Stark: The All-‘I Got Exactly 1 Vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame’ team — 42 names to cherish
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By Jayson Stark
4h ago
So you thought we’d milked every possible story angle out of the 2023 Hall of Fame election that all the milk drinkers in Cooperstown could possibly pour, huh? Ha. Of course not — because we never did get around to revisiting one of my favorite groups of Hall of Fame luminaries …
The All-“I Got Exactly One Vote for the Hall of Fame” team!
So hey, congratulations to Scott Rolen on those 297 votes he got. And welcome to Cooperstown. But also …
Congratulations to Bronson Arroyo, Huston Street, Mike Napoli, R.A. Dickey and John Lackey, for that one and only vote they got. And welcome to the not quite as highly celebrated All-“I Got Exactly One Vote for the Hall of Fame” team, which I personally love and have kept track of for the past two decades, because of course I have.
So why do I love this team? For the sheer weirdness and quirkiness of it. After all, you can pretty much count every darned year on a handful of guys getting 200 or 300 votes for the Hall of Fame. That’s exciting and meaningful and all that. But …
It’s not every darned year when a guy comes along and gets exactly one vote for the Hall of Fame and joins the exalted club we honor today. In fact, it’s not even every decade when five players get one vote — no more, no fewer — as happened this year.
MOST PLAYERS TO GET EXACTLY ONE VOTE*
1991 — 7
2001 — 6
2008 — 5
2022 — 5
(*Since 1985, the inception of the 5 percent rule, which knocks players like this off the ballot)
So since we’re brimming with goosebumps over the addition of five new one-vote megastars to this team (plaque not included), let’s update you on where our current version of the All-“I Got Exactly One Vote for the Hall of Fame” team stands after this election.
First base
Mike Napoli over John Kruk, because I added everyone to this team who received exactly one vote in the 2023 election, and at first base, Napoli is that guy.
Second base
Bret Boone over Eric Young (Sr.), because Boone asked me to be a guest on a podcast last year, and it was pretty darned entertaining.
Shortstop
Shawon Dunston over Walt Weiss, because Dunston was once the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft, and that seems like it should be a tie-breaker when I have no other reason to pick Shawon Dunston.
Third base
Terry Pendleton over Ray Knight and Tim Wallach, based on bonus MVP points.
Left field
Raúl Ibañez over Garrett Anderson, just because I’d pick Raúl Ibañez for every all-anything team I could possibly dream up. The All-Name-Ends-in-a-Z team? He’s in!
Center field
Darin Erstad over Lenny Dykstra, because there are only so many 2002 Angels I can snub on this team.
Right field
Jay Buhner over David Justice, because only one of them got mentioned in “Seinfeld.”
Catcher
Darren Daulton over Javy Lopez, because everyone in my family would cancel their subscriptions to The Athletic if I didn’t pick the late, great Darren Daulton.
Designated hitter
Adam Dunn over Cecil Fielder, because to me, nobody made baseball more fun to cover than Adam Dunn.
Starting rotation
Bronson Arroyo, R.A. Dickey and John Lackey, because they all got exactly one vote apiece this year. Then I’m going with Jim Deshaies, Mike Krukow and Ron Darling to fill out this six-man rotation, because the postgame quotes would be awesome.
Bullpen
Huston Street got one vote this year, so he’s in. Then I’m going with Steve Bedrosian and Mark Davis to honor their Cy Young Awards, Jesse Orosco and Randy Myers to honor their left-handedness, Tim Wakefield to honor his “knuckleballishness,” and Armando Benitez, because I want Mets and Orioles fans to fire up their best Armando Benitez flashbacks.
Now here’s the rest of this beloved team (with some overlap because it’s a team for which it’s well worth taking those liberties).
Broadcast booth
• Ron Darling
• Jim Deshaies
• Mike Krukow
• John Kruk
• Tim Wakefield
• Al Hrabosky
Coaching staff
• Walt Weiss
• Eric Young (Sr.)
• Terry Pendleton
• Tim Wallach
• Chris Speier
Won’t be activated until October
• Terry Puhl
• Lenny Dykstra
• Lonnie Smith
• Javy Lopez
• Benito Santiago
• Ray Knight
• Rick Dempsey
The All-‘Seems Like They Should Have Gotten More Than One Vote’ Team
• Kenny Rogers
• Livan Hernandez
• Chuck Finley
• David Justice
• Jesse Orosco
Cy Young Memorabilia Division
• Barry Zito
• Pat Hentgen
• R.A. Dickey
• Mark Davis
• Steve Bedrosian
Special One-And-Not-Done Achievement Award
Jose Rijo*
(*Retired in 1996 … got exactly one vote in 2001 … then unretired … and got no votes in his second appearance on the ballot in 2008!)
I could go on. You know I could go on. But I need to leave you waiting breathlessly for next year’s edition of … the All-“I Got Exactly One Vote for the Hall of Fame” team!
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