The Hall of Fame vote for the 2016 inductions are over but
that doesn’t mean the debate for 2016 and the speculation for the 2017 vote has
to end. It won’t end here anyway because I have a ton to say about it and the
free agency and trade markets aren’t doing us any favors to fill the time right
now. We have gone over the best catchers of all-time as we looked to shine some
light on the tremendous career of Mike Piazza and today we will look ahead to
not only the 2017 class but the 2021 class as well. That’s when presumably
David Ortiz will be eligible for the Hall of Fame with the five-year waiting
period and the DH debate can begin once again.
I am piggybacking Scott Chiusano of the New York Daily News
a bit as he released his own Top 5 DH’s of all-time by the numbers but I am
putting my own spin on things like I tend to do. First I changed around his
rankings a bit to fit my opinion and secondly I want to see how this list will
or could affect Oritz when he comes up for Hall of Fame voting in 2021. First
things first though, my list:
1.
Edgar Martinez
2.
David Ortiz
3.
Frank Thomas
4.
Harold Baines
5.
Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004 as a
player while Frank Thomas was elected in 2004 by the Baseball Writers
Association of America while the Internet Baseball Writers Association of
America, or the IBWAA, elected Edgar Martinez in 2016 to their Hall of Fame. Many
believe that Harold Baines belonged in the Hall of Fame and Baines was elected
to the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2009. This leaves three of the Top 5
DH’s in MLB history in the Hall of Fame, one that many believe should be in the
Hall of Fame and one just awaiting his candidacy. A lot can change between now
and the 2021 Hall of Fame vote but by then, either because of the DH position
or the steroid era, David Ortiz will likely be in…. as much as that pains me to
say as a fan of the Yankees.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)