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Today is a special day for baseball, as the results from the 2018 MLB Hall of Fame vote will be revealed at 5:00 pm CT on MLB Network. For Twins fans, this is a particularly exciting year because one former Twin will almost certainly be voted in: Jim Thome. Along with Ol’ Jimbo, three other former Twins are appearing on the ballot for the first time: Johan Santana, Livan Hernandez, and Orlando Hudson.
Unfortunately, the three non-Thome players will not be getting in. In the cases of Hernandez and Hudson, we already know that they won’t be getting in because they are Livan Hernandez and Orlando Hudson. They are only on the ballot because every player who spends ten years in the majors, but has not played in the previous five years, gets their name on the ballot.
Johan Santana also meets those basic threshold requirements, which is why his name is on the ballot — but his case is different. First of all, he keeps reiterating that he hasn’t officially retired, which I kinda hope he does until the sun explodes and destroys our entire solar system. I do not want to live in a world where Johan Santana is not perpetually attempting a potential MLB comeback.
More importantly, Santana actually has a legitimate HOF case. The point has already been discussed ad nauseam. Though the ballots already made public show that Santana has received some votes, he’s no where near the 75% needed for induction. In fact, it looks like Santana won’t even receive the 5% threshold need to stay on the ballot (unless he makes that comeback).
Still, it will be interesting to see just how many votes the former Twins get, if any. Sometimes writers drink too much coffee and throw a vote to the Hernandez and Hudson-types, which is what happened to Jacque Jones in 2014.
In fact, let’s go over every former Twin who’s appeared on a HOF ballot in the past twenty years and how each one fared. I’ve divided the players up into basic groups based on the voting.
1. The Success Stories
These are the guys that the BBWAA actually voted into the Hall of Fame. There are four of them: Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett, Paul Molitor, and Bert Blyleven.
Winfield, Puckett, and Molitor were all first-ballot elects, though some into revisionist history now argue Puckett shouldn’t be in the HOF at all. Bert Blyleven, as you probably remember, took the slow burn route to enshrinement, actively campaigning to gain votes and finally getting enough in his fourteenth year of eligibility.
Twins MLB HOF Inductees, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Dave Winfield | OF | 1 | 2001 | 435 | 84.50% | 63.8 | 1993-1994 |
| Kirby Puckett | OF | 1 | 2001 | 423 | 82.10% | 50.9 | 1984-1995 |
| Paul Molitor | DH, 3B, 2B | 1 | 2004 | 431 | 85.20% | 75.4 | 1996-1998 |
| Bert Blyleven | P | 14 | 1998-2011 | 463 | 79.70% | 95.3 | 1970-1976, 1985-1988 |
2. The Successful Failures
Sometimes, in life, you do enough to get on the HOF ballot and have serious HOF consideration, but not enough to actually get the BBWAA to vote you into the HOF before your time on the ballot if up. However, when a handful of retired veterans really like you enough, you still get into the HOF anyway. The Twins have had one of these guys in the past twenty years: Jack Morris.
In fact, Morris was only voted into the HOF via the Veteran’s Committee last December, so his induction will be next summer with whoever else gets elected. A lot of people don’t agree with his induction, and think it’s almost entirely based on one game, but... hell that was a dozy of a game, wasn’t it!?
I’m not a huge stickler about the HOF, so I say congrats Jack Morris!
Twins Successful Failures Inducted Into the MLB HOF, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Jack Morris | P | 15 | 2000-2014 | 385 | 67.70% | 44.1 | 1991 |
3. Close, But No Cigar (yet?)
These are the guys that spent all fifteen years (since reduced to ten) on the HOF ballot, but never quite made it to the 75% needed to be inducted. The Twins still have two guys in this group: Jim Kaat and Luis Tiant.
It’s possible one day these guys could make it into the HOF via the Veteran’s Committee vote like Jack Morris, but it hasn’t happened for them yet. Hence, they continue to wallow in HOF purgatory.
Twins Almost Inducted Into the MLB HOF, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Jim Kaat | P | 15 | 1989-2003 | 125 | 29.60% | 51.4 | 1961-1973 |
| Luis Tiant | P | 15 | 1988-2002 | 132 | 30.90% | 66.7 | 1970 |
4. Eh...
These are the guys who at least reached double digits in votes, but didn’t go much further. The Twins have one: Jeff Reardon.
Twins Eh MLB HOF Candidates, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes (Peak Year) | % of Vote (Peak Year) | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Jeff Reardon | P | 1 | 2000 | 24 | 4.80% | 19.3 | 1987-1989 |
5. Kent Hrbek
These are the guys who were Twins legends, but decided to retire early from baseball to drink beer and fish instead. Hence, they never racked up the numbers required for serious HOF consideration. In the past twenty years, the Twins have had one: Kent Hrbek.
Despite Hrbek’s revered place in Twins history, the home town boy didn’t make a blip among BBWAA voters — he received just five votes, which worked out to a whopping 1%.
But you know what? It doesn’t even matter. Kent Hrbek is living the absolute dream. He hit a grand slam in the World Series for his hometown team. He got to retire early, drink beer doing what he really loved (fish), and now apparently still gets paid by the Twins just to hang out with fans at Twins games at a bar named after him. Also: Carrier Water Heaters.
This is a legitimate category.
Twins Kent Hrbek MLB HOF Candidates, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Kent Hrbek | 1B | 1 | 2000 | 5 | 1.00% | 38.4 | 1981-1994 |
6. Honorary Vote Recipients
These are the guys who were clearly not HOFers, but actually got a couple votes. They are also clearly not Kent Hrbek. The Twins have had fifteen of these guys appear on the HOF ballot sometime in the last twenty years.
