2000 National League MVP Jeff Kent is speaking out. Baseball Hall of Fame voting After failing to make it to Cooperstown in his 10th and final year at the Secretary’s option.
“It’s a shame that the vote over the years has been so many head-scratchers,” Kent said. San Francisco Chronicle Tuesday, after the Baseball Writers Association of America voted Scott Rolen to the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Kent — considered one of the greatest power-hitting second basemen in league history — received 181 votes and 46.5% of the vote, just short of the 75% needed to trigger.
“Baseball is losing two of the greatest players of all time because non-voting statisticians are comparing those players to voting players from previous generations and influencing the vote,” Kent added. “I think it’s unfair to the best players of their era and to the people who already voted.”
Even though this is Kent’s last year on the writer’s ballot, he could still be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is eligible to be elected to the 2026 Modern Game Era Committee.
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Why Jeff Kent is in the Hall: Jeff Kent hit more home runs than any second baseman in history
Kent’s 17-year career in MLB included five All-Star Games, four Silver Sluggers and a National League MVP award. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, but his career didn’t take off until he was traded to the San Francisco Giants after the 1996 season.
In the year In 2000, he was named National League MVP over teammate Barry Bonds. Kent, who along with Bonds led the Giants to the NL West title since Cub Ryne Sandberg won the award in 1984, hit .334 with 33 homers and 125 RBI.
Kent, who hit .290 in his career, holds the all-time record for most home runs by a second baseman with 351 (of 377). That’s more than Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg (277), Joe Morgan (266) and Rogers Hornsby (265).
Kent topped 20 home runs and 100 RBI in eight different seasons. Among second basemen, Hornsby has accomplished that feat only five times, while no other player has done it more than four times.
Kent finished his career with 2,461 hits and 1,518 RBI.
Contributed by: Scott Bock
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Kent: Baseball Hall of Fame voting ’embarrassing’