It’s time to make your voice known. For the second consecutive voting season, Purple Row will be holding a community ballot. Last year, the real-life voters were more liberal with their votes than the 122 community members who filled out a ballot. Jeff Bagwell, Iván Rodríguez, and Tim Raines all received the necessary 75% to gain entry to Coooperstown. But in the community vote, only Larry Walker and Bagwell got to 75% (Pudge missed out by one vote).
This year, 19 players are on the ballot for the first time (including former Rockies starter Jamie Moyer). The most notable newcomers are Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Hideki Matsui, Scott Rolen, Jim Thome, Johan Santana, and Omar Vizquel. They replace the 17 players who fell off the ballot due to maxing out time (Lee Smith) or not receiving at least 5% of the vote (the remaining 16).
Fourteen players are returning to the ballot, including Walker. I’d rather see him get elected on the real ballot, but it’s nice to place that check next to his name. Voting ends in two weeks, and we’ll unveil our results in mid-January. The real Hall of Fame results will be announced on January 24.
Vote in the ballot below, or at this link.