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Popular Blue Jays' Great Gets Bumped Off Hall of Fame Ballot
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- Popular Blue Jays' Great Gets Bumped Off Hall of Fame Ballot
Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Tuesday's Hall of Fame induction announcement represented a moment of celebration for legendary outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones, both of whom learned that they were Cooperstown-bound after clearing the requisite 75% voting threshold among votes from the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BWAA).
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The day, however, was less celebratory for the many candidates who fell short, including a former Toronto Blue Jay who learned that he did not garner enough votes to remain on the ballot. Edwin Encarnacion , the popular slugger who remains with the club as a special assistant, will not be up for consideration next year after falling off the ballot due to failing to secure the necessary 5% to remain eligible (he got 1.4%).
Encarnacion Had a Great Career, Just Not Hall-Worthy
Former Toronto Blue Jays star Edwin Encarnacion | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Though Encarnacion's departure from the ballot may be disappointing to some in Toronto, it was ultimately the right result for his Hall of Fame candidacy. The three-time All-Star enjoyed a great 16-year career, but his numbers fall well short of warranting enshrinement.
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Encarnacion's calling card was always his power. He managed to showcase his signature 'imaginary parrot on the shoulder' home run trot on 424 occasions throughout his career, including two seasons of over 40 home runs (both with the Blue Jays) and six other seasons of 30-plus. He also surpassed 100 RBIs in six different seasons, including a league-leading 127 during his All-Star 2016 campaign.
Encarnacion's best years were indisputably spent in Toronto. His five highest WAR totals, including his three All-Star seasons, came during his Blue Jays tenure from 2012 through 2016. The Dominican Republic native was a foundational part of the ALCS-bound 2015 and 2016 teams, occupying the heart of the batting order alongside Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson .
Arguably, the biggest moment of Encarnacion's career came when he hit a walk-off three-run home run to lead Toronto over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card round at Rogers Centre and send them to the Divisional Series.
That signature moment, coupled with his strong production as a Blue Jay, will forever make Encarnacion a fan favorite in Toronto. However, that alone isn't enough to get him to Cooperstown. As a one-dimensional player who never cracked the top-10 in MVP voting, he was always going to have trouble meriting serious Hall consideration.
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Encarnacion is far from alone, however. He was one of 11 players who fell off the ballot as part of this year's vote, being joined by Manny Ramirez, Ryan Braun , Howie Kendrick , Alex Gordon , Shin-Soo Choo , Nick Markakis , Hunter Pence , Gio Gonzalez , Matt Kemp and Daniel Murphy .
Ramirez failed to garner the requisite 75% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the ballot, while the other players all fell under the 5% threshold.
Encarnacion may not be headed for Cooperstown, but there is at least one MLB market that will continue to celebrate the man affectionately known as "Edwing".
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Popular Blue Jays' Great Gets Bumped Off Hall of Fame Ballot .
