I'd like to thank all of your for voting, it was another successful balloting and I'm extremely happy to have a group of GMs who are willing to put the time and effort that goes into something like this.
Thanks guys!
We had a total of 21 ballots cast, including a couple from past GMs, which is similar to our number of ballots from each of the past 2 years (22 in 2016, 21 in 2015). After only inducting one player last year, we had 4 guys garner enough votes to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The four who will be entering the USBA Hall of Fame are: Chad Fore (who is getting in on his 3rd official ballot after just missing each of the last 2 years), and first-ballot Hall of Famers Demarion Rhodes, Ron Buckwalter, and Bill Burke.
Pruden Fernandez, Bernardo Ibanez, Alberto Macedo, Luke Kalakaua, Tim Culp, and Jeb Clines were all spurned again. After finishing 1 vote shy last year, Macedo falls off to 57% (2 votes shy). Fernandez and Ibanez continue to see their percentages rise and my be in for an induction soon. Kalakaua and Culp seem to have leveled off and haven't seen any real increase in percentage the last year while Jeb Clines seems to be losing steam for some reason (he ranks top 2 among catchers all-time in H, HR, RBI, R, and BB; 3rd in OBP and OPS).
Here's a look at the final tally:
2017 USBA Hall of Fame Voting - StatsLab for OOTP11
There were 6 guys who failed to get a vote and will fall off the ballot, hoping that the veteran's committee will one day have pity on them:
- Tommy Kennedy - winner of 2 Gold Gloves at 2B and 2 titles; along with 4 all-star apps
- Juval Pizarro - 4-time Gold Glove winner at 2B and 4-time all-star
- Joel Rome - Didn't win any seasonal awards but did win a title with HOU and was a 6-time all-star
- Bruce Valentine - Like Rome, didn't win any season awards but has a ring and 5 all-star apps
- Neal Washington - 1 GG, 1 ring, 1 all-star app
- James Whitaker - 2-time all-star with 1 Gold Glove and a ring