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If you’ve been a reader here for a while, it will be no surprise to you, dear reader, that I have been a big champion of the “Todd Helton for HoF” Fan Club for some time. And sadly, yesterday, my long wait (and I suppose Todd’s) was not rewarded.
While Helton came close, securing just over 72% of the votes (he needed 11 more votes to get in), Scott Rolen secured the necessary 75% of the votes needed to stamp his pass into Cooperstown and join the hallowed halls of baseball’s best. Rolen was the only inductee in the 2023 class.
It’s also interesting to note (though perhaps not THAT surprising) that none of the new names on the ballot this year came close to gaining entry.
And for me, sad to see Helton passed over another year, there’s solace in knowing he’s inching closer every year. (2024, buddy).
On to the links!
- Jay Jaffe looks at the ballot breakdown and explains how the Hall of Fame voting generally shakes out from year to year.
- Anthony Castrovince looks at Rolen’s incredible climb to election over the years.
- Bradford Doolittle revisits Rolen’s career highlights.
- Tom Verducci reveals his Hall of Fame ballot, thankfully not in a video essay format.
- Jayson Stark has five takeaways from Rolen’s election. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Some of Tom’s SI colleagues share who they would vote for if they got to vote.
- Paul Casella shares which Hall of Fame hopefuls have a shot if current voting trends are any indication.
- David Adler previews the 2024 HoF ballot. (if you think my Helton love is annoying, wait until you hear my TEDTalk on Joe Mauer)
- Davy Andrews wonders if the bunt double is on the cusp of extinction.
- Arte Moreno says “jk, not actually selling the Angels.” Story by Patrick Andres.
Spoke to a few more people in the aftermath of Arte Moreno’s stunning decision to back out of the Angels sale and can confidently say this: this was not a matter of prospective buyers not meeting his asking price; he simply got cold feet at the end. (1/)
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) January 24, 2023
- Mike Clevinger is being investigated for domestic abuse allegations. Story by Scott Merkin. Katie Strang and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic have more directly from the victim. ($)
- Terry Francona’s stolen scooter has been recovered. (AP)
Your Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen. pic.twitter.com/D2XOGH8hyD
— MLB (@MLB) January 25, 2023
And tomorrow will be a better day, Buster. Make it so.