This is the day when the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the results of this year’s ballots. It’s another reminder of how St. Louis Cardinals legend Jim Edmonds should have been given more consideration than he received. I also think it could mean Nolan Arenado’s future enshrinement is anything but a sure thing.
It’s been 10 years now since Jim Edmonds had his one and only year on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. It was 2016 when he received only 2.5% of the vote which resulted in his name not being carried over for future consideration. Why such a low support total? It certainly didn’t help that 2016 was the year that Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were on the ballot. I also remember a lot of chatter about how Jim didn’t have enough career home runs or hits to merit entry into the Hall. That shortsightedness overlooks a career rich with other metrics which should have earned Edmonds more serious consideration. Here are some numbers to digest:
393 HR
903 OPS
132 OPS+
60.4 WAR,
8 Gold Gloves,
4-time All-Star
From 2000 through 2004, Jim Edmonds was one of the most impactful players in Major League Baseball. He was one of the game’s best center fielders in history and also had many iconic regular season and playoff moments including the 2004 walk-off winner against the Astros plus his game-saving catch in game 7.
I understand that the National Baseball Hall of Fame has to maintain standards so the ballot doesn’t become a glut of players, but allowing a player of Jim Edmonds caliber to appear on one ballot and disappear with no other consideration feels wrong. Yes, he still has a chance at the Hall thanks to the Eras Committee, but I believe Jim would have fared better on subsequent regular Hall ballots if allowed the chance.
Jim Edmonds exclusion to this point makes me wonder if Nolan Arenado will run into the same barriers when his playing time is done. Nolan has an elite resume of defensive awards and recognition as the best at his position for many years, but also lacks the big hit and home run totals. I realize there’s no perfect way to enshrine players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but Jim Edmonds is one of the St. Louis Cardinals greats that has sadly fallen through the cracks and Nolan Arenado could face a similar unfair future after his career is complete.
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