The first step to reach baseball's Hall of Fame comes with a rigorous standard. Eligible players are required to receive 75 percent of the votes from the baseball writers that hold ballots.
There was an outcry in 2013 when no candidate reached 75 percent. Since then, there were a dozen players elected by the writers from 2014 to 2017, and then four more were announced for 2018 on Wednesday:
Chipper Jones and Jim Thome were slam-dunk first-timers, and they were joined by outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and closer Trevor Hoffman.
The number of eligible voters has been reduced in recent years, creating a somewhat younger group that appears more generous in offering its approval.
There were 422 ballots submitted and 317 votes needed. Jones received 410 and Thome 379, making it easily as first-time candidates.
Edgar Martinez reached 297 (70.4 percent) with one year remaining on the baseball writers' ballot. He has made a huge jump in recent years, indicating there are many fewer voters now who see someone who primarily played as a designated hitter as less worthy.
I voted for Martinez for the first time on this ballot. It wasn't because of a changed view on a designated hitter or the fact he's near the end of his time on our ballot.
It was from talking with Tom Kelly more than once, and having him say that, as an opposing manager, the hitter he feared the most when facing the Mariners was Martinez.