NEW YORK (AP) —Don’t bother to invite Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines or Ivan Rodriguez to a barbecue the last weekend in July unless it’s in Cooperstown.
The Baseball Hall of Fame will open its doors to “Bags,” ”Rock” and “Pudge” on July 30 after they were selected by the Professional Baseball Writers Association of America on the required 75 percent of the ballots. Closer Trevor Hoffman finished just five votes shy of election, while outfielder Vladimir Guerrero fell 15 votes short. Edgar Martinez was sixth in the voting.
Bagwell was named on 86.2 percent of the ballots. The former first baseman spent his 15-year major league career with the Astros, batting .297 with 449 home runs and 1,529 RBIs.
Raines was chosen on 86 percent of the ballots in his final year of eligibility. The one-time Montreal Expos outfielder was a lifetime .294 hitter with 170 home runs, 980 RBIs and 808 stolen bases. He served as one of the game’s best leadoff hitters in the 1980s and 90s.
Rodriguez was a defensive standout behind the plate and hit .296 with 311 homers and 1,332 ribbies in a career spent mostly with the Rangers. Rodriguez was selected on 76 percent of the ballots despite his alleged link to performance-enhancing drugs. He spent four seasons and part of a fifth with the Detroit Tigers.
Two other steroids-tainted superstars were snubbed again by the voters. Roger Clemens was named on 54.1 percent of the ballots, while Barry Bonds made it on 53.8 percent.
