Last week, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced its inductees for 2018. Four players were selected: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman.
Additionally, the Veterans’ Committee inducted Tigers greats Jack Morris and Alan Trammell.
There were, though, many notable absences.
For instance, Edgar Martinez barely missed the 75-percent vote cut-off. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens shattered records, but their alleged steroid use kept them from attaining such recognition. Curt Schilling was pivotal in World Series victories for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, but his personal antics have hindered his chances. All of these players aren’t perfect Hall of Famers, but they all deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Here’s why:
Edgar Martinez had a fantastic career and stat line. However, as a designated hitter, he didn’t play in the field. There are many positions in baseball, and designated hitter is one of them. The greatest designated hitter ever deserves to be enshrined.
No Hall of Fame candidates have been more controversial than Bonds and Clemens. Although neither player has ever failed a drug test, they most definitely took steroids that helped them extend their careers and break records. Nevertheless, both were fantastic players before the steroid-era. Regardless of all of this, other players, like Ivan Rodriguez, have been inducted despite their drug use. Still, if Bonds and Clemens don’t make it, then other greats like Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez likely won’t either.
Finally, Curt Schilling deserves the nod. He was a key member of three championship-winning teams and known for pitching with a famously bloody sock. As a player, Schilling was a class act. But since his retirement, he has been fired by ESPN after various controversial tweets. Schilling still was a fantastic player, and he deserves to be in Cooperstown.
