On Monday, the BBWAA released the 2016 Baseball of Fame ballot, which will result in an endless amount of discussions and chaos for the next two months before the Class of ’16 is announced on January 6th. 15 new players are on the ballot along with 17 holdovers, and the only slam drunk for induction this year is Ken Griffey Jr.
The cadre of new faces is pretty weak this year, so instead of breaking down each player’s case, I decided it might be more prudent to give some brief thoughts on each of the first-timers. A few players on the list have cases worth more discussion, and that will come in time.
Garret Anderson. For a guy that logged 16 full seasons in the majors, there’s a whole lot of nothing going on with Anderson. He led the league in doubles in both 2002 and 2003, and never led the league in another category again. He made just three All-Star teams and received MVP votes in three years. His career line of .293/.324/.461 translates to a 102 OPS+. Had as many years with a below average OPS+ with an above average OPS+. But hey, he sure did a lot of compiling, tallying 2,529 hits in 9,177 plate appearances!
Brad Ausmus. One-time All-Star, three time Gold Glover, above average OPS+ in just two of 18 seasons. I wonder if he’ll get a charity vote from someone who enjoyed covering him.
Luis Castillo. Three-time All-Star, three time Gold Glover, two-time NL stolen base champ. Fun fact: never played an inning in his career at a position other than second base. Fun fact: him and Jeff Conine were the only two players on both Marlins World Championship teams (though Castillo didn’t play in the 1997 Postseason because he was demoted to the minors in July).
David Eckstein. Two-time All-Star and the 2006 World Series MVP. Two-time World Champion. Unbelievably scrappy. Led the league in hit by pitches and sacrifices twice each.
Jim Edmonds. Phenomenal defender that ended up being an excellent hitter as well. Eight Gold Gloves, four-time All-Star, received MVP votes in six seasons. Not as good as Andruw Jones, but better than Torii Hunter, and that’s fine. Was a member of the 2006 World Champion Cardinals.
Troy Glaus. Four-time All-Star. Led the AL in homers in 2000. Incredibly received a total of just one tenth place MVP vote during his career. Broke 500 plate appearances just seven times in 13 seasons. 2002 World Series MVP with the Angels.
Ken Griffey Jr. Could have been the greatest player of all-time, but injuries turned him into merely one of the best of his era. Made ten All-Star teams and won ten Gold Gloves in 11 seasons with the Mariners, also claiming the 1997 AL MVP award and six more top ten MVP finishes. After being traded to the Reds in 2000, made just three All-Star teams and received MVP votes in one season. Finished his career with 630 homers, and is the one player that will undoubtedly be in Cooperstown next July.
Mark Grudzielanek. Led the NL in doubles in 1997. All-Star in 1996. Received three MVP voting points in 2003. Won a Gold Glove in 2006. And that is Mark Grudzielanek’s career in a nutshell.
Mike Hampton. NL All-Star in 1999 and 2001. Won five Silver Sluggers. Was the runner-up in the 1999 NL Cy Young voting, which was also the only year he received MVP votes. Led the NL in wins in 1999. 2000 NLCS MVP with the Mets. Signed one of the worst contracts in baseball history with the Rockies after that 2000 season. The Mets drafted David Wright with one of the compensation draft picks they received for him signing with the Rockies. For all intents and purposes, was done as an effective pitcher in 2004 at age 31.
Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman (and Billy Wagner, who we’ll get to shortly) deserves a longer discussion as we consider the role of the closer in today’s game. Saved 601 games over his career, a record that stood briefly before Mariano Rivera broke it. Seven-time NL All-Star. Received Cy Young votes in four seasons, and was the runner-up in both 1998 and 2006. Only led the NL in saves twice, which seems silly.
Jason Kendall. Three-time NL All-Star. After an amazing first five years of his career, fell off a cliff in 2001 at age 27 and hit just .277/.350/.345 with 30 homers over the final ten years of his career. Was never the same player after a gruesome ankle injury in 2000 (and thankfully, I can’t find video of it online) and a thumb injury in 2001.
Mike Lowell. Four-time All-Star, won a Gold Glove, received MVP votes in two seasons. Won titles with the Marlins in 2003 and the Red Sox in 2007. Also was the 2007 World Series MVP with the Red Sox. Had an OPS+ above 100 in nine of ten years from 2000 to 2009.
Mike Sweeney. Five-time All-Star, received MVP votes in three seasons. Fantastic seven-year peak from 1999-2005 with the Royals before struggling with injuries and turning into a part-time player. Still managed to finish his career with a .297/.366/.486 line.
Billy Wagner. Seven-time NL All-Star. Saved 422 games, but somehow never led the NL in saves. Received Cy Young votes in two years. Threw fewer innings than Hoffman, saved 180 fewer games, but struck out more hitters and had an ERA half a run lower.
Randy Winn. Only made one All-Star team. Never played in the Postseason. Left the Giants right before they got good. Once traded for a manager (Lou Piniella). Cracked the 15 homer mark just once, hit .300 thrice, never stole 30 bases.
