Tag: MLB
PCI: Are More Home Runs God for Baseball?
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
Sports
Yes, Home Runs Make Games Exciting
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
A decade after the messy death of the steroid era in Major League Baseball, a new controversy has shaken the baseball world: the juiced ball era. The league has seen an astronomical rise in home run totals that put to shame even the numbers put up by steroid-enhanced players of the turn of the century. This dramatic increase in home runs will prove to be the jolt of energy necessary to revive the sport.
Indeed, it is no secret that baseball has seen a steady decline in popularity. In 2018, the league saw a harsh 4% drop in ballpark attendance, the largest slip in a decade.
Fewer people are also watching the game at home. The 2018 World Series drew only 14 million views per game. In comparison, the 1991 World Series brought in approximately 36 million viewers per game, a startling difference of 22 million.
The MLB has taken steps to remedy these troubling trends, mostly centered around increasing the pace of play. In 2019, the league shortened inning breaks, capped the number of mound visits per game at six, and experimented with a pitch clock during spring training.
Over the past few years, the league has also taken another subtle yet substantial step: remodeling the baseball itself.
The new ball is characterized by a less dense and better-centered core, smoother leather, and significantly lower seams. As a result, the ball has less drag and a smoother flight pattern when hit, causing the ball to travel further. And travel further the ball has.
On Sept. 11, the MLB surpassed the previous record of 6,105 total homeruns hit in a season, with nearly three weeks still left to play.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has denied that the league is intentionally juicing baseballs, yet he has made comments recently that suggest the league would be looking at the specifications of the ball. This is seen as a likely attempt to increase drag and decrease flight distance.
It is justified for the commissioner to want to take a look at the ball specifications, but instead of making the baseball less aerodynamic, he should aim to make it even more aerodynamic. Baseball desperately needs the long ball to add some much-needed excitement to the sport. Indeed, there is a reason All-Star Weekend features the Home Run Derby as its main attraction.
No fan goes to the stadium hoping their favorite player will lay down a spectacular bunt. It is the homerun ball baseball fans want, and it is the homerun ball the league needs in order to survive.
To stave off the plague of falling ratings and shrinking crowds, Manfred and the MLB must emphasize home runs as much as they can, as it may very well be baseball’s best chance to regain popularity.
No, It Takes Away From the Roots of the Game
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
As of Sept. 24, there have been 6,550 home runs hit this season in Major League Baseball. This figure comes with one week remaining in the regular season, as the last games are to be played on Sept. 29. This number has become a significant talking point throughout the baseball community, as home run production this season is the highest it has ever been by a staggering amount.
As a point of comparison, in the 2018 season, there were a total of 5,585 home runs hit. Going back further, in the 2015 MLB season, there were 4,909 total home runs hit. This increase in home run production in Major League Baseball raises the question: are more home runs good for baseball?
The rapid increase in the overall home run production throughout MLB history can be interpreted in several different ways. For one, some have argued that the increase in home runs is a result of the usage of new and improved technology by MLB teams. When watching any given MLB game from the 2019 season, batters can frequently be seen before or after at bats watching footage on tablets in order to prepare for upcoming at bats or review past at bats.
However, this theory fails to completely explain the shocking increase of 890 runs since the 2018 season.
A more common explanation of the significantly higher home run total this season is the possibility that the league is “juicing” the baseballs used in its games. Although this speculation has been going around for quite some time, it gained attention in July when Houston Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander gave his view on the issue, questioning MLB’s recent purchase of baseball-manufacturer Rawlings and accusing the commissioner of using juiced baseballs.
If the increase in home runs can truly be attributed to juiced balls as many players and fans believe, it is bad for the sport. Not only is it unfair to pitchers who are judged on their in-game performance, but it also takes the game away from its roots. If the MLB purchased Rawlings so it could alter the composition of baseballs, it would be problematic on many levels.
