The Cleveland Guardians have their fair share of legends. Unfortunately, they aren’t always recognized as such.
Those who vote to elect players for the Baseball Hall of Fame are the ultimate gatekeepers. The standards are at times unrealistic and often inconsistent, and they seem more inclined to make statements than actually honor worthy players.
That’s why insider Paul Hoynes is painting a grim picture for Manny Ramirez’s Hall of Fame chances.
“I don’t see it happening. I guess I could be a lot more definitive and say it’s not going to happen,” Hoynes said. “[Manny Ramirez] received his highest percentage of votes from the BBWAA voters last year, and that was 34 percent. You’ve got to have 75 percent of the ballots in your favor.”
The Hall of Fame is supposed to celebrate players, but that doesn’t always happen. There’s no objective criterion for determining who gets in and who doesn’t. Legacy doesn’t seem to matter, and younger fans don’t seem to take it as seriously as they did in the past because of how many yearly snubs they see.
Granted, Ramirez’s entanglement with PEDs may have cost him his chance at induction. Yet, no one can say that the outfielder wasn’t one of the best and most entertaining players of his era.
Of course, he still has an opportunity as long as his name is being considered. There are also committees that could address him after his time on the writers’ ballot is complete.
But given the way the Hall has operated over the years regarding the game’s steroids era, that’s not likely to happen. The process needs to change, and until it does, fans and some of their favorite players will continue to be denied.
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