Hall of Fame

Wednesday, December 29 2021 @ 10:38 PM EST

Contributed by: John Northey

The new class is getting closer and closer now. Lets look back at Jays who have gotten votes for it.

First, as I mentioned in another thread, there aren't many ex-Jays in the HOF - Roberto Alomar (91-95), Rickey Henderson (half year in 1993), Dave Winfield (1992), Paul Molitor (1993-1995), Jack Morris (92/93), Phil Niekro (1987), Frank Thomas (2007/8), and of course Roy Halladay (1998-2009 - the only home grown Jay in the Hall...so far).

Digging into the records via the Lahman Database (and adding some more records for the past couple of years of Hall voting) I found the following...

Most overall votes: Jack Morris - 3338 over 15 BBWAA votes and 1 vets vote. 41.7% overall, lowest was a 19.6% from writers, best was his 87.5 from Vets who in their drunken haze thought Morris was more deserving than Alan Trammell (by 1 vote).
Most times on Ballot: Dave Parker - 17 times (that I know of) so on more ballots than games played as a Jay (13) - 10.3% to 24.5% but never over 30% from Vets.
Highest %: Rickey Henderson - 94.8% on his only time on ballot (should've been 100%), then Roberto Alomar cracking 90% on his 2nd ballot, Roy Halladay & Paul Molitor both got 85%, over 80% for Dave Winfield, Frank Thomas, and Phil Niekro.
Highest % without getting in: I think we all know that is Roger Clemens (61.6% last year, and probably closer but no cigar this year), over 50% for Scott Rolen and Omar Vizquel (both still kicking but Vizquel dropping drastically, sub 10% last I checked after his horrible actions were made public this past year).
Cracked 10%: Fred McGriff, Jeff Kent, Dave Parker, Mark Buehrle
More than 1 ballot: Dave Stewart, Joe Carter (BBWAA, Vets), Ron Fairly (go figure).
First Jays to be voted on: Bill Singer & Doug Rader in 1983 (0 votes each). In 1984 Ron Fairly got the first votes for an ex-Jay with 3. Al Oliver in 1991 was the first to crack 10 votes (19), and 1993 saw Phil Niekro become the first ex-Jay to get onto a second ballot, followed by making it on his 3rd.
Executives in the HOF: Tony Kubek 2009 (Ford Frick Award), Pat Gillick 2011 with 13 of 16 ballots. Bobby Cox with 16 of 16 votes in 2013. Tom Cheek 2013 (Ford Frick Award).

In all 77 different Jays have been on the ballot. 1+ votes but not listed yet are 35 players...
Al Leiter, Al Oliver, Armando Benitez, Benito Santiago, Carlos Delgado, Cecil Fielder, Chris Carpenter, Dave Righetti, Dave Stieb, David Cone, David Eckstein, David Segui, David Wells, Frank Viola, George Bell, Jeff Burroughs, Jimmy Key, John Candelaria, John Olerud, Jose Canseco, Juan Samuel, Lance Parrish, LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Flanagan, Pat Hentgen, Randy Myers, Rico Carty, Shawn Green, Todd Stottlemyre, Tom Candiotti, Tom Henke, Tony Fernandez, Tony Phillips, and Willie Horton

Those 35 had a max of 21 votes (Delgado & Cone), then Al Oliver with 19 was the only other one to get 10+. Lance Parrish got 9, Dave Stieb 7 (pathetic), Tom Henke, George Bell, and Jose Canseco 6 each. 5 for David Wells, 4 each for John Olerud, Tony Fernandez, Al Leiter, and Willie Horton. Jimmy Key just got 3.

Kind of interesting to see who got votes and how many. Doesn't say much about the writers that they put Morris on the edge of the Hall with the Vets putting him in while Stieb who was the better pitcher by any measure outside of wins and playoffs didn't get even 10 votes. In 20 years as the Veterans committee changes to a new generation I suspect guys like Stieb will be getting closer to getting in. Doubt he ever will get in, but by the standard of pitchers of the 80's he should be seriously considered at least. I figure Delgado and McGriff have better shots currently, especially McGriff (seen as the clean McGwire as pre-30's the two were close then McGwire went nuts on drugs while McGriff just kept playing his game with a normal age curve).