One of the most common explanations for the league wanting to juice baseballs is to increase the fan base, as home runs are considered among the most exciting plays in baseball. If this is true, the MLB is failing to understand that a significant portion of its fans watch the game because of its tradition and would oftentimes prefer to see a pitching duel that results in a 2-1 final score as opposed to a 12-10 slugfest.
Overall, it seems that the increase in home runs in the MLB is not beneficial for the sport, as it takes away from baseball’s roots and also can lead to longer games, which is an issue that the MLB has recently made a substantial effort to try to resolve.
Baseball Writers Elect Four to Cooperstown
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Sports
Three Pitchers & First Designated Hitter Cement Their Legacy
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With the winter meetings in the rearview mirror, the next big event on the baseball calendar before spring training in March is the annual Baseball Hall of Fame election. The voting for this prestigious honor is left in the hands of an exclusive few who are also known as as the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Four members on this year’s ballot were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mariano Rivera garnered 425 votes out of the possible 425 votes.
Rivera is the first player ever to be a unanimous decision. Ken Griffey Jr. was the closest in 2016, earning 99.3 percent of the possible votes. Edgar Martinez and the late Roy Halladay ushered in 85.41 percent of the vote, while the final candidate to be elected was Mike Mussina with 76.71 percent of the vote.
Mussina was as steady and reliant as a pitcher could be. Mussina, a five-time All Star and seven-time Gold Glove award winner, posted 17 consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins while finishing in the Cy Young top-5 six different times.
Mussina started his career with the Baltimore Orioles before heading to the New York Yankees via free agency. Many debated whether he should be inducted because he holds the 3rd highest ERA for a pitcher to be elected into the Hall of Fame. Some argued this is because he pitched in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards and Old Yankee Stadium, while others state that he was pitching in a time when hitters were dominating the game of baseball.
Martinez had to wait 10 years but, in his final year on the ballot, he was able to reach the 75 percent threshold. Martinez was used to waiting, though. Signed for $4,000, Martinez hit .173 in his first minor league season where he did not get a starting job until he was 27 years old. Martinez ended up spending the entirety of his 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners, where he was a seven-time All Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and led the American League in Average twice. Martinez’s number may not be the flashiest, but fellow Hall of Fame Pitcher Pedro Martinez ranked Edgar as one of the five toughest hitters he faced in his career due to the fact that he “was a guy that had the ability to foul off pitches, and it pissed me off because I couldn’t get the guy out.” Edgar only scratched three hits in 25 plate appearances against Pedro, but his legacy lives on.
The late Roy Halladay got into the Hall on his first try and well deservingly. Halladay passed away suddenly in 2017 after a plane crash, but memories of him live on through his family and his fans.
Halladay was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays as the 17th overall pick in the 1995 draft, but he struggled early on in his career. In fact, Halladay was demoted to Single-A to work on his mechanics. Halladay persevered and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers in the modern era.
He was an eight-time All Star, a two-time Cy Young award winner, and recorded 61 complete games from 2003-2011. This is 30 more complete games than CC Sabathia, who was second. Halladay was a consistent workhorse for both the Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. During his tenure with the Phillies, Halladay threw a perfect game and a no-hitter, both in the same season. He became the first player ever to throw both in one season and become only the second player ever to throw a no-hitter in the postseason. Many remember Halladay by his nickname “Doc” for his flat-out dominance and control on the mound, and he will be missed by the baseball community
Surprisingly, it took this long for a player to be unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame, but there is no better candidate than Rivera. Better known by his nickname “Mo,” Rivera is a five-time World Series Champion and is currently the all-time leader in saves with 652.
Rivera’s story is a unique one. In 1988, Herb Raybourn, a scout, noticed Rivera playing shortstop at a youth tournament in Panama and decided to pass up on him. Rivera began to pitch and a teammate of his called Raybourn, who was then the Director of Latin American Operations for the Yankees. In February of 1990, behind Rivera’s house, he threw only nine pitches before Reybourn quickly signed him to a $2,000 bonus, and the rest was history.
