The website Deadspin made headlines in November with the announcement that it had purchased a Hall of Fame ballot from an anonymous member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). The story continued on Monday when the site reported that it had lost its agreement with the voter, but had struck a new deal with a different voter, thus continuing its campaign to corrupt and mock what it describes as an “increasingly solemn and absurd election process.”
Deadspin Hall of Fame corruption campaign continues despite setbacks
The website’s inside man/woman in the BBWAA backed out, but it has found a new one.
Deadspin’s plan remains unchanged. It will poll its readers and submit a ballot containing every player who received a majority of “yes” votes; if more than 10 players meet this threshold, then the 10 with the highest percentage of votes will be included on the ballot. The identity of the voter who sold his or her ballot will not be revealed until after the results of the voting are announced, so that the ballot can’t be disqualified.
The website’s announcement also included a clarification of the original deal with the first anonymous voter. After that news broke, there was criticism that the voter was a “scumbag” who had sold out and lost his or her integrity. However, it turns out that the payment for the ballot was to come in the form of a “sizable donation to a non-profit that helps wounded veterans readjust to civilian life” and that the motivation to sell the ballot was borne simply out of disgust for the broken system and a desire to get the public involved. Terms of the new deal with the second anonymous voter have not been revealed.
Voters have until Dec. 31 to submit their ballots. This year’s group of candidates provides many difficult decisions, requiring voters to determine their stance on the morality of electing players who used (or are suspected of using) performance-enhancing drugs as well as forcing them to vote for a maximum of 10 players on a ballot in which as many as 20 players have legitimate cases for enshrinement. Last year, no players were elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
