Detroit Tigers: 2017 Hall of Fame Ballot Announced

Now that no one from the 1984 Detroit Tigers team will be in the Hall of Fame, it is time to look forward to 2017 and the next generation of Tigers who could be enshrined. The potential 2017 Hall of Fame ballot was released and a handful of Tigers are on it.

The ballot includes Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, and Edgar Renteria. Every single one of these players was fortunate enough to not be on the 2003 team. Rodriguez, Guillen, and Ordonez were all on the 2006 Tigers team that went to the World Series. Renteria only played with the Tigers for one year, 2008.

Rodriguez’s numbers are impressive enough that he could possibly be on enough ballots to make it to the Hall in his first round of voting. He played for 21 seasons and earned 13 invitations to the All-Star Game, 13 Gold Glove awards, 7 Silver Slugger awards, and 1 MVP award. He received most of his awards when he played with the Texas Rangers. When he came to the Tigers in 2004, his leadership helped to transform the team, along with the guidance from skipper Jim Leyland when he began managing in 2005. Pudge also has a World Series ring that he earned in 2003 during his (and Miguel Cabrera‘s) time with the Florida Marlins; he also earned the NLCS MVP that year. 

Detroit Tigers

In comparison, Rodriquez’s numbers outshine those belonging to his teammate Magglio Ordonez. Both players are highly beloved by Detroit Tigers fans, but it might take a small miracle for Ordonez to be enshrined. Maggs played for the Tigers and for the Chicago White Sox during this 15 years in baseball. He earned six invitations to the All-Star Game and three Silver Slugger awards. In 2007, he finished in second place in the MVP award for his league-high 54 doubles and .363 batting average. He is best known for his game-winning home run in 2006 against the Oakland Athletics; the home run sent the Tigers to the World Series.

Guillen spent eight years in Detroit and six in Seattle. He joined the Tigers in 2004 and was invited to three All-Star Games. His .297/.366/.842 averages in Detroit are quality numbers, but his 24.1 WAR over those 14 seasons will not be enough to make it to a second round of voting.

Renteria only spent 2008 with the Tigers. His WAR of 32.1 is better than Guillen’s, but not Ordonez’s 38.5 or Rodriguez’s 68.4. Since he spent time in Florida, St. Louis, Boston, Atlanta, and San Francisco, many baseball writers will be familiar with him and will most likely vote him into a second round.

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Along with the four former Tigers on the ballot for the first time, there are two 1984 Tigers who have a second chance at getting in to Cooperstown. Jack Morris and Lou Whitaker could be added by the Expansion Era Veterans Committee. Morris missed the original vote by earning 61.5% of the vote in 2014. Whitaker never made it to a second round. There is good chance that 2017 could be the year that Morris finally gets the respect he should from the Hall of Fame voters.