Baseball Hall of Fame arguments used to be, dare I say . fun? Bert Blyleven is underrated! Jim Rice is overrated! Jack Morris? Show me the back of his baseball card and let s debate.
Well, welcome to the 2021 Hall of Fame ballot. It includes one player who was suspended for PED use, more alleged PED users, players with domestic violence allegations, one strong candidate with two DUI arrests and one pitcher who has become notorious for his polarizing social media posts.
It is all a chaotic mess. At the heart of the confusion voters face one key question: Are you honoring the person or honoring his career on the field? The ballot instructions do include the direction that, Voting shall be based upon the player s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.
The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2021 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.
It would be only somewhat hyperbolic to say that the 2021 Hall of Fame election cycle was as contentious and polarizing as the presidential election that preceded it nearly three months ago, but let’s face it, this time around has not been a whole lot of fun. When Hall president Tim Mead opens the envelope to announce the results shortly after 6 pm ET on MLB Network on Tuesday evening, there’s a very good chance that the BBWAA voters will produce a shutout, the writers’ first since 2013 a ballot that not-so-coincidentally is headlined by some of the same candidates who have split the electorate.
Cooperstown said good-bye to Joe Morgan, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Al Kaline, Tom Seaver and Phil Niekro.
And the grieving has continued in 2021 with the deaths of Tommy Lasorda, Don Sutton and now perhaps the most painful loss of them all.
Aaron is still, in the minds of many, the all-time home run leader with 755. He also still holds several career offensive records, 45 years after he stopped playing.
If Cooperstown holds a public induction ceremony this summer they postponed inducting the 2020 class last year due to COVID-19 the event will have a pall cast over it because of those losses.
The Royals Review Hall of Fame ballot
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The Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2021 on January 26 at 5 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens have the best chance of getting in, but according to Ryan Thibodaux’s ballot tracker, no one is on track to get in right now.
You can see the qualifications of this year’s ballot at Baseball-Reference, but we asked our writers who they would elect to the Hall of Fame, if they had a vote.
Jesse Anderson: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling
Ken Cleveland
Special to The Landmark
PAXTON Taxpayers should not wait until Feb. 1 to stop by town hall and pay their taxes. Town offices are closed until Feb. 1, and taxes are due then.
Selectmen decided at the board’s Jan. 11 meeting to keep town hall closed until Feb. 1 as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We’ve already had people knocking” at the town hall seeking to pay taxes, board executive assistant Donna Graf-Parsons said.
Town Administrator Carol Riches said the bills include coupons for bills due Feb. 1 and May 3.
Taxpayers can mail in paper bills with payment or drop them at town hall in the box at the bottom of the stairs. Riches said a camera is trained on the box for security. Taxes can also be paid online.