On Monday, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BWAA) released the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot and there are a lot of names on the list with ties to the Phillies, including Roy Halladay, who appears on the ballot for the first time.
The ballot will be sent to the voting members of the BWAA and candidates receiving votes on 75 percent of ballots cast will be named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Any players receiving more than five percent of the vote may remain on the ballot for as many as 10 years. The results will be announced on Jan. 22 with the induction taking place on July 21.
This year’s ballot consists of 35 players, 20 appearing for the first time, nine of which played for the Phillies at some point in their career.
Roy Halladay joins Todd Helton, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera as the headliners of the new list of players added to the ballot. A veteran of 16 seasons, Halladay spent four years with the Phillies from 2010-2013 and collected his second Cy Young with the club in 2010.
A fan favorite, beloved across the league, and especially in Philadelphia and Toronto, where he spent the first 12 years of his career, Halladay was taken from us too soon a year ago, dying tragically in an aircraft he was piloting. An eight-time All-Star, a career 3.38 ERA to go along with 203 wins and 67 complete games only begin to scratch the surface of his impressive resume.
Factor in advanced metrics and his historic achievement in the playoffs and Halladay is sure to be inducted at some point. His time could, and probably should, come on his first attempt.
In addition to Halladay, newcomers to the Hall of Fame ballot with ties to Philadelphia are Freddy Garcia, Roy Oswalt, Juan Pierre, Placido Polanco and Michael Young, none of which are likely to ever be enshrined.
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Curt Schilling will appear on the ballot for a sixth season after receiving votes on 51.2 percent of ballots cast last year. The outspoken righty spent parts of nine seasons with the Phillies and has hovered around the 50 percent mark over the past few years. His relationship with the media and voting members may be the determining factor in ever making it to Cooperstown.
Billy Wagner will appear on the ballot for a fourth year after receiving votes on 11.1 percent of ballots last year. A dominant force in the ninth inning for many seasons, we’ll see how Rivera’s inclusion on this year’s ballot affects how many votes he receives this year. That being said, the negative perception of closers amongst voters may keep him on the outside looking in.
Scott Rolen will appear on the ballot for a second attempt after being named on 10.2 percent of ballots cast last year. With the recent emphasis on defensive metrics, Rolen is seen as someone who could gain momentum among voters throughout his time under consideration due to his prowess in the field.
A few notable Phillies from the 2008 run, including Jimmy Rollins (2022), Chase Utley (2023) and Ryan Howard (2022) are sure to be on the ballot when they become eligible.
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