The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Latest Baseball News & Rumors Today / Out of Left Field:Talking the 3 newest Hall of Fame inductees with MLB Analyst Mark Derosa and John Smoltz!

Out of Left Field:Talking the 3 newest Hall of Fame inductees with MLB Analyst Mark Derosa and John Smoltz!

Baseball hall of fame inductees!

Graham McGowan

Publish Date: 01/24/2017

Fact checked by: Mike Goodpaster

(Photo Courtesy of Sporting news.com)

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame will be adding three new plaques on July 30, 2017. Out of the 34 former players who had the distinction of making the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot, at least 75% of voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) elected Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan Rodriguez.

These three men made a huge mark on the game in the eras that they played. Granted, 2 of these three men played in an era marred by steroid use, and there have been grumblings, some louder than others, that Rodriguez and Bagwell used some performance enhancing substance during their careers.

Jeff Bagwell was a staple of the Houston Astros franchise for a decade and a half. A 1st baseman who played less than 140 games only three times in his entire career, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1991. Just three seasons later, Bagwell won his only Most Valuable Player award in a season in which he amassed 39 home runs, 116 Runs Batted In (RBI), and had a batting average of .368. Where baseball is a game of failure, Jeff Bagwell succeeded almost 37% of the time he stepped into that right-handed batter’s box. Even more impressive, the year he did all of this was 1994, a season shortened by a strike that almost killed the game of baseball.

Tim Raines was the player overlooked for nearly a decade and had it not been for the explosion of social media and sabermetrics in the last several years; he may have fallen off the ballot this year the way Lee Smith did. Who was Lee Smith, you might be wondering? He held the record for career saves before it was broken by Trevor Hoffman, who we will touch on, and, eventually, Mariano Rivera. Tim Raines’ statistics will not jump off of the page and slap you in the face screaming, “I am a Hall of Famer!” What they will do is show you a player who played 23 seasons, was a seven-time All-Star, amassed over 2,600 hits and retired from the game 5th on the all-time stolen base list with 808.

Ivan Rodriguez, “Pudge” as he was known by legions of fans, is the greatest catcher since Johnny Bench. The only player out of these 3 enshrinees to make it into Cooperstown, NY on his first ballot, Rodriguez was a 14 time all-star (yes, 67% of the seasons he played in the Big Leagues saw him on the All-Star team), the 1999 American League MVP, and a 13 time Gold Glove winner. Those 13 Gold Gloves are the most of any catcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Couple his outstanding defense with 2,844 hits and the may other statistics where his in the Top 100 all time, it is not hard to see why Pudge made it in on his first ballot.

Mark DeRosa, a former player and current analyst on MLB Network, talked with us about his take on what these three men mean to the history of the game and what the other players swallowed up by the steroid era, including Barry Bonds, deserve from the game they played for so many years.

Now, I said I would get to Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman was a prolific Closer. He held the all-time Save record until New York Yankee great Mariano Rivera usurped it, and only did so by about 50 games. He finished this year’s voting with 74% of the vote, 1% away from induction, or approximately six votes. Hall of Fame pitcher from the Atlanta Braves and current MLB Network and Fox Sports analyst John Smoltz gave us his opinion on where Trevor Hoffman stands now that the stigma of being a “specialty pitcher” is being laid on players who had no control over how they get used in a game.

The MLB Hall of Fame Class of 2017 is……

« The 10 Worst Owners in the NFL

The 22 Greatest Atlanta Falcons of All-Time »

Top 10 Unbreakable Major League Baseball Records

Like many discussions regarding sports accomplishments, a list of the most unassailable ...

Top 10 First Basemen in Baseball History

First base has long been a position of power, consistency, and leadership ...

Top 10 Boston Red Sox Players of All Time

The Boston Red Sox are one of Major League Baseball’s most storied ...

Top-15 Leadoff Hitters in MLB History: Henderson, Raines or Rose at the top spot?

