Sosa stays alive for Hall of Fame voting
Sammy Sosa did the equivalent of just getting a piece of the ball and fouling it off with two strikes.
The former Cubs slugger managed to stay alive - but just barely - Tuesday as results for baseball's Hall of Fame balloting were announced.
But the trend is not good for Sosa, and he could fall off the ballot next winter.
In his third year on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot, Sosa garnered just 6.6 percent of the vote. To remain on the ballot, a former player must get at least 5 percent.
Sosa hit 609 home runs in his career, 545 for the Cubs (and 28 for the White Sox), but his name has been linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, as have those of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Here is where it gets interesting, and not in a good way for Sosa.
When all three players appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time two years ago, their names were linked, with some calling them "the steroid guys." But then a funny thing started happening: The votes took place.
While it's true that neither Bonds nor Clemens has come close to election, their percentages were much higher than those for Sosa. For the Hall of Fame class of 2013, Clemens got 37.6 percent of the vote while Bonds checked in at 36.2. For Sosa, his total was 12.5 percent.
What the voters seemed to be saying then - and what they seem to continue to be saying - is that Clemens and Bonds were legit Hall of Fame candidates before the so-called Steroid Era, and Sosa was not.
Last year, when Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas went into the Hall, Clemens' percentage dipped to 35.4 while Bonds' went to 34.7. Sosa's, however, took a big dive to 7.2.
When Tuesday's results were announced, Clemens had regained a bit of traction, ticking up to 37.5 percent, and Bonds went up to 36.8.
In "exit polling," done by the Baseball Think Factory, Sosa appeared in danger of dropping off the ballot this year, as he was trending at just under 5 percent. But he made just enough of a surge on the uncounted ballots to stay afloat.
Something else appears to be working against Sosa. In the last two voting cycles, BBWAA members have taken to filling out fuller ballots and electing more candidates. After electing only Barry Larkin in 2012 and no one in 2013, the BBWAA selected three last year and four this year, with Mike Piazza coming close at 69.9 percent.
That voting trend seems likely to continue. Next year, Ken Griffey Jr. will be eligible, and he's a surefire first-ballot selection. Relief ace Trevor Hoffman also will be on the ballot, and it's a fairly good bet he'll be elected.
BBWAA members may vote for up to 10 former players each year, but at the winter meetings in December the BBWAA asked that the number be increased to 12.
Piazza has trended steadily upward in his three years, and he may join Griffey and Hoffman in the Hall next year.
I suspect Bonds and Clemens will see incremental progress - players may remain on the ballot for 10 years, provided they get 5 percent of the vote each year.
But others figure to see significant progress in the coming years including Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Edgar Martinez as well as perhaps Fred McGriff, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Alan Trammell and Gary Sheffield.
All of those players, in addition to Bonds and Clemens, will continue to stay in line head of Sammy. So at this time next year, the BBWAA might "say it ain't Sosa" for the final time.
• Follow Bruce on Twitter @BruceMiles2112.