Another Newsday Writer Rudely Drops Everyone on His Hall of Fame Ballot to Vote for Only Derek Jeter
By Michael Luciano
Thursday, Newsday's Steven Marcus stunned the baseball world when he submitted a Hall of Fame ballot that only featured New York Yankees immortal Derek Jeter, citing his belief the Hall of Fame should be more exclusive than it currently is. While voting for only one player out of a potential 10 is almost a criminal offense, at least he has a consistent (albeit flawed) dogma as it relates to baseball's highest honor.
What Anthony Rieber did, however, is nothing short of shameful.
Rieber became the second writer to cast a Jeter-only ballot, but DECLINED to once again vote for the six candidates he picked last year that were not elected, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling.
Ballot #4 is from Anthony Rieber. He drops Bonds, Clemens, Pettitte, Ramirez, and Schilling. "No. 2 is the 1 this year," he says.
— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) November 22, 2019
In the Tracker: https://t.co/bp1RXBnrHI pic.twitter.com/grPd3V3Kbd
Even former Yankee legend Andy Pettitte couldn't earn a vote this time around.
So...let me get this straight. In 2019, all of these players deserved their place among baseball's legends in Cooperstown. Just a year later, simply because Jeter is on the ballot, they don't deserve it? Does he want Jeter to have his own private ceremony?
Jeter does not want that, my guy!
So.. Bonds, Clemens, Manny, Pettitte and Schilling were Hall of Famers last year.
— Steve Argintaru (@SteveTSN) November 22, 2019
But Jeter appears on the ballot and all of a sudden they're not?
Stuff like this and the election of Harold Baines based on the votes of a 12-man committee that had four members with direct ties to Baines is why the Hall's system is such a lightning rod for justified criticism and is looking more archaic by the day. Believing in the "small hall" is one thing, but going from voting for nine players to voting for one is nothing short of a miscarriage of baseball justice.