In a move that most saw coming, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America stripped Dan Le Batard of his Hall of Fame vote for life on Thursday. His membership to the BBWAA was also revoked for one year, meaning the longtime sports columnist and radio host will not be allowed to vote for any MLB awards next season.
Here is the full statement from the BBWAA:
The BBWAA Board of Directors has decided to remove Dan Le Batard’s membership for one year, for transferring his Hall of Fame ballot to an entity that has not earned voting status. The punishment is allowed under the organization’s constitution.
In addition, Le Batard will not be allowed to vote on Hall of Fame candidates from this point on.
The BBWAA regards Hall of Fame voting as the ultimate privilege, and any abuse of that privilege is unacceptable.
-BBWAA President La Velle E. Neal III
January 9, 2014
Le Batard turned his 2014 Hall of Fame ballot vote over to Deadspin, where fans voted and the top 10 vote getters received a Hall of Fame vote on Le Batard’s ballot. He explained his decision to protest the process in a well-reasoned essay and has been criticized by a number of sports personalities for his decision.
As LB mentioned earlier this week, we agree with Le Batard’s reasoning. The process has been tainted by voters who have the power to keep deserving players out of the Hall of Fame strictly because they suspect those players used steroids. As a result, players have not been evaluated equally based on their on-field performance. If nothing else, Le Batard’s defiance brings attention to an issue that desperately needs it.