He not only excelled on the field, but he was flat out dominant. More people have walked on the moon (12) than men who have scored against Rivera in the postseason (11), and he faced 527 hitters in the postseason, yet only two of those batters hit a home run off him. You can love him or hate him, but you have to respect the fact that our generation has grown up with one of the best closers in the game, and we may have taken him for granted.
The 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame class is truly unique due to the fact that many of these players had to grind their way through and experienced failures along the way. It proves to any athlete or baseball player that pure determination and effort can take you anywhere you want to go.
MLB Playoffs Are Here
by The Cowl Editor on September 27, 2018
Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
As the temperature gets progressively more bearable in Aquinas it can only mean one thing: playoff baseball is right around the corner. The Major League Baseball regular season will finally come to a conclusion on Sunday after a grueling 162 game stretch. Over the past six months, the league has seen its fair share of breakout stars and surprise playoff contenders, but after Sunday only 10 teams will remain in the hunt for the coveted Commissioner’s Trophy (All stats as of Sept. 22).
The American League’s five playoff representatives have long been locked in place, as the AL saw four teams reach 90 wins by mid-September. One of those teams is the Boston Red Sox, who clinched the AL East title last Thursday night with a win over the New York Yankees. Boston’s explosive season is due in large part to the impressive performances of MVP candidates Mookie Betts (.339 BA) and J.D. Martinez (41 HR), who have helped propel the team to a 105-50 record. The Sox will enter the playoffs with the best record in the majors but may be hindered by an inexperienced bullpen that has posted a poor ERA (4.00) since the All-Star break.
The Cleveland Indians (86-67) had to stave off the up and coming Minnesota Twins for the first half of the season but glided to the AL Central divisional in the second half. Cleveland’s strength lies in their pitching staff, as it features two Cy Young candidates in Corey Kluber (2.93 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (2.22 ERA), and a deadly combo out of the bullpen in Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.
Meanwhile in the AL West, the Houston Astros (97-57) hold a 3.5 game lead over the Oakland Athletics (94-61) in the race for the divisional crown. While the defending champions and former AL MVP Jose Altuve (.313 BA) were again expected to make the playoffs, the Athletics were given little chance to compete in a division in which they placed dead last in 2017. The Athletics’ meteoric rise can be contributed in large part to Khris Davis, who has helped power the team into contention with his league-leading 45 home runs.
The 95-59 Yankees will be waiting in the Bronx for the team that finishes second in the AL West. The Yanks have seen their share of success in the regular season, and slugger Aaron Judge’s return to health bodes well for a lineup already boasting 2017 National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton. New York’s postseason hopes may rely on ace Luis Severino returning to his pre-All-Star break form after struggling in the second half of the season.
Over in the National League, things are a little more interesting, as nail-biting races for both divisional titles and the Wild Card will likely come down to the final day. The Atlanta Braves (87-68) are the only team with their fate already determined after a division-clinching win against the Philadelphia Phillies last Saturday night. The Braves have been led all season by the strong play of veterans Freddie Freeman (.311 BA) and Nick Markakis (.304 BA) and will look to make some noise in their first trip to the playoffs since 2013.
Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs are looking to hold onto the National League Central title as they lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.5 games. However, both teams should find themselves in the playoffs as the Brewers currently possess one of the two wild card slots, along with the St. Louis Cardinals (86-69). The Cubs will look to overcome an injury-plagued bullpen while the Brewers will hope to ride the scorching hot play of MVP frontrunner Christian Yelich. The National League West looks very similar, as the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Colorado Rockies by 1.5 games. The Dodgers will look to ace Clayton Kershaw (2.45 ERA) in the postseason, while the Rockies’ playoff hopes may rely on the return of slugger Trevor Story. Colorado currently sits 1.5 games back of the Wild Card, and will have to make a desperate push this weekend to secure a spot in the postseason.
