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Dukie98 · 02-24-2019, 04:24 AM

For the first time, the Hall of Fame welcomed multiple position players into its hallowed halls, as right fielder Aaron Judge was finally selected on his eighth time on the ballot with 75.2%. JD Drew became the first center fielder selected to the Hall of Fame, notching 76.8% of the vote in his maiden ballot appearance. In addition, closer Dick Radatz also earned selection, garnering 86.9% of the vote in his first time on the ballot.

Judge, a 5-time All-Star, spent nearly his entire 11-year career with the Cleveland Rocks. Judge combined tremendous power with a disciplined batting eye, finishing in the top 3 in the Frontier League in homers four times in a five-year stretch from 2014-18, leading the league with 45 round-trippers in 2015 -- one of four times he topped 40 homers. Judge drove in 100 runs five times, including a league-leading 143 RBI's in 2013. But Judge was not a one-dimensional slugger-- he also led the league in on-base percentage in 2014 and in walks the following year. His best season was 2013, when he hit .347 and slugged .637, bashing 43 homers, driving in 143 runs, and finishing second in the Frontier League MVP voting after lodging 9.6 WAR. He followed up that season with another second-place MVP finish, hitting .318 with 41 homers and 111 RBI's. Judge spent 9 1/2 seasons with Cleveland before being traded to Boston for the 2020 stretch drive, where he started for a squad that made it to the League Championship Series. He then returned to Cleveland for spot duty the following season before retiring. Judge finished his career with a .292/ .404/ .524 slash line, with 319 homers and 996 RBI's.

Drew, a 7-time All-Star centerfielder, spent his prime seasons with the San Antonio Marksmen. After being drafted ninth overall, he erupted out of the gate, hitting .298 with 29 homers, 120 walks, 125 RBI's, and 38 steals as a rookie in 2014, finishing second in the Continental League in the Rookie of the Year balloting and fifth in MVP voting. He earned MVP honors the following year, after hitting .328 with a league-best 142 walks, slugging .631 with 37 homers, 137 RBI's, 58 steals, and topped the league with 11.6 WAR. He led the Continental League in WAR again in 2017, when he hit .334 with a .428 on-base percentage, 20 homers, 110 RBI's, and 9.5 WAR. After six terrific seasons with San Antonio, Drew signed a free agent contract with the Omaha Falcons, where he made the All-Star team every season from 2021 through 2024. After five solid seasons in Omaha, he decamped for Los Angeles, where he continued to be a solid hitter, but his defensive skills steadily deteriorated. Drew retired with a career .289 average, with a .386 on-base percentage and .488 slugging percentage, ripping 352 homers and stealing 451 bases. He also popped 15 homers and swiped 27 bases in 91 career postseason games. Drew had 8 seasons with at least 100 RBI's (plus two more with 99), ranking 21st in baseball history with 1445 RBI's as of the time of his induction, and he topped 30 steals 9 times.

Radatz was perhaps the most dominant closer in HRDL history. Breaking in with the Los Angeles Kangaroos in 2013, he led the Continental League in saves for every season between 2014 and 2018. He won three reliever of the year awards: in 2014, when he went 9-5 with a 1.95 ERA, 124 strikeouts, and an incredible 5.4 WAR out of the pen; in 2016, when he went 7-4 with a microscopic 1.36 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 44 saves, and 2018, when he posted a career-high 47 saves with a 1.47 ERA and a ridiculous 0.71 WHIP, after allowing just 32 hits in 79 innings. After 7 years in Los Angeles, Radatz had a nomadic experience, signing a series of 1-and-2-year contracts with Buffalo, Seattle, Calgary, and Charlotte before concluding his career with an otherwise forgettable season with the New York Emperors. An 8-time All-Star, Radatz was a postseason fixture, winning an incredible seven championship rings, including five between 2020 and 2027. Radatz retired at age 39 with a career 94-80 record, 364 saves, a 2.62 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 1358 strikeouts. He holds the HRDL career postseason records with 88 games pitched and 35 saves, notching 7 saves in a single postseason three separate times.

Leading vote recipients include:

Dick Radatz, RP, LA/ BUF/ SEA/ CAL/ CHA/ NY: 86.9%
JD Drew, CF, SA/ OMA/ LA: 76.8%
Aaron Judge, RF, CLE/ BOS: 75.2%
Jose Reyes, SS, CLE/ KC: 70.8%
Ed Morgan, 1B, SD/ SA/ CHA/ NO/ MIA: 69.5%
Kirby Puckett, CF, HOU/ CAL/ PHI: 60.4%
Paul Molitor, 2B, HOU/ MIA/ PHI/ VAN: 56.7%
Dave Ferriss, RHP, DAL/ NAS: 53.7%
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, BUF/ ATL/ SF/ SEA: 49.0%
Steve Hargan, RHP, CHA/ DET/ BUF/ HAR: 47.3%

Once again, the ballot appeared to be bogged down in quality candidates, with a dozen players returning to the ballot next year after drawing 35%. Nomar Garciaparra became the first player in league history to fall off the ballot after ten years; league management toyed with the idea of increasing the minimum number of seasons in an effort to reduce the size of the ballot. Notable players who fell off the ballot include slugging right fielder Albert Belle, 6-time Gold Glover Jerome Walton, 191-game winner Rube Marquard, and 2016 MVP Brady Anderson.

