Womack: Comparing Edgar and Big Papi’s Hall of Fame chances
From SABR member Graham Womack at The Sporting News on November 24, 2015:
A predictable outpouring of support followed David Ortiz’s recent announcement he’ll retire after next season. There’s already talk about Ortiz’s farewell tour, if teams like the Yankees will celebrate the longtime Red Sox designated hitter. Sporting News has looked at Ortiz’s Hall of Fame case before and if the possibility he used performance enhancing drugs will cost him votes. At this point, Ortiz’s chances for Cooperstown look good.
To quote fellow Sporting News scribe Jesse Spector, “The emerging lesson of baseball’s steroid era is that stains fade over time, what we really remember is the home runs and eventually, drug use just becomes a point in an argument for historical perspective, not unlike noting that David Ortiz has been a designated hitter for nearly 90 percent of the games in his career.”
Much does get forgotten over time, though perhaps the other player with a possible claim to greatest designated hitter ever will get renewed attention with Ortiz’s announcement. Edgar Martinez is in his seventh year of Hall of Fame eligibility with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Mariners great arguably has a more deserving case for Cooperstown than Ortiz, though he’s been something of a forgotten man on the writers ballot the past couple years.
Read the full article here: http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb-news/4661983-baseball-hall-of-fame-2016-edgar-martinez-votes-results-candidates
Originally published: November 24, 2015. Last Updated: November 24, 2015.