With playoff hopes still hanging in the balance, the last weekend of the 2018 season should be an exciting one.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 27, 2018
Sports
The Boston Red Sox Will Win the World Series
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
2018 has been a memorable year for America’s favorite pastime, and especially for Major League Baseball. Virtually every division in the National League is showing a tight race for the top spot. The Oakland Athletics continue to chase down the Houston Astros in the American League West as playoffs loom around the corner. There is one team, however, that has handily separated itself from the rest, and that team is the Boston Red Sox, who I predict will win the 2018 World Series.
Coming into the 2018 season with a brand-new manager, former MLB infielder Alex Cora, no one knew what to expect from the Red Sox. Cora had previously been a part of the Red Sox as a player from 2005-2008, and his only prior coaching experience was as a bench coach for the Houston Astros in 2017. Nonetheless, the Boston Red Sox offered Cora the position of manager after the Astros had just recently knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs in the 2017 ALDS, and Cora accepted the offer, which lasts through 2020.
Despite a lack of previous experience as manager, Cora took the helm in Boston with confidence, and it has showed. The Red Sox have racked up 100 wins this season for the first time since 1946, and are still the only team to have reached 107 wins this season. The Red Sox clinched a playoff berth back on Sept. 11 with a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. On Sept. 20, they clinched the AL East title by beating the New York Yankees 11-6. As if this was not enough to cap off an incredible regular season, the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians on Sept. 21 to tie the franchise win record of 105 wins, which was set back in 1912.
While capturing the division title and tying the franchise win record are great accomplishments, one question remains: do the Red Sox have what it takes to be successful in the playoffs and ultimately bring a World Series title back to Boston? The Red Sox have one of the most dangerous lineups in all of baseball, led by the league’s batting average leader Mookie Betts, RBI leader J.D. Martinez, as well as shortstop Xander Bogaerts and leftfielder Andrew Benintendi, who have both proven to be integral parts of Boston’s lineup. The Red Sox also have a dominant starting rotation featuring Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, and Eduardo Rodriguez. If the Red Sox continue to play as they have since opening day and the bullpen is able to hold off playoff opponents late in games, the Boston Red Sox will be the 2018 World Series Champions.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 27, 2018
Sports
The New York Yankees Will Win the World Series
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
While some teams that have clinched a playoff berth this season have continued to shine, the New York Yankees will be very successful this October, as the team looks forward to winning the 2018 World Series and adding their 28th Championship to the clubhouse.
What started as an exciting season slowly turned gloomy in July, after a wild pitch hit the wrist of Yankee outfielder and All-Star Aaron Judge, and put him out for two months. Recently, Judge has been entered back into the lineup and is currently providing clutch hitting for the Yankees, with his .278 batting average and 26 homeruns.
In the past few weeks, injuries have been plaguing the Yankees, such as outfielder Aaron Hicks with a tight hamstring and shortstop Didi Gregorius with a cartilage tear in his right wrist. Both players are hoping to be back by the end of the regular season, just in time for the postseason.
Yankees’ slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is entering the postseason for the first time in his career, has been leading the charge for his team in last the two months of Judge’s absence. Stanton is sporting a .293 batting average across the months of July and August, as well as 35 homeruns this season. When asked about the tools to keep the momentum going for the Yankees this postseason, Stanton stated, “There’s no feeling like it, till you get a couple more in you down the stretch here… It’s good. It’s a good point we’re at now and just keep pushing forward, step by step.”
The Yankees will most likely face the Oakland Athletics in the wild card game. Although the A’s have arguably been the hottest team in baseball this season, the Yankees’ 3-3 record against them so far and a roster almost at 100 percent gives them a solid chance against them should they come face-to-face.
In the American League Division Series, the Yankees will have to face Boston, the team with the best record this MLB season. The Yankees are currently 7-9 against Boston this season, although last series they won 2-1. The road may be tough, but if the Yankees play to their strengths, they can beat Boston in six games. Though the Red Sox may have clinched the AL East, Giancarlo states to his rivals, “They can celebrate now…We have time to celebrate later.”
The American League Championship Series will have a Cleveland Indians-Yankees matchup. If played to their strengths, the Yankees can also win this series versus Cleveland in six games, which would allow them to possibly face the Atlanta Braves, coming out of the National League, in the World Series.
