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Voting results for every Twin on the Hall of Fame ballot, 1998 to 2017

Four former Twins appear on the 2018 MLB HOF ballot. How do you think they’ll they fare compared to all of these other former Twins?

Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Kirby Puckett (R),
Former Twins Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett at their joint Hall of Fame induction in 2001.
Photo credit should read HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP/Getty Images

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)
131 votes total Vote Now

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)
132 votes total Vote Now

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)
118 votes total Vote Now

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)
117 votes total Vote Now