Saturday, March 1, 2025
Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 48: Billy Wagner
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 47: Adrian Beltre
Adrian Beltre is the greatest One Year Wonder in Red Sox history. I have done exhaustive posts on these things, I know what I am talking about. He may be one of the greatest One Year Wonders for any team's history. Juan Soto's Yankees stint is probably better, but I can't think of too many others. Beltre came up with the Dodgers as a young phenom at the age of 19 and spent the first six years in L.A. He had some good years, but suffered from some injuries. He just never quite seemed ready to break out. Until 2004.
2004 was Beltre's last year in L.A. and he went out on a high note. That year, he leveraged a .334/.338/.629 line into a lucrative free agent deal with the Mariners. He led the league with 48 home runs and drove in 121. He finished second in the MVP race and won his first Silver Slugger. Unfortunately, he was not able to keep up that production in Seattle, largely because the park was ill-suited to his swing. He never hit more than 26 home runs or higher than .276. He did cement a reputation as a top defensive third-baseman though, winning two Gold Gloves during his time in the Emerald City.
By the end of the 2009 season, Beltre's star was waning. He signed a one-year deal after the offseason with the Red Sox. That year though, he completely turned his career around. He put up phenomenal numbers and found Fenway Park to his liking. He led the league with 49 doubles and had his best season since 2004 finishing among the league leaders in average, RBIs and slugging. He was named to his first All Star Game (somehow he was not an All Star in 2004), won his second Silver Slugger and finished ninth in the MVP race.
Unfortunately the Red Sox long coveted another Adrian and eventually let Beltre walk as a free agent. The team traded for Adrian Gonzalez, moving Kevin Youkilis back to third base and there was no room for Beltre. This would turn out to be a mistake as Beltre continued his resurgence in Texas. He was named to the All Star team four more times and won four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves and eventually made it to 400 career home runs and 3,000 career hits.
In 2024, Beltre made it to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, and it was well-deserved. He goes down as one of the greatest all-around third-basemen in baseball history. He wears a Rangers cap on his plaque, which absolutely makes sense, but his stint in Boston was important because it turned his career around. He was floundering after leaving Seattle, but found his stroke again in Boston and kept it up through the end of his career.
Friday, January 24, 2025
Congratulations to the 2025 Hall of Fame Class
My predictions this year were pretty much spot-on. It helps that I already saw several weeks worth of ballots, so I am not giving myself too much credit. As I said in the last post, I may not have picked Sabathia to get in on his first ballot at the beginning of the voting cycle.
So, anyway, congratulations to Ichiro Suzuki, C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Wagner is the big one for the purpose of this blog since he is the only one to have played for the Red Sox. I will have a Red Sox in Cooperstown post for him at some point later on. Usually after there has been an announcement of which hat he will wear on his plaque. It's almost for certain going to be the Astros, but I still want to know for sure (no, I am not suggesting there is even a chance of a Red Sox hat, I am not delusional).
Let's look at the other former Red Sox on the ballot:
Manny Ramirez finished eighth on the ballot with 34.3% of the vote. He added ten votes from last year. He will be entering his 10th and final year on the ballot next year. At this point there is no chance of election by the BBWAA. The two PED suspensions have ensured that.
Dustin Pedroia's results actually surprised me. I thought he would get enough to stick on the ballot, but he finished with 11.9% of the vote. He actually finished higher than Wagner did on his first two years on the ballot. He received 47 votes in his first year on the ballot. I think there is a good possibility for him building support over time. Maybe it will even get him in at some time.
Ian Kinsler fell about ten votes shy of sticking on the ballot. I think he is one of the biggest snubs on this ballot (along with Brian McCann). Kinsler received just 2.5% of the vote and will not appear on future ballots.
Hanley Ramirez failed to receive a single vote. This is kind of shocking to me. I feel like his career was kind of a flash in the pan, but he was so phenomenal his first few seasons in the Majors. That player disappeared as his career continued, but he still put up some big numbers.
As I mentioned in my last post, next season's Hall of Fame ballot first-year class is pretty weak. The biggest names will be Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Nick Markakis and Edwin Encarnacion. All of them had great careers, but none are likely to make the Hall on the first ballot. Hamels could get in eventually. Braun falls into the same trap as Manny Ramirez, with much weaker overall numbers. No one else seems likely to make it through the first year on the ballot. The only player from the Red Sox who will make his debut is Rick Porcello, the 2016 Cy Young winner. He does not seem likely to make it to a second year on the ballot either though, due to a mostly uneven career.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
My Annual Late Hall of Fame Post
I have been without a laptop at home for a few months now. Unfortunately, that is where I do a majority of my posts. I am typing this right now, likely over the course of a few days, at the office. We will see if I get this done before the results are announced.
First, I want to look at the Eras Committee election. Congratulations to Dick Allen and Dave Parker for gaining election. But I am extremely disappointed that Luis Tiant was once again kept out. Even after his death a few months ago, he cannot seem to gain any traction. It is fair to wonder if he will ever get in now. Certainly possible, but I just do not see what is keeping him out. His numbers are good enough (he compares favorably to Don Drysdale, Jim Kaat and Catfish Hunter, among others), he was certainly a big personality at the time, and he could even be considered something of an ambassador to Cuban baseball. I don't get it. Dave Parker's election could signal the election of Dwight Evans next year, hopefully.
