Jim Edmonds falling off ballot in first year a huge disappointment
Though there were no real surprises coming out of the 2016 Hall of Fame voting results, there were definitely some notable disappointments.
Perhaps the biggest of those disappointments was outfielder Jim Edmonds falling off the ballot in his very first year eligible for election. Many believed Edmonds had a decent Hall of Fame case, or at least a case that deserved further examination and discussion in years ahead. Unfortunately, a deep group of candidates with some clearer cases dominated the discussion and ultimately the final voting, leaving Edmonds short of the five percent needed to stay on.
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Edmonds only received votes from 11 of the 440 ballots cast by Baseball Writers’ of America Association members. That equaled 2.5 of the votes, the highest percentage of the 13 players who fell off the ballot. That’s of small consolation to Edmonds or his supporters though, as he’ll now have to await consideration from the veteran’s committee several years down the road.
Edmonds’ case truly is (or was) interesting too. His production over the years was matched by few other center fielders throughout baseball’s storied history. Edmonds ranked top 10 at his position in career homers (393) and slugging percentage (.527). He is also one of eight players at that position to record at least five 30-homer seasons. When you put that together with his exceptional defense, which netted him eight Gold Glove awards and rented space on numerous highlight reels, it makes for a skillset that was both unique and invaluable.
Unfortunately, Edmonds’ talent and great production doesn’t tell the whole story, mainly because his teams were left trying to replace that production for long stretches while he dealt with injuries. Edmonds topped 140 games only seven times in 17 seasons, and 150 games only four times. His inability to stay healthy hurt his teams and prevented him from further cementing a potential Hall of Fame legacy, which is truly a shame.
With that in mind, many would say we should only judge on what we know and what we’ve seen, and that injuries shouldn’t hamper a players’ case. That much I agree with, but Edmonds probably needed that lost time to make up the difference.
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Some would also say if there’s reason to debate a player’s case extensively, then there is no case. That there’s only room for the most elite players, the no-doubt choices in the Hall of Fame. Maybe there’s something to that, but that would also remove some of the thinking and analyzing that needs to take place so that players like Edmonds and Tim Raines aren’t ultimately overlooked.
Sometimes the numbers we’re quick to dismiss do tell a career story that’s worth knowing and worth honoring. There’s still hope for Raines, who saw his percentage rise again to 69.8 percent as he enters his final season of eligibility. And just the fact Raines has gained this much supports shows the importance of staying on the ballot. A candidate can gain momentum quickly as the voters change and the candidates around him change.
Unfortunately, Edmonds’ case will be out of sight and out of mind, meaning his place in history is likely lost.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
