(670 The Score) When the Minnesota Twins were on the clock with the first pick of the 2001 MLB Draft, not even some of their high-level scouts in the room knew which player they would select.
As the story goes, the most coveted prospect in that draft was USC pitcher Mark Prior, who wanted a major league contract, a spot on the 40-man roster and the millions of guaranteed dollars that came with such security. But, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins' talks with Prior’s camp broke down minutes before the amateur draft began.
Fortuitously, that led the Twins to their second choice at No. 1: a local catcher from Cretin-Derham High School in St. Paul named Joe Mauer, who took the most important call of his life at his home about five miles away.
The Twins had decided to draft the 18-year-old with the sweet swing over Prior, who went second to the Cubs. (How did that turn out, Chicago?)
What was an important decision then has brought Mauer to the brink of baseball immortality now.
Mauer is one of 12 new names on the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot – and one of six that I checked on mine. In my fifth year of having the privilege to vote for the Hall as a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, I voted for first-timers Mauer and Adrian Beltre as well as Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Billy Wagner and former White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle.
For me, Beltre was the easiest selection. Mauer required the most research and reflection, balancing his undeniable qualifications with a lack of postseason success and a career shortened by injuries. But consider this when evaluating the 2001 draft 22 years later: Of the 52 players who have been the No. 1 overall picks, only three have had a higher WAR (Wins Above Replacement) than Mauer — Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez. That withstands the test of time.
I also voted for Wagner, Jones, Helton and Buehrle last year for reasons explained below. The vote for Buehrle is one based on principle more than provincialism, a nod to the kind of durability and dependability rarer than ever from starting pitchers in today’s specialized MLB game.
My ballot again ignored players under the cloud of suspicion that hovers over baseball's steroid era and left off a player in Carlos Beltran who was a major cog in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. To get the Hall of Fame nod, candidates must receive at least 75% of the vote and can remain on the BBWAA ballot for 10 years if they don't.
Here are my choices.
Adrian Beltre
Beltre was the only no-brainer on the ballot. He belongs.
Throughout a 21-year career, Beltre collected 3,186 hits and hit .286 with 477 home runs. As impressively, Beltre carved an even deeper niche with his glove — winning five Gold Gloves. Could Beltre have been the second-best defensive third baseman ever, behind Brooks Robinson? Beltre also made four All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards in a well-traveled career that included stints with the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and his last eight seasons with the Rangers.
Joe Mauer
As I suggested earlier, Mauer doesn't necessarily scream Hall of Famer — especially if you dare mention his name on the South SIde of the Chicago. A White Sox nemesis, Mauer simply rode consistency into contention for Cooperstown immortality. Only six catchers have a higher WAR than Mauer's 55.3, a testament to his value. Had he played his entire career in New York rather than Minneapolis, perhaps he would've received more national attention and respect. Mauer is the only catcher to ever win an American League batting title, which he did during his prime (2006, 2008-'09). In 2009, Mauer also won the AL's MVP award and a Gold Glove. Though Mauer never won a playoff game with the Twins, his individual excellence over an extended period of time deserves distinction. Johnny Bench and Ivan Rodriguez are the only catchers to go into the Hall on the first ballot, but Mauer did everything possible to make him the third.
Mark Buehrle
Since 1901, only seven pitchers in MLB history have thrown 200 innings in 14 consecutive seasons. Buehrle is among that esteemed group. The other six – Warren Spahn, Gaylord Perry, Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson – all have plaques in Cooperstown. No pitcher from 2001-'15 recorded more outs than Buehrle or pitched more innings – 3,232.
But the crafty, quick-working lefty did more than just work as efficiently as a good furnace. He won most of those games too – 214 to be exact. He made five All-Star teams and won four Gold Glove awards. The highest Buehrle ever finished in the Cy Young voting was fifth in 2005, a World Series championship season that stamped him a winner. A perfect game and no-hitter combined with 15 seasons of double-digit victories further legitimizes Buehrle’s induction. The only three other pitchers with those credentials are Hall of Famers in Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Spahn.
Billy Wagner
I continue believe Wagner will one day get in because he’s so deserving. Wagner suffers from the tradition of relievers being viewed differently than starters when evaluating their historical value. The lefty flamethrower owns the lowest WHIP (0.998) of any pitcher of the modern era with at least 900 innings. His career 2.31 ERA ranks atop the list of left-handed relievers who have thrown at least 900 innings. In 16 seasons, Wagner saved 422 games and converted 85.9% of his opportunities, numbers that make him more than worthy of induction. No pitcher since 1900 with at least 900 innings pitched allowed fewer hits per nine innings (5.99) than Wagner, and his strikeout rate of 11.92 per nine innings ranks first among pitchers with at least 900 innings.
Andruw Jones
A 10-time Gold Glove winner – a rare feat that among outfielders has been accomplished only by future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki and current enshrinees Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Ken Griffey Jr. and Al Kaline – Jones defined his position defensively for the better part of a decade. He was a major cog in a long Braves run of success. His career declined sharply after his 30th birthday, but through his age-29 season, only Alex Rodriguez, Eddie Mathews and Griffey had hit more home runs at that point of their careers than Jones, whose flame burned brightest during his prime from 1998-2007. He hit 434 career home runs, making him the only center fielder ever with at least 400 home runs and a dWAR of 24.0 or higher.
Todd Helton
If Fred McGriff can go in, shouldn’t Helton be welcomed too? Consider Helton’s numbers are, at least, comparable to McGriff’s. Helton hit .316 with 369 home runs and 1406 RBIs with a .953 OPS. McGriff hit .284 with 493 home runs and 1,550 RBIs with an .886 OPS. Helton’s career WAR was 61.9 compared to McGriff’s 52.6 – with Helton’s WAR higher than already-enshrined first basemen such as Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell and Tony Perez. From 2000 through 2005, only two MLB players produced more bWAR than Helton’s 42.1 – Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. Only four players in that span had a higher OPS+: Bonds, Albert Pujols, Jason Giambi and Manny Ramirez.
Focusing on the disparity between Helton’s home/road splits punishes him for playing his entire career at Coors Field, an element out of his control. He made the best of a good situation by becoming the greatest Rockie ever.
The "cheaters"
This is what I felt last year, and nothing has changed: I remain opposed to voting for candidates whose careers don’t pass the smell test when it comes to their use of performance-enhancing drugs. I’m not saying I’ll never vote for them, just not now. Not yet. It still seems like a bridge too far for me, philosophically.
For me, the same logic applies to Beltran, whose role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal tainted, well, everything and everyone in that organization at the time. Beltran’s dilemma feels similar but different than the one implicating alleged PED users.
It’s complicated separating statistics from the suspicions when considering players like Rodriguez, Ramirez, Andy Pettitte and Gary Sheffield. The same was true when Sammy Sosa was on the ballot.
Baseball’s caretakers could address this annual, uncomfortable dance with doubt for Hall voters.
I’m all for the addition of a wing in Cooperstown to include tributes to players with impressive credentials whose methods raised eyebrows. I openly acknowledge you can't write the history of baseball without including those whose career accomplishments carry legitimacy concerns. I admit to not knowing how many other players gained entry into the Hall of Fame despite cutting corners or bending rules, and I respect the presumption of innocence. But it's a baseball museum and not a courtroom, so the criteria remains subjective.
And to me, leaving those implicated by convincing evidence linking them to performance-enhancing drugs off the ballot still feels like the right thing to do.
David Haugh is the co-host of the Mully & Haugh Show from 5-10 a.m. weekdays on 670 The Score. Click here to listen. Follow him on Twitter @DavidHaugh.