For a player to be on a Hall-of-Fame ballot, he needs to have played for ten years, and he needs to have been retired for five years. There are other stipulations, but those are the main ones.
The Platoon Advantage: Remembering The Players Not On The Hall-Of-Fame Ballot
That group is then whittled down by an ominous and mysterious screening committee, which means that some players don't even make the ballot. For example, Tony Womack is on the ballot, while Edgardo Alfonzo is not. This probably means that The Screening Committee is just the name of Womack's zydeco band.
Over at The Platoon Advantage, there’s a look at the guys who didn’t even make the ballot. This eliminates the chance of even a pity ballot, like the one or two that Vinny Castilla is receiving. TPA rounds up the lot of them:
Jeff Nelson: At a thin, lanky 6'8", Nelson had a really spectacularly unique delivery, standing straighter than most pitchers do and kind of flinging the ball semi-sidearmed like some people throw a frisbee, which is what gave him his great, intimidating slider.
Say, any post that gives me an excuse to post Nelson’s minor-league stats is a good post to me.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | IP | H | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 17 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Rk | 3.86 | 14.0 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| 1985 | 18 | Dodgers | GULF | Rk | 5.51 | 47.1 | 72 | 32 | 31 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| 1986 | 19 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A-Rk | 6.87 | 73.1 | 84 | 87 | 38 | 10.7 | 4.7 |
| 1987 | 20 | Salinas | CALL | A | 5.74 | 80.0 | 80 | 71 | 43 | 8.0 | 4.8 |
| 1988 | 21 | San Bernardino | CALL | A | 5.54 | 149.1 | 163 | 91 | 94 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| 1989 | 22 | Williamsport | EL | AA | 3.31 | 92.1 | 72 | 53 | 61 | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| 1990 | 23 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A+-AA | 4.53 | 103.1 | 112 | 43 | 63 | 3.7 | 5.5 |
| 1991 | 24 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AAA-AA | 2.67 | 60.2 | 62 | 24 | 60 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
Anyone who can overcome that kind of walk rate as a teenager should at least get one vote for the Hall of Fame, even if it’s just as an inspiration to other teenagers.
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