Folks, it’s that time of the year: Baseball Hall of Fame results szn.

Last May, I had the opportunity to go to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY for my birthday, thanks to Josh who planned the trip. I had gone with my parents when I was in middle school, but it was great to get to go again last year. Plus, we got to see the future home of our close, personal friend David Ortiz’s plaque.

Here are the rules for HOF ballot voting: players must receive at least 75% of the vote or 292 votes to be inducted, and the voting is done by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Players who receive less than 5% of the vote drop off the ballot.

This year’s results are:

• Scott Rolen: 297 votes, 76.3%
• Todd Helton: 281 votes, 72.2%
• Billy Wagner: 265 votes, 68.1%
• Andruw Jones: 226 votes, 58.1%
• Gary Sheffield: 214 votes, 55%
• Carlos Beltrán: 181 votes, 46.5%
• Jeff Kent: 181 votes, 46.5% (final year on ballot)
• Alex Rodriguez: 139 votes, 35.7%
• Manny Ramirez: 129 votes, 33.2%
• Omar Vizquel: 76 votes, 19.5%
• Andy Pettitte: 66 votes, 17%
• Bobby Abreu: 60 votes, 15.4%
• Jimmy Rollins: 50 votes, 12.9%
• Mark Buehrle: 42 votes, 10.8%
• Francisco Rodriguez: 42 votes, 10.8%
• Torii Hunter: 27 votes, 6.9 percent

The following players dropped off the ballot:

• Bronson Arroyo: 1 vote, 0.3%
• R.A. Dickey: 1 vote, 0.3%
• John Lackey: 1 vote, 0.3%
• Mike Napoli: 1 vote, 0.3%
• Huston Street: 1 vote, 0.3%
• Matt Cain: 0 votes, 0%
• Jacoby Ellsbury: 0 votes, 0%
• Andre Ethier: 0 votes, 0%
• J.J. Hardy: 0 votes, 0%
• Jhonny Peralta: 0 votes, 0%
• Jered Weaver: 0 votes, 0%
• Jayson Werth: 0 votes, 0%

My random thoughts about some of the players:

• Scott Rolen: Not gonna lie, I’ve never heard of him before… awkward.
• Todd Helton: When he retired, the Colorado Rockies got him a horse.
• Carlos Beltrán: Remember when he was hired as the New York Mets manager and then fired before even managing a game?
• Alex Rodriguez: This was only his second year on the ballot but I thought it would have been his fifth or something.
• Manny Ramirez: Oh, Manny.
• Omar Vizquel: He played for 24 seasons. That’s like Tom Brady numbers.
• Jimmy Rollins: J-Roll! I always liked him when he was playing.
• Mark Buehrle: I feel like he’s only really known for his perfect game in 2009.
• Francisco Rodriguez: K-Rod! And that one time he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend’s father.
• Torii Hunter: Another player I always liked.
• Bronson Arroyo: Fun fact: he sings!
• R.A. Dickey: One of the few knuckleballers out there.
• John Lackey: Oh, John Lackey. He was involved with the fried chicken and beer scandal in 2011
• Mike Napoli: This man wandered around Boston drunk after the Red Sox won the 2013 World Series.
• Huston Street: Whenever I think of him, I envision the green and yellow of the Oakland Athletics.
• Matt Cain: And I always picture him in the black and orange of the San Francisco Giants.
• Jacoby Ellsbury: OMG, I was absolutely obsessed with him when he was with the Red Sox. It was really bad. My parents can vouch for that.
• Andre Ethier: He played his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Jhonny Peralta: I mostly know him from when he played with the Detroit Tigers. In 2013, he served a 50-game suspension in connection with the Biogenesis PED scandal.
• Jered Weaver: He named his son Aden after Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a collision with a drunk driver in 2009.
• Jayson Werth: He definitely had some flow.

So, although I’ve never heard of Scott Rolen, congratulations to him for getting into the HOF. Some of his stats include:

• Played 17 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati Reds
• Was a seven-time All-Star and the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year and won the 2006 World Series with the Cardinals
• Won eight Gold Glove Awards and is regarded as one of the best defensive third baseman of all time
• Elected to the HOF in his sixth year of eligibility 

Hall of Fame Weekend usually takes place in July, and he joins Fred McGriff, who was a unanimous selection by the 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee back in December. If he needs any recommendations for his time in Cooperstown, I can definitely help. Red Shed Brewery and Stagecoach Coffee were our favorites on our trip, and it’s necessary to block out at least three hours to walk about the HOF itself.