For completeness here are the 24 guys who got onto the ballot but no one gave them a pity vote:
A. J. Burnett, Bill Singer, Bob Bailor, Casey Blake, Dan Plesac, Danny Darwin, Darren Oliver, Devon White (you'd think a Jay writer would've given him a defense vote), Doug Rader, Doyle Alexander, John Mayberry, Matt Stairs, Mike Timlin, Orlando Hudson, Otis Nixon, Pete Vuckovich, Raul Mondesi, Roy Howell, Royce Clayton, Ruben Sierra, Ted Lilly, Troy Glaus, Vernon Wells, and Woody Williams.

This year has a few ex-Jays returning but no new ones. Clemens for his final shot at 78.9%, Jeff Kent gets one more after this @25.6%, Scott Rolen making up ground quickly @71.1%, Omar Vizquel dropping like a stone @10%, Mark Buehrle on his 2nd and probably final ballot @4.4%, plus Canadian Justin Morneau (never played here) on for his only time @1.1% (1 vote). Current votes via the HOF Tracker. Note: Clemens has picked up just 2 votes so far (lots of 'meh' to PED guys release their votes early), Rolen has gained 6, but Vizquel has dropped 28 (out of 90 cast so far - scary big drop for him, total of around 400 will be cast in the end). Canadian voters are bizarre. Steve Simmons: Andruw Jones, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield (dropped Vizquel from last year). Very weird one from Simmons given Sheffield is an admitted PED user and Simmons says he doesn't vote for PED guys. Jeff Blair: Bonds, Clemens, Ortiz, A-Rod, but dropped Man-Ram.

So any surprises on ex-Jays votes? I know I was a bit surprised here and there.

For Canadian born...

HOF: Fergie Jenkins (75.4% on his 3rd ballot) & Larry Walker (76.6% on his 10th and final ballot) were both voted in as everyone here should know.
Got votes: John Hiller (11 votes), George Selkirk (7 over 6 ballots - rules were different then), Eric Gagne (2), Terry Puhl (1), Larry McLean (1).
0 votes but on ballot: Matt Stairs & Jason Bay.
Just Justin Morneau on it this time for Can-Con (1 vote so far).

For Expos...

HOF: 9 - Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, Larry Walker, Lee Smith, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Tim Raines, Tony Perez, Vladimir Guerrero - most home grown (all but Perez, Smith, and Martinez)
HOF votes but not in (peak in brackets) more than 5%: Maury Wills (56.3%), Roy Face (18.9%), Pete Rose (9.5%), Graig Nettles (8.3%), Rusty Staub (7.9%)
HOF votes >10: Jeff Reardon, Al Oliver, Manny Mota, Andres Galarraga, Tim McCarver, Dennis Martinez, Dave McNally
HOF Votes >1: Mike Marshall, Moises Alou, John Wetteland, Ron Fairly, Felipe Alou, Marquis Grissom, Bill Lee, Dave Cash, Andre Thornton, Larry Parrish
HOF 1 Vote: Bill Campbell, Tim Wallach, John Candelaria, Bob Bailey, David Segui, Bill Gullickson, Chris Speier, Ron Darling, Ellis Valentine, Mike Jorgensen, Livan Hernandez, Mike Torrez, Jim Northrup
HOF 0 Votes but on ballot: Steve Rogers (surprised he didn't get any votes), Ted Lilly, Del Unser, Terry Crowley, Stan Bahnsen, Cliff Floyd, Jim Gosger, Todd Zeile, Bernie Allen, Tony Scott, Willie Montanez, Darold Knowles, Kirk Rueter, Orlando Cabrera, Otis Nixon, Matt Stairs, Mark Langston, Mark Grudzielanek, Manny Trillo, Woodie Fryman, Hubie Brooks, Rondell White, Grant Jackson, Ken Singleton, Jose Morales, Ross Grimsley, John Milner, John Boccabella, Mudcat Grant, Rudy May, Ron Hunt
First to get on ballot: Roy Face, got 23 votes in 1976.
First year with multiple Expos: 1978: Roy Face, Mudcat Grant, Maury Wills.
Most one one ballot: 10 in 1988 (Bill Lee, Del Unser, Grant Jackson, John Milner, Manny Mota, Maury Wills, Ross Grimsley, Roy Face, Stan Bahnsen, Willie Montanez)

Like with the Jays a few surprises on the low vote area. I always thought Staub would get more than 10% due to his popularity in NY and Montreal.

The current class will be announced on January 20th, but ballots have to be in by the 31st.

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