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The future of the Baseball Hall of Fame Era Committees

By Noah Yingling|
COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Derek Jeter, Larry Walker and Ted Simmons pose for a photograph with their plaques during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on September 08, 2021 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Derek Jeter, Larry Walker and Ted Simmons pose for a photograph with their plaques during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on September 08, 2021 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds may not get into the Baseball Hall of Fame
(Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

The Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed in six new members on Sunday evening as they righted some of the wrongs for some players that should have been in the Hall of Fame long ago. The six new inductees are former Dodgers first baseman and Mets manager Gil Hodges, former Twins outfielder Tony Oliva, former Twins pitcher Jim Kaat, former White Sox outfielder Minnie Miñoso, Negro League player and MLB coach Buck O’Neil, and Negro League player Bud Fowler via the Golden Days and Early Baseball Era Committees (formerly known as Veteran’s Committee).

However, there are still some players that were shortchanged. They will likely be on future committee ballots in the coming years. Let’s take a look at the ballots coming up and who may be featured on them.

Next offseason, it will be players from “Today’s Game” for the Baseball Hall of Fame Era Committee balloting

For the 2022 offseason, it will be players from “Today’s Game” that will be on the Baseball Hall of Fame Era Committee balloting. To be on that ballot, a player’s “greatest contributions” to the sport had to come between 1988 and 2016.

As a result, you are likely going to be familiar with a lot of the names that could appear on the ballot.

On the BBWAA Hall of Fame voting this offseason, all of the players who are on the final year of their ballot will definitely be considered if they don’t make it in this year. They include:

  • Barry Bonds: All-time home run leader, 162.7 career WAR, all-time leader in walks, 7-time MVP winner, 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner, 8-time Gold Glove Award winner, career .298/.444/.607 hitter
  • Roger Clemens: 9th in all-time wins (354), 1986 AL MVP, 7-time Cy Young Award winner, 11-time All-Star, 139.2 career WAR
  • Curt Schilling: 6-time All-Star, 3-time World Series champion, World Series MVP, NLCS MVP, came in the top four in Cy Young Award voting four times including three second-place finishes
  • Sammy Sosa: 9th in all-time homers (609), 1998 NL MVP, ranked in the top ten in MVP voting six more times, 7-time All-Star, 6-time Silver Slugger Winner, career .273/.344/.534 hitter

However, don’t be surprised if none of them appear on the ballot due to controversies surrounding them. After all, if they didn’t have the controversies surrounding them, they’d likely all be in already.

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