A-Rod at 34% on 1st ballot; Clemens falls off
Longtime ace stalls at 65.2 percent in final year on Hall of Fame ballot
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochThe National Baseball Hall of Fame¡¯s last two induction ceremonies have heavily featured Yankees greatness, celebrating the respective careers of Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter. That will not be the case this summer, as Alex Rodr¨ªguez and Roger Clemens were among those to fall shy of booking a trip to Cooperstown, N.Y.
David Ortiz was the only member of this year¡¯s 30-man ballot to register the necessary 75 percent of votes cast, as announced Tuesday by the Baseball Writers¡¯ Association of America. This marked Rodr¨ªguez¡¯s first time on the BBWAA ballot, while it was Clemens¡¯ 10th and final chance to be voted in by the writers.
Rodr¨ªguez received 135 of a possible 394 votes (34.3 percent) while Clemens received 257 votes (65.2 percent).
A seven-time Cy Young Award winner whose candidacy was clouded by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, Clemens spent six of his 24 seasons with the Yankees (1999-2003, ¡¯07). With the Yanks, he pitched to an 83-42 record with a 4.01 ERA in 175 games (174 starts), celebrating two World Series championships.
An 11-time All-Star, seven-time ERA title winner and the 1986 American League Most Valuable Player, Clemens also starred for the Red Sox (1984-96), Blue Jays (1997-98) and Astros (2004-06). He compiled a career record of 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA (143 ERA+) in 709 games (707 starts) and is the only pitcher with 300 or more wins not in the Hall.
¡°My family and I put the HOF in the rear view mirror ten years ago,¡± Clemens posted on social media. ¡°I didn¡¯t play baseball to get into the HOF. I played to make a generational difference in the lives of my family. Then focus on winning championships while giving back to my community and the fans as well. It was my passion.
¡°I gave it all I had, the right way, for my family and for the fans who supported me. I am grateful for that support. I would like to thank those who took the time to look at the facts and vote for me. Hopefully everyone can now close this book and keep their eyes forward focusing on what is really important in life. All love!¡±
Like Clemens and all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, Rodr¨ªguez¡¯s on-field credentials present an impeccable case for Hall induction. He ranks fourth on baseball¡¯s all-time home run list with 696, but his admitted PED use -- including actions that prompted Major League Baseball to levy a 162-game suspension in 2014 -- provided pause for voters.
A three-time AL MVP, 14-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop, Rodr¨ªguez played 12 of his 22 big league seasons with the Yankees (2004-13, ¡¯15-16), winning his only World Series championship in 2009. With New York, he batted .283/.378/.523 with 351 home runs and 1,096 RBIs in 1,509 games, having moved to third base to accommodate Jeter at shortstop.
Rodr¨ªguez also played for the Mariners (1994-2000) and Rangers (2001-03), retiring with a career slash line of .295/.380/.550 (140 OPS+).
In his fourth year on the BBWAA ballot, Andy Pettitte¡¯s support slipped, picking up 42 votes (10.7 percent). Pettitte received 13.7 percent in 2021. Known for his dependability as part of the ¡°Core Four¡± who helped the Yankees to five World Series championships, the left-hander logged 219 of his 256 career victories over 15 seasons with the Yankees (1995-2003, ¡¯07-10, ¡¯12-13).
He made three All-Star teams and was tabbed as the MVP of the 2001 American League Championship Series against the Mariners. Pettitte, who also pitched three seasons for the Astros (¡¯04-06), posted a 3.85 ERA (117 ERA+) across 531 big league games. He was named in the 2007 Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball.
Gary Sheffield, a fearsome slugger who belted 509 home runs across 22 big league seasons, received 160 votes (40.6 percent) in his eighth year on the BBWAA ballot. Sheffield, who played three seasons with the Yankees from 2004-06 and retired with a .292/.393/.514 slash line (140 OPS+), was listed at 40.6 percent in 2021. He also has been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
Other former Yankees appearing on the ballot included outfielder Bobby Abreu (8.6 percent, third year), outfielder Andruw Jones (41.1 percent, fifth year) and first baseman Mark Teixeira (1.5 percent). Because he did not garner at least 5 percent, Teixeira will not carry over to the next ballot.