If Andruw Jones Isn't Inducted Into The Baseball Hall Of Fame Today, It Remains Illegitimate For Another Year

The 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame voting results will be revealed Tuesday night. It's the sixth year that Andruw Jones has been on the ballot and if he doesn't receive the requisite 75 percent of the votes to be inducted, it will be the sixth year — at minimum, depending on who you talk to — the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a wholly illegitimate institution.

Jones is one of four players in baseball history to hit 400 home runs and win 10 Gold Gloves — the other three are Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt. From 2001-2006, he averaged 38 HR and 110 RBI a year while winning a Gold Glove in each of those seasons. He's arguably the greatest defensive outfielder in the history of the sport.

If this guy isn't worthy of being in the Hall of Fame, then there should probably only be 100 or so guys in there.

I think it would be a reasonable argument to say Jones should be a Hall of Famer even if his offensive numbers were far lower than what they are. He's one of the greatest defenders at any position in more than a century of baseball. Pair that with 434 HR and you have one of the best players of all-time.

With about half of the ballots known going into the announcement, Jones is currently sitting at 67.5 percent. He'd need to be on more than 80 percent of the remaining ballots to be inducted.

I don't expect him to receive the number of votes he needs, because there are a lot of morons in the Baseball Writers' Association of America who will jump through any hoop they can find to not vote for certain players. I don't know why the best defensive outfielder we've ever seen — who also mashed homers — has found himself in that group, but he has for whatever reason.

I hope, however, this is the year one of Cooperstown's greatest injustices is redressed.