A-Rod, Teixeira fall short of HOF selection
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ARLINGTON -- The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced its 2022 class on Tuesday and two former Rangers, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira?, missed the cut in their first year on the ballot.
The two infielders were teammates on the 2003 Rangers, but both would go on to win the 2009 World Series with the Yankees.
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Entrance into the Hall of Fame requires 75 percent of the votes from the Baseball Writers¡¯ Association of America. Teixeria (1.5 percent) received just six votes, while Rodriguez (34.3 percent) received 135 votes. Only one candidate, David Ortiz, earned the necessary 75 percent to be elected. By failing to reach five percent of the votes, Teixeria is one-and-done on Hall of Fame balloting, while Rodriguez will remain on the ballot.
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Teixeria was selected fifth overall by the Rangers in the 2001 MLB Draft and made his big league debut on Opening Day in 2003. Across five seasons with Texas, he slashed .283/.368/.533 (.901 OPS). He also earned two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves at first base while with the Rangers.
He was the centerpiece of the 2007 trade with the Braves that brought Elvis Andrus to Texas.
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Rodriguez came to the Rangers in December 2000 with what was then the biggest contract in baseball history, at 10 years, $252 million for the superstar shortstop. He spent three seasons of his 22-year big league career in Texas. While the Rangers finished under .500 in each of his three seasons with the club, Rodriguez held up his end of the bargain, winning the American League MVP Award in ¡®03.
But Rodriguez¡¯s Hall of Fame candidacy is a little more complicated. While the stats speak for themselves -- three MVPs, 10 Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves, along with 3,115 hits, 696 home runs and 2,086 RBIs -- he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his three All-Star seasons with the Rangers. He missed the entire 2014 season with the Yankees serving a PED-based suspension.
While the chances may remain slim for Rodriguez¡¯s entry into the Hall of Fame, especially with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens missing the cut in their final year on the ballot, Rodriguez has nine years of eligibility remaining.