(Audacy) The 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was officially released Monday morning, and there are a few interesting and polarizing new names on the ballot.
Former Yankees, Rangers and Mariners star Alex Rodriguez debuted in his first year of eligibility, and there will surely be tons of debate over whether he should be voted into the Hall of Fame.
Rodriguez one of the greatest hitters of all time, but his career was clouded with multiple instances of performance-enhancing drug use — one of which he admitted to and another that landed him a full-season suspension, the lengthiest in MLB history related to PEDs.
Another slightly controversial -- although much less so than Rodriguez -- star making his debut on the ballot is former Red Sox and Twins slugger David Ortiz, whose name was leaked as a player who tested positive in the anonymous 2003 PED testing.
Ortiz is one of the most clutch players of all time, leading the Red Sox to three World Series titles, including in 2013, when he was the World Series MVP award.
In addition to Rodriguez and Ortiz, other first-timers include Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, Jimmy Rollins and Mark Teixeira.
Pierzynski played for the White Sox from 2005 to 2012 as part of his 19-year career. He helped lead them to the World Series title in 2005. Peavy played for the White Sox from 2009 to 2013. Former White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle is on the Hall of Fame ballot once again after drawing about 11% of the vote last year.
First-year candidates must receive at least 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.
Here's a look at the full ballot:
Among those in their final years are more players plagued by performance-enhancing drug issues, including Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Bonds received 61.8% of the vote while Clemens got 61.6% last year, both well below the 75% minimum needed to reach the Hall of Fame, making it unlikely that the greatest hitter and one of the greatest pitchers of their generation will both miss out on the Hall of Fame.
Curt Schilling is also on the ballot for the final time, although the issues surrounding his candidacy mostly involve his character off the field, which has delved into right-wing extremism and offensive social media posts.
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Despite those issues, Schilling still received 71.1% of the vote last year, falling just 16 votes shy of the 75%. Schilling requested he be removed from the ballot and wished for his candidacy be decided by the Veteran’s Committee comprised of Hall of Famers down the road rather than by the writers right now.
The Hall of Fame denied Schilling’s request.
Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramirez, two more players clouded by PED use, are also on the ballot, making it one of the more controversial ballots in recent memory. It is also Sosa’s last year of eligibility.
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