At the risk of grabbing the low-hanging fruit, the voters were “Wicked Smaht” in electing Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz to Cooperstown, while leaving Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out for a final time.
Ortiz finished with 541 home runs, good for 17th all time. The only players ahead of him not enshrined are attached to the steroid era--Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and of course Barry Bonds. The only exception is Albert Pujols, who finished the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the age of 42. Pujols is currently a free agent, but sits 17 behind Rodriguez for fourth all time.
“Big Papi” was the key member of the Red Sox breaking the curse in 2004, of course coming back from 3-0 down to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, having walk-off hits in Games 4 and 5. Ortiz would win two more World Series rings with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013, taking home World Series MVP honors in the latter.
While Ortiz will be displayed in bronze on July 24, his teammates from that 2004 team, Curt Schilling and Manny Ramirez will be left out. Schilling requested to be left off the ballot after coming up short last year, his ninth of eligibility. He received only 58.6% of the vote, as players are removed if failing to be elected after 10 years. Ramirez in his sixth year only received 28.9%.
Schilling was combative with everyone from teammates, to management, to the media. He even latched onto Breitbart News, an alt-right syndicated news website that is one part Qanon, and a whole lot involving their metaphorical lips being surgically attached to the former President’s bloated orange ass. In fact, his stances are what got him fired from ESPN in 2016.
With Bonds and Clemens no longer being eligible and moving to the Veterans Committee, it may lead to the forbidden door being smashed with an axe. If one or both are voted in, does it mean there is pressure to start adding others like Sosa and McGwire, who were so instrumental in bringing baseball back during their 1998 home run chase? Barry Bonds was not getting nearly as much coverage when he ran to 73 in 2001. Of course, Bonds had one of the worst repores with the media in modern history, as every other question was directly related to his (alleged) steroid usage.
Many make the argument that you need to acknowledge the Steroid Era in the Hall of Fame. However, keeping them deservedly out is all the acknowledgment that is required. Their name still comes up in discussion every year during voting, along with the thought of putting an asterisk next to their names on their plaques.
Ortiz’s name came up in 2003 for a potential positive test, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred publicly cast doubt on the results. Ortiz never tested positive at any point in his career.
Getting 77.9% of the ballot to get in on the first try is not as close as Ortiz would have liked, but as we all know, it’s how and not by how much. As late as last week, I must have had the Hyundai “Smaht Pahk” Super Bowl commercial from 2020 on YouTube’s version of repeat for at least three days. His likability outside of Fenway Park is one of the main reasons for induction, something that dwindled with many of his other colleagues who were mired in controversy.
-JC24