On Sunday, the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee voted Jeff Kent into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. An extraordinary offensive second baseman best remembered for his tenure with the San Francisco Giants, Kent was a late-bloomer—each of the top nine seasons of his career in terms of fWAR came between ages 29 and 37. This was his first opportunity to be evaluated by the committee after having fallen off the writers’ ballot three years earlier.
Prior to the announcement, there had been rumblings from the baseball media that former Miami Marlins manger Don Mattingly was well-positioned to get the nod. Mattingly was the best first baseman in Major League Baseball during his first four full seasons (1985-1988). Unfortunately, back problems shortened his peak and he retired at the relatively young age of 34. In parts of 14 MLB seasons, “Donnie Baseball” slashed .307/.358/.471 with 222 home runs, 14 stolen bases and 40.7 fWAR. The six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner spent his entire career with the New York Yankees.
Alas, Mattingly ultimately received only half of the votes needed for election. Another former Fish, first baseman Carlos Delgado, actually came closer to garnering the necessary support.
The other candidates who had their cases reviewed were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.
In winter ball, Deyvison De Los Santos (Dominican Republic) went 1-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season. Jared Serna (Mexico) went 1-for-4. During a doubleheader, Jacob Berry (Puerto Rico) went 3-for-6 with a walk while Orlando Ortiz-Mayr pitched solidly en route to a no-decision (4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). Berry’s .452 on-base percentage would rank second in the Puerto Rican Winter League if he had enough playing time to qualify.
Only 108 days away from Marlins Opening Day.
🔷 The Winter Meetings are underway and Fish On First has two credentialed reporters there this year: Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral. They’ll have thorough coverage today as Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and Marlins manager Clayton McCullough are each scheduled to speak with the media.
🔷 While making his trip north, Kevin stopped at the Marlins’ spring training facility to provide updates on the ongoing construction.
🔷 Insiders from The Athletic, ESPN and USA Today each have different interpretations of Sandy Alcantara’s availability on the trade market. Personally, I would be shocked if he’s moved this offseason.Â
🔷 Now that the Marlins have reduced their 40-man roster count to 39, here is another plug for last month’s list of notable Rule 5 draft possibilities for the Marlins. The draft takes place on Wednesday.
🔷 Last week, Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida launched a sponsorship of the FOF podcast! They offer Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, boats fill up fast—everyone wants that view of the fireworks from the water. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online.
🔷 Speaking of podcasts, congratulations to Jeremiah Geiger on surpassing 200 episodes as host of Locked On Marlins.