall of Famer was marred by his prominent role in the Astros' cheating scandal. And yes, I voted for a cheater above. The difference between him and A-Rod, though? Beltran didn't hit 696 homers - his resume doesn't compare.
Billy Wagner - Wagner had above-average regular season career stats - top five of any reliever to play the game - and insanely poor postseason statistics. This is a toss-up, but I don't believe Wagner meets the criteria to become only the ninth reliever to get into the HOF.
Jeff Kent - One of the most reliable, durable, and versatile infielders ever, Kent should most certainly be a consideration in his final year of eligibility. But Kent took a back-seat to the star players at all six of his stops. He just was nowhere near close to the caliber player that played while he did; I voted for the ones that outshined him.
From the desk of Will Tondo, House Enterprise Co-Founder, BBB Podcast co-host:
Carlos Beltran: It's Beltran's first year on the ballot, and I think he is a deserving candidate. 20 seasons in the big leagues, 9x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, ROY in '99, and a World Series title (yes, I know it's with the Astros, I am over it at this point) Beltran was an elite hitter, with 2,725 hits and 435 home runs. In his career, he hit .300 or better four times, drove in 100+ runs seven times, and stole over 300 bases. He was one of those it guys in the 2000's and deserves to be enshrined.
Mark Buehrle: In his third year on the ballot, I think his resume speaks for itself. Pitching at the level he did is surely HOF level. He pitched a No-No and a Perfect Game in his career, as well as a World Series winner in 2005, winning 2 games. Over 1,800 strikeouts and 5 All-Stars, he also was a certified winner, winning 13+ games in 12 of his 16 seasons.
Todd Helton: For his longevity with the Rockies, Helton should be considered. A 5x All-Star with over 2,500 hits and 369 homers, he collected 4 silver sluggers, alongside leading the league in batting and RBI's in 2000. He is a career .316 hitter (12 seasons of .300+ batting) who also had great defense at first, winning 3 gold gloves. He's one of only seven players who had two seasons of 400+ total bases.
Andrew Pettite: Listen, he's a PED guy, but it's time to get over it. Pettite pitched in 18 seasons, winning 5 World Series' with the Yankees. He was the ALCS MVP and a 3x All-Star who won 256 games and struck out 2,448 batters. He had two seasons with 20 wins, 8 seasons with 15+, and topped 200 innings pitched in 10 seasons. A 19-11 postseason record, he holds all time records in the playoffs in wins (19), innings pitched (276.2), and games started (44).
Manny Ramirez: I will be honest in my ballot, and if I admit one, I admit all. Manny had his troubles with PED's, but his resume speaks for itself. 12x All-Star, 2x World Series Champ, 9x Silver Slugger, 2x Hank Aaron Award winner, and led the league in batting (2002), home runs (2004), and RBI's (1999). A career .312 hitter with 555 home runs and 2,574 hits, Manny is as HOF as it gets.
Alex Rodriguez: If ARod isn't a Hall of Famer, then the hall is fraudulent. Get off your PED's high horse, these guys tell the story and history of baseball. Alex Rodriguez is one of the best players to ever grace the game. 14x All-Star, World Series Champ, 3x MVP, 2x Gold Glover, 10x Silver Slugger, 4x Hank Aaron Award winner, and countless batting championships and league leading titles, he is 5th all time in Home Runs (696) and 22nd all time in hits (3,115) His resume speaks for itself and he should be a no question add, but sadly the writers won't let him in.
Billy Wagner: One of the best relief pitchers in recent history, Wagner was an elite lefty, who recorded 422 saves. His WHIP is 0.997, which is the lowest amongst all retired relievers with 700+ innings pitched. Wagner is a 7x All-Star and has over 1,196 strikeouts.
From the desk of myself
Jimmy Rollins: As much as I hate to give the legendary Philadelphia Phillies shortstop credit, I have to include him here. The Mets and Phillies rivalry never was as heated as it was during the mid-2000's, the heyday of David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes in New York, against Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in Philadelphia. Rollins is a 1x World Series Champion, 1x National League MVP, 4x Gold Glove winner, 2001 National League stolen base leader, and 2007 Silver Slugger. This is Rollins' second year on the ballot, and although he didn't make it in 2023, I have no doubt that he'll one day be voted in.
Scott Rolen: Despite just narrowly missing the necessary 75% required to gain entry into the Hall of Fame, Rolen has received a lot of support towards his HoF bid over the years. This is his sixth year on the ballot, where he received 63.2% of the votes, up from his 52.9% in 2021. According to MLB.com, JAWS, a system that evaluates a player’s worthiness for the Hall of Fame based on others at his position, has Rolen's 70.1 bWAR ranked as the 10th-best for a third baseman in history, safely putting him in line for a Hall of Fame nod one of these days.
Billy Wagner: Billy Wagner has been sitting in Hall of Fame purgatory for eight years now. I can understand the argument as to why he hasn't been inducted yet, however, for pitchers with at least 800 innings pitched, Wagner's 11.9 K/9 and 33.2% strikeout rate are both the highest in major league history. Opposing batters hit for a measly .187 average against him, the lowest in MLB history with 800+ innings pitched, not to mention his seven All-Star nods, 422 career saves and 1,196 strikeouts. Wagner is going into his ninth year on the ballot, so his window for entry into the Hall of Fame is closing quickly.
Carlos Beltran: This is a bittersweet topic for me. While Carlos Beltran was one of my favorite players growing up during his six years with the Mets, the adult in me knows deep down that this is the mastermind behind the infamous 2017 Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. If I'm not going to put any steroid users on my list, then why should I put Beltran on here? It was a tough decision for me, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that his numbers are Hall of Fame worthy, and a mistake he made in the twilight of his career does not reflect the player he was. Sign stealing as a 40-year old bench player has no bearing on his nine All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards, 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, his 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, entry into the 30-30 club, and the fact that he is one of the greatest switch hitters to ever play the game.
As you can see, I have no love for the proven steroid users, while Will and Jake seem slightly more forgiving than me. As much as I would have loved to vote for Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield, I just can't help but wonder if their numbers would be as Hall of Fame worthy if it weren't for performance enhancing drugs. Pete Rose is still banned from baseball even though sports betting is now legal in most states by the way.