New York’s heavy-hitting lineup will be the difference between an unexpierenced Atlanta team, and give them a chance to win the series in five games.
Overall, the Yankees will rise their 28th pennant in their storied history at Yankee Stadium this season.
Shohei Ohtani Starts Off Hot
by The Cowl Editor on April 19, 2018
Sports
Rookie Shows Promise Hitting and Pitching
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
For most baseball fans, this past off season’s free-agency period was a lackluster performance by all 30 teams. There was almost a consensus around the league that each general manager wanted to wait until next off season to snatch bigger prize free agents such as Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
One player who filled the news void this off season was none other than 23-year-old Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, who has been nicknamed the “Babe Ruth of Japan,” came over unexpectedly and left every MLB team chasing after the future star. Ohtani voided the opportunity to wait for the big payday in two years and settled with the Los Angeles Angels for the league minimum of $545,000 per year over the next three years.
So why the nickname and the hype? Ohtani brings skills that have never been seen before in the major leagues. He is a two-way player who excels as both a hitter and a pitcher. Scouts have compared his hitting abilities to those of Ken Griffey Jr. while his pitching has resembled Stephen Strasburg.
After a string of less than stellar performances on both the mound and at the plate during spring training, Ohtani has finally lived up to the hype. In 30 plate appearances so far, Ohtani has 11 base hits, maintaining a .367 average and a slugging percentage of .767. He even hit a home run off of the reigning CY Young Winner, Corey Kluber, in his second game of the season.
Ohtani has been even more dominant on the rubber, holding hitters to a mere .093 batting average and a slugging percentage of .163. In his first home debut as pitcher against the Oakland A’s, he carried a perfect game into the 7th inning before it was broken up by Marcus Semien.
Ohtani’s success has shaken the whole baseball industry as more front offices begin to look into the two-way player. Brendan McKay, who was the Tampa Bay Rays’ first round draft pick from this past June’s draft, is a two-way player and is thriving in the minors.
Many believed that after McKay was drafted, he would exclusively be at first base. Currently playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods in the Midwest League (Single-A), McKay is off to a red-hot start batting .438 with six RBI in 16 plate-appearances. On the hill, McKay has compiled a 3.60 ERA in five innings pitched while striking out eight. The Rays’ front office believes it can work and why not? McKay did the same through his career at University of Louisville.
Another two-way player is the Reds’ No. 2 overall pick this past June, 18-year-old Hunter Greene. Greene, who has been praised for both his glove work at shortstop and his 100-mph fastball on the mound, was allowed by the Reds’ to test the waters at both the plate and on the mound in his first minor league season this past summer.
Although it has been decided that Greene’s future will be on the mound, the Reds’ decision to let him pitch shows that Major League clubs are starting to think about using these players’ various talents and experimenting with the two-way player possibility.
He may only be 23-years-old, but the future of the two-way player in the MLB resides on the shoulders of Shohei Ohtani.
Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry is Back On
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
After the first week of the Major League Baseball season, there is already plenty of excitement around the league. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is showing he can dominate on, the mound, and at the plate, the Astros strong play has carried over from last year, and the Mets have surprisingly jumped out hot to start the year. The most interesting storyline this year could be the potential resurgence of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, who played their first series this week.
Both teams added fuel to fire this offseason as the Yankees hired Red Sox enemy Aaron Boone as their new manager and signed 2017 home run leader Giancarlo Stanton.
The Sox made moves of their own by signing outfielder J.D. Martinez and hiring former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora as their manager. Making the playoffs is not the goal for these teams as both owners expect their teams to compete for a title year in and year out. This year, the teams could potentially meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Coming into their first series of the season at Fenway Park, the Red Sox and Yankees each pegged their top three starters to pitch in the series. Each team sent their ace out for the first game as Boston’s Chris Sale faced off against New York’s Luis Severino. Sale pitched like the true ace he is and only gave up one run in six innings. Severino, however, struggled and allowed five runs in five innings. Overall, the Sox won 14-1, highlighted by right fielder Mookie Betts’ grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning. The game had a playoff atmosphere right from the beginning, as the Sox were looking to make a statement win over the AL East favorites. Boos and jeers were constant throughout the night, especially when Yankees stars Aaron Judge and Stanton came up to bat.
