The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the results of this year’s voting on this day. It serves as yet another reminder that legendary St. Louis Cardinals player Jim Edmonds ought to have received greater respect than he did. Additionally, I believe it may indicate that Nolan Arenado’s future enshrinement is far from certain.
Jim Edmonds spent his one and only year on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot ten years ago. He only earned 2.5% of the vote in 2016, which meant that his name would not be considered again. Why is the support total so low? The fact that Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. were on the ballot in 2016 didn’t help either. I also recall a lot of discussion concerning Jim’s lack of lifetime hits and home runs to qualify for the Hall of Fame. This lack of vision ignores a career full of other indicators that ought to have given Edmonds more careful thought. Here are some figures to consider:
393 HR
903 OPS
132 OPS+
60.4 WAR,
8 Gold Gloves,
4-time All-Star
Jim Edmonds was among Major League Baseball’s most influential players from 2000 to 2004. In addition to being one of the greatest center fielders in history, he had other memorable regular season and postseason moments, such as his game-saving catch in game seven and the 2004 walk-off victory over the Astros.
I am aware that the National Baseball Hall of Fame must uphold standards to prevent a glut of players from being on the ballot, but it seems unfair to let a player of Jim Edmonds’ caliber appear on one vote and then vanish without further consideration. Thanks to the Eras Committee, he still has a chance at the Hall, but I think Jim would have done better on later normal Hall ballots if given the opportunity.
I wonder if Nolan Arenado will have the same obstacles after his playing career is over, given Jim Edmonds’ exclusion up to this point. Nolan lacks the huge hit and home run totals, but he has a stellar record of defensive honors and has been regarded as the finest at his position for many years. Although I acknowledge that there is no ideal method for inducting individuals into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jim Edmonds, a legendary member of the St. Louis Cardinals, tragically slipped through the gaps, and Nolan Arenado may have a similar unjust future once his career is over.