Anyway, here is the ballot this year:
BOBBY ABREU
TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2x All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee?
CARLOS BELTRAN
TEAMS: Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (1999), 9x All Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe next year.
MARK BUEHRLE
TEAMS: White Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 4x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: White Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Unlikely
CARLOS GONZALEZ
TEAMS: Athletics, Rockies, Indians, Cubs
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rockies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
Gonzalez was an elite player for several seasons, but a career on the short side and lots of injuries leave him lacking some of the accolades needed to gain election based solely on peak. For his career, he hit .285/.343/.500 with 234 home runs, 785 RBIs and 118 stolen bases. He finished third in the MVP vote in 2010 when he won the batting title and led the league in hits while hitting 34 home runs, driving in 117 and stealing 26 bases. At his best, he was a five-tool player. He just wasn't great long enough. He will drop off the ballot.
CURTIS GRANDERSON
TEAMS: Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Tigers or Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
Granderson was a really fun player for awhile. I didn't even hate the guy when he played for the Yankees, which is one of the highest honors I can think of. But there were really only a couple of seasons where he was one of the best in the game. He finished fourth in the MVP vote in 2011 when he shocked everyone with 41 home runs and led the league in RBIs and runs scored. But his biggest issue was a real low batting average (.249) and a ton of strikeouts. He was a nice player, but not a Hall of Famer and will drop off the ballot.
FELIX HERNANDEZ
TEAMS: Mariners
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2010), 6x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mariners
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually maybe.
King Felix did not have a long career, but he was absolutely dominant for about a seven-year period. In this day and age, that might be enough for a starting pitcher to get in. He won't get in this year, but he could easily build up support over the next several years. This is his first year on the ballot, so he has time and early returns have been decent. Hernandez only won 169 games in his career, but he mostly pitched for bad Mariners teams and he struck out 2,524 career batters, an average of over 200 per season during his 15-year career. Unfortunately, he flamed out early and was done by the age of 33, but he was a great pitcher when he was healthy.
TORII HUNTER
TEAMS: Twins, Angels, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 9x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Twins
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
ADAM JONES
TEAMS: Mariners, Orioles, Diamondbacks
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Orioles
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
Jones is a similar candidate to Torii Hunter. He was a very good player for several seasons, but just does not have the numbers to garner serious Hall of Fame discussion. There is nothing wrong with that. For his career, he hit .277/.317/.454 with 282 home runs and 945 RBIs. There is no shame in those numbers, but they are not going to get him in the Hall of Fame. I can't see him lasting beyond this year.
ANDRUW JONES
TEAMS: Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Yes, probably next year.
IAN KINSLER
TEAMS: Rangers, Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, Padres
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star, 2x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rangers
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
RUSSELL MARTIN
TEAMS: Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Dodgers
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
BRIAN MCCANN
TEAMS: Braves, Yankees, Astros
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star, 6x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
DUSTIN PEDROIA
TEAMS: Red Sox
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2008), Rookie of the Year (2007), 4x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Possibly
ANDY PETTITTE
TEAMS: Yankees, Astros
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee
HANLEY RAMIREZ
TEAMS: Red Sox, Marlins, Dodgers, Indians
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (2006), 3x All Star, 2x Silver Slugger, Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Marlins
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
MANNY RAMIREZ
TEAMS: Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox, Rays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 12x All Star, 9x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee
FERNANDO RODNEY
TEAMS: Tigers, Angels, Rays, Mariners, Cubs, Padres, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Twins, Athletics, Nationals
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Really tough to say, maybe Rays
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
Rodney is the most likely player on this ballot to fail to receive a vote. He was a good closer, and even occasionally great. He was dominant in 2012 when he finished fifth in the Cy Young race and had some MVP votes. He saved 48 games and had a 0.60 ERA that season. For his career, he saved 327 games, leading the league once (48 in 2014), but his 3.80 ERA is definitely high for a closer. He had a long career, but it was not a Hall of Fame career.
ALEX RODRIGUEZ
TEAMS: Mariners, Rangers, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x MVP (2003, 2005, 2007), 14x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 10x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Not soon.
FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ
TEAMS: Angels, Mets, Brewers, Orioles, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Angels
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe?
JIMMY ROLLINS
TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers, White Sox
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2007), 3x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.
CC SABATHIA
TEAMS: Indians, Brewers, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2007), 6x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: He has reportedly said he prefers Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Yes.
ICHIRO SUZUKI
TEAMS: Mariners, Yankees, Marlins
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2001), Rookie of the Year (2001), 10x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 2x Batting Title
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mariners
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Possibly unanimously
TROY TULOWITZKI
TEAMS: Rockies, Blue Jays, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rockies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
CHASE UTLEY
TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 6x All Star, 4x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually.
OMAR VIZQUEL
TEAMS: Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 11x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Indians
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.
BILLY WAGNER
TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, Braves
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Astros
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Most likely this year.
DAVID WRIGHT
TEAMS: Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Tough to say.
BEN ZOBRIST
TEAMS: Rays, Athletics, Royals, Cubs
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rays
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.
PREDICTIONS:
1. Ichiro, Sabathia and Wagner are all elected.
2. Beltran and Andruw Jones position themselves for election next year.
3. Dustin Pedroia stays on the ballot.