San Francisco Giants: The Jeff Kent only Hall of Fame ballot returns

Imagine taking a look at the MLB Hall of Fame ballot. Those 30 hopeful names are staring back as you debate the merits of each candidate. Then you check the box next to one of those names – former San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent – and consider your duty to be done. Seems a bit far-fetched, right?

As it turns out, there is one voter who did exactly that. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe has once again decided that Kent is the only player on the ballot worthy of being enshrined.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent gets his own ballot

This is not the first time Shaugnessy has filled out a Kent only ballot. He did the exact same thing last year as well, filling out that ballot as a protest of some sort. At least he could be bothered to check off a name instead of submitting a blank ballot as three of his fellow clowns did already.

It is not a knock on Kent and his candidacy. He has a viable case for enshrinement, having produced a .290/.356/.500 batting line in his 9537 career plate appearances, hitting 377 homers and 560 doubles. That sort of production, especially at second base, should get Kent a long look for Cooperstown.

But to check Kent only is idiotic. The likes of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Scott Rolen, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez all have better cases. Even if this is a vote against those who were linked to PEDs, why not add a vote for Rolen or someone that might need that checkmark to get another year?

Unfortunately, that is not the way that Shaugnessy or these other buffoons think. It is a matter of getting the spotlight to focus directly on them as they throw a fit as though they are petulant children. Maybe, if they feel so strongly about not voting for these players, they should do the baseball world a favor and give up their ballot. Absolutely no one would miss Shaugnessy’s self-righteous twaddle.

This is what happens when one makes a career out of being contrarian. Shaugnessy is a parody of himself, needing to find increasingly dumb ideas and takes to stay relevant. His “Kent is the only one worthy of induction” ballot is just his latest stunt. However, if he was forced to ingest sodium pentothal, even he would admit there are other players worthy of enshrinement. Maybe Shaugnessy just was not hugged enough as a child or something, making him turn out this way.

The Jeff Kent Only ballot is back. The San Francisco Giants’ former second baseman is being used to prove a point that only Dan Shaugnessy understands.