The next night the Yanks returned a favor as they scored four runs against pitcher David Price in the first inning and scored eight runs through four innings though the Sox fought back to make it a close game. A brawl also broke out after Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelley hit Yankee Tyler Austin. Austin then charged the mound and both team’s benches cleared out. This opening series has brought a spark back to the rivalry that will continue throughout the season.
Last season was the first year since 2009 that both the Yankees and the Red Sox make it to the playoffs. For the past eight seasons, Boston and New York have had their fair share of disappointing years, causing the rivalry to cool down.
Last season saw the Red Sox win 93 games and their second consecutive division title but lose in the American League Divisions Series, this time to the eventual champs, the Houston Astros. The Yankees, on the other hand, came into 2017 looking to continue to rebuild after only winning 84 games in 2016, and wound up winning 91 games due to a break-out season by rookie sensation Judge and were one win away from going to the World Series, also losing to Houston. The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the season series, 11-8.
Hall of Fame Introduces Four New Members
by The Cowl Editor on February 1, 2018
Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, Cooperstown, New York will welcome four new inductees into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. This marks the fourth time in history four players were voted into Cooperstown, compared to last year’s three players.
This year’s new members include third baseman Chipper Jones, rightfielder Vladimir Guerrero, designated hitter Jim Thome, and relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman.
To be entered into the Hall of Fame, a player must have first played in the MLB beginning 15 years before and ending 5 years prior to election. Second, the players must pass through a screening committee after five years of being retired. To be voted in, a player must take in 75 percent of the elector’s vote, which is 317 votes from the electors.
Jones lead this year’s ballot with 97.2 percent of the writers’ votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which is around 410 votes of the 422 ballots. Guerrero, Thome, and Hoffman respectively finished behind Jones with 392, 379, and 337 votes from the writers.
Jones told ESPN, “It was waterworks.” With an overall career batting average of .303 percent, 2,726 hits, 468 homeruns, 1,623 RBIs, the Atlanta Braves’ eighth time All-Star, National League MVP, and 1995 World Series Champion, more than qualified for his eligibility for the Hall of Fame. He now joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only other No. 1 draft pick to enter the Hall of Fame.
As for Thome, who ranks eighth of all-time on the home run list in his 22 seasons for teams including the Indians, the Phillies, and the Dodgers, his career was another no-brainer for the writers. Thome was also emotional after receiving the phone call from his former hitting coach Charlie Manuel, who stated “This is totally deserving and, for me, ranks up there with anything I’ve ever seen happen in the game of baseball. For someone that I met as a 19-year-old and saw improve as much as anyone over time, it makes me smile to think that all that hard work, all those swings in the batting cage, is now paying off for him.”
Guerrero, a nine time All-Star, is a generational hitter who was only one of 13 players to have numbers over .315/.550. He is still in shock about his election, as he is the first position player from the Dominican Republic to make the Hall of Fame, and loves to represent his country in the best way possible.
Lastly, Trevor Hoffman, a seven-time All-Star relief pitcher who marked 1,133 career strikeouts and is second in saves behind Mariano Rivera, the Yankee relief pitcher who highlights his first year of eligibility next year, was elected as well.
Fans of the game have said nothing but positive remarks for the players elected, yet as the reports went out for the rest of the voted players from the league who were not elected, the media and fans took note.
The two most notable players this year that remain on the ballot are Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Their careers are both filled with historic moments and controversey involving alledged steriod use that has caused a divide amongst voters.
Fans of these players remain optimistic about their future as they seem to rise each year in ballot votes and hope new votes in the future will finally bring them to Cooperstown.