Getting the game started has always been one of the most important ...

Should Tommy John be in the Hall of Fame?

Why is Tommy John not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite ...

Top 10 Right Fielders in Baseball history: Who was the Greatest?

Right field is where you put the worst player in Little League! ...

Top 10 Houston Astros of All Time

The Houston Astros’ history stretches from the Astrodome era to modern postseason ...

Top-12 Catchers in MLB History

Catcher is the most demanding position in baseball. No other spot requires ...

Top-10 Third Baseman of All-Time: Schmidt, Robinson or Brett at number one?

The hot corner has always been baseball’s most demanding position. Third basemen ...

Top 10 Right Fielders in MLB History: Who is the Greatest?

Once again in our countdown of the greatest baseball players position by ...

Top 10 Left Fielders in MLB History: Who was the Greatest?

Left Field is a mostly unheralded position, but it has featured some ...

Top 11 Infields in Baseball History

Baseball is often said to be a game built around pitching and ...

The Cobra Strikes: The Life and Career of Dave Parker, Baseball’s Fearsome Force

Dave Parker, nicknamed “The Cobra,” was one of the most physically imposing ...

The Top 10 Chicago Cubs of All Time

The Chicago Cubs, one of Major League Baseball’s most storied franchises, have ...

Top Betting Sites

Top Betting Bonuses

FanDuel

FanDuel Review

4.8/5

BetMGM

BetMGM Review

4.9/5

DraftKings

DraftKings Review

4.8/5

Fanatics

Fanatics Review

4.7/5

Caesars

Caesars Review

4.6/5

Go to Sports Betting Comparison

FanDuel Promo

New Users – Get $350 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 7 days

T&Cs apply

4.6/5

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpgg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (NY). 21+ (18+ DC, WY) and present in select states (for KS, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino). Find online real money wagering only. Min $5 wager required for 7 consecutive days. $5 free play credit. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus with cash withdrawable bonus with cash withdrawable. Bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Call 1-877-770-7867 (LA).

BetMGM Promo

Get Up to $1,000 Back in Bonus Bets Over Your First 10 Days

T&Cs apply

4.5/5

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. Visit mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). See BetMGM.com for Terms. New Player Offer for new players only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in NJ, MA, MI, NV, NY, ON, PA, PR, and WV.

DraftKings Promo

New DraftKings Customers: Bet $5, Get $200 + 3 Months of NBA League Pass!

T&Cs apply

4.5/5

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/NH/PR/WY). Void in CAN. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new Sportsbook customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets. Stake removed from payout. Reward issued as $50 in Bonus Bets every 7 days via click-to-claim for 21 days. Bonus Bets and click-to-claims expire 7 days (168hrs) after issuance. Terms: dkng.co/offer. Get 1 promo code to redeem a 3-month NBA League Pass subscription, complimentary of DraftKings. Subscription auto-renews monthly at then-current price (currently $16.99/mo); cancel anytime. Terms, restrictions, and eligibility requirements apply. Redeem League Pass by 12/19/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Addt’l terms: support.watch.nba.com/hc/en-us/articles/9165532876183-League-Pass-Terms-of-Use_. Ends 11/29/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

Fanatics Promo

Get Up to $1,000 Matched in FanCash

T&Cs apply

4.2/5

Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER OR CALL 1-800-MY-RESET, www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), (800)-327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA), Call (877)8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT), morethanagame.nc.gov (NC), 1800gambler.net (WV)

Caesars Promo

Bet $1 and get double the winnings up to $25 for your next 10 bets

T&Cs apply

4.4/5

21+ New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. First bet after registration must qualify. Max. Bonus Bet: $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 14 days after receipt. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537)

Go to Sports Betting Bonus Comparison

Out of Left Field:Talking the 3 newest Hall of Fame inductees with MLB Analyst Mark Derosa and John Smoltz!

Read Also