Former Dodgers Highlight Hall of Fame Ballot

While “news” is being made all over the internet by those trying to predict where various free agents will spend 2016, former baseball greats are in the news for one of the biggest moments of their professional life: Their election to the Hall of Fame.

A brief look at the list unearths quite a few players who spent time in Los Angeles, either for the Dodgers or for the Angels of Anaheim/Tustin, maybe, or wherever they want to be from.

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Here are a few names, via J.P. Hoonstra:

Mark Grudzielanek is on the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot. So are Garret Anderson, Brad Ausmus, Nomar, Jeff Kent, Sheffield, Piazza, McGwire.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) November 9, 2015

Most those guys played for the Dodgers late in their career, when the franchise was trying to compete on the margins with kinda-big names. Only Piazza played for the Dodgers anywhere near his prime.

The list speaks pretty well to why the Dodgers struggled to make the playoffs until recently, if we’re being honest.

At first glance, I’d say Kent has a shot at making it if not this year but in the years to come. After that, though, because of the steroids issue, it’s hard to see Sheffield, Piazza or McGwire making it anytime soon (which I find ridiculous).

Grudzielanek, Anderson, Ausmus and Nomar have marginal-at-best bases to be made without digging deeper into their careers.

Regardless, all we can do is wish these guys luck as the voting process takes shape and thank the baseball gods the kind of thinking that brought them to L.A. is no longer even considered with this front office.