Reading Baseball to Hall of Fame Candidacy

The National Baseball Hall of Fame celebrates the highest achievement for those within the sport. Each year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America have the opportunity to vote on and elect new and current candidates into the HOF. This year there are 13 newly eligible players along with 17 returning candidates. In order to be inducted into Cooperstown, players need to receive 75% of the vote. There are approximately 400 voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

A number of eligible players spent some time with the Reading Fightin Phils.

Ryan Howard spent his entire 13-year Major League career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was originally taken by the Phils in the 5th round in 2001. Howard, a top ranked prospect, skyrocketed after the 2004 season when he spent the majority of his time in Reading. With the R-Phils, he batted .297 in 103 games while batting in 102 runs. He also hit 46 total home runs that season. Howard is one of only four players, along with Cal Ripken Jr., Dustin Pedroia and Kris Bryant, to win an MVP Award (2006) the year after having won the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award (2005). Nicknamed, ‘The Big Piece,’ he also led the National League in homers (48) and RBI (146) in 2008, the Phillies’ World Series championship season. The first-baseman was a three-time All-Star, was named the MVP of the NL Championship Series in 2009, and won an exciting home run derby in 2006.

Jimmy Rollins joined the farm system after being drafted in the 2nd round in 1996. Rollins made his Baseballtown debut just three years later where he developed into an all-around hitter and fulltime shortstop. He recorded 145 hits, including 21 doubles, eight triples, and 11 home runs. The speedster also stole 24 bases. But most impressively, Rollins walked (51) more than he struck out (47). Howard’s teammate on the 2008 World Series champion Phillies, Rollins took MVP honors the previous season. In a 17-season career that also included time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, Rollins amassed 2,455 hits and 470 stolen bases. He was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and still stands as the Phillies all-time hits leader.

Scott Rolen was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round back in 1993. He went through the minor league system making a stop with the R-Phils in ‘95 and ‘96. He was an integral part of the 1995 Eastern League Championship team. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1997, Rolen was an expert third baseman, landing him numerous Gold Glove Awards. After being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, Rolen finally won a World Series title in 2006. The end of his career was marked by injuries, but it did not stop him from finishing strong and making his case as a Hall of Fame candidate. This is his fifth opportunity to be selected after receiving 52.9% of the vote last year.

Curt Schilling, in his tenth and final year on the ballot, also made a pit stop in Reading, Pennsylvania. He rehabbed with the R-Phils back in 1994, making one start. In four innings, Schilling struck out four, gave up six hits, and no runs. With the Phillies, he was named to multiple All-Star teams and received the NLCS MVP Award in 2001. He went on to be a three-time World Series champion with two organizations: the Diamondbacks (2001), where he was awarded World Series MVP, and the Red Sox (2004 & 2007). Schilling is a member of the 3,000-strikeout club and currently has the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2021 he received 71.1 percent of the electorate.

Southpaw Billy Wagner also made one start for the Reading Phillies back in 2004. In one inning he struck out two and allowed one hit. From there he played the rest of the season in Philadelphia along with all of 2005. When he played with the Houston Astros, Wagner was a part of a combined no-hitter. Although a tumultuous ride with injuries and his presence in the media, Wagner excelled on the mound. He reached 422 career saves, 6th on the all-time list, and finished with one of the highest strikeouts per inning and batters faced count. Wagner is in his sixth attempt to receive a spot in the Hall of Fame.

For the first time, Jonathan Papelbon will have an opportunity. Papelbon pitched in Philadelphia from 2012 to 2015. Former Phillie Bobby Abreu will be on the ballot for the third time.

Players must garner at least 5% of the vote in order to remain HOF eligible in their 10 allotted years. The 2022 class will be announced by Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, Jan. 25, live on MLB Network.

The ballot: Bobby Abreu, Barry Bonds, Mark Buehrle, Roger Clemens, Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Todd Helton, Ryan Howard, Tim Hudson, Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Pierzynski, Manny Ramírez, Álex Rodríguez, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Mark Teixeira, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner