It’s Hall of Fame announcement day, and one or several MLB legends could gain election.
While Scott Rolen and Todd Helton flirt with election, one notable player is further down in popularity: former Philadelphia Phillies spark plug Jimmy Rollins.
192 ballots revealed/~48.5% known:
Rolen – 79.7%
Helton – 79.2%
—
Wagner – 72.4%
Jones – 67.7%
Sheffield – 62.5%
Beltrán – 55.2%
Kent – 51.6%
A-Rod – 39.6%
Ramírez – 37.0%
Abreu – 18.8%
Pettitte – 17.2%
Rollins – 12.0%
Buehrle – 10.4%
K-Rod – 9.4%
Vizquel – 8.3%
Hunter – 3.1%— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) January 24, 2023
Players need at least 75 percent of votes to gain election, and Rollins is, with less than half of the ballots revealed, at 12 percent.
He won’t be elected this year and probably not next year, either.
However, he has a case, and left us some really nice memories during his playing days.
“Longest hitting streaks in MLB history: 1) Joe DiMaggio – 56 games; 2) Willie Keeler – 45 games; 3) Pete Rose – 44 games; 4) Bill Dahlen – 42 games; 5) George Sisler – 41 games; 6) Ty Cobb – 40 games; 7) Paul Molitor – 39 games; 8) Jimmy Rollins – 38 games,” John Foley, a fan and a Rollins enthusiast, tweeted.
Longest hitting streaks in MLB history:
1) Joe DiMaggio – 56 games
2) Willie Keeler – 45 games
3) Pete Rose – 44 games
4) Bill Dahlen – 42 games
5) George Sisler – 41 games
6) Ty Cobb – 40 games
7) Paul Molitor – 39 games
8) Jimmy Rollins – 38 games pic.twitter.com/IGKYZUjmS5— John Foley (@2008Philz) January 24, 2023
Rollins’ streak ran from August 23, 2005 through April 5, 2006.
During parts of two seasons, he managed to hit safely in 38 straight games.
That’s actually the longest Phillies single-season streak ever.
That’s no small achievement.
Rollins also has something that even some of the top candidates to enter this year lack: an MVP award, achieved in the National League in 2007.
He also won Gold Gloves, Silver Slugger awards, and went to three All-Star Games.
Overall, he retired with a .264 batting average, 2,455 hits, 231 home runs, 936 RBI, and 470 stolen bases.
He was part of the Phillies’ team that went to two consecutive World Series in 2008 and 2009, winning the former against the Tampa Bay Rays and losing the latter against the New York Yankees.
Rollins is not a slam-dunk Hall of Famer – otherwise he would have entered in his first or second try – but still has another eight years to keep increasing his vote tally.
