The results of the 2023 Major League Hall of Fame voting have been announced. Of the total of 28 candidates, Scott Rolen was the only one with over 75% of the vote. Rolen, who was the 6th challenge this year, entered the Hall of Fame with 76.3% of the votes.
Scott Rolen: 76.3%
Todd Helton: 72.2%
Billy Wagner: 68.1%
Andrew Jones: 58.1%
Gary Sheffield: 55.0%
Rolen is a third baseman who has played 17 years in the major leagues. He had 316 home runs and 1287 RBIs in 2038 career games. He complied with a career batting average of .281 and OPS of .855. He had power, accuracy, and a pioneering eye, and also showed a strong side to chances. His two-run home run against Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the 2004 National League Championship Series was the highlight. In the 2006 World Series, he went 8-for-19 (0.421) and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win.
The field that represents Rolen is defense. He blocked fast balls like an iron wall with his nimble defense. His defense, which added wide range and powerful throwing, was a great scene maker. The 8 Gold Glove Awards support this fact. Without this defensive strength, Rolen would not have entered the Hall of Fame.
Rolen, who always did his best, was a player who made me want to cheer for him whenever I saw him. He also had a warm heart and cared for others. Even when he suffered a serious shoulder injury in a collision with Choi Hee-seop in 2005, he asked not to blame Choi Hee-seop. Even after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he humbly said, “He played hard for the team, but he never thought of being in the Hall of Fame.”
As such, Rolen was clearly an excellent player. However, it is difficult to give a straightforward answer as to whether Rolen was a player who absolutely deserved to enter the Hall of Fame. This is because it is difficult to see that he satisfies either of ‘cumulative grades’ and ‘impact’, which are the evaluation criteria.
Recently, the Hall of Fame has changed its voting tendency. The very strict screening process in the past has been somewhat relaxed. At the same time, he was able to come up with a unanimous entry that many legends could not achieve (Mariano Rivera in 2019). It was only possible by judging whether or not a player fit for the Hall of Fame is right, not by comparing with someone. It’s much better than the days when I didn’t vote for nonsense reasons.
It is also positive that the defense, which has been neglected, is being treated appropriately. There are examples of Brooks Robinson and Ozzie Smith who made their way to the Hall of Fame on defense, but the Hall of Fame vote tended to lean too heavily on offense. With the birth of various defense indicators and the creation of a victory contribution that reflects all offense, defense, and running, the evaluation is more fair than before.
Rolen benefited from a changed voting orientation. In 2018, the year he was first nominated, he only garnered 10.2% of the vote. Usually, the vote rate rises over time, but there are very few cases where it rises like this. In fact, since 1966, when the current voting system was established, no player has broken the Hall of Fame wall with a lower first-year vote percentage than Rolen. This means that the perception of the voting corps has changed a lot in the meantime.
Right now, wrong then. It is questionable whether this approach is valid in evaluating Hall of Fame players. In the past, players who should have entered the Hall of Fame were included. These were players who dominated the league or who had been consistently active in the league for a long time. There was no need to look into this and that. 스포츠토토
I’m not arguing that Rolen doesn’t deserve a place in the Hall of Fame. However, as mentioned above, if the screening criteria have changed to be more open, the qualifications to be nominated should be shortened.
In 2014, the Hall of Fame nomination period was reduced from 15 years to 10 years. But 10 years is too long. Candidates become eligible only after five years of retirement, and it is questionable to wait 10 more years to evaluate them. In the past, so many players were nominated, so more chances were given, but why is it taking so long to select a Hall of Fame player? Even if the wrong things are corrected in the future, 10 years is too long. If it’s right then it’s right, otherwise it’s not. If secondary things are added in this process, it will only lower the threshold of the Hall of Fame.
The biggest controversy this year was the elimination of Jeff Kent. Kent, who has been active in the major leagues for 17 years with Rolen, recorded 377 homers and 1518 RBIs in his career. His 377 home runs are the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman. His career batting average (0.290) and OPS (0.855) were also on par with Rolen’s. However, Kent only took 46.5% of the vote this year, which was his last challenge. In 2014, the first year’s vote share (15.2%) was higher than that of Rolen’s first year, but Kent’s vote rate was at a standstill.
The difference between Kent and Rolen was defense. The consensus is that Kent’s defense was so bad that he fell short of being a Hall of Fame player. However, there is also a counterargument that it is unfair that a player who left a mark in offense was neglected because of defense. It’s nice to see the defense getting its due, but it’s something to avoid disparaging the offense. Because of this, Kent does not acknowledge the voting results.
Some have interpreted Kent’s elimination as stemming from his relationship with reporters. As a player, Kent had an extremely cold personality. When reporters asked questions, he either ignored them or answered them grudgingly and curtly. As a result, his reputation was not good throughout his playing days.
Hall of Fame voting affects a player’s image as well as their performance. He could feel it even last year. David Otis, who was popular with journalists, was inducted straight into his first year despite drug controversies. On the other hand, Kurt Schilling, who had endless gossip, finally suffered.
It is natural for personal opinions to be included in voting. The point of view of a player is different. However, it is difficult when emotions are loaded. This will shake standards and lead to incomprehensible results. Hall of Fame voting can be viewed as a popular vote.
Hall of Fame voting should not be without discrimination, nor should it be out of balance. Even if you don’t satisfy everyone, you have to be able to convince everyone. Only then can the Hall of Fame continue its current status. Status is a law that must be observed before falling.