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Jeff Kent, the formidable second baseman, found himself overwhelmed with emotion over his election baseballHall of Fame, more than 17 years after his final game.
“Not at all prepared. Emotionally unstable,” he confessed after the vote was announced on Sunday. “Thoughts are still hazy.”
Kent received 14 out of 16 votes from the Contemporary Era committee, easily surpassing the 12 ballots needed to meet the 75 percent minimum threshold.
In contrast, there are stars like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, whose careers have faltered. steroid allegationsHe was among seven players who once again failed to feature.
Kent’s induction ceremony is scheduled for July 26 in Cooperstown, New York. He will be honored along with whoever is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose voting results are scheduled to be announced on January 20.
Recalling that moment, Kent’s voice choked as she described the immediate aftermath of the phone call.
“I hugged my wife after I got the phone call,” he said, “and I told her that a lot of the game came back to me at that moment.” Similar to my retirement speech, my farewell speech that I did in LA, it reminds me of ‘don’t cry in baseball.’ Well, when I left the game I was screaming because all those emotions get over you.”
A five-time All-Star, Kent boasted a .290 batting average, 377 home runs and 1,518 RBI in 17 seasons.
His career spanned Toronto (1992), New York Mets (1992–96), Cleveland (1996), San Francisco (1997–2002), Houston (2003–04) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–08).
His 351 home runs as a second baseman remain a record for the position. Kent’s greatest years were with the San Francisco Giants, where he played with the record-setting Bonds.
Kent insisted, “I think I turned double plays better than any player in the game during my era.”
Among the other candidates, Carlos Delgado received nine votes, while Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy received six votes each.
Bonds, Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received fewer than five votes, meaning they will not be eligible for consideration again until 2031.
Bonds and Clemens also missed their tenth and final appearance on the BBWAA ballot in 2022. Bonds has consistently denied ever knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs, while Clemens says he never used PEDs.
Reflecting on his relationship with Bonds, Kent said: “Barry was a good mate of mine. He was someone I inspired and encouraged. We had a bit of a surprise.
“He was a person who inspired me sometimes, both in frustration and love. If you’re talking about moral codes and all that, I’m not a voter and I’m trying my best to stay away from all that because I can’t, I don’t really have an opinion.”
Kent’s tenure with the Giants was not without controversy. His relationship with the club became strained in 2002 when he broke a bone in his left wrist during spring training.
Kent initially told the team’s athletic trainer Stan Conte that he was injured while washing his truck, but Giants general manager Brian Sabine later claimed that “there is mounting evidence from all kinds of eyewitnesses that say he was thrown from the motorcycle while popping a wheelie.”
He also scuffled with Bonds in the dugout during a game in San Diego in June.
In his previous attempts to be inducted into the Hall of Fame via the BBWAA ballot, Kent received 15.2 percent in his first appearance in 2014, rising to 46.5 percent in his final year of eligibility in 2023.
He admitted, “It seemed like those moments were spent not in complete despair but just in disappointment, a little disappointment that I wasn’t recognized better.”
His early career also saw a perception challenge. Drafted by Toronto, Kent was traded to the Mets for David Cone just four months after his debut.
Kent said, “Rap for me probably started in the wrong direction in New York.” “When I left New York and came to the West Coast the perception was that ‘he wasn’t a good middle infielder,’ and that was very wrong.”
The Hall of Fame reconvened its veterans committees in 2022 for the third time in 12 years, establishing panels to consider the Contemporary Era (since 1980) and the Classic Era.
In the contemporary baseball era, separate ballots are now available for players and managers, officials, and umpires.
Each committee meets every three years, with contemporary managers, officials and umpires next considered in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027 and contemporary era players considered again in December 2028.
Under a rule change announced last March, candidates receiving fewer than five votes are ineligible for that committee’s ballot during the next three-year cycle.
A candidate removed and subsequently appearing again, who again receives less than five votes, will be permanently barred from taking part in future voting.
The December 2027 vote is the first possible opportunity for Pete Rose to appear on the Hall ballot, following Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision in May that Rose’s permanent suspension would end with his death in September 2024.
Hall currently prevents anyone on the permanent ineligible list from appearing on the ballot.