On Tuesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the results of their 2019 Hall of Fame balloting. Per Ryan Thibodaux's public ballot tracking, it seems likely that four new members of Cooperstown will be announced: Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera, who has thus far been named on 100 percent of released ballots.
Three other players are close to the 75-percent mark necessary for induction: Barry Bonds (70.1 percent), Roger Clemens (70.6), and Curt Schilling (71.6). Votes were due weeks ago, so nothing said or done at this stage of the game can or will influence the outcome. Nonetheless, President Donald Trump weighed in on Sunday night, casting his support for Schilling:
Curt Schilling deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Great record, especially when under pressure and when it mattered most. Do what everyone in Baseball knows is right! @marklevinshow
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019
Thank you Mr President! Do NOT give in on any of it! We are behind you! https://t.co/dAazba6Gon
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 21, 2019
As we've covered in the past, Schilling's candidacy is marred with controversy stemming from his off-the-field comments. Given his polling numbers and his remaining three years of eligibility, it does appear he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame at some point.
