MLB
Big Papi only player elected to Hall of Fame
David Ortiz is the only player to be elected to the 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame, while Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens all fall short
The full voting results from the Baseball Writers Association of America ballots were released Tuesday evening and longtime Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was the only player elected, receiving 77.9% of the vote. The 20 year veteran finished his career with 10 All-Star Game appearances and 541 home runs.
Home run king Barry Bonds, plus pitching aces Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, all in their 10th and final year of eligibility, fell short of the 75% threshold. Bonds and Clemens have been polemical throughout the entire voting process because of their alleged steroid use during their careers. Not having the all-time home run leader in the Hall of Fame may seem unthinkable from the outside, but baseball has a long tradition of excluding players for perceived character flaws. The all-time base hit leader, Pete Rose, has been resolutely banned and the hall shows no signs of bending their stance for anyone.
2022 Baseball Hall of Fame results
- David Ortiz: 77.9 percent
- Barry Bonds: 66 percent*
- Roger Clemens: 65.2 percent*
- Scott Rolen: 63.2 percent
- Curt Schilling: 58.6 percent*
- Todd Helton: 52 percent
- Billy Wagner: 51 percent
- Andruw Jones: 41.1 percent
- Gary Sheffield: 40.6 percent
- Alex Rodriguez: 34.3 percent
- Jeff Kent: 32.7 percent
- Manny Ramirez: 28.9 percent
- Omar Vizquel: 23.9 percent
- Sammy Sosa: 18.5 percent*
- Andy Pettitte: 10.7 percent
- Jimmy Rollins: 9.4 percent
- Bobby Abreu: 8.6 percent
- Mark Buehrle: 5.8 percent
- Torii Hunter: 5.3 percent
* = 10th and final year on the ballot
Joe Nathan, Tim Hudson, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Jonathan Papelbon, Prince Fielder, A.J. Pierzynski, Carl Crawford and Jake Peavy failed to hit the five-percent threshold and will be removed from the ballot.
Players are eligible for the ballot five years after their retirement. They then have to earn 75 percent of the vote in order to be enshrined. Those who fall short of that mark can remain on the ballot for up to 10 years as long as they receive over five percent of the vote each year.
Ortiz, who also spent time with the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins organizations, ended his career at number 17 on the all-time home run table. But he was truly beloved in Fenway for his penchant for the big shots at the big moments, especially in the postseason. He won three World Series with the Red Sox and was named MVP during the 2013 World Series, where he homered twice and drove in six over the course of 16 at-bats.