Jorge Posada Appears On Baseball Hall Of Fame Ballot For First Time

Source: newyork.cbslocal.com --- Monday, November 21, 2016
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Jorge Posada enjoyed a storybook major league career. But was it good enough to earn a spot in Cooperstown? The longtime former catcher of the Yankees appears on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. But unlike his contemporaries Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez, Posada’s debate won’t center on steroid use. Posada played parts of 17 seasons with the Bronx Bombers, winning five World Series rings, including four as a starter. While he lacks the kind of stats that generally ensure enshrinement — 3,000 hits, 500 home runs — Posada, who retired after the 2011 season, has a lot of other measurables going for him. He ranks eighth all-time in home runs among catchers, with 275. The five-time All-Star was also durable and consistent over a long career. And of course, there are all those rings. Meanwhile, former Astro Jeff Bagwell is the top holdover on the 2017 Baseball Writers’ Association of America 34-player ballot announced Monday. He fell 15 votes short of the required 75 percent in 2016 voting. Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers for using a banned female fertility drug. He retired in 2011 rather than face a 100-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He applied for reinstatement that December, and his suspension for the second failed test was cut from 100 games to 50 because he sat out nearly all of the 2011 season. Ram ...

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