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Press Release National Baseball Hall of Fame
For Jeff Bagwell, Trevor Hoffman and Tim Raines, the wait began in earnest the day after the Class of 2016 was inducted in Cooperstown.
On Monday, July 25, the Class of 2017 was officially on the clock.
Bagwell, Hoffman and Raines are three of the 34 players on the 2017 Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot. Fifteen players – including the above trio – return to the ballot, joining 19 who make their debut.
The results of the BBWAA election will be announced on Jan. 18. Any candidate receiving votes on at least 75 percent of all ballots cast will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 30, 2017.
Bagwell, Hoffman and Raines were three of the five players – along with electees Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza – who received at least 67.3 percent of the BBWAA vote in 2016. It marked just the fifth time in the history of the vote that as many as five players reached that percentage – and the first time that it had happened in back-to-back years.
Every player who has ever cleared the 65-percent threshold in any one BBWAA election has eventually been inducted into the Hall of Fame, save for Jack Morris – who exhausted his BBWAA eligibility in 2015 and will not be eligible for the Modern Baseball Era Committee consideration until the fall of 2017.
Bagwell, who won the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 1994 NL MVP Award during his 15-year career with the Astros, earned 71.6 percent of the BBWAA vote in 2016 and missed election by only 15 votes. The four-time NL All-Star topped the 30-home run mark nine times and averaged better than 100 runs scored and 100 RBI per season, posting a career .408 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage.
Raines returns to the BBWAA ballot for the 10th-and-final time in 2017, having earned 69.8 percent of the vote a year ago. A seven-time All-Star and four-time NL stolen base champion, Raines compiled a .294 batting average and .385 on-base percentage as one of the game’s top leadoff hitters of his era. He succeeded in 808 of his 954 career stolen base attempts, the best percentage (84.7) of any player with at least 400 steals.
Hoffman debuted on the BBWAA ballot last year with 67.3 percent of the vote, becoming just the sixth player in history to receive between 66.7 and 74.9 percent of the vote in his first year eligible. Each of the five previous players (Roberto Alomar, Yogi Berra, Craig Biggio, Whitey Ford and Gaylord Perry) were elected to the Hall of Fame in either the year after their debut (Alomar, Berra and Ford) or in their third year of eligibility (Biggio and Perry).
Hoffman was a seven-time All-Star who was the first pitcher to reach the 600-save plateau, finishing with 601 in a career that spanned 18 years. His career hits per innings pitched ratio of 6.989 is the best of any qualifying relief pitcher and eighth among all pitchers, and his career WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) of 1.058 also ranks eighth all-time.
Twelve other players will return to the BBWAA ballot this year, including (in order of their 2016 vote percentage): Curt Schilling (52.3 percent), Roger Clemens (45.2), Barry Bonds (44.3), Edgar Martínez (43.4), Mike Mussina (43.0), Lee Smith (34.1), Fred McGriff (20.9), Jeff Kent (16.6), Larry Walker (15.5), Gary Sheffield (11.6), Billy Wagner (10.5) and Sammy Sosa (7.0). Smith is making his final appearance on the BBWAA ballot.
Welcome to the party
Nineteen players debut on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot this year, headlined by a member of the 500 home run club, the most durable catcher in the game’s history and a nine-time All-Star outfielder.
Manny Ramírez compiled a .312 batting average over 19 seasons as an outfielder with the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays, totaling 555 home runs, 1,831 RBI and 12 All-Star Game selections. A nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Ramírez posted 12 seasons with at least 100 RBI, led his league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage three times apiece and helped the Red Sox win World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 – earning World Series MVP honors in 2004.
Ivan Rodríguez appeared in more games as a catcher – 2,427 over 21 seasons – than any player in big league history. A 14-time All-Star Game selection, Rodríguez played for the Rangers, Marlins, Tigers, Yankees, Astros and Nationals – earning a record 13 Gold Glove Awards behind the plate. The 1999 American League Most Valuable Player hit .296 for his career with 2,844 hits, 311 home runs and 1,332 RBI. Rodríguez was named the 2003 NLCS MVP en route to leading the Marlins to the World Series title.
Vladimir Guerrero hit .318 during a 16-year career with the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles, totaling 449 home runs, 2,590 hits and 1,496 RBI. He posted 10 seasons with at least 100 RBI, stole 181 bases and was named the 2004 American League Most Valuable Player. An eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner known for his powerful throwing arm in right field, Guerrero led his league in intentional walks five times and finished with 250 for his career, good for fifth place all-time.
Also debuting on the BBWAA ballot this year are Casey Blake, Pat Burrell, Orlando Cabrera, Mike Cameron, J.D. Drew, Carlos Guillén, Derrek Lee, Melvin Mora, Magglio Ordóñez, Jorge Posada, Edgar Rentería, Arthur Rhodes, Freddy Sánchez, Matt Stairs, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield.
Returning to the Ballot
Fifteen former players are returning to the 2017 BBWAA ballot after receiving at least five percent of the overall vote in 2016.
**Smith is eligible for the BBWAA ballot for the 15th-and-final time, grandfathered onto the ballot following the eligibility rule changes enacted in 2014. Tim Raines is eligible for the BBWAA ballot for the 10th-and-final time.