The time is once again quickly approaching when the baseball community engages in one of its most enduring and passionate debates: the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Many baseball pundits make their ballots public, laying out the reasons why certain players did or did not make the cut. And while my yearly ballot is entirely unofficial, I treat it with all the care and gravitas it deserves. In this article, I’ll discuss my internal struggle with my favorite player of all time, Alex Rodriguez, and his Hall of Fame candidacy.

HOW I CHOOSE MY OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL BALLOT

Since I began voicing my own unofficial ballot back in 2019 across various online platforms, I’ve followed a few guiding principles.

First, I adhere to the same guidelines as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. I can select a maximum of ten names per ballot, even if I believe there are more deserving candidates. In nearly every ballot I’ve cast, I’ve felt that more than ten players warranted selection.

Second, I take into account the rule stating that any player who receives less than five percent of the vote is removed from future ballots. I’ll expand more on that rule in a future article.

And then there’s the third rule that’s often used by voters, which I’ll address shortly.

STATISTICALLY OVER THE LINE

There’s little question that if you look solely at Alex Rodriguez’s statistics, he is clearly a Hall of Famer. Rodriguez finished his career with 696 home runs, 3,115 hits, 2,086 RBIs, 329 stolen bases, and a career slash line of .295/.380/.550.

For voters who value awards and accolades, Alex was a three-time American League MVP, a 14-time All-Star, a 10-time Silver Slugger, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and played a pivotal role in the Yankees’ 2009 World Series championship.

If there were no other extenuating circumstances, Alex would have been a no-doubt, first-ballot Hall of Famer. In all honesty, he may have even become the first unanimous position player ever elected—and only the second unanimous selection in history, joining Mariano Rivera.

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DISASTER

But as we all know, with Alex, it’s never that simple.

Rodriguez was involved in three separate PED-related scandals that ultimately engulfed his entire career. Beyond those individual timeframes, his body of work has been placed under constant scrutiny as a result.

Alex also engaged in multiple, highly publicized denial campaigns—each of which ultimately proved to be built on falsehoods. When the dust settled, A-Rod was guilty, and his credibility was destroyed.

Following the Biogenesis scandal, Rodriguez was suspended for the entire 2014 season. That suspension remains the longest handed down by Major League Baseball since PED testing was formally implemented in 2004. There’s no denying that this left an irrevocable stain on his legacy.

THIRD BBWAA VOTING CRITERIA- CHARACTER CLAUSE

The final piece of consideration is the “character clause.” Many writers use this clause to withhold votes from players with whom they had personal or professional conflicts during their careers. Since I was never part of the writing beat, I don’t carry those grievances. However, I instead hold out and reserve the character clause for widely known, public issues such as PEDs.

In the past, I voted for Omar Vizquel, but following the disturbing allegations against him, I have since rescinded that support. I’ve also applied the character clause to players who were suspended or failed a PED test after the implementation of testing in 2004.

Unfortunately, this is where my internal conflict lies. I have not been able to bring myself to vote for my favorite player due to his suspension. Many writers have expressed similar feelings about Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. (Manny is another player I would have voted for if not for his failed PED test.)

To this point, I haven’t been able to cast my hypothetical vote for A-Rod. And while some voters have made compelling cases for both Rodriguez and Ramirez, I continue to wrestle with the decision. I suppose I have another year to determine whether my stance on Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez has changed. But for now, they remain off my ballot.