Note: I considered listing Brad Radke under the Kent Hrbek category, but ultimately decided this one was a better fit. It was a close call.
Twins Honorary MLB HOF Vote Get-ers, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Gary Gaetti | 3B, 1B | 1 | 2006 | 4 | 0.80% | 42 | 1981-1990 |
| Jim Eisenreich | OF, 1B | 1 | 2004 | 3 | 0.60% | 13.4 | 48 games between 1982-1984 |
| Terry Steinbach | C, 1B | 1 | 2005 | 3 | 0.20% | 28 | 1997-1999 |
| Chili Davis | OF, DH | 1 | 2005 | 3 | 0.60% | 38.1 | 1991-1992 |
| Rick Aguilera | P | 1 | 2006 | 3 | 0.60% | 22.4 | 1989-1995; 1996-1999 |
| Frank Viola | P | 1 | 2002 | 2 | 0.40% | 47.4 | 1982-1988 |
| Brad Radke | P | 1 | 2012 | 2 | 0.30% | 45.5 | 1995-2006 |
| Rick Dempsey | C | 1 | 1998 | 1 | 0.20% | 25.3 | 41 games between 1969-1972 |
| John Candelaria | P | 1 | 1999 | 1 | 0.20% | 42.4 | 1990 |
| Steve Bedrosian | P | 1 | 2001 | 1 | 0.20% | 14.9 | 1991 |
| Jim Deshaies | P | 1 | 2001 | 1 | 0.20% | 12.1 | Most of 1993 |
| Chuck Knoblauch | 2B, OF | 1 | 2008 | 1 | 0.20% | 44.6 | 1991-1997 |
| Jesse Orosco | P | 1 | 2009 | 1 | 0.20% | 23.9 | 2003 |
| Kenny Rogers | P | 1 | 2014 | 1 | 0.20% | 51.4 | 2003 |
| Jacque Jones | OF | 1 | 2014 | 1 | 0.20% | 11.5 | 1999-2005 |
7. No Votes
Consider this the in-memorium section of this historical overview. These guys did enough to make it onto the HOF ballot, but didn’t even garner a single pity honorary vote.
Twins No MLB HOF Vote Get-ers, 1998-2017
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | # of Year(s) on Ballot | Year(s) on Ballot | # of Votes | % of Vote | Career bWAR | Time as Twin |
| Luis Castillo | 2B | 1 | 2016 | 0 | 0.00% | 28.9 | 2006-2007 |
| Eddie Guardado | P | 1 | 2015 | 0 | 0.00% | 13.7 | 1993-2003, part of 2008 |
| Todd Jones | P | 1 | 2014 | 0 | 0.00% | 10.9 | Part of 2001 |
| Jeff Cirillo | 3B, 1B | 1 | 2013 | 0 | 0.00% | 34.4 | Half of 2007 |
| Rondell White | OF | 1 | 2013 | 0 | 0.00% | 28.1 | 2006-2007 |
| Todd Walker | 2B, 3B, 1B | 1 | 2013 | 0 | 0.00% | 10.5 | 1996-2000 |
| Ruben Sierra | OF | 1 | 2012 | 0 | 0.00% | 16.6 | About two weeks in 2006 |
| Terry Mullholland | P | 1 | 2012 | 0 | 0.00% | 11.3 | 2004-2005 |
| Brett Boone | 2B | 1 | 2011 | 0 | 0.00% | 22.6 | About two weeks in mid 2005 |
| Michael Jackson | P | 1 | 2010 | 0 | 0.00% | 19.4 | 2002 |
| Ortiz Nixon | OF | 1 | 2005 | 0 | 0.00% | 16.7 | 1998 |
| Bob Tweksbury | P | 1 | 2004 | 0 | 0.00% | 21.2 | 1997-1998 |
| Orlando Cabrera | SS | 1 | 2017 | 0 | 0.00% | 21.4 | Part of 2009 |
| Casey Blake | 1B | 1 | 2017 | 0 | 0.00% | 24.9 | Parts of 2000, 2001, and 2002 |
Poll
Which category of former Twins on the HOF ballot do you think Jim Thome will fall into?
This poll is closed
-
81%
The Success Stories
(107 votes) -
18%
I am brain dead
(24 votes)
Poll
Which category of former Twins on the HOF ballot do you think Johan Santana will fall into?
This poll is closed
-
6%
The Success Stories
(9 votes) -
16%
The Successful Failures
(22 votes) -
34%
Close, But No Cigar
(46 votes) -
16%
Eh...
(22 votes) -
10%
Kent Hrbek
(14 votes) -
14%
Honorary Vote Recipients
(19 votes) -
0%
No Votes
(0 votes)
Poll
Which category of former Twins on the HOF ballot do you think Livan Hernandez will fall into?
This poll is closed
-
0%
The Success Stories
(0 votes) -
0%
The Successful Failure
(0 votes) -
3%
Close, But No Cigar
(4 votes) -
12%
Eh...
(15 votes) -
3%
Kent Hrbek
(4 votes) -
33%
Honorary Vote Recipients
(39 votes) -
47%
No Votes
(56 votes)
Poll
Which category of former Twins on the HOF ballot do you think Orlando Hudson will fall into?
This poll is closed
-
0%
The Success Stories
(0 votes) -
0%
The Successful Failures
(0 votes) -
0%
Close, But No Cigar
(0 votes) -
4%
Eh...
(5 votes) -
0%
Kent Hrbek
(0 votes) -
17%
Honorary Vote Recipents
(20 votes) -
78%
No Votes
(92 votes)