Here's a look at the Hall of Fame inductees:

02-24-2019, 04:24 AM	#143
Dukie98 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 902	2031 Hall of Fame Voting For the first time, the Hall of Fame welcomed multiple position players into its hallowed halls, as right fielder Aaron Judge was finally selected on his eighth time on the ballot with 75.2%. JD Drew became the first center fielder selected to the Hall of Fame, notching 76.8% of the vote in his maiden ballot appearance. In addition, closer Dick Radatz also earned selection, garnering 86.9% of the vote in his first time on the ballot. Judge, a 5-time All-Star, spent nearly his entire 11-year career with the Cleveland Rocks. Judge combined tremendous power with a disciplined batting eye, finishing in the top 3 in the Frontier League in homers four times in a five-year stretch from 2014-18, leading the league with 45 round-trippers in 2015 -- one of four times he topped 40 homers. Judge drove in 100 runs five times, including a league-leading 143 RBI's in 2013. But Judge was not a one-dimensional slugger-- he also led the league in on-base percentage in 2014 and in walks the following year. His best season was 2013, when he hit .347 and slugged .637, bashing 43 homers, driving in 143 runs, and finishing second in the Frontier League MVP voting after lodging 9.6 WAR. He followed up that season with another second-place MVP finish, hitting .318 with 41 homers and 111 RBI's. Judge spent 9 1/2 seasons with Cleveland before being traded to Boston for the 2020 stretch drive, where he started for a squad that made it to the League Championship Series. He then returned to Cleveland for spot duty the following season before retiring. Judge finished his career with a .292/ .404/ .524 slash line, with 319 homers and 996 RBI's. Drew, a 7-time All-Star centerfielder, spent his prime seasons with the San Antonio Marksmen. After being drafted ninth overall, he erupted out of the gate, hitting .298 with 29 homers, 120 walks, 125 RBI's, and 38 steals as a rookie in 2014, finishing second in the Continental League in the Rookie of the Year balloting and fifth in MVP voting. He earned MVP honors the following year, after hitting .328 with a league-best 142 walks, slugging .631 with 37 homers, 137 RBI's, 58 steals, and topped the league with 11.6 WAR. He led the Continental League in WAR again in 2017, when he hit .334 with a .428 on-base percentage, 20 homers, 110 RBI's, and 9.5 WAR. After six terrific seasons with San Antonio, Drew signed a free agent contract with the Omaha Falcons, where he made the All-Star team every season from 2021 through 2024. After five solid seasons in Omaha, he decamped for Los Angeles, where he continued to be a solid hitter, but his defensive skills steadily deteriorated. Drew retired with a career .289 average, with a .386 on-base percentage and .488 slugging percentage, ripping 352 homers and stealing 451 bases. He also popped 15 homers and swiped 27 bases in 91 career postseason games. Drew had 8 seasons with at least 100 RBI's (plus two more with 99), ranking 21st in baseball history with 1445 RBI's as of the time of his induction, and he topped 30 steals 9 times. Radatz was perhaps the most dominant closer in HRDL history. Breaking in with the Los Angeles Kangaroos in 2013, he led the Continental League in saves for every season between 2014 and 2018. He won three reliever of the year awards: in 2014, when he went 9-5 with a 1.95 ERA, 124 strikeouts, and an incredible 5.4 WAR out of the pen; in 2016, when he went 7-4 with a microscopic 1.36 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 44 saves, and 2018, when he posted a career-high 47 saves with a 1.47 ERA and a ridiculous 0.71 WHIP, after allowing just 32 hits in 79 innings. After 7 years in Los Angeles, Radatz had a nomadic experience, signing a series of 1-and-2-year contracts with Buffalo, Seattle, Calgary, and Charlotte before concluding his career with an otherwise forgettable season with the New York Emperors. An 8-time All-Star, Radatz was a postseason fixture, winning an incredible seven championship rings, including five between 2020 and 2027. Radatz retired at age 39 with a career 94-80 record, 364 saves, a 2.62 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 1358 strikeouts. He holds the HRDL career postseason records with 88 games pitched and 35 saves, notching 7 saves in a single postseason three separate times. Leading vote recipients include: Dick Radatz, RP, LA/ BUF/ SEA/ CAL/ CHA/ NY: 86.9% JD Drew, CF, SA/ OMA/ LA: 76.8% Aaron Judge, RF, CLE/ BOS: 75.2% Jose Reyes, SS, CLE/ KC: 70.8% Ed Morgan, 1B, SD/ SA/ CHA/ NO/ MIA: 69.5% Kirby Puckett, CF, HOU/ CAL/ PHI: 60.4% Paul Molitor, 2B, HOU/ MIA/ PHI/ VAN: 56.7% Dave Ferriss, RHP, DAL/ NAS: 53.7% Troy Tulowitzki, SS, BUF/ ATL/ SF/ SEA: 49.0% Steve Hargan, RHP, CHA/ DET/ BUF/ HAR: 47.3% Once again, the ballot appeared to be bogged down in quality candidates, with a dozen players returning to the ballot next year after drawing 35%. Nomar Garciaparra became the first player in league history to fall off the ballot after ten years; league management toyed with the idea of increasing the minimum number of seasons in an effort to reduce the size of the ballot. Notable players who fell off the ballot include slugging right fielder Albert Belle, 6-time Gold Glover Jerome Walton, 191-game winner Rube Marquard, and 2016 MVP Brady Anderson. Here's a look at the Hall of Fame inductees: Attached Images Last edited by Dukie98; 02-24-2019 at 04:33 AM.